Restaurants in Williamson County

A Little Taste of Italy serves Italian food in Hutto, Texas. It is a restaurant, not a destination: the room is plain, and the menu is the reason to come. Food is made fresh, and the salad dressing is made in-house. Some diners find the portions small for the price. The restaurant has a website for hours and menu details before you go.

Italian food this good is a surprise in Florence, Texas, and it works. Florence Beer Market serves it in a room with old rock walls, open beam ceilings, and wood floors. Strong drinks at the bar. Staff who make you feel like you were never gone. Worth a date night.

The burritos here are the talk of Jarrell. Taquería El Palmar is a Mexican restaurant serving fresh plates fast, with aguas worth ordering a second cup of. One regular builds theirs with bacon, potatoes, cheese, and jalapeño. Prices run fair for the quality, though the occasional dish falls short of the rest.

You want pho with portions that satisfy, and service that greets you at the door. Bites & Basil is a Vietnamese restaurant in Hutto serving rare steak and brisket pho, chicken vermicelli, and more. The staff seat you promptly, and the bowls come generous. Word of advice: order the pho, then come back for the vermicelli.

Gluten-free baking usually means settling for dry cookies and cardboard crusts. Not here. Pie Jacked in Round Rock makes every dessert gluten free, so people with celiac disease can order anything on the menu without a second thought. The team takes time to walk you through the options, and the tiny pie samplers let you try several. Frozen pies are available to bake at home.

MarLira Creations, Tamales To-Go sells tamales in Coupland, Texas. The shop sits along the road for drivers passing through, the only food stop for miles. The menu includes spicy pork, cream cheese jalapeno, and spicy cream cheese tamales. Orders can be called ahead and picked up ready to go. Homemade lemonade and tea are available, along with burgers and fries.

You want a cake that tastes like the flavors you picked, not a template. Casa Costa Bake Shop bakes its pastries and cakes fresh in Leander, Texas, and staff will help you design one when you are not sure what you want. Coffee, cozy atmosphere, and outdoor seating make it easy to stay awhile.

When the craving for nachos hits and you are passing through Florence, Texas, La Fuente Restaurant is the small, clean Mexican restaurant that answers it. The staff is friendly and attentive, and you will not be rushed out the door. Ask for the nachos. That is the tip a regular gives.

Round Rock takes its breakfast and lunch seriously, and Jack Allen's Kitchen gives the town a Southwestern table worth sitting down to. The fried green tomatoes come with slaw. Steak and eggs arrive with fresh-squeezed orange juice, and the barbacoa eggs benedict earns its place on the brunch menu. Homemade habanero and serrano hot sauces sit on the table. Ask for extra pimento cheese; skip the crackers that come with it.

You want a burger that puts the chain version to shame, and a beer to wash it down. Slot-T Beer Co. pours its own brews in Liberty Hill, Texas, alongside house-made sauces and a soft pretzel big enough to share. The staff will let you taste a beer before you commit. Go at happy hour, and order the cowboy burger with jalapeños.

This dessert shop refuses to rush you through the ordering. Tinto Land in Round Rock walks large groups through every option, and the family behind the counter does it smiling. The staff speak Spanish and treat strangers like friends. First-timers should ask them to explain the menu before choosing.

Burgers & beer served in a rustic roadhouse with outdoor picnic tables & live music in a barn.

Georgetown earns its dessert stops, and this one builds yours from scratch. The Baked Bear is a dessert restaurant in Georgetown, Texas, where freshly baked cookies meet handmade ice cream flavors you can mix and match. Ask for your cone shaped just so; the staff will oblige. Grab a bear bowl with a hot cookie underneath, then take it outside and let the afternoon stretch.

Chicken-fried steak & other Southern comfort fare in a down-home setting with a patio.

A Mexican restaurant in Leander, Texas. The plates come out of the kitchen and land, every one of them, meal after meal. People drive here from across Williamson County for food they cannot get closer to home. Ask a regular what to expect and they will tell you the same thing: order anything on the menu, because nothing misses. This is the rare spot worth the trip.

Sunday morning, and the line for a table can test your patience. It moves, and it is worth the wait. Nick's Breakfast and Coffee serves home-cooked comfort food in Leander: Texas-sized portions of biscuits and gravy, French toast, and bacon, served by a kind staff in a welcoming room. The French toast is the one to tell a newcomer about.

Sicilian pizza, made the way it should be, in Hutto, Texas. BELLA SICILIA Pizzeria turns out authentic pies, fresh salads, and sandwiches on remarkable bread. The biancaneve and the burrata each have their followers. Slices are ready when you are, and the staff treat you kindly. If you haven't been, do yourself a favor.

Jack Allen's Kitchen serves American food in Cedar Park, Texas. The dining room has a Texan, steakhouse feel, and dinner is the main event. There is a happy hour menu. The kitchen aims for affordable, flavorful plates, though some entrees have come out under-seasoned. It has a website for hours and menus. Come hungry, order, and judge the seasoning yourself.

Lobster rolls, fish tacos & raw bar selections in a laid-back, seaside-inspired setting.

Laid-back sandwich-shop chain for creative toasted subs, plus snacks & desserts.