Drove back from Houston last weekend after a big party for George & Gracy. I saw Solomon's and Lily's review on the mobile app and stopped in. It's a very crowded parking lot. Where there's a crowd, there's something good going on. Wow, this place is amazing! Best kolaches I've ever tasted. George had himself a sausage but nothing for Gracy because she'd been sick most of the drive back. The ladies rooms are very clean so it's a good place to stop on the 2 hour drive back to Austin from Houston. Hruska's also has its own homemade jams in these adorable jars that I'm going to come back for as Christmas presents. Great find!
Review Source:We drove Houston to Smithville on July 4th 2013 and this was a welcome break stop for us. Its in a small town and seems very popular with travellers who line up for the breakfast foods. I tried the sausage and sauerkraut kolache (which sounds interesting right?) but sadly I am not accustomed to that flavor combination unless it is in a hot dog bun with ketchup and mustard however we would stop here again...
Review Source:Hruska's is like an oasis in the middle of the desert that is the drive between Austin and Houston. A tasty, tasty oasis. I love this pit stop for its super clean bathrooms...and for its heavenly bakery display of delicious pastries, kolaches, and mini pies. Do not deprive yourself of the goodness that is Hruska's. Now, it's not the BEST kolache or Danish I've ever had...but when you're hungry and have got another hour on the road to go, it tastes pretty darn near perfect.
Review Source:A solid and familiar pitstop between Houston and Austin on 71. Â If you've never been, definitely try and make a stop here at least once. Â Their grill is alright - nothing amazing there. Â What you need to try, however, are their baked goods. Â Kolaches, pigs-in-blankets, rolls, cookies. Â Try their chocolate chip skrumptions - a whole hunk of fudge in the middle. Â It's a cookie in a cookie! Â Don't fear the sugar - embrace it.
Review Source:During my drives to West Texas I try and make Hruska's a lunch stop on my route. Â I've only had the hamburgers here, however they are fantastic! Â Made fresh to order however you want. Â They have an entire bakery located on the premise though I have not had anything else from here. Â Not much more really to say other than give it a shot.
Review Source:This is a great spot to stop at not just to fill you tank or use the restroom, but they have lots of fresh goodies to buy. They are known for their kolaches and other bakery items. Â This place also has been completely overhauled where the interior is not old and draby. The 8 ft ceiling has been raised to about 20 ft and feels more open. Â It also seems bigger and the restrooms are huge now versus the cramped ones before. As for the bakery items, they are delicious and they will even warm them up for you.
Review Source:Any frequent road tripper from Austin to Houston or vise versa will be the first to recommend Hruska's. Convenient for an easy on and off, this kolache-centric pit stop provides all the essentials you need for a quick boost: gas, grub, and well.... things that cause gas.
The endless variety of the Czech classic rivals that of the highly acclaimed stop in West, Texas, but this certainly provides a more humble experience, what with a smaller production and less of a following.
At the half way point in a quick drive, you typically want something starchy, meaty, cheesy, and fatty. And what better item to satisfy all of the aforementioned cravings than a nice fat baked good hailing from the Eastern parts of Europe?
With plenty of seating, you are sure to feel right at home at Hruska's. Clean restrooms and a hefty "local Texas product" selection only add onto what already exists to please you, to boot.
I still have no idea how to pronounce Hruska's but I love stopping here with a friend of Czech descent just so I can hear him rage about how they're really not kolaches. They recently renovated the storefront, it is a lot bigger and has more of a Bucee's feel to it but it is still my favorite place to stop in the middle of the speedtrap that is whatever tiny town that it exists in.
Review Source:The birthplace of kolaches...at least in Texas. You would expect some grand bakery with lots of lights, illuminating this mecca for kolache lovers, but instead you are greeted with a gas station stop alongside the middle of nowhere. Yay Texas!
Bought a few home for my pregnant wife, which means I had to steer clear of anything with processed deli type meats in it. Not sure why...but that's what she told me. Ended up taking home three fruit filled kolaches...and given that I didn't get to taste a single one, this review is strictly on the way the kolaches looked. How is that for a first?
