The 15 Best Things To Do In Comfort, Texas, A Hill Country Gem

In the Texas Hill Country community of Comfort, you’ll find one of the best-preserved historic business districts in the state, along with restored old hotels, quaint shops, wineries and a creek lined with towering cypress trees.

A group of German “freethinkers” looking for a quiet existence moved to the area in 1854. Today, the 3,000 residents are eager to hold on to their town’s old-school charm. So far they’ve done that—more than 100 historic buildings line downtown streets of the community located 50 miles northwest of San Antonio. “That’s what keeps Comfort special, the small town feel and the history behind all the buildings,” say Abigail Carlton, who along with her husband owns the Alamo Meat Market.

Outdoor Pursuits

Go Mountain Biking at Flat Rock Ranch

Just 5 miles from downtown Comfort, more than 34 miles of mostly single-track trails crisscross a 1,300-acre ranch founded in the 1880s by noted British architect Alfred Giles.  

Cyclists can grind up rocky, quad-blasting hills, zoom through swooping downhills, and blast across creek crossings on two wheels. Expect moderately technical terrain, and helmets are required. A single day pass costs $15 for adults. The ranch is open from dawn until dusk January through October.

flatrockranchtx.com, 346 Flat Rock Creek Rd, Comfort, TX 78013

Tour a Cave Without a Name

Looking for a cool place to while away some time on a sweltering summer day? Descend 90 feet below the earth’s surface into the Cave Without a Name, where the temperature hovers at 66 degrees even when it’s hot enough fry an egg on the sidewalk outside. An easy walking tour of the cavern takes you through six separate chambers decorated with stalagmites, soda straws, flow stones and stalactites. The acoustics are good enough inside the Queen’s Throne Room that cave operators also host periodic musical performances. Check the cave’s events calendar for information. Reservations requested.

cavewithoutaname.com, 325 Kreutzberg Rd, Boerne, TX 78006

Visit a Winery

Comfort is home to three wineries, plus a fourth in nearby Sisterdale.

Newsom Vineyards grows its grapes in the High Plains of Texas but operates a tasting room in Comfort where you can sample cabernet sauvignons, merlots, orange muscat and more.

newsomvineyards.com, 717 Front St, Comfort, TX 78013

Besides tasting the wine in the Freedom Room, which honors local military heroes, visitors to Singing Water Vineyards can pet the resident farm animals or listen to live music on weekends.

singingwater.com, 316 Mill Dam Rd, Comfort, TX 78013

Stop by to sample wines from Ursa Vineyards in California or Bending Branch Winery in Texas—or try the ChickenDuck bourbon at Ursa at Branch on High. Live music takes place on the deck Sunday afternoons. 

Bendingbranchwinery.com, 142 Lindner Branch Trail, Comfort, TX 78013

A few miles down the road in Sisterdale, Sister Creek Vineyards has been turning out wines since 1988. The tasting room is housed in an 1885 cotton gin, where you can take a self-guided tour or sample wines aged in 60-gallon oak barrels.

sistercreekvineyards.com, 1142 Sisterdale Hwy, Sisterdale, TX 78006

Hit the Holes

The Buckhorn Golf Course on the outskirts of Comfort offers 18 holes on rolling terrain punctuated by creeks, ponds, stands of live oaks and sweet views of the surrounding Hill Country. Drop by to play nine or 18 holes, join a league or take a lesson. Rates start at $28 for nine holes and $37 for 18 holes on weekday mornings. 

buckhorngolfcourse.com, 36 FM 473, Comfort, TX 78013

Historical Stops

Visit a Historic Bat Roost

Look closely as you drive into town from the east on FM473 and you’ll spot a 30-foot shingled tower designed by a San Antonio scientist named Dr. Charles Campbell in 1918. That tower, the only remaining one of 16 like it built around the world, housed bats, which ate mosquitoes, which carried malaria. Campbell was studying ways to combat the mosquito-borne disease. The Comfort tower is elevated 7 feet off the ground so a truck could drive under it to collect one beneficial byproduct of the tower: guano. It’s located on private land, but you can see it from the road.

