Food
Bar-A-BBQ
Bar-A-BBQ serves some of the most sought-after barbecue in Texas, and it sells out most days, so get there early. Owner Cooper Abercrombie went from fence salesman to pitmaster, driving more than three hours to Fort Worth to learn the craft for free, and now runs the place with his wife Shelby and brother Caleb. I went for brisket, pork ribs, house-made beef and jalapeno cheese links and the pork steak special. Do not skip the honey butter cornbread. It’s basically a tres leches made of butter and honey.
Tony's Italian Delicatessen
Finding one of the most celebrated Italian delis in the country in Montgomery surprised even me. Tony’s was once named Yelp’s number one restaurant in America, and owner Lori went from biggest fan to running the place. The meats and cheeses are hand cut, and every sandwich is named for an Italian great. The bestseller is the Stallone, loaded with fresh pesto, provolone, salami, ham, marinated tomatoes and their top-secret sub oil, which they will not share. Save room for the cannoli.
Culture
Fernland Historical Park
Montgomery was founded in 1837 and served as the county seat until the government moved to Conroe in the 1880s, and the town sort of froze in time. Fernland Historical Park gathers many of its early pioneer buildings in one spot. The star is a cabin built by hand in the 1820s without a single nail, the oldest structure in Montgomery County, complete with a gunport right by the front door. It’s also a fine place to learn how Montgomery became the birthplace of the Texas flag.
Outdoors
Lone Star Hiking Trail
Montgomery is a gateway to the Sam Houston National Forest, 160,000 acres of protected woods, and the Lone Star Hiking Trail runs right through it. At 96 miles, it’s the longest continuous trail in Texas, and over 120 miles counting the connected loops. Lots of folks take multi-day camping trips out here, but I just hiked a piece of it out to Little Lake Creek, where a fallen tree makes a handy bridge. Standing under these giant pines is your reminder that Texas has some beautiful forests.
Texas Tornado Boot Camp
Hall of Famer Colin Edwards, the man they call the Texas Tornado, built this place so riders of every level could learn the right way, and he actually prefers beginners because they have no bad habits. Riders come from all over the world to train here. I started on a kid-sized bike learning the clutch and brakes, then moved up to the motocross track, where I got both tires off the ground. Before long I was eating dirt behind Colin’s son Hayes, a current motocross pro.
Catch A Trophy Guide Service
Montgomery sits on the western banks of Lake Conroe, one of the most popular fishing lakes in Texas, and Captain Chris Edwards of Catch A Trophy Guide Service knows all the honey holes. He showed me how to leave the hook exposed on a night crawler for more bites, and before long we were reeling in blue cats and fat channel cats. Locals credit the clean water for the quality of the fish. I didn’t bring my deep fryer, so these went back in the lake, but it sure was a good day for catfish.
