What if I told you there was a Hill Country town that could almost match Fredericksburg charm for charm and was far, far less crowded? For your visiting pleasure, I give you Mason.
Just 30 miles west of Fredericksburg, and about an hour and 45 minutes from the Alamo City, Mason was founded by German settlers in 1846. The area became famous as the “Topaz Capitol of Texas” because it is home to the state’s topaz mines.
My traveling partner and I had a free weekend and were looking to visit the Hill Country, but didn’t want to deal with crowds, and that’s how we found ourselves back in Mason on a beautiful April day.
The Mason town square is one of the nicest you’re going to find in Texas. The county courthouse is the centerpiece, surrounded by picture-perfect, manicured foliage and stirring memorials. The square itself is home to a historic movie house, the Odeon Theater, and you can also find one branch of the Mason County Museum on the square; inside, you’ll find prehistoric artifacts, as well as the largest topaz in the world.
Before you head out of town, you should make a quick stop at the Mason County M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library. Out front is a statue devoted to the beloved tearjerker Old Yeller. Inside is a display of the novel’s author and the classic Disney film. The book and film have no real connection to Mason, yet they still celebrate Old Yeller Day in September.
I enjoy doing touristy things as much as the next person, but I’m about the food. The Willow Creek Cafe & Club was just what I was looking for. It’s housed in a historic building that was once a saloon.
Willow Creek Cafe & Club offers a stellar breakfast menu, burgers, sandwiches, Tex-Mex, soups and salads. I decided to switch up my usual order and get steak fingers. I was expecting something akin to what you’d find at a certain fast food joint, but boy, was I wrong.
The order – which comes with some of the crispiest fries I can ever remember eating, a trip to Willow Creek’s salad bar, and a dinner roll – was easily the size of a full chicken-fried steak. My meal was phenomenal. The breading on the steak fingers was perfect; the meat tender, the gravy, which came on the side, was piping hot and hit all the right notes.
One more thing about this restaurant. They make their desserts in-house; two pie cases in the back area near the bar serve as a showcase for what Willow Creek has to offer those with the sweetest of teeth. We ordered a rich and smooth French silk pie for the table, and I took home something I can’t say I’ve had before, a pecan buttermilk pie. It didn’t make it back to San Antonio. You need to eat at this restaurant pronto.
Mason’s a beautiful example of Hill Country life. I love it every time I visit, and I’m sure you’ll feel the same way when you make a stop.