It’s been a year since Wunsche Bros, founded in 1902, reopened its Old Town Spring location after the fire that caused a devastating blow to the prohibition-era saloon turned restaurant several years ago. I recently dropped in for lunch and was captivated by the renovations of the restaurant in addition to its new dining spaces and the extensive meeting rooms available. The food – Texas café fare with a German flair -  was delicious and the epitome of comfort. While there, I got tidbits of fascinating history thrown in, which made my visit a whole experience!

My daughter and I ordered the chips and Texas Style Queso as a starter. My main entree was a Wunsche Burger - a thick, juicy burger I had to eat with a knife and fork! I devoured half the burger and was able to save half for my lunch the next day. Request avocado, bacon, or even an egg if that’s your thing! It was mine (sans the egg), and I was pleased with all, including the presentation. My daughter’s chicken fried steak - a generous portion of battered steak served with gravy and potatoes - didn’t disappoint either. 

We topped off our meal with the chocolate whiskey cake – Wunsche Bros.’ famous chocolate and pecan cake with a salted whiskey caramel sauce and a kick of bourbon, and our server indulged us with an exciting legend to go along with the dessert! The cake was moist and delicious, and not too sweet. I highly recommend it if you don’t want to feel like you’re overdoing it.

Here are a few photos I was able to capture at the restaurant. If you’ve visited in past years, you’ll recognized that the darker wood areas are from the original dining space of the restaurant, and now, there’s this large, brighter area (open to more sunlight) and full bar for seating as well. These spaces are adjacent to one another and give off two different vibes, and guests can decide what type of atmosphere they want. Don’t you love having options?

What struck me the most about the restaurant’s renovations was the sea of gorgeous rooms for entertaining your bridal parties, birthday parties, business colleagues, etc. I was astounded! It was my first time upstairs, because before the fire, the upstairs was mainly storage and closed off to guests. Now, what a goldmine! If you’re ever looking for meeting space for your special event, put Wunsche Bros. at the top of your list of places to consider. Here's a peek:

Another gem of the restaurant is the rooftop patio and bar. Beginning on Thursday nights, you can come for live music and a 21 and up crowd while getting a look across at other happenings down below in Old Town Spring.

Many of the stores in Old Town Spring are closed on Mondays or Tuesdays, and most of them even close early in the evening on the other days. Don’t be fooled into thinking everything in the area is shut down though. Wunsche Bros. is open seven days a week, and their friendly servers are eagerly awaiting your visit. If the restaurant isn’t too busy, you might be lucky enough to get a grand tour of the place including the upstairs rooms, with ghost stories to boot! After being in business for 100+ years, you’d better believe there are plenty stories to tell, and the manager, Kevin, was able to deliver the tales with so much precision, my teen abandoned her own bed and slept on the floor in my room the night we ate there! LOL, I’m not kidding!

Wunsche Bros is located at 103 Midway St in Spring, TX. Go for the food. Stay for the history and stories!

Proudly holding its prestigious ranking, The Woodlands® has been named the #1 “Best City to Live in America” for the second consecutive year by Niche.com, achieving an overall A+ Niche grade in the national survey. The Woodlands is one of the most acclaimed master planned communities in the country and has consistently been included in the top ten rankings by Niche.com on its annual list of the best places to live, buy a home, raise a family, retire and best public education.  

While ranked as the #1 Best City, The Woodlands is not a city as it operates under a unique governing structure as the only township in the state of Texas. As a township, The Woodlands has been able to provide a high quality life while maintaining a low tax rate for its residents and businesses.

“We are honored to be ranked as the #1 community in America for the second consecutive year. Achieving this #1 ranking illuminates the commitment we have as developer, achievements of the township, the attraction of companies who have relocated their headquarters to The Woodlands, the strong workforce, acclaimed public and private educational opportunities. and at the heart of the community, the residents,” said Jim Carman, President of the Houston Region for The Howard Hughes Corporation. “Howard Hughes continues to follow the vision of founder of The Woodlands, the late George Mitchell, and believes that together as a community, we have achieved the #1 ranking that is so deserving of The Woodlands.”

