Real Estate Photographer in Lockhart, TX

One of America’s best small towns to visit is located in the Lone Star State.

Smithsonian Magazine recently released its list of the “15 best small towns to visit,” and only one of them is in Texas — about a four-hour drive south of the Metroplex.

According to the magazine, the annual list is based on “engaging cultural attractions, wonderful access to nature and distinct culinary offerings.” Each of the 15 towns — with populations of fewer than 21,000 residents — also has “a reason or two that makes 2025 an especially good year to visit.”

Lockhart, Texas, named one of best U.S. small towns

Smithsonian Magazine was quick to highlight Lockhart’s place as the “Barbecue Capital of Texas.”

Lockhart is known for its barbecue prowess and plays host to a number of joints, including Barbs B Q, which is in the Michelin Guide Texas and is on Texas Monthly’s list of the best barbecue in the state.

Speaking of Texas Monthly, the publication hosts its annual barbecue festival in Lockhart every November. Smithsonian Magazine also mentioned that folks should try Terry Black’s Barbecue and Smitty’s Market while in town.

(Can’t make it to Lockhart? There’s now a Terry Black’s Barbecue in Fort Worth.)

More things to do in Lockhart, Texas

Lockhart’s downtown square is also a sight to see, according to Smithsonian. The Caldwell County Courthouse, Haunt Happy Books, Little Trouble steakhouse and the Culinary Room (gifts and gourmet goods) were all mentioned in the ranking.

The Pearl music venue is another highlight for those looking for a “laid back, old Texas-style bar,” according to the publication.

After shopping and barbecue, Smithsonian Magazine said the hiking trails at the Lockhart State Park are a breath of fresh air. Hikers will pass by Texas persimmon trees and bluestem prairie grass, with armadillos and rabbits popping in and out of the wilderness.

Finally, Smithsonian highlighted Lockhart’s presence on the small screen.

Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” prequel “1923” filmed in Lockhart, in addition to Richard Linklater’s “Bernie” and Michael Bay’s “Transformers: Age of Extinction.”

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In this series, we’re looking at 10 players who could have a major impact on the success or failure of the 2025 Texas A&M football team. Some are starters, some aren’t — but they’re certainly not getting the attention they deserve. The list continues with linebacker Jordan Lockhart, who has made plenty of noise during the offseason.

Class: Sophomore

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 229 pounds

2024 stats: 11 tackles in 10 games (mostly on special teams)

Why he’s so important: Texas A&M has two quality starters at linebacker in Taurean York and Scooby Williams, but they’re not invincible. Williams played through a torn meniscus for virtually the entire 2024 season and another bad move or unlucky hit would have knocked him out of the lineup. So then what?

That’s where Lockhart comes in. Along with Daymion Sanford, Lockhart would be in the first wave of backups to hit the field. The Aggies have plenty of talent at linebacker for a change, but they haven’t had a true disruptor like Edgerrin Cooper since his departure after the 2023 season. If there’s one player who can create those kind of problems for opposing offenses, it may be Lockhart, who has picked up the nickname “Baby Ray” (as in Ray Lewis) from his fellow linebackers.

Lockhart now possesses SEC-caliber size and strength, making him someone opponents will have to account for when they prepare to face the Aggies. After a strong spring and even stronger summer, Lockhart looks like he’ll have an expanded role this season — and a likely starting job in 2026.

More often than not, it’s quiet coincidences that spark major career shifts, not calculated strategies. During a trip to Austin one day, Dr. Tony Jacob noticed a particular building that captured his attention—a casual observation that eventually blossomed into a healthcare network spanning 11 locations.

“Before I moved to New Braunfels, I had purchased my first-ever building—a property in Lockhart, Texas. I discovered it while driving through town on my way to Austin. It wasn’t an optometry clinic at the time, just a building in a really great location,” he recalled.

He later learned the space had previously served as an ophthalmology office—a curious alignment between his medical specialization and property investment. This fortuitous connection gradually transformed his perspective from viewing the building as passive income to seeing it as an active business opportunity.

Unexpected Discovery Outperforms Formal Research

Unlike healthcare corporations deploying analytics teams to pinpoint strategic locations, Dr. Tony Jacob relied substantially on personal instinct and affinity for place. His initial appreciation for Lockhart’s aesthetic qualities gradually evolved into recognition of untapped business prospects.

Real estate wisdom repeatedly emphasizes that successful properties depend primarily on “location, location, location.” It was the acquisition’s integration into the local community that fulfilled this principle. At first, the purchase was purely an investment, but he eventually realized it could serve a greater purpose in healthcare delivery.

The community’s proximity to Austin created dual benefits: accessibility to expanding metropolitan populations seeking affordable housing options while maintaining sufficient separation to avoid direct competition with established urban medical practices.

