Even though pizza is the name of the game at Pieous, the pastrami is a can't-miss menu item, as is the banana cream pie. There's also the recently opened Pie-é-tea next door, serving coffee and pastries for the breakfast crowd.

You might not expect French street food in this tiny town, it's here. Start your day with a Cowboy Up breakfast crepe, or pop in for a ham and swiss at lunch, or just satisfy that sweet tooth with a Nutella Royale.

Primarily a bakery and lunch cafe, Thyme & Dough offers fresh pastries in the morning, light luncheon fare, and desserts. Thursday are Bistro Nights, where dinner is served from 6 to 9 p.m. There's Sunday brunch, too.

Nothing fancy here, just straightforward country cooking including fried catfish, burgers, and cobblers.

Creek Road Cafe embraces its Hill Country identity with Westcave Wedge Salad, Pedernales pork chops, and much more on its extensive menu. It's your best bet for date night dinner in the area.

Located in the HEB shopping center, Hill Country Ranch offers casual family dining. The menu spans hot dogs, burgers, salads, pasta, and pizza. Unique to this joint is the Big Game Hunter pizza, which is topped with venison, wild game sausage, and alligator.

The barbecue joint is undergoing changes right now from a restaurant that didn't serve traditional barbecue plates to serving only bar food until renovations to the taproom are done. Hopefully this includes house-smoked meats in sliders and queso, still.

Located on historic Mercer Street in downtown, The Mercantile offers tapas and wine, with a rotating, seasonal menu sourced from local favorites like Johnson's Backyard Garden.

You don't have to be on a visit to Jester King Brewery to enjoy Stanley's, although the beers certainly pair well with the pies. The wood-fired artisanal pizzas come with classic toppings as with the Lana and the Dexter and classic Texas, like the brisket-studded Willie. There are plenty of local brews and unusual wines to accompany your meal, and the Hill Country setting is pretty darn idyllic.

Pizza Cave prides itself on bringing New York style pizza to Dripping Springs, along with subs, salads, calzones, and garlicky garlic knots. Other items include an assortment of Texas wines, and gluten-free pasta and pizza.

Whether you're just passing through or on your way to work, this is the place to stop for doughnuts, fritters, cinnamon rolls, and kolaches.