Lockhart in Caldwell County is the BBQ Capital of Texas, a 45-minute drive south from Austin with the three legendary smokehouses: Black's (1932), Smitty's Market (1948) and Kreuz Market (1900).
Tip: Hit Black's first as it opens at 10am; Smitty's wood-fired room closes around 18:00, plan the loop in that order.
Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country is the wine-country day trip from Austin, an 1846 German village with over 100 wineries, German kitchens and Main Street German bakeries.
Tip: Book a designated driver; Wine Road 290 runs through Grape Creek, Becker and William Chris vineyards. Lunch at Hill and Vine.
Driftwood is the 30-minute Hill Country drive from Austin for The Salt Lick BBQ since 1969, a destination open-pit smokehouse with BYOB policy and family-style platters.
Tip: BYOB is the trick; bring your own beer. The Saturday 13:00 line can stretch to 2 hours, arrive at 11.
Round Rock is a 30-minute drive north from Austin for Round Rock Donuts at 106 W Liberty Avenue, the Lone Star doughnut counter since 1926 famous for egg-yolk-yellow yeast doughnuts.
Tip: Open from 4:30am; the morning batch is gone by 8am. Pair with a kolache loop at the Czech bakeries in West, TX, 90 miles north.
Elgin is the 30-minute drive east from Austin to the self-styled Sausage Capital of Texas, home to Southside Market since 1882 and Meyer's Smokehouse, central Texas's German-Czech sausage center.
Tip: Combine with Lockhart for a full Texas BBQ loop; Elgin first for sausage, Lockhart for brisket.