Four Downtowns Outside of Houston TX You Should Check Out

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Hi friend! Living in the Houston suburbs does NOT mean you have to venture in to downtown Houston each time you want to find something cool to do. My goal today is to show you all that downtown Tomball, Conroe, Montgomery and Katy have to offer.

Tomball:

Take the family and explore Old Tomball! There is a historic downtown that hosts seasonal evens including the Tomball German Heritage Festival and the Tomball German Christmas Market, but it is still fun to walk at any time of year. There is a music venue here called Main Street Crossing, where you can listen to live music and enjoy pub-style bites and drinks.

? Visit the Official Tomball TX Website - Link.

If you enjoy history, you can tour historic homes and buildings at the Tomball Museum Center or visit the family-friendly Railroad Depot which houses train memorabilia, original art works, antiques and a model railroad.

Hungry? Tomball has some amazing restaurants to try! The Jane and John Dough Bakery has awesome breakfast items as well as in-season pies. The Whistle Stop Tea Room has tasty tea sandwiches, soups, salads and decadent raspberry cream cake for dessert.  Or stop into the Tejas Chocolate & Barbecue where you can savor authentic Texas style barbecue and taste the award winning home-made chocolates. If that all sounded a little too filling you could try The Empty Glass, a wine and cheese tasting room that has a true Texas feel.

Best Restaurants in or near Downtown Tomball TX

• Mels Country Cafe - 24814 Stonolind Road
• Fire Ant Brewpub  - 308 Market Street
• Tejas Burger Joint - 214 W Main Street
• Craving Kernels Gourmet Popcorn & Candy - 312 Market Street
• The Lunch Ladies Cafe - 214 W Main Street
• The Whistle Stop Tea Room - 107 Commerce Street
• The Original Rib Tickler - 28930 Tomball Parkway
• 403 Eats - 402 East Main Street
• Tikiz Shaved Ice & Ice Cream - 9614 Chaddington Court
• Tejas Chocolate and Barbecue - 200 N. Elm Street
• Every-Bellies - 106 Market Street
• Shivers Shaved Ice - 425A W Main Street
• Goodsons Cafe - 27931 SH 249
• Bonfire Grill - 425 W. Main Street
• Graze - 208 N. Elm Street
• Market Street Cafe - 302 Market Street
• The Empty Glass (Wine Bar) - 104 Market Street
• Che Gaucho Restaurant (Argentinian Food) - 611 W Main Street
• Old Tomball BBQ - 30042 TX-249
• Gianna Italian Kitchen - 28301 TX-249
• Wholly Crepe!! Russian Bistro - 413 W Main Street
• El Emperador - 601 W Main Street
• The Nook Grill - 1218 W Main Street
• Pecos Grilling Company - 28900 Tomball Parkway
• C Cs Cafe - 1231 Alma Street
• Golden Pagoad Chinese Restaurant - 908 W Main Street

You can pick your own fruit at Matt Family Orchard. This orchard is  family-owned and operated and is over 40-acres of fruit and berries (including blueberries, blackberries, figs, dates and pears). They also run special events including the Octobers Harvest Festival with a pumpkin patch. Remember that fruit-picking is seasonal- for an updated schedule you can visit their website. 

Tomball also has an amazing farmers market. Here you can find all kinds of fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs and meats as well as handmade items like soaps, dog treats and artwork. The farmers market hosts 50+  every Saturday from 9am to 1pm, rain or shine!

If you do catch a rainy day, you can always check out the Regal Lone Star theater on Tomball Parkway! Check here for show times.

Conroe: 

The city of Conroe is in the center of the Sam Houston National Forest, WG Jones State Forest and a 22,000 acre lake. Aside from the miles of trails to hike and water activities, Conroe offers plenty of things to do in its city.

If you are into wine, Blue Epiphany is a great place to check out. They have a main winery location that is  surrounded by trees and they offer tastings in a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. If you would like more of an urban up-scale feel Blue Epiphany also has a tasting room located on the square in Downtown Conroe. This location hosts live music on Saturday nights. Remember to also check their website for local food trucks that they host onsite.

