Century-Old Texas Businesses

In a state with historical roots as deep as Texas’, it’s no wonder there’s an abundance of hotels, diners, ranches, barbecue joints, and other destinations that have withstood the test of time for 100 years or more. But with changing times comes changing ways, and many businesses — even the oldest — often must tweak that family recipe, move out of a dated location, or otherwise alter their traditional ways of doing things to keep up with the world.

And yet, leave it to Texas to be home to some of the oldest and most resilient operations in the United States. These seven businesses sprouted up more than a century ago and have barely changed their day-to-day operations since.

Stagecoach Inn (Est. 1860), Salado

Weary travelers in Central Texas have found respite at Stagecoach Inn for more than 160 years, from covered wagons and cattle drives following the Chisholm Trail to semitrucks and minivans needing a break from Interstate 35. It’s operated under other names (most recently the Shady Villa Hotel) at various points in its long history, and it’s also hosted prominent names such as Jesse James, Robert E. Lee, and Sam Houston.

The Stagecoach Inn is an official Texas Historic Landmark for more reasons than its age: Legends tell of buried treasure in a cave beneath the hotel and of the best hush puppies in all of Texas.

Scholz Garten & Saengerrunde Hall (Est. 1866 & 1908), Austin

Just two blocks from the Texas State Capitol sits the oldest operating business in the entire state and, in fact, one of the oldest German restaurants in the whole country. Scholz Garten dates back to 1866 (only one year after the American Civil War ended) when a German immigrant purchased an old boardinghouse for $2,400 and converted it into a café. What started as a local hangout for the growing German population in Austin quickly rolled into something bigger.

In 1908, a German singing club purchased the property and opened Saengerrunde Hall, one of the nation’s oldest bowling alleys, nearby. Today, Texans of all stripes and heritages frequent Scholz Garten for its robust menu of Bavarian eats, including Wiener schnitzel, gigantic pretzels, Reuben waffle fries (complete with sauerkraut), and a sausage menu with everything from pork and venison to rabbit and antelope (best enjoyed after bowling 10 frames).

Kreuz Market (Est. 1875), Lockhart

There’s some heated debate in Lockhart, the Barbecue Capital of Texas, over which of its myriad barbecue joints technically started slow-smoking meat first. But the argument from Kreuz Market dates all the way back to the 19th century. The town’s first market for smoked pork and beef opened in 1875 and was purchased and renamed by Charles Kreuz Sr. in 1900. Kreuz Market stayed in the family until 1948, when it fell into the hands of employee and butcher Edgar Schmidt.

The Schmidt family still runs Kreuz Market today, and things have hardly changed since the joint’s early era. The architecture is simple red brick and sheet metal. Guests get a full face of heat and smoke when they’re picking out which slab of brisket they want. Until recently, Kreuz didn’t offer customers forks or sauces, which might even harken back to prehistoric times. But despite the bygone vibes in this piece of barbecue antiquity, the meat is anything but — for the thousands of weekly regulars, Kreuz never gets old.

Southside Market & Barbeque (Est. 1882), Elgin

An hour north of Lockhart, in Elgin, there’s another restaurant that has laid claim to “Texas’ Oldest Barbecue Joint” title: Southside Market & Barbeque. It originated in 1882, when William Moon carted his unrefrigerated, freshly butchered meat by horse-drawn wagon and sold it door to door. He opened a physical butcher shop in 1886, which began selling barbecue from its back doorstep in 1908.

Southside is perhaps most famous among Elgin locals for its spicy beef smoked sausages, which are handmade in-store daily, just as they were more than 140 years ago. Since 2014, the legendary barbecue joint has opened three more locations around Central Texas — in Bastrop, Hutto, and Austin. At each ribbon cutting, they’ve boasted of being both the “Oldest and Newest BBQ Joint in Texas.”

Gaido’s (Est. 1911), Galveston

Right on the Gulf seawall of Galveston, the Gaido family has been running one of the oldest, briniest, most authentic seafood restaurants in Texas for four generations. Not at a single point in its century of service has Gaido’s diverted from doing things by hand, from peeling Gulf shrimp to shucking oysters to breading fish.

Visitors to the island’s shores, which have included Alfred Hitchcock, have been welcomed to Gaido’s by its iconic rooftop blue crab. Although you’ll be ready to stuff yourself full of seafood, dinner at Gaido’s is never over without a hunk of its famous Hill Country pecan pie.

The Driskill (Est. 1886), Austin

You’ve probably heard of The Driskill Hotel before. If not, you’ve likely heard some of the timeless tales that took place there. Its dining room is where Lyndon B. Johnson first met Lady Bird in 1934. It’s where the plans to capture Bonnie and Clyde were laid out. It’s where the Daughters of the Republic of Texas argued over whether to preserve the Alamo.

Those are the “normal” stories — but the paranormal stories of The Driskill Hotel might be more well known. Eerie tales about guests who’ve extended their stays at The Driskill for eternity have floated around Austin for a century. Ghosts aside, The Driskill’s deep history is enough to put it on any Texan’s must-see map. Between its Romanesque Revival exterior, the towering ceilings with ornate frescoes, and its opulent staircase, The Driskill Hotel is a work of art that has to be seen to be believed.

It wouldn’t be an article about Texas history without mentioning the rodeo. Here are the longest-running rodeos in the Lone Star State.