Medical entrepreneurs regularly struggle balancing market opportunity against lifestyle considerations. Metropolitan centers deliver larger patient populations but involve higher operational costs and fierce competition. Rural settings offer reduced competition but smaller potential clientele. Lockhart occupied an advantageous middle position.

Relationship Medicine Exceeds Corporate Systems

The healthcare environment increasingly gravitates toward institutional consolidation, with investment firms purchasing independent clinics and hospital networks absorbing physician groups. Against this backdrop, Dr. Tony Jacob’s decision to establish an independent practice in a small Texas town represented a philosophical counterpoint to prevailing industry trends.

Lockhart provided something rarely quantified in market analyses but invaluable to healthcare delivery: authentic community engagement. These communities support care models where providers become familiar faces within the community, not faceless parts of a bureaucratic structure. This atmosphere perfectly complemented Tony’s patient care philosophy.

Immediate revenue gains may have been greater elsewhere, but Lockhart offered long-term value through community integration and word-of-mouth momentum. The population size meant a successful provider could develop significant market presence without battling dozens of competitors, while the community’s character encouraged the referral-based growth that sustains healthcare practices.

Such community connection yielded remarkable results. What began as a modest startup quickly flourished into a thriving practice.

Professional Freedom Without Urban Constraints

Many healthcare providers face geographic constraints that limit professional independence. Urban markets typically offer abundant patient populations but require either joining established groups or competing against deeply entrenched practices. Dr. Tony Jacob recognized that Lockhart offered professional autonomy without sacrificing growth potential.

The building’s previous history as an eye care facility represented another synchronicity that influenced his decision. Though updates were necessary to bring it up to current standards, the space had the foundational infrastructure for optometric care. This reduced startup costs while providing optimal clinical layout—advantages rarely found in retail spaces converted to healthcare use.

Lockhart’s comparative affordability relative to Austin translated to lower operational costs, enabling profitability at reduced patient volumes. This financial equation significantly decreased startup risk while accelerating the path to positive cash flow—crucial considerations for new practice owners carrying educational debt.

Independence also manifested through scheduling flexibility and clinical decision-making. Without corporate mandates dictating patient quotas or restrictive insurance participation requirements prevalent in competitive markets, Tony could establish practice patterns optimized for both quality care and work-life integration.

Starting Point, Not Final Destination

Lockhart marked a strong beginning for Dr. Tony Jacob’s practice, yet its real value lay in affirming the potential for expansion. The operational methods developed there became blueprints for additional sites, while financial success generated both capital resources and conviction for continued growth.

“I had unlocked that level, felt like I’d done really well and knew how to open one office. I knew how to open two offices. But the next level was “how do you become a CEO and what does a CEO really do?” Tony explained about his professional evolution.

Tony didn’t see Lockhart as a singular achievement; he approached it as a laboratory for developing scalable business systems. The lessons learned there—from staffing models to patient flow patterns to marketing strategies—created institutional knowledge that facilitated expansion to additional communities.

This strategic perspective manifested through parallel growth of both clinical skills and business acumen. Alongside his growth as a practitioner, Tony acquired practical knowledge in core business areas such as cash flow, vendor relations, and team building—knowledge that became instrumental in scaling the business.

The selection of Lockhart by Dr. Tony Jacob shows that entrepreneurial breakthroughs often come from observation, as opposed to careful calculation. What initially registered as an appealing property progressively transformed into a multi-location enterprise.

Though financial outcomes ultimately validated this choice, perhaps more revealing was the decision process itself—trusting instinct, identifying possibilities in unexpected settings, and creating meaningful services within communities that appreciated them. Lockhart’s choice serves as an example of how entrepreneurial achievements may arise from personal ties to a place instead of impersonal strategic models.

Have you read? The Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Index evaluates the performance of the 11 nations currently offering operational Citizenship By Investment (CBI) programs: St Kitts and Nevis (Saint Kitts and Nevis), Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia (St. Lucia), Antigua & Barbuda, Nauru, Vanuatu, Türkiye (Turkey), São Tomé and Príncipe, Jordan, and Egypt.

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Within Central Texas resides a creative and barbecue oasis, just shy of 40 miles south of downtown Austin. Home to more than 14,000 people as of the 2020 U.S. Census, the Caldwell County seat of Lockhart marries its historic downtown architecture and essence paired with a surge of creativity and ingenuity, as bookstores, vintage shops, antique outposts, bars and unique fines nestle themselves across the main square.

The mornings are quiet across town, as the sun rises across the square and the occasional customer zips in and out of a coffee shop. But come 11 a.m., the buzz of both stores and patrons come alive, as gentle country and folk tunes croon inside shop doors while a light breeze sways outside. Looking for a day trip? Look no further than Lockhart.