If you want to experience a truly local joint head to Carmelitas Restaurant located in downtown Conroe. They serve authentic and tasty Mexican food. It is a small and very quaint place that is family owned and operated. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Best Restaurants in or near Downtown Conroe TX

• Pacific Yard House - 101 Metcalf Street
• Red Brick Tavern - 119 Simonton Street
• Flour-ish (Coffee Shop) - 406 N Thompson Street
• Honor Cafe - 103 N Thompson Street
• The Hoppy Kitchen - 705 Galveston Street
• McKenzies Barbeque & Burgers - 1501 N Frazier Street
• Villa Italia - 603 N Thompson Street
• Asadero (TexMex) - 721 W Davis Street
• La Palma Taqueria - 309 W Avenue G
• Joes Italian Restaurant - 1604 N Frazier Street
• Georges Bar & Grill - 2031 Plantation Drive
• Angies Mexican Restaurant - 1647 N Frazier Street
• Dosirak (Korean) - 2105 W Davis Street
• Carmelitas Restaurant (Mexican) - 109 W Davis Street
• Taste the Asian - 539 N Frazier Street
• Burger Boy - 217 E Davis Street
• Marsalas Italian Grill - 100 Scarborough Drive
• Burger Fresh & More - 804 Gladstell Road
• El Bosque - 1111 W Dallas Street
• Darrels BBQ & Catering - 101 Silverdale Drive
• Faas Brewing Co. - 236 N Main Street

If you are looking for live music, look no further than the  Corner Pub or 202 Main. Each are a great place to listen to music in downtown Conroe. You can check their websites for upcoming shows and menus.

If youre looking for something sweet- head to Verneles Bayou Bakery! They have a huge assortment of cupcakes, pies and cookie. They also serve breakfast including sandwiches, biscuits and bagels as well as soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch.

Do a little shopping! Conroe has some fun boutiques, like Sweet Texas Treasures Boutique that sells all kinds of trendy treasures. They have Texan and Mexican inspired womens and childrens clothing, accessories and home decor items.

If its raining or you are just looking for entertainment indoors, check out Conroes bowling alley, 300 Bowl. Pricing and hours are posted online but check in to see if they have any specials! On certain week days/ nights they offer discounted rates as well as family packs. They also have themed nights to be on the look out for, including cosmic late night bowling that they currently have from 10pm to 1am on Saturdays. If you work up an appetite while there, you can grab food at the Snack Bar which includes popular items like pizza, hamburgers, popcorn chicken and more. 300 Bowl also has a full service bar serving beers on tap or bottled and craft cocktails.

Montgomery:

Whether you would like to stroll through the shops in Historic Montgomery, Visit the Nat Hart Davis Museum and enjoy a guided tour of Fernland Historical Park or explore wineries and upscale and casual dining,  Montgomery is a great place to visit.

Love antiquing? Montgomery has many antique shops, including Modern Farmhouse and Rusty Gate Antiques which sells antique finds as well as locally made gifts such as stationary and premium bath salts. Liberty Bell Antiques is another cute shop selling antiques and great finds! In this area there are also small clothing botiques as well as PETZ, a natural and holistic pet store.

Best Restaurants in or near Downtown Montgomery TX

• Phils Road House & Grill - 14075 Liberty Street
• Cozy Grape - 14340 Liberty Street
• Yo Mamas Pit Bar-B-Que - 300 John A Butler Street
• Montgomery Burger Fresh - 15509 Liberty Street
• Uncle Bobs BBQ - 20873 Eva Street
• Ransoms Steakhouse & Saloon - 300 C B Stewart Drive
• Wings of Montgomery - 14335 Liberty Street
• Old Montgomery Steakhouse - 204 McCown Street
• Eatery at Hodge Podge Lodge - 3000 Prairie Street
• 3Ds Deli - 401 College Street Suite 170
• El Bosque (Mexican) - 821 Eva Street
• The Little Acorn (Cafe) - 21149 Eva Street
• Prime 101 Steakhouse - 19786 TX-105
• Pizza Shack - 19143 Stewart Creek Road
• Magnolia Diner in Montgomery - 19784 Hwy 105 W
• Whitley Vineyards Wine Bar - 401 College Street
• The Big Sombrero (Must try - Mexican!) - 19402 TX-105
• Little Tokyo Restaurant (Must try - Japanese!) - 18020 TX-105
• McKenzies Barbeque & Burgers - 17099 Walden Road #200
• Pho Dat Vietnamese Cafe - 18024 Hwy 105 W
• Cork This Tap That - 26091 TX-105
• Shanahans Bar & Grill - 18020 Hwy 105 W
• Marinis Pizza - 12820 Walden Road
• Amore (Must try - Italian!) - 14860 TX-105
• Thai Wok In (Must try!) - 15917 Hwy 105 W
• San Miguel De Allende Bar & Grill (Mexican!) - 17156 FM 1097
• Montys Lighthouse - 15250 TX-105
• Big Berthas - 12802 Walden Road
• Breakwater Grille - 13109 Melville Drive

