Elgin offers a taste of what the old days in Texas were like (Credit: The Second Shooter)
Have you ever stopped in Elgin? I’m not talking about gassing up on a trip or pulling over to grab a sausage (or two) at Meyer’s Texas BBQ or Southside Market. Downtown Elgin lies off the beaten path of US Hwy 290 and offers unique charms. To get a taste of small town Texas from yesteryears, make the short trip east for some weekend fun.
Where to Stay in Elgin
Just a 10-minute drive from downtown Elgin through rolling hills and farmland is The Old Coupland Inn & Dancehall (101 Hoxie Street, Coupland, TX / 512-856-2777). Housed in what used to be a drug store (circa 1904) and tavern, this historic bed and breakfast has an “1880s brothel style,” each room with its own unique decor.
This historic B&B is currently undergoing a facelift with the addition of some new paint
(Credit: Jim Roseberg via Flickr CC)
There’s a customized country breakfast in the morning, and a full restaurant with everything from steak to fried catfish. Take advantage of the dancehall–“taking a two-step into the next century while preserving the past”–to catch some live music.
Elgin’s Living History
The city is working hard to revitalize its historic Main Street. A National Register Historic District, downtown Elgin includes some 67 buildings dating from 1872 to 1947.
The depot was built at the intersection of two railroads (Credit: The Second Shooter)
The Elgin Depot Museum
14 Depot Street / 512-285-2000
This restored 1903 train depot rotates exhibits on topics such as local history and railroads. It’s also a resource for those interested in local genealogy.
Historic Walking Tour
Learn the stories behind Main Street’s many historic buildings by downloading this self-guided tour (link above). Check out the original tiled entry to the J.C. Miller Building (119 Main Street). Find the 1906 Nofsinger House (310 Main Street)–made from Elgin’s signature red clay bricks–and visit the Elgin Cotton Oil Mill (301 E 1st Street), one of only 12 in the United States, owned by third-generation Texas family the Lundgrens.
Eatin’ and Sippin’ in Elgin
Yes, Elgin is the Sausage Capital of Texas, churning out some 3 million pounds of “hot guts” annually. But there’s more to be had than BBQ.
Elgin Local Goods
201 N Main Street / 512-285-9650
This market and cafe focuses on farm-to-market produce, grass-fed meats and local goods. Pick up stuff to fix dinner, grab a bite to eat and shop a bit.
Yum, pie–Lucy’s Kitchen offers several flavors (Credit: Terry Cole)
Lucy’s Kitchen
106 Depot Street / 512-285-9975
An old school diner, Lucy’s Kitchen serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s the perfect spot to grab a cup of coffee and slice of pie after strolling Main Street.
The Owl Wine Bar & Home Goods
106 N Main Street: 512-285-3547
With a nice assortment of wines, a lovely bar and outdoor seating, The Owl offers nibbles from a sausage, cheese and pretzel plate to flourless chocolate cake. They also have gluten-free options for any appetizer plate.
Liberty Tree Tavern
117 N Main Street / 512-285-5555
Liberty Tree Tavern is a local bar with live music, karaoke (Wednesday/Saturday) and Texas Hold’em (Monday at 6:45 and 9 PM). The building used to be the funeral home, and rumor has it there’s a ghost or two. Small outdoor patio, but no food–just bar snacks–and “full on” smoking (be prepared). Check Facebook for music listings.
Many people come to Elgin for the BBQ, like this selection from Meyer’s
Don’t forget the sausage! Both of the following places are located on US Hwy 290, not in downtown Elgin.
Meyer’s Texas BBQ
188 US Hwy 290 / 512-281-5546
Founded in 1949, Meyer’s bills their location as ‘Cuetopia, Texas. Four generations of Texans have been perfecting the family’s sausage recipe (as well as brisket, ribs and sauces).
Southside Market & BBQ
1212 US Hwy 290 / 877-487-8015
Part of the Historic Walking Tour, Southside Market has been in business in Elgin since butcher William J. Moon opened his storefront in 1886. Over the years, it has survived family changes, fires and recipe adjustments to keep producing mouth-watering links.
Elgin’s Festivals and Outdoor Fun
The city has several yearly happenings that take advantage of the community space offered by Main Street and Veteran’s Memorial Park (109 Depot Street).
Music in the Park
Veteran’s Memorial Park, Fridays in May and June, 8 PM
Bring beverages, your chair or a blanket and a picnic to enjoy this free series of concerts. In May, catch Beto y Los Fairlanes (5/15), The Chubby Knuckle Choir (5/22) and Patty Finney and Friends (5/29).
