Day Trips: Pecan Grove Store, Fredericksburg
Belly up to the bar for a Dino Burger
By Gerald E. McLeod, Fri., March 8, 2024
Pecan Grove Store, in the rolling hills outside of Fredericksburg, defies the touristy trappings of its urban neighbor.
Almost a decade old, the former Sinclair gas station has been turned into a family-friendly, old-fashioned roadhouse with good food and great ambience. Situated north of town on scenic TX-16 and a few miles from the wildflower explosion known as the Willow City Loop, the Store is a destination all by itself.
Lawrence Segner opened the combination service station, store, and garage around 1957. For many years it was the local hangout for cold beer. The buildings sat vacant for nearly 20 years after he died in 1993.
As a young man, Rick Martin had downed a few cold ones at the gas station and loved Lawrence’s homemade German sausage. When the property came up for sale, Rick’s was the second offer the family received. The heirs accepted his offer because he promised not to raze the buildings, nor turn the place into another winery.
At first, Rick said, he planned to use the buildings to store his collection of antique motorcycles and cars.
His son, Matt, came up with a different idea. In 2014, Matt opened the old store as a bar with live music.
Using his grandmother’s hamburger recipe perfected by his father, Matt added the “Dino Burger” named after the green dinosaur on the Sinclair sign out front. Big and juicy, the American classic was voted “best burger in Fredericksburg” the last four years running.
Pecan Grove Store is 5.5 miles north of Fredericksburg on TX-16, one of the prettiest roads in Texas, especially during wildflower season. The bar and burger joint has a large biergarten out back along Marschall Creek where musicians take the stage in the spring and fall. The kitchen is open Wednesday evenings, and Thursday through Saturday 11:30am to 8:30pm. They also have a campground and bunkhouse next door available through Airbnb.
1,693rd in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere: Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/daily/travel.
