February: Texas Bean & Brew House
The all-day breakfast menu at Texas Bean has garnered a cult following in the two years since it has been open. The concept for Bean & Brew, which also has lunch and dinner menus, is really two or three concepts rolled into one, with food served alongside craft coffee and beer. Read more
March: OMG Seafood
Shane Billiot has co-owned OMG Seafood since January 2018 and most recently opened a second shop—the first is located in Bryan—in December 2019 at 205 Moore St. in San Marcos. Since then, even amid a pandemic and, more recently, a severe winter storm that crippled most of Texas for several days, Billion said OMG has maintained its customer base. Read more
May: Los Brothers Mexican Kitchen
The central focus for Los Brothers Mexican Kitchen is authenticity—not toward the Tex-Mex cuisine that permeates the Central Texas area, said co-owner Adele Tinoco, but toward full Mexican recipes. Read more
June: Spud Ranch
J.R. Gallegos opened Spud Ranch in San Marcos in 2003. The menu was simple and included five different types of potato and a burger with Texas Toast. By 2011, Gallegos, who was born and raised in New Braunfels, had parlayed the success of his San Marcos location into a second Spud Ranch in his home town on Common Street. Read more
July: Pizza Classics
Billy Bonham started working at Pizza Classics as a delivery driver 17 years ago, right out of high school, and continued up the ranks until taking full ownership of the restaurant in 2011. Because Kyle is his hometown and he attended school just a few blocks away, he said the restaurant, which opened in 1998, is a hometown spot he is proud to claim. Read more
August: Sakura
Sparks flew when Stephanie and Wade Lin first met over the flames of a hibachi grill some 13 years ago at a restaurant they worked in together. The couple soon set out on their own restaurant ventures, and in June, they celebrated the fifth anniversary of their second restaurant, Sakura. Read more
September: Willie's Joint
Photos signed with markers cover the walls and ceiling in love notes and precious memories at Willie's Joint in Buda. Co-owner Greg Henry tells of people visiting from all over to sign their name, return and show it off to their loved ones. Read more
October: Herbert's Taco Hut
In 1972, when Dora and Herbert Rizk bought a small grocery store on Riverside Drive across from William and Eleanor Crook Park, they did not have a restaurant in their plans. The taco hut got started because of frequent requests from the customers of the grocery store. Read more
November: Koy Chinese and Sushi
Coming out of a yearlong hiatus, Koy Chinese and Sushi in Kyle is "busier every day," according to owner Frank Lai. Having just reached 10 years of business, Koy began when the population of Kyle was less than half of what it is now. Read more
December: Sunny's Pizza & Wings
In 2002 when Mohammed Jaffer purchased a fledgling pizzeria on the corner of Craddock Avenue and RR 12, he said he did now know that his location in the surrounding area would be the one to stand the test of time. Read more
Have a local favorite we should feature in 2022? Email us at [email protected].
Warren Brown, Brian Rash and Eric Weilbacher contributed to these stories.