See the Treue Der Union Monument 

A 20-foot limestone obelisk honors about three dozen mostly German Union sympathizers who were killed on August 10, 1862, by Confederate soldiers. The flag that flies over the monument is permanently flown at half staff.

battlefields.org, High Street between Second and Third St, Comfort, TX 78013

Where To Eat and Drink

Head to the Meat Market

Rustle up the fixings for steak night at Alamo Meat Market & Provisions, where you can choose a ribeye, tenderloin, or New York strip marbled just how you like it. The market also sells chicken, sausage, beef jerky, fajitas, kabobs and “poppers” made with jalapeños, apricots, cream cheese, and bacon. If you’d rather dine on the whitetail you harvested yourself, butchers will process your wild game for you. And check for workshops, like the recent sausage-making class. 

alamomeatmarket.com, 509 Front St, Comfort, TX 78013

Grab a Local Coffee

Comfort Coffee Co., tucked inside the 8th Street Market, serves more than the usual lineup of bean-infused drinks like café au lait and espresso. You can order scones (the blueberry ones will make you swoon), plus muffins, breakfast sandwiches, avocado toast, and something called the “gringo,” a fat sandwich stacked with turkey, avocado, provolone, pepper jack, arugula, and Dijon mustard, served with a side of green salsa.

comfortcoffee.co, 523 Eighth St, Comfort, TX 78013

Head to Comfort Pizza

Settle in at an outdoor table beneath a cherry-colored umbrella and twinkling lights for the most popular pizza this side of San Antonio. The crust is sour dough, the sausage comes from Fredericksburg, and the gelato made the trip all the way from Italy. The restaurant, housed in a renovated 1920s gas station, even rents a fleet of retro bikes.  

But don’t be late. When the dough runs out, that’s that. (You can call ahead to reserve some for your pie, which you should do on weekends.)

facebook.com/ComfortPizza, 802 High St, Comfort, TX 78013

Eat Dinner at Remedy Hall

You’ll feel like you’ve landed at a friend’s house when you sink into the leather sofa at Remedy Hall, where Fridays are for karaoke and Saturdays mean live music. The watering hole opened in October 2023, and the bartenders serve beer, cocktails, and wine. And if you don’t want to sit still, you can always take it outside for a game of pickleball.

remedyhalltexas.com, 804 High St, Comfort, TX 78013

Where to Shop

Explore the 8th Street Market

In the market for old playground equipment or a stack of wooden soda pop crates? You’re in luck. The 8th Street Market, housed in what was once an old Ford dealership with roof sections salvaged from World War II-era steel silos, sells antiques, furniture, art, garden sculptures, road signs, doors, lighting fixtures and more. Plan on at least an hour to roam the expansive grounds, which spill into a courtyard out back. 

It's more than a place to buy upcycled and recycled goods, it’s a community meeting place complete with an on-site coffee shop.

the8thstreetmarket.com, 523 8th St, Comfort, TX 78013

Where to Stay

If you’re looking for a historic hotel, you’ve got a trio to choose from in Comfort.

Stay at a Former Stagecoach Stop

The Meyer Hotel on Cypress Creek grew from a former stagecoach stop along Cypress Creek into a slightly mismatched collection of structures that backs up to a creek shaded by towering cypress. Take a dip in the swimming pool, or grab a cocktail from the sweet little bar, tucked into a nook in the main building. 

themeyerhotel.com, 845 High St, Comfort, TX 78013

Stay at a Historic Inn

A few blocks away stands the gracious, two-story Hotel Giles, named after architect Alfred Giles who designed it in 1880, when he was just 27 years old. The furnishings will sweep you back in time, as will the front porch, where you can rock away an hour or two on a rocking chair. Restored in 1985, the hotel has a Texas Historical Landmark designation.

hotelgiles.com, 717 High St, Comfort, TX  78013

Stay at a Hip Refurbished Hotel

Camp Comfort was built as an athletic club and bowling alley in the 1860s, but today the vibe is more hipster than historic. A row of single-story hotel rooms, along with a few stand-alone cabins and trailers, the complex is arranged around a gravel “lawn” where visitors can hang out around a firepit, gather in front of a stage or play a game of ping pong. 

camp-comfort.com, 601 Water St, Comfort, TX 78013