In addition to shopping, there are fun kids activities at the River Valley Farmers Market
(Credit: Amy Miller)
River Valley Farmer’s Market
Veteran’s Memorial Park, Saturdays, 9 AM-1 PM
May 2, 2015 marked the 30th anniversary of this growers-only market. Look for candy, flower arrangements and assorted fruits, vegetables and products from Bastrop County-area farmers and ranchers.
Sip, Shop, and Stroll
Main Street, May 14th and June 11th, 5–8 PM
Every second Thursday in the spring and summer, downtown Elgin invites folks to come sip a little something and take advantage of store specials while enjoying live music.
Western Days Festival
June 23–27th, various locations
How can you pass up the Tiny Tot and Miss Western Days pageants, a carnival, the tennis court dance, grand parade and festival in the park? Now in its 46th year, the Western Days Festival with its Grand Finale has a bit of family fun for everyone.
Elgin’s Hogeye Festival celebrates “warm hearts and hot guts” each October with family friendly and fun events
Shopping in Downtown Elgin
If you’re into vintage and home furnishings, there are several shops that fit the bill.
G&M Drygoods
20 N Main Street / 512-258-3547
Owned by Gary Luedecke, City of Austin’s chief audio engineer and 39-year music business veteran, this shop has an assortment of gifts, accessories and goods.
Many shops in Elgin, like G&M Drygoods, feature vintage home furnishings (Credit: Gary Luedecke)
The Owl Wine Bar & Home Goods
106 N Main Street / 512-285-3547
In addition to having a sip at the wine bar, you can shop for home decor items at The Owl. Look for vintage furnishings, accessories and gifts–and see if you can spot the “ghost mural” that inspired the shop’s name.
Fiddlesticks Emporium
102 N Main Street / 512-461-8767
New, used, repurposed and redone: the shop is filled with an assortment of decorative home items.
In addition to the patio, there’s bar seating inside The Owl (Credit: Gary Luedecke)
Ramona’s Rendezvous
12 N Main Street / 512-698-4193
More than 80 vendors stock the store with vintage, antique and collectible pieces.
Getting to Elgin from Austin
Head east on US Hwy 290. As you enter Elgin, follow the blue informational signs to the downtown Historic District (left on TX 95 N, right onto FM 1100, merge onto Main Street). Depending on your location, Elgin is approximately 25 miles from Austin.
If you stop downtown on a weekday, many of the shops and restaurants will not be open before 11 AM and have varied hours. Check before you plan your trip with the phone numbers given in this article.
@leahruns100 wants to know:
Which local treasures have you discovered in Elgin?
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Visit, don’t move here. The schools are terrible and outdated. No real community involvement, no activities for our youth, no support for seniors.
You’re a jackass. Maybe YOU
YOU should just move away
Truth hurts, doesn’t it? 😉 I’m a parent of 2 kids, so I KNOW the schols are terrible, they’re rated 3, that’s enough to prove that. I know the Meals on Wheels program needs daily volunteers, are lucky to get weekly ones. There are no youth skate areas, no activities and they just put in sidewalks because ACC got wrangled into paying their fees to better this crap community. Try again. And our family is moving, to schools rated 9, less thug activity and more opportunities for their growth. You can stay, mentalities like yours are why Elgin is broke down.
But you can’t even spell school correctly hmmm. Thug activity??? Just because a school is rated a number doesn’t mean there isn’t “thugs activity” matter of fact higher raking school have more drugs sales. Why because people like you think it’s better so higher class people enroll their kids there. So the kids have more money to guess what buy more stronger drugs.
More stronger drugs? Lol. Don’t preach about typographical error and fail to use proper grammar. I never said a lower rated school means more thug activity, learn to discern. I said the schools have a 3 rating, which is based on their testing ability , which stems from their environment, education and access to learning opportunities.
If you’d like to contact Fiddlesticks Emporium the CORRECT phone number is 512-461-8767 :/ We also have a wonderful lady offering massages (both – chair or table) by appointment…….before or after you get a little shopping in. Don’t forget we’re NOT on the highway but it shouldn’t be too hard to find our Main St. Shops. Program 102 N. Main St into your gps/Siri app. Hope to see you soon!!!
Thanks for the information on the phone number; I had taken it from some previously published information, as I couldn’t locate a website…and we’ll make that change in the article.
Someone is on the ball !!!! Thanks for correcting our phone number above. 🙂
It’s unfortunate when comments on an article aiming to do good end up disintegrating into character attacks and take away from local businesses trying to provide value to a community. The Austinot is not a platform for political debate, and therefore we have decided to close comments on this article for now. Hopefully we can open comments again in the future, allowing people to add helpful comments about their experience visiting Elgin. -Editor, Austinot.com