Based on my limited understanding on what a kolache should look like...these fit the bill. So for appearance, they get an A. I tried smelling them, but apparently a kolache doesn't really give off that much of an aroma. Who knew? I guess it didn't smell rotten.
The place is definitely worth the stop...whether you like kolaches or not. For foodies, this should be a must see on the food porn list...up there with Black's and Smitty's. Okay, maybe not.
Am I the only gal in Texas who doesn't like kolaches?? Â Jesus - what's the big deal about these things??
We stop here a lot on the way to Austin. Â Apparently they have "the best" Â kolaches - but I'm the WRONG person to ask about that! Â What I do know is they have lots of yummy fresh baked cookies, good selection of road food, clean restrooms, and lots of junk to look at while you fill up your little gas guzzler.
This place is totally a staple for my husband and NOT ME as my heart belongs to buc-ees, but I digress. I feel like everytime I come here it's under construction, or looks like it. There is all this space in the store and I can never tell where the line starts for the cashier.
Parking is interesting but the prices are cool. Neat shop for out of towners.
I was looking forward to visiting Hruska's but left a bit disappointed. Â It's a good convenience store if you're out that way. Â They have the typical kolaches and an assortment of desserts. Â They carry homemade jarred condiments, jams, honeys, salsas etc. from the locals. Â They also have a pimento dip but it's from processed cheese. Â They have a large variety of sodas, some coffee and a good selection of bottled drinks. Â They only had the red and blue slurpees, no cola :( .
I was quite a bit disappointed because the name Hruska is Czech but the pastries were not authentic. Â I'm not Czech but I am very familiar with Czech pastries and have 3 authentic Czech cookbooks. Â My grandparents lived in a predominately small Czech town out of state their entire life and they learned how to bake authentic Czech nut rolls and all the good pastries. Â Actually the predominant things to do in the little town they lived in all centered around everything Czech. Â So I know what the real authentic pastries are and taste like.
Unfortunately I didn't find their pastries to be authentic Czech recipes. Â Even though they make their own pastries and kolaches I found them to taste very commercialized. Â The dough quality was not reminiscent of the really authentic Czech style of making desserts. Â The meat kolaches have a SWEET dough like they added sugar YUCK! Â They had 2 desserts with poppy seed and no nut rolls of any kind.
Basically I found Hruska's a convenience store that sold commercial tasting kolaches and pastries with a couple authentic pastries. Â Plus a bit pricey but the lady told me they raised there prices 2 days ago.
Bathrooms were sloppy with paper towels left on the floor and sink areas. Â Sink counters were all wet and I was unable to set my purse on the counter.
Oh Hruska's, for anyone who routinely drives from Austin to Houston and vice versa this place is an institution in the 2.5-3 hour drive. I always stop by on my way back in to Austin so I can pick up some kolaches.
Atmosphere: This place is literally a gas station/service stop with a bakery. There isn't much to say about decor. It has clean restrooms, a small dining area (if you can't resist immediately consuming your kolaches), and literally sells any snack/beverage you could wish for on a long car drive.
Service: I always find the employees to be very friendly. I once bought 5 fruit kolaches and the person filling my order told me that if I added a sixth it would be pretty much the same price but I would get one extra kolache (how could my inner fatty resist?!). The line to order food also moves pretty quickly.
Food: The kolaches here are amazing. I've had most of the savory ones and my favorites are the spinach, mushrooms and feta and the plain regular sausage. The pan sausage varieties as well as the ones with cheese are pretty good too. For sweet kolaches I like the peach, strawberry and cream cheese, and the chocolate and cream cheese. Overall apparently if you buy in intervals of 6 it saves you some money. The kolaches are all made with that delicious slightly sweet bread and delicious filling. Please note most of the savory are served closed and the sweet ones tend to be open faced. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but it is the case with most of the varieties. In addition they also sell cookies, turnovers, breakfast taquitos/tacos, croissant sandwiches, biscuit sandwiches, and classic deli style sandwiches as well. In reality I've only had the kolaches here along with a diet coke so I can't really testify about the other food items but I would imagine they are on par with the kolaches in quality and taste.
