If you haven’t heard of Cibolo, Texas, you’re probably not alone. Twenty-five miles north of  San Antonio, this community has quietly built up an impressive list of restaurants, shops, and other amenities over the past five years as its population has grown. Pronounced sib-bow-low, meaning “buffalo” in Native American, Cibolo is also the name of a creek that runs through this area of Texas.  Stay in San Antonio or nearby New Braunfels, and spend the day in the vibrant small town.

Where to Eat

San Antonio is one of two cities designated as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, but Cibolo holds its own when it comes to notable food. In addition to these staples, there are regular and rotating food trucks throughout town.

Ernie’s Patio Bar

Located directly off Main Street on Pfiel Road, this hangout is housed in the former feed store owned by proprietor Austin Schlather’s grandfather, Ernie. As the name suggests, there’s a patio with seating, an outdoor stage for bands, and space for rotating food trucks. If you’re hanging out al fresco, you can order drinks through a walk-up window without having to go inside, but there’s inside seating as well. Ernie’s is a fun blend of modern industrial and Cibolo nostalgia—large black and white photos of early 20th-century Cibolo line the interior, and remnants of the Purina price board sit outside. The bar has multiple flat-screen TVs for watching sports, high-tech reverse-fill beer taps, and a big selection of rotating craft beers and inventive cocktails. 

facebook.com/ErniesCiboloTx200, Pfeil Rd #120, Cibolo, TX 78108

1908 House of Wine & Ale

Once a private home and boarding house, this trendy watering hole retains its Victorian-era charm and architectural details. This is a great spot for happy hour or date night, with a robust selection of wine and craft ales on tap, bottled wine and beer, and craft cocktails. Light bites include artisan charcuterie boards, flatbreads, and gourmet popcorn. The decor is funky vintage, with an eclectic mix of objects that just somehow go together, from rustic side tables piled high with books and games to an antique bicycle hanging on the wall. There’s patio seating for warmer evenings and cozy inside nooks with groupings of velvet couches and vintage black and white movies projected onto the wall.

1908houseofwine.com, 207 N Main St, Cibolo, TX 78108

Old Main Ice House

This welcoming space combines a small indoor bar with 10,000 square feet of open-air entertainment space in the backyard. Weeknights and weekend days are fairly low-key, but things are livelier on weekend evenings, with a rotating selection of food trucks and entertainment on the outdoor stage. The icehouse is family-friendly until 8:30 p.m. and always pet-friendly. Enjoy a Kamikaze shot for $2 whenever a train is passing by. The ice house is located next to a railroad track, so you never know when your train shot moment will happen. 

facebook.com/oldmainicehouse, 110 N Main St, Cibolo, TX 78108

The Rooted Fork

The delectable smells hit you when you walk in the front door of The Rooted Fork, perhaps before. Choose from casual indoor seating or sit out on the patio and enjoy the street views of Downtown Cibolo. Try the best-selling Forky Bowl, a breakfast favorite consisting of tater tots loaded with bacon, eggs, and cheese. Make it “trashy” with the addition of jalapenos and tomatoes. The Rooted Fork serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

therootedforkcibolo.com, 201 N Main St, Cibolo, TX 78108

Ray Harmon’s BBQ

Harmon’s started as a roadside food truck selling authentic pit-smoked Texas BBQ to passersby. Today, visitors enjoy delicious brisket, pork ribs, and sides—don’t skip on the creamed corn—and more at their casual Main Street location, which is comfortable, casual; it's the perfect atmosphere for rolling up your sleeves and digging into some authentic Texas BBQ. 

harmonsbbq.com, 102 S Main St, Cibolo, TX 78108

Kindling Texas Kitchen

Don't be fooled by the simple wood bungalow and shiplap: Kindling Texas Kitchen is serious food. Several small dining rooms have groupings of tables, but the best show will come from a table with a view of the open kitchen. The long list of appetizers includes hearty offerings like fingerling potatoes loaded with Provolone, bacon,  jalapeños and crème fraiche, and pork belly mac n’ cheese, but don’t skip over the sourdough bread service with all of the toppings. The rest of the menu is divided into “from the garden,” “from the land,” and “from the sea” sections. The setting is rustic enough to be comfortable dining in jeans and elegant enough to make it special-occasion meal-worthy.

kindlingtexaskitchen.com, 209 N Main St, Cibolo, TX 78108

Catalno’s Pizzeria

This Main Street mainstay serves up hand-tossed pizza, stromboli, and pasta dishes, as well as a variety of appetizers, sandwiches, and burgers. If you save room for dessert, their peanut butter and jelly pizza is worth trying. 

