Stepping through the stately front door at this elegant little Boerne restaurant you may wonder if you’ve time traveled from Main Street, U.S.A., to a chic European bakery and bistro.
Yes, from the chandelier above the main entrance to the pastry case filled with flaky goodness, a visit to The Dienger Trading Co. eatery illustrates how delightful a meal out in the Texas Hill Country can be. And while the price point rivals any sit-down-meal chain restaurant, the food and ambiance are superior.
Breakfast and lunch are available daily, with supper on Fridays and Saturdays. Early in the day you’ll find the usual menu suspects: French toast, eggs, croissants, pancakes, yogurt and granola. At midday, the menu changes to savory salads, quiches, soups, and sandwiches. Beer and wine follow in the early evening.
On a recent lunchtime visit–and following a lot of soul searching with the menu, I opted to order the Antler Room Cobb Salad (my usual). When it arrived, the bowl overflowed with fresh greens, chopped turkey and ham (the later from Klein Smokehouse just up the street), avocado, tomatoes, scallion, cheese, and chopped bacon. (I skipped the egg.) Topping it all off was the house-made ranch dressing.
My dining partner? He went with the chicken mozzarella panini on sourdough bread with a scratch-made pesto.
Yes, both entrees were every bit as delicious as they sound.
Feeling satisfied with our bounty, we skipped coffee and dessert. Other bistro customers, however, were savoring the restaurant’s “handcrafted caffeine” options. These range from the standard Americano to lattes and affogatos. If you manage to save room for dessert when visiting The Dienger, then try a slice of pie or caramel apple cake or a simply delicious cookie. Much to their credit, the staff also prepares gluten-free sweets, a culinary grace note for those of us with celiac disease.
That spirit of Hill Country hospitality infuses the whole restaurant, actually. There is no sense from the staff that they’d like you to run along. When it’s busy in the bistro, you’re apt to see one of the owners, Raymond Lunsford, delivering food or chatting with customers as warmly as one might visit cherished household guests. (The buttermilk pie, we overheard him say, is from a recipe from his wife’s family.)
Once a mercantile store and later the town’s library for many years, the building in which The Dienger is housed underwent a massive renovation two years ago. Today the dining space covers several adjoining rooms with everything from cozy tables for two to large, family-sized groupings. Local artists are featured on the walls and in the back room–the one nearest the Dienger’s high-end boutique–is a carefully curated selection of books, candles, and small gifts for purchase.
All in all, it’s a cozy mealtime setting perfect for everyone, from young lovers to kids and parents to chatty retirees. It’s also well worth a visit next time you’re in Boerne.
Pamela Price is a freelance journalist and the publisher of this website.
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The Dienger Trading Co.
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For current hours and menu, see TheDiengerTradingCo.com.
Location & Telephone
210 N. Main Street
Boerne, Texas 78006
830-331-2225
