New Braunfels and Gruene Texas are two intertwined towns near where we were staying in Canyon Lake. Both are steeped in German heritage.
One of the many places to grab a bite in Gruene Texas
Cool Gift Shop in Gruene!
For our last day of exploring our friend Jacki’s area of Texas, she took us to a couple more tiny towns. We started off with some fun shopping in Gruene which is pronounced Green. It seemed like one second we were in New Braunfels, and the next second we were in Gruene. And if we went another block we’d be back in New Braunfels!
Obviously another Gift Shop in Gruene.
According to Wikipedia: “Gruene is a German-Texan town in Comal County in the U.S. state of Texas. Once a significant cotton-producing community along the Guadalupe River, the town has now shifted its economy to one supported primarily by tourism.”
Back at Gruene Hall after lunch.
Originally settled in 1872, Gruene is a beautiful photograph of Texas culture and history. I mentioned that Gruene is tiny, it is actually only 15 acres. It has been designated as a National Historic District where visitors can shop, dine, and dance inside the original township buildings.
Welcome to beautiful Gruene Mansion
You can find pretty much anything in this little hamlet from tacos to crispy onion rings, from antiques to cowboy hats, and every genre of American music from to blues. Gruene is filled with loads of fun little boutiques filled with funky and unique items.
Gruene Mansion in a lovely Inn, in tiny Guene.
Charming Gruene Mansion
We wandered in and out of each and every one of these amazing little shops until we realized we were starving. Knowing that I had a hankering for Chicken Fried Steak, Jacki knew just the place that we should go for that. So we got back in the car and headed to nearby New Braunfels and Montana Mike’s Steakhouse.
Relic from a bygone era, the Root Cellar at Gruene Mansion
New Braunfels is a good bit larger than Gruene. It’s about a 45 minute drive to San Antonio. Known for the Comal and Guadalupe rivers, which twist and turn past beautiful parks like Landa and Cypress Bend. It was originally settled in 1845 and many of the original buildings have been preserved. The western part of the town has walkways that snake through underground limestone caves at Natural Bridge Caverns. Another attraction for tourists and locals alike is the Schlitterbahn water park, which has rides, slides and a wave pool. It also has Montana Mike’s Steakhouse.
Two Hungry Traveling Locavores
Montana Mike’s Steakhouse is a chain of restaurants with locations in Indiana, Iowa, Oklahoma and Texas. Though we have been to all of those states since traveling in Ladybug, we have never been to a Montana Mike’s.
Bear Standing Guard
The atmosphere is rustic and the menu is what you’d expect from a steakhouse. What set it apart is their Chicken Fried Steak. Jacki raved about it, so I couldn’t wait for lunch to be served.
Montana Mike’s Steakhouse Menu
Yummy Honey Glazed Rolls at Montana Mike’s
Chicken Fried Sirloin Steak and Loaded Baked Potato
Photo Credit: Montana Mike’s Steakhouse Website
The portions were definitely Texas sized! We all ordered the Chicken Fried Sirloin with Loaded Baked Potatoes. We were all glad we did. The batter on the steaks was delightfully crunchy, the steak was tender and flavorful and the gravy was creamy and luscious. Plus the fluffy potato was heaping with sour cream, chives, bacon bits and shredded cheddar cheese. It was a lot to eat, but we’d been starving – and it was delicious – so we managed to devour every morsel!
Rhea’s Ice Cream Shop in Gruene
You can shop ’til you drop in Gruene Texas!
Then off we went, back to Gruene to make sure we finished shopping at every last store.
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