In short, swing this place if your driving to and from Houston and Austin and pick up some kolaches. They're delicious and no one makes them better than Hruska's!
I don't think I ever had a really good kolache until here. I only have Shipley's and Kolache Factory to compare, and I don't particularly like either. The sweet ones are okay, but I actually really like the sausage (pan or regular) with cheese and jalapeno. I haven't had anything else, but I think from now on, this will be a regular stop.
Review Source:My rating is based on my experience with the food here, and my duty to help reset expectations. There's really nothing special to the food. The kolaches are good, but not OH MY GOD good like so many yelpers claim. The burgers are decent, but nothing special. I'd give it a 3 star for having decent food, a friendly staff, and good selection of other food and goods. But since everyone else is giving them 5, a 1 will only do what's right and marginally decrease their rating to where it should be.
Review Source:Chaotic place at times. People tend to rifle through the place on travels between here and yonder. Many shop and eat like it's the last stop for days.
The burgers take a while, like good, made from scratch, burgers do. It's worth the wait. The bun is perfectly toasted and I don't think you can get a fresher burger in the area unless you cooked it yourself. Oh yeah, they use real green lettuce! Not that shredded up junk.
One thing. I wish they had fries. A bag of chips with a burger just isn't the same.
I took a cinnamon roll home. It was heavenly, but serious heartburn inducing.
Decent stop for gas and a snack. The parking could get crowded at prime time.
The ladies' room stalls have a note on the door, "Please put toilet paper in the toilet." This was a first for me. I have seen notices on what NOT to put in the toilet, but this note left me wondering about the majority of visitors to Hruska's. What has to happen to merit this kind of signage? And there was a lot of trash on the floor. Yuck.
The kolaches were tasty, but not great. The dough is too sweet for me. The sausage, jalapeño and cheese kolache had only one decent bite with all 3 ingredients. For the most part, it was just sausage.
The service was super friendly which makes for a very pleasant stop between Austin and Houston.
Hruska's is the perfect stop between Austin and Houston. Â This bakery and store serves one hell of a bacon cheese burger, made to order sandwiches and bakes about every type of kolache you can dream up.
I ordered a pepper turkey sandwich sans mayo. The bread was thick and soft, the veggies fresh but the turkey was on the bland side. With that said I was aiming for a healthier option and that it was. Jesse ordered the single bacon cheeseburger served on their fresh baked buns. I did sneak a couple bites of the burger and everything about it was perfect. Â We took a cream cheese pumpkin kolache for the road which became a midnight snack. Now I see why most customers were leaving the store with dozens of these delicious treats.
The store has a variety of food and other items for sale. You can find pickled quail eggs, fresh made beef jerky, locally made jams/jellys, Â Maine Root drinks, Topo Chico, UT items, Christmas decorations and sock monkeys all under one roof.
Come here for the kolaches and burgers, skip the sandwiches unless you are on a diet.
May be the best klobasnikys ( a variation on a pig in a blanket) on the planet! Â The only drawback is everyone else who's ever traveled down hwy 71,,,knows about this place....they just remodeled and doubled in size...and it may still be half as big as it should be....can you say lines for the restrooms?
Review Source:There's this quote from Yogi Berra that I especially love: "Nobody goes there anymore. Â It's too crowded."
It makes no sense and, yet, it makes perfect sense. Â We all have those favorite stores or restaurants that nobody knows about and then one day they get a favorable review in the newspaper. Boom! Â The place turns in to a zoo overnight. Â
Well, that's not completely what happened with Hruska's. Â It's been popular for awhile, perhaps due to the fantastic selection of baked goods cooked on site and its convenient location off Highway 71, but the store recently expanded their location and, man, it's become packed 24/7 with long lines and barely enough parking in the newly expanded parking lot. Â
The unfortunate thing of it all is that I just recently discovered their delicious hamburgers, which were named as one of the 50 best in the state by Texas Monthly. Â
It was good while it lasted, but those days are no more for me. Â Thank you, Hruska's.
