We just got home from a little trip to the Hill Country for a few days, and I just have to share with you all about our stay at The Wayback. Spoiler alert: it was amazing. We will be back. That’s the short version. 😉 But if you want to know all the details, then keep reading!
We are on our sabbatical right now, we get a few weeks off every summer, and I wanted to kick it off with a birthday/Father’s Day/belated 10 year anniversary trip. We didn’t have the time to go somewhere far and I don’t have a passport currently, so a dream Euro vacation wasn’t even remotely possible. So we stuck to our tried and true Barton Creek but I wanted a change of scenery. That’s when I remembered The Wayback, which I had seen a friend recently share on Instagram!
When I tell you this spot lived up to and beyond expectations… wow. It’s beautiful. Like, if you’ve never been to Barton Creek… Go. It’s without a doubt the most stunning views available in Texas. This entire area is picturesque. Enter the chat, The Wayback. Nestled behind the tress just off of Bee Cave Road as the road makes another turn through the hills, you’ll see their sign just as you approach the curve. It’s location gives really easy access to downtown Austin and we even made a day trip to San Antonio to see my grandparents.
Night 1:
We arrived at 3 PM and were greeted by Jill, the GM, and Sydney, the mind behind The Wayback! Both were the sweetest and chatted with us about all the best spots to visit. We mostly discussed food. 😉
We followed the path around the salt water pool at the center of the resort, and made our way to our own little cottage. And there we slept for a couple hours in silence because we are two tired parents of 3 and pastors on week 1 of sabbatical. HAHA. We had high hopes of changing into our suits and swimming before our night 1 dinner. But, we slept. And it was glorious. Side note: Best beds. We slept through the night all three nights!
Dinner #1: J. Carvers
This was a highly suggested spot in Downtown ATX. It was in a slightly uncomfortable area, but it didn’t scare us. It was very nice, once inside and valet is directly out front. We went at 730 and the vibe was definitely popping. It was very good, but actually our least favorite of the 3 dinner spots we went to. Don’t get me wrong… delicious. But, not as big of portions as we prefer. Still, a delicious steak and oysters. I give it a 8.5/10
Day 2: We woke up slowly and strolled around a bit. We grabbed coffee at The Wayback Cafe and waited for the adorable Krystal Nelson to arrive to take photos. We captured pictures for our anniversary and then left for a spa day at The Omni just a few minutes up the road. You all know my love for Omni Spa Days! Wildly enough we ran into three girls I danced with in high school and I got to sit and chat with them for a while. It was such a small world and filled my cup!
Pre-Dinner Night #2: I had originally booked us dinner at the brand new restaurant The Guest House downtown, but we could only get a table for 530. We ended up cancelling that and dropping in to sit in the bar area for appetizers and a glass of wine together. It was a very beautiful, modern, elegant spot for dinner! The dinner menu is just a little limited particularly if you have food allergies like us. But a great pre-dinner spot and people seemed to love it for dinner!
Dinner #2: Then we hopped in our car and went just a few minutes down the same street to dinner at Dean’s Steakhouse located at the JW Marriott in downtown ATX. This area felt comparable to Uptown Dallas meets the new Main Street in downtown Dallas. Very ritzy, clean, and clearly newly developed. And… It was OMG GOOD. Like. Unreal good. They had gluten free bread and the best butter I have ever tasted in my life. I forget what she told us, but there was something they do in house and it’s unreal. We had incredible steak and bone marrow for Paul, and I ordered the scallops but asked the chef to put it on gluten free pasta. Sadly, I was so full from my bread and beef steak tomato caprese salad (O M G GOOD), that I could only finish half of my scallops and pasta. But they deserved to be eaten down to the last drop of artichoke sauce. It was … out of this world. The valet was directly outside under the awning, though we did have to wait a bit for our car. It was very packed. I am not sure if that is typical crowds. But it was for sure a seemingly go-to spot for many!
Day 3: This day we actually added onto our trip so I could go down to visit my grandpa in the hospital. Nearly all of my family is in San Antonio and I wanted to get down there. We picked up my grandma at her home and drove to see grandpa and spent 3 hours talking with Three’s Company behind us as the background music. It was the perfect day, though the circumstances were not ideal. I was just thankful to get to see him and squeeze both he and my grandma.
We then hopped over to La Cantera mall for a little bit to do some birthday and Father’s Day shopping. To this day, it is still the best mall. I was there opening day with my mom way back… haha. Can I get a plaque or something for that?
Dinner #3: We drove back that night and literally RAN into our cottage, quickly changed, and darted up the path over to dinner at The Wayback Cafe. And for both of us, it was our favorite overall date night. The live music was a playlist I would have chosen myself, my favorite cover being The First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes (major throw back and happy feels), the mood of the night was cheerful and the staff was awesome, and the food was UN.REAL. I have ordered duck dozens of times, and this was the best one I have ever had. We found out the next morning from the chef it is a 4 day prep process for that duck (including soaking in duck fat after a good brine). The intentionality of the menu could be tasted and we kept gawking over every morsel of food that came out. The chef sent out their watermelon appetizer (covered in jalapeños and pistachios!) and their burrata dish (my literal favorite cheese of all time). Paul ordered TWO plates of steak… lol. And it was so perfectly cooked to how he likes it. We sat for almost two hours in the back corner as couples and families ushered in and out for dinner.
Every time the cafe was open, it is clear they’ve made a name for themselves for their food. People were always inside. I was shocked when I walked over our first morning for some coffee to find a packed house of people working on their computers or chatting over breakfast on the patio just 20 minutes after opening for the morning. The Cafe is open to the public, whether you’re a guest or not at the cottages. But being a guest AND diner at the cafe felt like the insider bonus club. 😉 It was so fun to finish dinner and walk back to our cottage under the stars and chirping crickets of the hill country. It sounded like home and it made my heart burst.
If you’re an ATX local, you need to know about this spot for your next dinner reservation or brunch date. You can reserve a table here!
If you’re like us and looking for somewhere to stay in the hill country… I am telling you, this is it. Finding a spot to stay in the Texas Hill Country can feel a little overwhelming because the area is so vast. But take it from somebody who grew up in it, this area is the most stunning with easy access to everywhere else you might want to visit. New Braunfels, Wimberly, Fredericksburg, Boerne… they’re all a hop and a skip away from this perfect central location.
Shop all my looks from our trip here:
Proceed with Caution. The following happy gallery of images from The Nelson Nook WILL make you book a stay. 😉
