In between Round Top antique shows, it’s usually not hard to find a seat at the restaurant or bar of your choice. But when this region swells during antiques show season, that can be a much more daunting proposition.

When planning a show trip, it’s always a good idea to make reservations in advance.

However, you won’t find some of the best food in the Round Top area on TripAdvisor or Yelp. You’ll find it located on-site at many of the top venues. These spots provide convenient and quality dining and refreshments at their restaurants as well as from the impressive array of food trucks brought in every show season.

With the fall show fast approaching (October 14 through October 31), it’s a good time to learn about all the dining spots you might not think about. Especially if you’re a relative antiques show newcomer. These are the Best Places to Eat at The Show:

The Compound  

Spacious seating abounds at The Compound, allowing you to keep on shopping.

Simply D’Lish, one of Brenham’s tried and true catgering companies, is located inside the Peck Barn at The Compound. It serves up gourmet lunches and homemade desserts. I enjoyed the chicken salad last Spring show.

Just outside in the shady courtyard known as The Grove, complete with babbling water fountain, you’ll find shady seating and a full bar serviced by Celebrations, along with the Thai Cowboy food truck out of Brenham.

Marburger Farm

When you need to take a load off, you need not leave Marburger Farm to do it.

Head to Marburger Farm’s centrally located food pavilion for your choice of five unique vendors and drink stations. A cafe serves breakfast and lunch, from breakfast tacos and burgers to Texas barbecue, salads and sandwiches.

Sweet satisfaction comes in the form of ice cream and irresistible kettle corn. Just follow your nose. Tea, lemonade, beer and wine are also available. This is a complete venue in every sense.

Blue Hills

Crab cakes await at Dapper Bear Food Truck at Blue Hills.

You won’t go hungry at Blue Hills. This show venue is even hosting its first ever “Late Night Shopping Event” with live music, a cash bar and food trucks on Monday, October 25, from 6 to 9 pm.

During daytime hours you’ll find an array of options on-site, including Methodist Men BBQ, Dapper Bear Seafood with its fab lobster rolls and crab cakes, Vela Farms, Neon Moon Coffee and the ever popular Blue Hills Bar.

The Arbors

How about a little pick-me-up from Planet Churro? You’ll find it at The Arbors.

The Arbors Cafe serves breakfast and lunch daily, along with Hungry J’s Pizza Truck and a special treat ― The Ellis Motel Mobile Bar. Plus, this fall you can enjoy its new food truck courtyard featuring a full lineup of trucks including Hungry J’s Pizza with its Pac-Man themed lettering (true story ― the inventor of the throwback video game got the idea for his hungry Pac-Man while eating a pizza with a slice out of it), No Clue Cookers BBQ, Brian Le Pepe’s Taco Truck, and Planet Churro for a little treat.  

Bader Ranch

A signature bahn mi sandwich at Bader Ranch.

Bader Ranch has Two Birds Cafe and reservations are a necessity here (by the way . . . reservations opened September 1).  A few of the dishes on last year’s seasonal menu included baked ricotta and lobster ravioli with creamy Limoncello sauce, an amuse bouche of smoked salmon mousse, a honey crisp salad, a balsamic filet mignon and an old fashioned bourbon bread pudding. Along with gourmet dinners, Two Birds serves a lunchtime selection of fresh salads, soups and sandwiches, which change daily. Also on site, Lady Elaine’s food truck has your coffee and mimosa needs handled.

Market Hill

The Restaurant at Market Hill is open year round. DUO Modern Restaurant serves up modern fare with a twist from head chef Gino Llanes and sous chef Nate Pineda.

Lunch service runs 11 am to 3 pm Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and DUO is open for dinner from 5 pm to 9 pm those same days. Its Sunday Brunch is a special treat in smallish Round Top. That runs from 10 am to 3 pm, only on Sunday. From steak and frites to clam linguini, the menu here changes seasonally. Even daily.

The Halles  

Classy cocktails are sure to refresh you at The Halles. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

One of Round  Top’s newest venues will have a chef-inspired food truck, along with on-site craft cocktails and plenty of shady seating. This is also where you’ll find muffins and mimosas each morning of the show. The Halles’ popular Champagne Shack has been moved to the back of the property ― taking advantage of an idyllic meadow view.

This fall, Halles visitors get to enjoy dishes from Blind Fox restaurant’s food truck and its Culinary Institute and Cordon Bleu trained chefs/partners. These highly skilled chefs will be serving up traditionally inspired Hispanic cuisine at The Halles.

Looking for something extra special? The Halles has been reimagined as a VIP lounge and chill zone — a first of its kind at the shows. In addition to the most serene meadow view in Round Top (cows included), the VIP pavilion offers lounge seating and table seating, and installations from the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston’s Nurture creating artist in residence Preston Gaines, as well as high-speed Wi-Fi, charging connections, clean and spacious restrooms, a full bar and topnotch food. Get tickets to the VIP Lounge here.

So, bring a large car for all those interesting antiques finds you’ll be taking home, and come hungry. Round Top’s antique shopping venues have got you covered. Great food is never too far away during show season.