Agree with everyone here, it's a good pit stop.
The kolaches were as good as any I've had... I'm not much a fan of them in general but both the peach and sausage ones satisfied my snacking needs. Â
I wouldn't call this a wonderland of trinkets and exotic canned country food but it's a convenient spot with a gas station and clean bathrooms, plus supposedly they make great burgers... I'll have to try next them time through...
I don't always stop to use the restroom on my trip between Houston and Austin, but when I do, I use the ones at Hruska's.
Sorry, I couldn't help it.
Basically, I agree with everyone. Burgers are surprisingly tasty, and they're pretty thick/heavy, even for a single patty. Pretty filling, and yes, it'll take around 10 min. to cook because you're not ordering from a McDonald's or a Whataburger. The kolaches are too dang good as well. I've resisted their call my last few trips, but I'm going back to Austin next week, and I might cave in again. The pan sausage, jalapeno, and cheese is calling out to me. The pan sausage with sauerkraut too. COME TO ME!
Hruska's is in a great location between Austin and Houston, the perfect stopping point on the three hour drive, and right off the highway. Â Plus they start doing giant billboards like 30 miles away so you get all pumped up about it beforehand. Â
I stopped at Weikel's last time and thought I'd try Hruska's this time to compare. Â Hruska's is strangely HUGE inside- I think it's the tall ceilings. Â Going for actual comparisons, I had the cream cheese and chocolate kolache and the pan sausage one.
Okay, pan sausage- no comparison. Â Hruska's rocks at this (Weikel uses a hot dog or something), with a salty meat-clump filling their fluffy bread. Â And the cream cheese/chocolate one, also a winner in my book: it's the usual cream cheese kolache with just a square of Hershey's chocolate perched into the filling, so it's semi-melted. Â I thought it'd be lame, but turns out that a burst of strong chocolate flavor which slightly melds into other bites is perfect in the richness of the cream cheese kolache. Â
So winner winner chicken dinner, Hruska! Â Better location and better kolache fillings (though I think Weikel has better bread as its base).
Good kolaches, great burgers, and clean restrooms!
Although I only started coming here after the major renovations took place, I still feel the small-town charm when I step inside. Hruska's is a combo of convenience store + mom and pop trinket store + bakery + burger/sandwich joint + always clean restrooms. I don't pretend to be a kolache connoisseur, but I think the kolaches here are great. They do the trick and are so easy to pack up into a little paper bag and enjoy on the highway. My boyfriend's favorite is the sausage, cheese, and jalapeno pigs-in-a-blanket!
I have the hugest sweet tooth, and I've tried both the cream cheese kolache and the fudge macaroon "skrumptions" on different occasions. The cream cheese kolache was heavenly with its fluffy, bread exterior coupled with its sweet, creamy interior. Not sure if it's because I came in an hour before closing at that time, but the fudge macaroons I had were a little dry but still very enjoyable.
Don't stop by in the evening and expect a vast array of kolaches to still be available. If you find yourself in this situation - don't fret! Go for one of their burgers. The burgers here are simple and classic and they have that great burger deliciousness minus the fast food grease. If you get the hunger pangs or that desperate need to find a restroom while on the road, hold out a little longer for this place. It will be worth it and definitely beats the typical fast food options and shoddy gas station restrooms.
Hruska's makes the drive from Austin to Houston (and vice versa) a little more enjoyable; it is the perfect pit stop and midpoint between the two cities. Service here isn't anything special, but the staff is efficient and handles the crowd well when the store is at its busiest. Whether you need gas, need to use the restroom, need a treat for an energy boost, or just need to stretch your legs, this place is your best bet. No exiting the highway necessary!
