Fifty-plus taps, live music most nights, a patio the size of a small town — and a chicken-fried steak that holds it all together
Drive FM 150 through Driftwood and you can't miss it: a low white building at the FM 3237 corner with a full parking lot, a crowd on the patio, and — most nights after six — a band going. Ten years ago it was a shuttered convenience store with weeds in the lot.
The story. Travis and Tamra Tindol bought that old 1980s store in the fall of 2014. The banks wouldn't lend on it, so they used their savings and family money, gutted it, and in March 2015 opened Hays City Store & Ice House with about 90 seats and a hunch that Driftwood needed somewhere to be. The hunch was right. The place has grown to more than 300 seats since, and when it hit the ten-year mark in March 2025 they threw a ten-night run of anniversary concerts — which tells you what it's about. The Tindols also run TasTe on Main in Buda.
The vibe. The spot where the whole stretch between Dripping Springs and Wimberley meets. Families at the picnic tables on the big shaded patio, the after-work crowd at the bar for happy hour (Monday–Friday, 3 to 5), and a steady stream of Austin-to-Wimberley traffic pulling in off 150. The ice house pours fifty-plus beers on tap, and live music runs about 6 to 9 most nights of the week with no cover — so a Tuesday dinner doubles as a show. It's picnic-table seating for the most part, which makes big groups easy, and the ice house is where you wait when the patio is full.
What to order. The chicken-fried steak is the anchor and the order for a first visit. The "truck stop enchiladas" have their own following — ask a regular. From there it's a coin toss between the fried shrimp and the bone-in pork chop, and there's a real Greek salad on the menu for whoever at the table is being good. Pair whatever you get with something from the tap wall; with fifty-plus handles, there's a Texas beer you haven't tried.
Good to know. Hours are Monday–Thursday 11 to 9, Friday–Saturday 11 to 10, and Sunday 10 to 9. Sundays open early, and the brunch-and-church crowd fills the patio fast, so get there before noon. Check their music page for the week's lineup before you go — this week it's Ed Johns Thursday, Ryan Talley Saturday, and Kim Meeks & Her Bad Habits Sunday, all 6 to 9.
Visit Hays City Store & Ice House
📍 8989 FM 150 W, Driftwood, TX 78619
📞 512-722-3905
🌐 Website: https://hayscitystoretx.com
📷 Instagram: @hayscitystore
👍 Facebook: Hays City Store & Ice House (page link not yet verified — search the name)
🕒 Hours: Mon–Thu 11a–9p · Fri–Sat 11a–10p · Sun 10a–9p · happy hour Mon–Fri 3–5p
Tag them in your post: Instagram @hayscitystore · Facebook @hayscitystore
Suggested hashtags: #LocalEats #HaysCityStore #Driftwood #DrippingSprings #HillCountry #TexasEats #LiveMusic