Step into a piece of history at the Nat Hart Davis Museum, which houses a replica of the original sketch of the Lone Star Flag and Republic of Texas seal, which were adopted as the state flag and seal in 1839. The home showcases period furniture and memorabilia in the pioneer home of Dr. Charles Bellinger Stewart, who drew up the original sketch of the Texas flag and seal.

Wine and Dine in Montgomery with these great options:

• H- Wines: Two best friends from France met in Texas and started a wine business! When you arrive, inform the staff of your preferences and they will select wines based on your pallet. Link.
• Whitley Vineyard: A great place to meet with friends and family over a glass of handcrafted wine. Link.
• Cozy Grape: Just as it sounds, its a cozy spot to enjoy food (including surf, turf, pastas and sandwiches), beer, wine and specialty cocktails. Link.
• Eatery at Hodge Podge Lodge: A fun eatery with an every changing menu and selection prepared daily by renowned chefs. Link.
• Pizza Shack: Serving the best hometown pizza youll find in Texas, The Simmons family serve up amazing east-coast style pizza and Italian dishes. Link.
• Burger Fresh: A quaint store that was once a local post office turned burger shop! The buns are fresh and homemade and burgers are made to order. Link.
• El Bosque: An authentic Mexican restaurant serving favorites like fajitas, enchiladas and more. Link.
• Uncle Bobs BBQ: Serving award-winning BBQ food including their famous brisket grilled cheese. Link.
• Little Acorn: A diet specific/allergen-friendly restaurant that specializes in paleo, keto, vegan and diabetic-friendly meals. Link.

Katy:

Many people may think of Katy only for its abundant subdivisions but it is home to so much more! Katy has many shops, eateries and entertainment complexes giving you the perfect mix of grown-up nightlife and family-friendly fun.

Take a trip to La Centerra at Cinco Ranch, which contains a 300,000 sqft developments that is filled with shops and eateries. Notable eating establishments include Perrys Steakhouse & Grille, Kenzo Sushi Bistro, and the Sweet Boutique Bakery. There is also an open lawn area where concerts and festivals take place, called the Central Green.

If you are looking for wine, look no further than The Cellar Door. This is Katys first and only winery. All of the wines are produced onsite with grapes sourced from the finest vineyards in the world. Enjoy the wine while listening to live music or lounging while conversing with company.

Best Restaurants in or near Downtown Katy TX

• The Oaks - 2100 Cane Island Parkway B
• La Estancia Italian Restaurant - 5361 E 5th Street
• Snappys Cafe & Grill - 5802 Hwy Blvd
• Texas Tradition (So popular!) - 5321 Hwy Blvd #1306
• Pearl & Vine (Amazing. Seafood, steak and more) - 26141 Nelson Way
• Big Ns BBQ and Crawfish - 4034 Katy Hockley Cut Off Rd
• Crafted - 1443 FM 1463
• Willy Burger (MUST TRY!) -0 6191 Hwy Blvd #101
• The Village at Old Katy - 1512 Avenue C
• Vietnam Bistro (Must try!) - 27252 Katy Fwy Suite 200

Looking to shop? Katy Mills Mall is the place. It is an enormous indoor outlet ball featuring stores like Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Cole Haan and Banana Republic. Inside the mall there is also an AMC movie theater, Rainforest Cafe, nail salon, and Tilt Studio.

The Kay Contemporary Art Museum is a not-for profit institution that is housed in a building that claims to be the first poured concrete building in Texas. They aim to give a platform for art education within the community. This museum is great for all ages and has programs specifically for children.

We are so happy you found our little corner of the interwebs. We look forward to yall reaching out to us. We love to answer questions and welcome them. Recently we created some local maps, and you can download those by clicking the image/link above. Below, you will find an index of some very helpful information to assist you in learning more about the Houston suburbs. If you are relocating to our neck of the woods, we hope you reach out to us, because we would love to help you by being your local realtor and friend. Thoughtfully written for you. Hugs, Jo.

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