Longleaf Craft Kitchen + Bar

Wimberley's farm-to-table anchor is handing off the kitchen — here's your window to taste the version everyone already loves

If you've eaten well on the Wimberley Square any time in the last seven years, there's a good chance Longleaf had something to do with it. The restaurant most locals point to for a proper date night, a birthday dinner, or just a good excuse to sit in that courtyard a little longer is about to become a different restaurant in the same skin — and this week is your last clean stretch to taste the menu as it's been before co-chefs Sarai and Luis Feliz take over the kitchen and launch El Confit Longleaf inside these same walls.

The story. Longleaf opened on the Square in 2019, built around a building with a past as interesting as anything on the menu. The restaurant's own account of its history is hard to beat: "The building was saved from demolition in San Marcos by taking it apart board by board where the carpenter found newspapers from 1912 insulating the walls. It was reassembled on the Wimberley Square in 1996." The Longleaf Pine that lines the walls gives the place its name, and the restaurant leans into what that wood represents — "Longleaf Pine Forests once spanned the Southeastern United States from the Atlantic to Texas... It is an amazing tree and these concepts of exceptionality and quality are at the heart and soul of our dining experience."

For most of its run, Longleaf has built its reputation on a farm-to-table approach that actually means something locally — a menu "rescued from demolition in San Marcos, our historic venue, reconstructed in 1996... Our commitment to local sourcing ensures a menu rich in flavors from nearby farmers, ranchers, and Gulf Coast fishermen." That's the kitchen that's now handing off to Sarai and Luis Feliz, who are preparing to launch El Confit Longleaf in the same space once the current chapter closes — the next step for a building that's already been rebuilt once.

The vibe. Longleaf splits nicely between an intimate dining room anchored by that reclaimed pine and an outdoor space that regulars talk about as much as the food. Apple Maps' own description nails it: guests can dine "in our one-of-a-kind interior space or outside in our oak-shaded courtyard and sculpture garden." It skews toward relaxed-but-dressed-up — a place where a Tuesday-night regular and an out-of-town anniversary dinner coexist comfortably. Evenings bring a livelier bar crowd on Friday and Saturday, when the bar stays open later than the kitchen; earlier dinners and Sunday nights run calmer, which OpenTable notes explicitly as the best time for a quieter visit.

What to order. The menu is built around seasonal, scratch cooking — plenty of GF and vegetarian marks throughout — with a few dishes that keep coming up in reviews and write-ups:

Good to know. Reservations aren't required but are welcome — Longleaf takes them through OpenTable or by phone. The restaurant has highchairs and outdoor seating for families, and that courtyard makes it an easy pick for larger groups. Weekend nights are the busiest stretch, especially with the bar running later Friday and Saturday. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. With the kitchen transition underway, menu items could shift without much notice — if there's a dish on this list you've been meaning to try, don't wait too long.

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