The Ultimate Guide To Restaurants In Abilene
Looking for the best restaurants in Abilene, Texas? We’ve got you covered – barbecue, Tex-Mex, burgers, pizza, ice cream, pho, & more!
Whether you are just driving through Abilene looking for a bite to eat, you’re coming to visit friends or family and want to make sure you try the best restaurants, or you live in Abilene and want to make sure you aren’t missing anything, this guide is here to help cut out the noise and make sure you don’t miss out on the best food Abilene, Texas has to offer.
Your Guide To Restaurants In Abilene
New Restaurants In Abilene
As of Fall 2021, Abilene just opened the doors to a Mooyah Burger, the Moose Mountain coffee shop, they opened a new location of the Roll Shack downtown (that offers crepes, too! yum!), and The Biscuit Bar is now open, too!
Abilene Staples
There are some restaurants that are just Abilene classics. Everyone knows them and they’ve been around for ages.
Belle’s Chicken Dinner House serves up incredible fried chicken family-style with southern comfort side dishes like mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans, and buttery rolls.
The Dixie Pig has been an Abilene staple for over 70 years and is known for their all-American breakfasts, from omelets to biscuits and gravy. They only accept cash or check so make sure not to rely on a credit and debit card to pay for your visit.
Barbecue
Abilene offers up some pretty amazing barbecue in quite a few different places, but there’s no doubt that The Shed is a must-try. All of their meat is tender and cooked with dry rubs, not sauces. Don’t miss “The Herc” – a sandwich with jalapeno sausage, chopped brisket, pulled pork, bbq sauce, and mac and cheese all piled high on a soft potato bun.
Jay’s BBQ Shack is another rare gem with incredible meats and unique dishes like creamy poblano mac & cheese (the best!), brisket elote, and pig candy (bacon burnt ends).
Both of these places are only open from 11am until they sell out (usually around 3pm), so make sure to plan ahead to get here while they still have food! The Shed is open Tuesday through Saturday and Jay’s is open Wednesday through Saturday.
Breakfast Burritos
Breakfast burritos are another Abilene staple. There are a lot of great ones around but, there’s no argument that La Popular’s is…well…popular! Even with multiple locations, their drive-thru lines often pour out into the street, and for good reason! Their flour tortillas are soft and fresh and they offer good portion sizes for great prices.
Burgers
If you’re looking for a craft burger with tons of delicious toppings, Rockin’ Rollerz Craft Burger Co. is the place for you.
If you look through restaurant reviews, you’ll see people claim “the best burger in Abilene” can be found at Lucy’s Big Burger, Heff’s, and Larry’s Better Burger Drive-In. Rick & Carolyn’s Burger & Fries is another Abilene favorite. You’ll get a great hamburger at any of these places, but they’re all offer something a little different!
Larry’s Better Burger offers the best old-fashioned greasy burger at a great price (just make sure to bring cash – they don’t take cards!).
Tex-Mex
If you’re looking for a solid place for delicious Tex-Mex, Abuelo’s and Monterrey have you covered.
If you’d rather have some unique, contemporary Tex-Mex, definitely try The Local. Every ingredient is always fresh and we’ve never tried a dish we haven’t loved from the tacos (loaded with fillings) to the churros (hot, fresh, and served with incredible dipping sauces!).
Donuts & Kolaches
There are donut places all over Abilene, but the AM Donuts on Treadaway is the top donut place in Abilene.
Kolaches are typically a traditional Czech pastry with sweet filling, but here in Texas, what we call kolaches are actually savory pigs in a blanket wrapped in the softest pillowy bread blanket you’ve ever tasted. We taste-tested kolaches from 6 places in Abilene and we think that Mustang Donuts makes the best kolache in Abilene.
Coffee Shops
When it comes to coffee shops, Abilene has some amazing options!
Don’t miss The Front Porch’s fireside latte (I’ve never tasted anything so cozy before in my life), Monk’s Royal Breve latte, and the coffee flights from Moose Mountain Coffee.
Pizza
If you’re looking for the best wood-fired pizza you’ve ever had, make sure to head to Vagabond Pizza.
Not only are their pizzas amazing but they have some really incredible can’t miss appetizers like their elote arancini.
If you’d rather go for the buffet-style pizza, Potter’s Pizza is the place to go. Try either their alfredo pizza or their bacon cheeseburger pizza – yum!
Food Trucks
There are some incredible Abilene eats offered by food trucks in the area.
My favorite truck here so far is called The Toasted Traveler, who offers up unique grilled cheese options like the Glazed & Confused (a grilled cheese sandwich made with a split donut bun – amazing!) and their signature sandwich, The Big Poppa (a grilled cheese spin on a jalapeno popper).
Hearts BBQ and Tacolote are also great options!
International Restaurants
Abilene even has some really great international food options!
Phoenix Pho is a great place for pho, bun bowls, and boba tea (don’t miss their brown sugar boba – beautiful and delicious!).
Niko’s Greek Gyros serves up an amazing gyro plus fries and a drink for just $7.95.
If you’re in the mood for Indian food, Spicy India is the place to go for fresh naan and curries.
Seafood
Yup. I said it. Abilene, Texas, a very unlikely place, has a fantastic seafood restaurant called the Galveston Seafood Company that gets fresh seafood from Galveston. Their menu is huge but we have yet to try something we don’t like!
Ice Cream & Snow Cones & Other Desserts
If you’re looking for ice cream with a twist, Roll Shack is the place to go (and their downtown location even serves up crepes!).
Dad’s Ice Cream is some of the most unique frozen treats you’ll find, even serving full pineapples overflowing with ice cream (or a non-dairy option) and fresh fruit.
Honey & Fig has a beautiful, relaxing gelato shop in the SoDA district.
Cajun Cones offers just about any flavor of snow cone you could want for a cool treat on a hot day.
Many of the restaurants already listed on this page have amazing desserts (the churros at The Local are fantastic and Copper Creek’s desserts are so impressive!), but we have more great desserts in Abilene, too!
Life of Pie is a local pie shop that carries all kinds of flavors of pie along with other adorable desserts like individual mini pies and pie cupcakens.
Hey Sugar Abilene is a home baker who makes the very best cookies in Abilene (and she offers the most amazing seasonal flavors, too). If you want a decadent, Crumbl-type cookie, make sure to order from her. And, as the icing on the…cookie…she delivers to your home!
