A Driftwood dining room where the osso buco hasn't changed since the first winter
There's a stretch of FM 150 in Driftwood where the road bends past rows of vines and a long, low villa appears like it was dropped in from somewhere else entirely. That's Trattoria Lisina, and the nickname it has carried for years — "twenty minutes to Tuscany" — is the most honest piece of marketing in Hays County.
The story. Houston chef Damian Mandola built Trattoria Lisina in 2007 as the last piece of a Tuscan-style estate, side by side with the winery that is now Duchman Family Winery. He sold his share of the winery in 2010 and kept the restaurant, and the kitchen has gone on cooking the way it did when it opened. The osso buco and the sfinci — Italian doughnuts — have been on the menu since that first winter.
The vibe. A proper dining room with an estate around it: vineyards next door, grounds worth walking, and patio weather that has finally arrived. It's the fall dinner that feels like a trip without leaving the county, equally at home for a big table or a quiet anniversary.
What to order. Mamma Grace's meatballs to start, then lasagne alla Bolognese or one of the wood-fired pizzas. For a group, the bistecca alla Fiorentina is the centerpiece. The osso buco is the dish that's been there since day one, and sfinci close it out.
Good to know. Open Tuesday–Friday 4 to 9 and Saturday–Sunday 11 to 9, closed Monday. Book ahead for a weekend table, and come early enough to walk the grounds before you sit down.
Visit Trattoria Lisina
📍 13308 FM 150 W, Driftwood, TX 78619
📞 512-894-3111
🌐 Website: https://trattorialisina.com
📷 Instagram: @trattorialisina
🕒 Hours: Tue–Fri 4–9 · Sat–Sun 11–9 · closed Monday
Tag them in your post: Instagram @trattorialisina
Suggested hashtags: #LocalEats #TrattoriaLisina #Driftwood #HillCountry #TexasHillCountry #HaysCounty