Creekhouse Kitchen & Bar

A creekside deck under the trees just off the Square, open seven days with live music

When someone in Wimberley says "let's eat outside," this is usually where they mean. Creekhouse Kitchen & Bar sits on the bank of Cypress Creek at 14015 Ranch Road 12, a short walk from the Square, with a big patio under the trees and the creek running right past the tables.

Why it's this week's craving. The mornings are finally starting to cool off, which means patio season is coming back around. Creekhouse is the patio we'd pick: shade, cold drinks, and a menu that works whether you're stopping for lunch after shopping the Square or making a night of it. The bar opens through big garage-style doors straight onto the patio, so inside and out feel like one place.

The story. Creekhouse opened on July 16, 2021, started by a group of Wimberley friends with executive chef and culinary director Mark Grimes. The land belongs to country singer Kevin Fowler, who called it "the most beautiful spot in town on Cypress Creek" — hard to argue. "We created Creekhouse out of a love for our hometown, Wimberley," Grimes said when it opened. Five years in, the kitchen still leans on Texas sourcing: grass-fed beef, Gulf seafood, post oak smoke.

If you're keeping it light, the salads and bowls are real meals — the Wimburrito Bowl ($14) with cilantro-lime rice, charro beans and guacamole, or the organic kale salad with butternut squash and Manchego ($13). Kids get their own short menu — grass-fed cheeseburger, chicken tenders or mac and cheese — and there's bananas foster bread pudding if you've saved room.

Good to know. Creekhouse is open seven days a week. Live music is part of the deal on the patio — check their Instagram for who's playing before you go. Reservations and online ordering are both available through the website. On a pretty weekend, the creekside tables go first.

Local Eats covers every new opening, closing and coming-soon spot around Dripping Springs, Driftwood and Wimberley — free, every Thursday. Subscribe at https://www.localeats.news/austin-hillcountry.