catalanos.pizza, 102 N Main St, Cibolo, TX 78108

The Pastry Corner

This coffee shop and bakery offers all your favorite coffee drinks and an eat-in space to enjoy them. The bakery case has a little bit of everything, from handmade artisan bread to sweet treats like delicate macarons and homemade pop tarts.

thepastrycornertx.com, 1917 29th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35209

Explore Downtown

Cibolo’s Main Street is delightfully walkable, with free public parking in several spots off Main Street. Most downtown area hotspots used to be something else, from a repurposed Victorian-style home turned wine bar to a weigh station shack with a new life as a takeaway coffee shop. Here’s what you shouldn’t miss. 

Grange Farmers & Artisans Market

Shop for fresh produce, baked goods, artisan crafts, and more. The market currently operates on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Sundays of the month.

facebook.com/CiboloGrangeFarmersMarket, 413 N Main St, Cibolo, TX 78108

The Mill Boutique and Mercantile

Browse a delightful array of locally made gifts, stationery, apparel, and home decor items. The on-site ice cream parlor, The Scoop at the Mill, serves hand-dipped ice cream and other frozen treats.

facebook.com/TheMillBoutique, 200 N Main St, Cibolo, TX 78108

Coco LeFor Floristry 

Coco LeFor Floristry is a floral design and gift shop featuring a variety of ready-made arrangements and gifts. Tucked in the corner of a renovated building that’s been both a supermarket and a feed store in previous lives, Coco LeFlor’s area of focus is in creating sola wood flowers and preserved floral arrangements designed to last several years. Sola is a light, pliable wood that can be molded into astonishingly real-looking flowers—you won’t know they’re not real unless you touch them. Need a pick-me-up? A drive-through and walk-up coffee spot, Frenchie’s, is in the parking lot, and Coco LeFor shares building space with Ernie’s Patio Bar, so the options are endless.

cocolefor.com, 200 Pfeil Rd Suite 110, Cibolo, TX 78108

Concrete Yoga

Located off Main Street on Rawe Avenue, one of Cibolo’s tiny side streets, Concrete Yoga offers a variety of regular in-studio and online classes and special workshops for beginners and yogis of all levels. Check the calendar for special events, such as puppy yoga—think gentle yoga meets adoptable puppies. 

concrete-yoga.com, 203 Rawe Ave, Cibolo, TX 78108

Yellow Rose Candle Co. 

Nestled on Rawe Avenue in the same building as Concrete Yofa, the Yellow Rose Candle Company is a charming storefront selling ready-made artisan candles and other gifts, such as soaps and wax melts. The candles are made with clean ingredients and smell as pretty as they look. Themed candle-making workshops—past themes have included Titanic and Bridgerton–are available for anyone who loves a good make-and-take workshop with wine and snacks. 

yellowrosecandle.com, 203 Rawe Ave, Cibolo, TX 78108

Suite Magnolia Spa

If you need some pampering, this is your spot. Suite Magnolia Spa offers a variety of massages, including a quick 25-minute customized treatment.

facebook.com/suitemagnoliaspacibolotx, 100 N Main St, Cibolo, TX 78108

Get Outside

Although Cibolo has a decidedly suburban feel, plenty of nearby greenspaces are perfect for walking and biking. Thanks to mature live oaks, tangles of juniper, and other native greenery, these greenspaces give the sense of being “away from it all,” even though housing developments and small businesses are nearby.

Cibolo Creek Primitive Trail

This secluded out-and-back trail runs between Universal City Park and Veteran’s Park and can be accessed through either location. The main trail is a combination of soft gravel and concrete, and if the creek bed is dry, you can see some interesting rock formations. It runs 1.5 miles each way. You can explore a few side trails to lengthen your trek, but use caution when going off the main trail during late spring and summer when the vegetation is dense. 

Crescent Bend Nature Park

This 190-acre park in nearby Schertz has a single 1.6-mile circular gravel trail that can be looped for a longer trek or bike ride. Paths run adjacent to the creek for further exploration. There are also fishing spots and bird blinds where you can check out over 250 species of birds spotted in the park. 

For more of an urban park feeling, Schlather Park and Neimetiz Park offer flat walking trails, playgrounds, and washroom facilities. Schlather Park also has a frisbee golf course, an online downloadable map and scorecard, and a bird-watching pavilion. 

https://www.southernliving.com/cibolo-texas-11687530