How to get to Lockhart from San Antonio, Austin

If you're looking to make the day trip from San Antonio, take Interstate 10 all the way past Seguin before picking up State Highway 130. From there, drivers can exit SH 130 onto West San Antonio Street, heading into the heart of downtown Lockhart.

Those traveling from Austin have a few route options to get to the Barbecue Capital of Texas. Drivers can take I-35 down to the SH 71 exit and head east along the highway before taking the exit onto SH 130 and heading south straight to Lockhart. U.S. Hwy. 183 is also a north-south thoroughfare that eventually runs like a frontage road along SH 130, if you're looking to forego the toll fees.

Must-visit shops in Lockhart

Lockhart's downtown beckons visitors with its variety of bookshops, antique stores, vintage finds and customized gifts. As a self-proclaimed nerd, I knew my truth: I needed to explore all the bookstores the city had to offer.

After picking up a cold brew from Lockhart's Daily Grind — more on that caffeinated outpost later — I made my way over to Magnolia Bookery & Gifts, a gift shop with a curated selection of literary finds off Lockhart's Main Street. Previously Wendy R Bookery & Gifts, new owners took over the shop in May 2024 and gave its name a little upgrade.

The shop features a selection of children's, young adult and adult books alongside graphic novels, as well as local artisan finds, trinkets, souvenirs and other mementos to commemorate your time in town. I picked up a mystery book and a cowboy-aesthetic postcard, as well as some local food and shop recommendations from Magnolia's retail sales manager, Kory Taylor. A top contender? Haunt Happy Books, a horror-centric bookstore just down the road.

I am, admittedly, a giant scaredy cat, and am someone who prefers more of a spooky aesthetic than a heart attack-inducing page turner. But I'm also down to clown (also a phobia of mine), so off I went down the block and into the basement of a historic building — one that's supposedly haunted, and an excellent home to all things spooky scary skeleton.

Creepy? Yes. An extensive array of both bone-chilling tales and horror gateway books for the genre's youngest fans? Check and check. Forgive me for coming and going sans book, Haunt Happy. I'd like to be able to sleep for the next month.

I wrapped up my shopping portion of the day trip at Golden Hour, a boutique with vintage, classic and handmade finds as well as a used book store tucked inside. If a store could feel like a hug, then this one was exactly that. Find me perusing the records collection, Sylvia Plath poetry and crystals collection for the next eon.

Locals' favorite stops for a Lockhart meal or world-famous sweet treat

I started the morning off in town at Lockhart's Daily Grind, a coffee outpost that includes a selection of teas, coffees and espresso-based drinks, Italian cream sodas, kolaches and baked goods. Bonus points for the twinkly lights and wraparound porch that offers both shaded and sun-covered seating, with the latter saved for if you're brave enough to dare it on a Texas summer day.

After my shopping spree, I figured I could go for a sweet treat to cleanse the palate ahead of a planned barbecue pit stop (what else, in the Barbecue Capital?). Enter The Culinary Room, a gourmet market that had everything from kitschy mugs and embroidered tea towels to capybara plushies and hot sauce. But the true draw? The banana pudding, featured in Southern Living Magazine and acclaimed for its indulgent flavors. If you're reading this, it was written from the great beyond, because I've simply dined and gone to heaven. Yes, it's that good.

How else to balance the sweet than with a savory, barbecue-induced food coma? My ventures took me to Smitty's Market, one of the main barbecue places in town, to test drive all things brisket and jalapeño sausage.

Ordering some samplings of the aforementioned menu features along with some turkey, green beans and mac and cheese, the smokehouse didn't disappoint. The no-fluffs, cafeteria-style interior was the kind of simple, understated dining experience that keeps Smitty's rooted in Southern comfort while also letting its food shine as the star of the show. This Texas transplant most definitely took a doggie bag home with her, and may or may not have taken a post-work nap.

Within the barbecue landscape, Lockhart is also home to Black's Barbecue, Terry Black's Barbecue, Kreuz Market, Lockhart Chisholm Trail BBQ, Riley's Pit BBQ and Barbs B Q, with Barbs traditionally only open on the weekends, but the restaurant expanded its hours to Fridays starting August 29.

Extending your day trip to a weekend visit? Here's where to stay in town

Looking to turn your Lockhart trip into an overnight visit or weekend-long adventure? The city has a handful of hotels, including the Best Western Lockhart Hotel & Suites, Lockhart Inn and the Americas Best Value Inn Lockhart. Seeking out a more intimate, residential feel? Several properties doable as vacation rentals in town, including historic homes, guest houses and tiny cottages marked as available on Airbnb. Prices for both hotels and home rental stays vary depending on the date.