Get out of town

West Texas destination steakhouse with ranch cabins beckons for rustic weekend getaway

Though many are eager to travel again after the lockdown, a crowded destination is probably the last place to visit given COVID-19 safety concerns. On top of that, travelers may not be so enthusiastic about having to hop on a plane right now.

Located in Buffalo Gap, a small town just south of Abilene, Perini Ranch is a relaxed, rural, and secluded getaway just two-and-a-half hours from Fort Worth. The expansive property gives cooped-up Texans the chance to enjoy fresh air and wide-open West Texas skies.

Perini Ranch is most famous for its steakhouse, a restaurant that earned an America’s Classic award from the James Beard Foundation in 2014 and ranked No. 3 on Texas Monthly’s list of best steakhouses in the state in 2007. What many don’t know is that the ranch also has rustic guest quarters with their Main House and Camp House.

“What sets Perini Ranch apart from other local resorts and destinations in West Texas is that we’re not a resort at all,” says Lisa Perini of Perini Ranch. “We are a working ranch that has featured a destination restaurant since 1983. We do offer lodging in our Perini Ranch Guest Quarters to extend the experience and hospitality of the steakhouse. Guests have the option to stay in the ‘Main House’ or the ‘Camp House,’ and can relax while enjoying the rustic scenery and natural wildlife that is all around.”

The Main House is a renovated farmhouse from 1885 that’s original to the ranch. Able to sleep five, it features two bedrooms each with a private bathroom, a large living area, a dining room, a full kitchen, and a deck. The Camp House is a newer addition and sleeps three. It has a bathroom, small kitchenette, and porch.

A stay at Perini Ranch wouldn’t be complete without a meal from its famous steakhouse. While it was closed briefly for dine-in during the shelter-in-place order, they were able to switch to dinner to-go orders and recently reopened at limited capacity under Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s guidelines.

“Since we are primarily a restaurant, every employee at Perini Ranch has food and health safety certifications and are following the Texas Restaurant Association’s Promise to Our Customers to offer a healthy, clean and safe dining environment. Our customer’s safety is first and foremost,” says Perini. “We have a large, beautiful patio, and guests have really enjoyed this outdoor space where they can relax and enjoy a dining experience at a safe distance from other guests.”

Reservations are recommended for the steakhouse and available online from the Perini Ranch website. Patrons can either dine-in or take a to-go order back to the cabin.

“All of our food is very traditional, based on common ingredients and cooked the old-fashioned way — with a lot of seasoning and love” says Perini. “When we started our catering business, we were catering from a chuck wagon, and those foods have now evolved into the steakhouse. We like to say it’s simple food — it looks good, it tastes good, and you can recognize it.”

As it’s a steakhouse, beef is the star, but diners hungry for something else should try the Southern-fried catfish. And don't miss the signature side dishes: green chile hominy and the Zucchini Perini, which is sliced zucchini baked in a meat sauce and topped with grated Parmesan cheese. To end the meal on a sweet note, Perini says the strawberry shortcake, a family recipe, is a fan favorite.

Visitors can also grab a bite at the Perini Ranch Gap Cafe, which serves breakfast, lunch, and pastries. Among the homemade items on menu, the cinnamon rolls, chicken-fried steak, quiche, and pomme frites with fried jalapeño chips are Perini's recommendations.

For another nearby attraction, head across the street from the cafe to the Perini Ranch Country Market, stocked with seasonal produce, gourmet foods, kitchen and gardening supplies, and more. Abilene State Park is also less than 10 minutes down the road from the ranch.

“For those who are not comfortable traveling right now, by all means, don’t. It’s important for everyone to feel safe and do what they can to stay healthy so our family, friends, and neighbors stay healthy, too,” says Perini. “But when you do feel like you are ready to venture out, rural Texas is ready for you.”

Perini Ranch is located about 15 miles south of Abilene.

Photo courtesy of Perini Ranch

Perini Ranch is located about 15 miles south of Abilene.

hotels

get lost

'Hidden' Round Top property transformed into a new boutique hotel

Photo by Dagnushka

Hideaway Round Top will open in January.

When designer Emily Seiders, founder and creative director of Studio Seiders, along with husband and business partner Rick, decided to take a leisurely, lockdown-induced, drive to Round Top in 2020, they had no idea that what they were embarking on would truly be an adventure — say hello to Hideaway Round Top.

A serendipitous for sale sign sighting off of famed Highway 237 led the Seiders to rescue the 21-acre property — previously sold and permitted for a 100 townhome development — and create an environmentally-sensitive boutique hotel and retreat for guests to relax, unwind, explore, and “go get lost.” Enlisting the expertise of architect Sam Burch, the Seiders are nearing the conclusion of phase one of the project and expect to receive guests beginning in January 2026.

Hideaway is currently comprised of three buildings: one 3,321-square foot main house and two 692-square foot cottages — aptly named “Prairie Cottage” and “Woodlands Cottage.” Tying these guest accommodations together are winding paths, an organic, spring-inspired pool, a rustic stone fire pit enclave, curated recreation spaces, plus a large pond with yoga decks and a fishing pier.