I love Hruska's for its convenient location and pristine restrooms. The kolaches are also pretty good, especially the veggie one with the spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms. I usually prefer stopping at Weikel's instead, but Hruska's is just SO easy to get to right off 71.
Just FYI - be careful because it falls right in the middle of a speed trap. The speed limit drops from 70 to 55 in 2 seconds for I swear like 10 yards and the cops will gladly ticket you immediately!
This place is in the friggin' middle of nowhere. If bf hadn't already known about it, I'm pretty sure I would have never been able to find this place. What with no cell phone service and all. Still, when we pulled up to this convenience store, I was surprised by how many people here and by the fact the restrooms were as clean as they were.
My boyfriend said that the "MUST GETS" from this place are the Kolaches and the Danishes. Sounded good to ME!
The first time I heard about Kolaches were from going to Shipley's and they were pretty good, so I was excited to get it from somewhere else. Mine was a bit of a disappointment though. Overall, I think the kolaches were ok..mine was a bit burnt and on the non-cheesy side. Which was unfortunate..
HOWEVER, the cheese danish that I got was amaaazzinnnggg. I've never had one so cheesy with the perfect amount of cream cheese to bread ratio. The bread was soft and fluffy...like like Hawaiian Kings Bread with the cheesy ooey center. Omg. So friggin good.
5 stars for the Danish, 3 stars for the Kolaches!! 4 average, hurray!
Now, I love driving to back and forth between Houston and Austin as much as the next person. I mean who DOESN'T love the gorgeous scenery, the perfect manners of the other drivers (in as much bliss as you are, to be sure) and not to mention the wonders three hours in a car can do for your relationship?! Â However, there comes a time during everyone's journey that the imminent presence of another, more devilish car companion joins your journey--the fact that you must pee, and you must pee now!
There are many options along way, gas stations and other pit stops line the drive pretty much the whole way, but only one (well two if you could Weikel's--but please don't!) has everything your bum could ask for (a clean toilet seat AND gaudy trinkets to look at while waiting in line?!) plus delicious kolaches to boot!
I've been commuting between the two cities for almost two years now and I can't explain what a relief it is to know that I have reached Hruska's, coming from either direction. Â It is smack down in the middle of the drive, right when you're starting to need a little stretch and maybe a little snack?! Â Hruska's to the rescue, and man do they deliver. Â I always get the pan sausage and cheese kolaches, and regardless of how many times I tell myself I am going to try one of their sweet offerings I can't shake the desire for meat and melty cheese...are you with me?
Regardless of what you're there for, even if it's just to stop the car for a minute so your girlfriend and you can get a much needed 5 minutes away from each other, just walk around, check out the chickens that always seem to be roaming around, and enjoy the fact that you're half way there! Â But seriously...get a kolache too...
For my 154-mile Austin-Houston commutes, Hruska's Bakery / Chevron gas station sits exactly at the midpoint. Â If I start feeling sleepy during the drive, I stop in for a 20 oz coffee and usually end up with impulse buys of at least two kolaches and/or klobasnikys. Â If I get here in the evening, there are usually not any kolaches left.
For taste and price, the kolaches at Weikel's Bakery / Shell gas station in La Grange are actually better but Hruska's location right off Hwy 71 in a 55 mph speed zone beats Weikel's in terms of convenience. Â
My parents always stop here for their superclean, touch-free restrooms. Â
The parking lot for Hruska's is always packed and overflowing compared to the gas station next door. Â I usually have at least one laptop sitting in the car so I park on the side of the small road south of Hruska's while in the store. Â
Their gas prices are always a little higher than those in Austin and Houston so I rarely fill up here.
If you're not in a rush to your destination, make a stop at this cute store once in your life.
I've been making the drive from Austin to Houston and back again at least 10x a year for my last 5 years as a college student at UT. Â I stop at Hruska's EVERY time. Â
Hruska's was listed on Texas Monthly's 50 best burgers in Texas... and they were right. Â The cheeseburger is spot on, and makes such a great treat on a stop from Austin to Houston for lunch. Â
Their kolache's are amazing: the folks at Hruska's are baking from authentic old Czech recipes (the Czech's invented the kolache!!). Â I recommend the poppy seed closed kolache. Â My only wish is that they had turkey sausage kolaches or something not make from pork.
