You may have only passed through this town while blazing down I-35. But if you stop and slow down, you'll find more than enough reasons to take an exit and grab a seat.

Food

Kolache Kitchen

Kolaches should be the official breakfast pastry of the road trip!  And this spot turns out some of the best I’ve ever eaten.  They’re baked daily by a sweet lady who learned all the tips and tricks from her Czech family.  If you’re really hungry, go for one of the pigs in a GIANT blanket.

Old Jody's

This is officially the oldest restaurant in Temple and for good reason.  The menu is full of country classics all made the old-fashioned way.  The only difficulty is hitting pause on the baskets of fresh rolls that come out before the meal.  I highly recommend the burgers and chicken fried steaks.  This restaurant was so popular with the locals that they opened a “New Jody’s” location next door and didn’t close it because BOTH dining rooms were full.  Well,

Treno Pizzeria

This craft pizzeria is leading the charge with downtown Temple to put new life into old buildings.  They’re serving AMAZINGLY creative pizzas cooked in their stone oven.   They also have a wall with over 30 self-serve beer taps and a playscape for the kids.  There is literally no reason to NOT eat here.

Culture

Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum

The old Santa Fe Depot is the jewel of downtown and tells the story of how Temple went from a rough railroad construction stop to a full-blown community and one of the most active hubs in Central Texas.  There are engines to explore and railcars to walk through.  There are also displays about how Temple became the premiere medical community of Texas.

Czech Heritage Museum

While most think of La Grange and West when they think of Czechs, but Temple was built by a strong community of Czech families.  This museum retraces their steps and is full of amazing artifacts, including a creepy set of marionettes that are sure to give you nightmares.

Outdoors

Weber's Shooting Sports

If you need to shoot off some steam, then this is your stop.  They’re techincally up the road in the town of Troy, but the short drive is worth it.  They are a full-service gun shop and offer a number of different ranges of all distances.  My favorite is the Sporting Clays course which is often called “Golf with a Shotgun.”  The shooter steps through a number of stations with clay pigeons that shoot in different directions.  It’s a BLAST!

Miller Springs Nature Center

This is a great hiking spot just below the Lake Belton dam.  You can tromp through small streams and admire the rocky cliffs that were ripped into existence when the lake overflowed in 1992.

Keep Exploring

Temple, TX