Real Estate Photographer in Lockhart, TX

The last light of a Texas sunset fades to pink as I step onto Lockhart’s town square. At its center, the impressive limestone courthouse towers above a crowd drifting between art galleries and boutiques, wine in hand. Like most, I came for the barbecue — but between sips of a crisp Martini and bites of award-winning banana pudding, I realize Lockhart’s culinary renaissance has transformed this barbecue town into an all-around destination.

Located 35 miles southeast of Austin, Lockhart has long been celebrated as the “Barbecue Capital of Texas,” home to legends like Black’s, Chisholm Trail, Kreutz Market, and Smitty’s. And in recent years the city has drawn chefs, musicians, and entrepreneurs from Austin and beyond. Everywhere I visit is recommended by word of mouth, with owners and chefs championing one another in every conversation. That spirit extends to the city’s leaders.

“To have a direct line to the mayor and city council is huge,” says bar owner Travis Tober. “They want to influence the town in a positive way and understand how important hospitality is to that.” It’s part of what draws newcomers here: the accessibility, creative energy, and the sense of shared investment.

I begin my evening at Old Pal, Travis Tober’s love letter to old Austin — cold beer, fried chicken, and good conversation. Behind the bar, Margaritas are hand-squeezed to order, and the crowd is a mix of locals and weekenders spilling in from the square. Over a plate of jojos and a Dr. Pepper Old Fashioned, a friendly regular tells me not to miss Barbs-B-Q next door.

At Barbs, pitmaster Chuck Carnichart slings Texas barbecue her own way: brisket finished with lime zest, green spaghetti in roasted poblano sauce, and cinnamon-swirl bread to mop up extra drippings. Across the square, chef Sarah Heard of Austin’s Foreign & Domestic brings her farm-to-table philosophy to Lockhart at Commerce Café, where smothered pork chops and housemade pasta meet popovers the size of your hand. Just down the street, Loop & Lil’s serves hand-tossed, wood-fired pizzas with perfectly blistered crusts. Together, these spots capture modern Lockhart: familiar comfort food elevated with quality ingredients, creativity, and an easygoing sense of place.

What makes this shift so distinct is how organically it’s happened. Much of Lockhart’s growth is driven from within, with locals voicing their eagerness for more and businesses delivering. As Heard puts it, she wanted Commerce Café “to be a bridge into slightly finer dining, while still serving the food everyone wants”—meals that, as she describes, “remind people of what Mom would put on the table.”

As the night cools, I wander past the courthouse to Commerce Gallery, where local artists and curious travelers mingle over wine and contemporary art. Owners Tamara Carlisle and Donna Blair not only showcase rotating exhibitions and host artists-in-residence, they’re also deeply invested in the town. As founding members of the Lockhart Initiative for Tourism, they help preserve the small-town character while promoting arts, culture, and heritage — funding events, forging partnerships, and attracting visitors to support local businesses.

“Lockhart moves at a human scale,” says tourism board member Celeste Quesada. It’s one of those rare small towns where you feel welcome right away. You’re not just sharing a drink, you’re sharing a conversation about life.”

As I consider my options for a nightcap, locals gush about the sheer range of spots that are ideal for ending an evening. Longtime Austin honkytonk owner Dennis O’Donnell — of White Horse and Sagebrush — brings weekly live music to O’Donnell’s, a casual café and pub where you can two-step with a local crowd and soak up Lockhart’s particular brand of cowboy cool. For something cozier, Best Little Wine & Books features curated wines, craft beer, and sake in a space that’s part living room and part tiny bookstore. Despite having the best patio in town, guests linger for hours under the thoughtful guidance of owner Kaye Askins, a CMS-certified sommelier. Tucked away down an alley, The Case Room provides an intimate speakeasy experience where I sip an ice cold Martini as bluegrass drifts in from the attached Fiddler’s Green Music Shop.