Both Emily and Rick have deep Texas roots, with their families arriving in the 1850s and 1836, respectively. Leaning heavily into that longstanding heritage, Seiders has designed every aspect of Hideaway to share a unique Texas experience with her guests.

“I was always struck by the kind of confluence of this creative community, with Round Top’s rich history and culture,” Seiders tells CultureMap. “When we decided to put down roots here, I just wanted to really honor the time and place, and the land and the people who have been here before us.”

The design and materials all focus on the original German architecture in the area. Limestone set with a traditional mortar shmear, natural-faced, white oak cladding for both the interior and exterior, plus a glass-enclosed dogtrot in the main house pay homage to generations past, with each cottage reflecting a similar style — minus the dogtrot. Tiles set in playful, checkered patterns and others custom made to showcase native flora and fauna all blend seamlessly with antique textiles and quilts framed and reimagined as modern art installations.

In the main house, three en suite bedrooms and a powder bath are divided from a generously-appointed chef’s kitchen, full bar, and open concept living and dining room by the aforementioned glassed dogtrot that serves as an additional seating area and gallery space. Expansive porches offer views of native-only plantings and landscapes, while an outdoor kitchen, dining area, and lounge spaces provide every opportunity for guests to embrace the outdoors while enjoying the creature comforts of home.

“I want to create spaces where life is meant to be lived,” explains Seiders. “It was a little bit of a dance — as a hospitality project — to do that. It’s hard to put a label on what [style] it is, but, I think it’s just the story of Texas, distilled through my designer lens, with really intentional artwork that helps tell that story with Texas heritage at its core.”

Nearly every element of the interiors has been crafted and outfitted by over 100 independent artisans from across the country — all the way down to traditional upholstery techniques from a maker in Pennsylvania. “One of the things I want to do here is pull back the veil a little bit, because, honestly, they put their hearts and souls into these pieces, too,” says Seiders. “I’m excited to highlight the artisans that we’ve worked with because they are real artists — it takes forever just to get one of their pieces.”

One thing sure to get guests swooning is the product of a collaboration with luxe linen company Morrow. While linens chosen for Hideaway are all from Morrow collections that are available online, the cozy robes are custom exclusives — so make sure to snap a photo for the ‘gram, because they won’t be seen anywhere else.

As it stands, the main house and two cottages comfortably sleep a total of 19 guests. Hideaway’s website will redirect to local bookings through Hostie beginning in mid-November, with guest stays beginning January 1st. Guests are able to book the main house and the cottages separately, but during the high seasons (like during Round Top’s famous Fall Antiques Show) Hideaway will likely only be available for buyouts — that’s still being decided.

Those looking for larger events and accommodations will be pleased to learn that phase two (2027) includes the addition of two, 284-square-foot tiny homes, plus a gorgeous 3,409-square-foot event space. The space, with expansive steel and glass windows, will overlook the pond and offer a catering kitchen, full bar, and private back-of-house access.

“We wanted to get the bones down, and then figure out: ‘What does the community need? What does the land need? What’s appropriate, and what’s not?’ The idea evolved quite a bit,” Seiders explains of the decision not to build a vendor space. “Scaled-down, small, private dinners, small music venue space, small weddings and that sort of thing is what made sense. But it will feel contiguous with what’s here — it will be a fun added space.”

One thing Seiders hopes is that guests will heed the advice of the theme of Hideaway and “go get lost.” Growing up in Houston, Seiders would go with her family to their Schulenburg farm every Sunday after church, where Seiders and her siblings would be encouraged by their mother to play outside, and “go get lost.”

“So we would. We’d go get lost,” says Seiders. “We’d go explore the woods, climb the hay bales, swim in the tank, fish, we’d pretend to get stuck in quicksand — the whole thing. That freedom really spurred this creativity, and I hope that guests here at Hideaway will feel that sense of freedom and retreat, and the ability to kind of tap into their own creativity in that same way.”

A taste of that “go get lost” spirit was in full swing during Round Top’s recent Fall Antiques Show. The Seiders hosted friends, family, and members of the media for an exclusive tour, plus dinner by Uchi Austin and Loro Asian Smokehouse. Guests received Hideaway tote bags, leather journals, s’mores kits, branded scarves, and custom monogrammed silver scarf ties by Amanda Reid.

Hideaway is directly next door to The Compound, which is arguably Round Top’s most popular vendor market. Compound owner — and one time Round Top mayor — Mark Massey is certainly relieved to have had the Seiders scoop up the land, noting that the idea of a 100 townhome development in Round Top “gave everyone a heart attack.”

Seiders is happy with how it all worked out in the end: “Round Top has grown a lot in the last several years, and that’s exciting, but we also saw it as an opportunity to create a place that felt like a pause for a bit on the grid, and it gives us the opportunity to tell the story of the people, the cultures, the land, and to be a place that your neighbors can be proud of — that felt authentic and appropriate to time and place.”

Photo by Dagnushka

Hideaway Round Top will open in January.