My dream of a perfect weekend morning has always been of taking a leisurely country drive to a charming restaurant where a wonderful brunch waits for me at the end of my journey. Tillie’s in Dripping Springs delivers on all counts.

Opened on October 1, 2018, Tillie’s is tucked away down a winding country road in the Texas Hill Country and is one of the most delightful surprises I’ve come across in quite a while. In the past few weeks, we have partaken brunch, lunch, and now we rush toward dinner at this wonderful new restaurant situated in the Camp Lucy compound south of Hwy 290 and west of the heart of Dripping Springs.

Brunch

Sharing the Dim Sum service with my husband and daughter, our surprise was pure delight at how jaw-droppingly good everything at this new Dripping Springs restaurant tastes. Tillie’s Granola and House Apple Yogurt loaded with fresh berries and drizzled with honey is pretty much amazing, and I’m not even a fan of granola. But Tillie’s version is great—large chunks of good things glued together with an understated sweetness.  The Patatas Bravas are wonderfully crisp on the outside and creamy in the center. The first bite taken tells you that this chef knows how to fry. The spicy tomato aioli that accompanies the shatteringly crisp potatoes is a perfect dipping sauce.

And if I had to choose between the two breakfast casseroles they serve, I would be hard pressed to do so. One is referred to as a “hash” — a mélange of potato, brussels sprouts, oyster mushrooms, parmesan, a 63-degree egg, and shredded pork shoulder. The other is a Bacon and Sweet Potato Skillet comprised of thick chunks of salty bacon, roasted sweet potato, chipotle hollandaise, and pickle relish. Both are flavor bomb wonderful.  My husband loves the Fried Chicken with Bourbon-aged Hot Sauce. I adore the taste and the presentation.  The flavorful Chinese Pork Dumplings are a hit, and when you factor in the French Toast, muffins, and biscuits available we were all happily sated at the end of our brunch experience.

Lunch

The only thing we knew for sure the day we had brunch was that we would come back to Tillie’s. And soon.  Seven days later my husband and I were winding our way down back country roads on a brilliant blue day to partake in lunch.

I fell in love with the Spicy Fried Brussels Sprouts, discovering the perfect bite is savory Brussels sprout, a sweet bit of orange supreme and a torn leaf of mint, popped into my mouth all at once. I knew then that I have been eating incorrectly all of these years, ignoring the garnishes.  Apparently, they are there for a reason. The salad that accompanied my savory chicken sandwich was perfectly dressed–fresh and delicious. And Michael’s surprise at the excellence of their fish and chips is worth noting. A thin crispy crust envelopes tender moist pieces of redfish served with a tangy tartar sauce and accompanied by perfectly crisp fries.

A Corner of Camp Lucy

Tonight, we share the road with a purple curtain of dusk and encroaching fog as we motor down East Mount Gainor Road—a very back way—toward Tillie’s and dinner with friends. Not only am I looking forward to experiencing new taste sensations, I am anxious for my friends to experience my December discovery.

Arriving a bit early for our reservation, after hugs all around, we take our friends down the path of our recent exploration.  With the sky now black as velvet, the expansive views are lost to us. But the beautiful Vietnamese temples are available for viewing and the small grove of trees between them are lit with cascading strings of light. “OMGs,” and “I can’t believe,” abound.  Well, it is unbelievable. And magical. And oh, so special. I tell Michael, “We need to get married again.”

Tillie’s

Finally, we want out of the cold, and our collective toes point toward Tillie’s welcoming light. There is an intake of breath as we open the doors to the lobby. And then comes a double intake of breath when the ancient twin doors of the restaurant swing open revealing the most beautiful and unexpectedly elegant and ancient charms of another world. I knew it was here, but no one else would believe me if I told them beforehand, so I didn’t try.

Dinner

Sitting at our table for four we relay our order to the friendly waitress for an assortment of tempting offerings we want to share. The chef’s magic with herbs and spice and seasoning is addictive. Everything is off the charts good and there is a bit of an argument over which shareable we like best. This is an impossible decision but I lean toward the Spicy Fried Brussels Sprouts with chili jam, orange supreme, crispy shallot, and herbs. However, I do make sure that not a drop of sauce is left on our plate of Charred Carrots before being whisked away by our server. Like I said, hard to choose.

We all go our separate way when ordering entrées and are presented with Thai Roasted Chicken, Coffee Spiced Wild Boar, Tagliatelle served with sweet corn cream, wild mushroom, brussels sprout leaves, pickled corn, and parmesan. And last but not least—beef—a Grilled Beef Short Rib blanketed with shiitake hot mustard sauce sitting atop potato puree with broccoli, cashew, and pickled shiitake. A bit of that pickled shitake with the meltingly tender beef short rib is divine. (Michael shares.)

The wild boar I order is cooked perfectly, and extremely tender. But the star of the plate as far as I am concerned is the masa polenta with apple-pasilla puree. It is a bite of Southwest heaven on a fork. The main word of the night is flavor, and it is muttered and breathed and sighed over by everyone the entire evening.

An Unexpected Sweet Ending

Finally, we push ourselves away from the table, discussing the idea of dessert and drinks at my house. Walking toward our cars we are waylaid by the lure of dancing flames. They emanate from a large rectangular coffee table cum fire pit positioned close to three large outdoor couches. Then we notice the glass dome covered plate of marshmallows — chocolate and graham crackers too.  There are enough roasting sticks for a crowd, and we each grab one, engaging in a friendly argument about lightly toasted vs charred, vs burnt marshmallows. It is hard to eat just one, so we have two.

Relishing the magic of the moment as we wind our way along ethereal foggy lanes, I know what perfection is. Friends. Fire. Food. Fantasy. Fog.

This entire evening is perfection.

Dining at Tillies (updated October 8, 2020)

Tillie’s is currently not open for lunch.

Dinner only is available Wednesday through Sunday.

TO ENSURE NEW OCCUPANCY RESTRICTIONS, RESERVATIONS ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND ARE LIMITED TO A MAX NUMBER OF 10 GUESTS PER TABLE.

Menu for Dinner at Tillie’s

Restaurant Hours
Dinner | Wed- Sun 5pm – 10pm, Fri- Sat 5pm – 11pm
*Last dinner reservations @ 9pm

Bar Hours
NA at this time.

Tillie’s is located at the top of the hill inside Camp Lucy, a Texas Wine Country Resort. No matter how you drive you will be on back roads at least for a little while, which I think is a wonderful thing. Their address is 3509 Creek Road, Dripping Springs, Texas. The phone number is (512) 894-2633.