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of various factors including community safety, quality public education, a favorable cost of living, job opportunities and local amenities.

The Woodlands achieved the following 2022 Niche rankings:

Best Cities to Live in America                                       #1 of 228

Best Cities to Buy a House in America                      #2 of 228

Best Cities to Raise a Family in America                 #2 of 228

Cities with the Best Public Schools in America      #6 of 228

Best Cities to Retire in America                                 #6 of 228

The Woodlands is a 28,500-acre, forested master planned community with 120,000 residents. Nearly 2,400 businesses and corporations have found a home in The Woodlands, providing jobs for over 63,000 employees.

Top amenities in The Woodlands include 220 miles of hike and bike trails and 151 parks, surrounded by  nature and forest. Highlights of The Woodlands include highly-rated public and private schools, world-class shopping, recreation and entertainment including The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, ranked as one of the top amphitheaters in the world by Pollstar magazine, superior quality healthcare as well as the thriving economic and urban environments of The Woodlands Town Center, Hughes Landing® and The Woodlands Waterway®.

The Woodlands leads the way among master planned communities that practice environmental preservation. The Woodlands devotes an unprecedented 28% of its community - nearly 8,000 acres - to trails, parks, golf courses and greenbelts which will remain undeveloped green space at full build-out.

“Howard Hughes embraces environmental preservation and social consciousness within our community. With health and wellness top of mind, we offer outdoor green spaces, parks and amenities within a walkable setting for an urban lifestyle, complementing our acclaimed master planned community,” added Carman.

For more information, visit TheWoodlands.com.

The Woodlands Resort is excited to invite you for Goat Yoga this Spring Break! Meet sweet pygmy “kids” while they roam your yoga class and even join you for a pose or two! Inhale in to relax and BREATHE in the beautiful Texas air, then exhale out the laughter that is sure to follow with this activity. Each class is an hour long, 45 minutes of an ashtanga yoga practice for beginners followed by 15 minutes of goat time. Partner poses, goat cuddles, or pictures with friends! Kids 9 and up are old enough to participate too! You might be surprised how stress-relieving and fun goat yoga can be!

Upcoming Goat Yoga dates:

March 12, 13: Saturday & Sunday at 9:30am & 11am
Special Class for Spring Break: March 16 (Wednesday) at 11am.
CLICK HERE to register online.

Mark your calendars and make plans to attend the Fidelity Investments The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival!

A springtime favorite event for The Woodlands community and beyond, the annual festival is a jewel of the Texas fine arts tour and is ranked among the top arts festivals in the country. Showcasing original works of fine art in a variety of mediums created by jury-selected local, national, and international artists, this vibrant outdoor art gallery is exhibited along the scenic banks of The Woodlands Waterway and at Town Green Park.

Set for the weekend of April 9 and 10, 2022, Fidelity Investments The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival will welcome nearly 200 artists and also offer plenty of food, fun, entertainment, and live music for the entire family to enjoy. In its 17^th year, the festival has proudly been voted as the winner of “Best Event In The Woodlands” for ten consecutive years.  

As a prelude to the weekend festival, an exciting Art Dash Party, presented by The Woodlands Compounding Pharmacy, will be held on the evening of Friday, April 8, at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center.

Generously sponsored by Fidelity Investments, additional sponsors include The Howard Hughes Corporation, Stella Artois, The Woodlands Compounding Pharmacy, The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, and the Judith K. Wren Memorial Fund.

For more information and to purchase tickets to The Fidelity Investments The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival and the Art Dash Party, visit www.thewoodlandsartscouncil.org/p/festival.

Get ready to splash into summer! Season passes for The Woodlands Township pools are available for purchase now!  Season passes are valid for entry into all Township pools including the Rob Fleming Aquatic Center.  

Select pools are open for pre-season beginning May 14, 2022. The regular season for all pools is May 27 to August 9, 2022, with post-season running through September 5, 2022. Visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/pools for the full pool schedule, in-service dates, pool hours and detailed pool pass information.