They also offer up homemade cookies in about 8 flavors, other Czech baked treats, sandwiches, etc.
Hruska's is currently undergoing a facelift and expansion inside and out. Â They used to be a small, cute, kitschy county store (but very clean and nice). Â They're now much larger and turning into a kind of Weikel's (the equivalent of Hruska's that sits on the other side of 71 in La Grange). Â It's not as intimate and personal as it used to be, but still a great place.
Lastly, clean restrooms = A+ for a great rest stop!!
When heading from Houston to Austin, Hruska's and Weikel's are the two competing bakeries on this stretch of 71. They are 12 miles apart and people seem to swear allegiance to one or the other. Â Currently, Hruska's is a bit of mess. They are doing construction, and the entrance wasn't even obvious. When you walk in, the place is dark, and ordering sandwiches and other food isn't obvious or organized. We used the restrooms which are very new and clean, but I heard some ladies complain about lack of toilet paper, which isn't a big deal since other stalls had it BUT Hruska's advertises their bathrooms as amazingly clean. So, I'd expect toilet paper as well.
We ordered some sandwiches for dinner. It's chaotic when you want to order something and you just have to yell at someone behind the counter. We got turkey sandwiches with cheese. They were both very good once we got them, it wasn't quick. We sat at one of the 3 tables off to the side and ate our food. We also got some cookies. The chocolate chip was my favorite. My husband said the oatmeal raisin were just ok. We wanted some cinnamon rolls but they were all out :(
I definitely agree with Holly S about this being a speed trap. As we passed by on the way back to Houston, we saw some people pulled over. So, slow down and stop if you need to, but nothing impressed me here.
Hruska's is my stop every time I head to the hill country for kolaches and a clean bathroom. Also, because this strip of Hwy 71 is a speed trap, so in order to make sure I don't get a ticket I am obligated to stop for a kolache or two, or three (yes, they are that good).
This place is also a good place to pick up any of those must-haves you might have forgot to pack in your overnight bag. Things like koozies, a statue of an African elephant or a cross to hang on your wall...just in case you need one!
On the countless drives between Houston and Austin in college, I started to develop a keen memory for even insignificant landmarks and milestones. Certain exits, huge power plants, Diamond Shamrocks in the middle of nowhere - all let you know whether you were making good time or bad depending on when you saw them.
Hruska's sits 12 miles from I-10 on 71 like an oasis. No matter which direction you're coming from, it was usually a good time to get gas from the Chevron pumps, whether to fill up or just top off so you'd have at least half a tank in your destination city. Get the gas pumpin', flip that little thingamajig that holds the handle down and lets you walk away, and head on in to the shop.
If you hit Hruska's in the morning, you'll see the glorious fresh baked kolaches glowing golden behind the glass like you're gazing into the Ark of the Covenant or Marcellus Wallace's briefcase. The savory ones are referred to as pigs in blankets, and feature pan or link sausage, ham, cheese, jalapeño, and combinations thereof. The sweet ones are kolaches, and you can pretty much name your fruit, cream cheese too. These often sell out by afternoon, but there should be a few left whenever you get there, or try one of their deli sandwiches or grilled burgers.
The rest of the store features an extensive array of more typical convenience store items like chips, nuts, candy, sodas, beer, and a decent coffee bar complete with flavored syrups. Not so typical is the assortment of arts and crafts, Longhorn and Aggie memorabilia, and housewares. Long ago, the restrooms were less than spectacular, but, perhaps taking a page out of Buc-ee's playbook, for several years now Hruska's has boasted some of the cleanest and most spacious restrooms around, and on my last stop, it looked as though they had been remodeled yet again.
In short, on the drive between Houston and Austin, Hruska's is your one stop shop destination.
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