When it’s time to call it a night, I head to The Leona. On the short walk from the town square, I reflect on the vast creativity packed into this tiny town. It’s easy to see why so many have traded city noise for Lockhart’s slower rhythm in a community that values connection as much as craft. The Leona’s private cabins blend modern design with rustic charm, set amid native gardens and a natural spring. Thoughtfully built and deeply serene, it resembles a true oasis. For larger groups, Nightbirds Hospitality offers expertly restored colonial homes and turn-of-the-century estates that marry well-curated design with old-world luxe.

The next morning, I fuel up at Thorn & Bred Mercantile for coffee and Chaparral for breakfast tacos, before wandering the town for souvenirs. After exploring Saturday’s farmers market, I wander into The Culinary Room, where Alana Webre has created a treasure trove of small-batch gourmet goods, from locally made jams and olive oils to globally sourced treats. Of course, the real draw is her award-winning banana pudding: thick, rich, and made fresh daily. Every item on the shelves reflects Alana’s mission: to bring Lockhart a taste of the world while championing small brands you won’t find elsewhere.

And because all roads in Lockhart eventually lead back to barbecue, my final stop on the way out of town is Mill Scale Metalworks. Brothers Matt and Caleb Johnson build live-fire grills and smokers designed for chefs and home cooks alike, supplying some of the best pitmasters in Texas and around the world. For these brothers, barbecue is about the ritual of cooking with fire, the conversations around the pit, and the joy of sharing a meal with others. For anyone inspired to bring a bit of that spirit home, Mill Scale’s retail shop offers a selection of rubs, sauces, and hand-forged cooking tools.

Theirs is a sentiment that captures Lockhart — a town built on smoke, storytelling, and genuine connection. Barbecue may remain its heartbeat, but the true flavor of Lockhart lies in its people, its hospitality, and the unexpected discoveries that keep you coming back.

LPR Editor

The festival is part bar crawl, part shop hop, and all about bringing people together in downtown Lockhart. Visitors can expect German-themed bier, wein, and food specials across participating businesses, transforming the square into a lively Bavarian village.

The idea for Locktoberfest began in 2022 when the Best Little Bavarian Pop-Up was launched at Best Little Wine & Books. Owner and founder, Kaye Askins, inspired by her family ties to Germany, her mother grew up there as an Army brat, wanted to carry on the tradition of backyard Oktoberfest celebrations she grew up with in Fort Worth.

“The teams from Load Off Fanny’s and Loop & Lil’s all came through that first year, and it was such a fun week I knew it would become a long-standing tradition,” she said.

In 2023, the pop-up grew into a full downtown event with help from Alex Cady, the designer behind the Locktoberfest logo, and Dan Goodman, a local beer enthusiast. Together, they rallied downtown businesses to host simultaneous specials to keep festivalgoers moving from shop to shop.

The vision is big: Oktoberfests around Texas generate between $6 million and $12 million per city, and organizers hope that as Locktoberfest expands, it will have a similar economic impact on Lockhart’s small businesses.

By 2024, the festival teamed up with Rough House Brewing in San Marcos to create the first official Locktoberfest Festbier, a crisp, lighter lager suited for Texas heat. The beer quickly became a festival favorite, available at Best Little Wine & Books, Old Pal, Terry Black’s, and even given away as a freebie at retailers like Mr. Brown’s Pet Stop.

This year’s Locktoberfest promises even more reasons to wander downtown. Each participating shop, bar, and restaurant will put its own spin on the celebration, offering everything from themed drinks to German-inspired bites. Some businesses will be open all weekend, while others will join for select days.

The festival is hosted by Best Little Wine & Books at 210 W. San Antonio St., in partnership with the Lockhart Downtown Business Association. Visitors are encouraged to check the official Participants list for specials at www.locktoberfesttx.com, and follow along on Instagram at @locktoberfesttx, and explore the unique offerings scattered throughout the historic downtown. The best way to experience Locktoberfest, is to hop around and see what each stop has to offer.

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla (and you know the rest), remains the richest man in the world with a reported net worth of $458 billion, according to Bloomberg, but he briefly lost that title earlier this month. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison overtook Musk on September 10 to take the world's richest man title. Even though the SpaceX founder is back on top, Ellison is once again showing he's not the only billionaire with an interest in the Lone Star State.

Oracle might be moving its headquarters from Texas to Tennessee, but Ellison's Sensei Farms has reportedly purchased a 25-acre site in Lockhart, the Barbecue Capital of Texas some 30 miles south of Austin. But don't be mistaken, the $300-billion man is not taking up a new career as a pitmaster. The site at 1205 Reed Drive, Lockhart, TX 78644 will be home to a 283,000-square-foot complex for Ellison's alternative food company.

Sensei Farms was founded by Ellison and physician David Angus in 2018, according to the Austin Business Journal. The $500 million-company owns and operates greenhouses that produce fruits and vegetables sold in Hawaii, the northeastern United States and Ontario, Canada. ABJ reports that Ellison sees Sensei Farms as "part of his legacy."

It's unclear if this facility — which formerly housed agriculture tech company Iron Ox — will be used for selling products in Texas or distributing them to other parts of the U.S. MySA has reached out to Sensei Farms for comment on the Lockhart development.

Who is Larry Ellison?

Larry Ellison, 81, is the second-most wealthiest man in the world with a net worth of $368 billion as of Thursday, September 25, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index. He co-founded the software and hardware tech company Oracle in 1977 and built it up over the years into a multibillion-dollar corporation.

On Sunday, September 21, President Donald Trump told Fox News that Ellison is one of six Americans that will sit on a newly-formed joint venture that will run TikTok's forthcoming U.S. operations.

Is Oracle moving out of Austin?

Oracle moved its headquarters to Austin in 2020 but on April 23, 2024, Ellison announced the company would be relocating its headquarters from Austin to Nashville. 2300 Oracle Way, Austin, TX 78741 is still listed as the company's headquarters but that's because Oracle's $1.35 billion Nashville campus reportedly won't be ready until 2031. Until then, Texas remains the home for one of the world's biggest tech companies.

One of the world’s richest men is expanding his investments in Central Texas.

Sensei Farms, the agriculture company backed by Oracle Corp. co-founder, Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Larry Ellison, has purchased about 25 acres in Lockhart that formerly housed robotics farming company Iron Ox Inc.

Santa Monica, Calif.,-based Sensei Farms — which was founded by Ellison in 2018 with Dr. David Agus — aims to merge technology with agriculture to grow food and support conservation and sustainability efforts.

The company did not respond to a request for comment and has not made clear what the site about 30 miles southeast of Austin will become, but it could be Sensei Farms’ newest greenhouse site. The purchase price was unknown.

The company also has property in Lanai, Hawaii, and Ontario, Canada, where it operates greenhouses. At those sites, it grows fruits and vegetables that are sold in Hawaii, the U.S. Northeast and Canada.

According to a Caldwell County deed, Sensei Ag Holdings Inc. bought the property at 1205 Reed Drive this month from real estate investment group Evergen Equity LLC. Sensei listed its northeast Austin address at 1606 Headway Circle in the deed, matching the address listed on its filings in other states.

The site formerly housed the 283,000-square-foot headquarters and flagship greenhouse of Iron Ox, which shut down in 2023. Evergen purchased the land in November and was looking to lease or sell it in three distinct pieces. A warehouse on the site was leased to pickling company Hill Country Foodworks LLC, but it plans to move its operations to a new industrial building.

Evergen did not respond to a request for comment about the sale.

The site was most recently appraised at $7.7 million, down from more than $11.3 million for the 2024 tax year.

The past few weeks have been busy for Ellison, who recently temporarily replaced Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk as the richest man in the world thanks to a massive surge in Oracle’s stock price after the company’s latest earnings report disclosed a huge pipeline of projects related to artificial intelligence.

This week, Oracle named insiders Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia as co-CEOs and Ellison and Oracle were identified alongside fellow Central Texas technology billionaire Michael Dell as part of the federal government’s takeover plan for video social media site TikTok.