check into country charm

Bucket-list country getaway serves up farm-to-table feasts and rustic romance just 2 hours from Houston

While visiting new cities is always fun, there is something to be said for sticking close to home and seeking out quiet spaces. Leaving the noise and fast pace of everyday life behind and settling in for a leisurely night or two away is sometimes exactly what is needed.

Ronin Farm & Restaurant provides an only-in-Texas feel with delicious food and wine offerings and beautiful details, including gorgeous thrifted tableware and ingenious floating tables. Diners can enjoy a wonderful meal at the restaurant — but why not make an event out of it by getting a tour of the farm and then falling into a comfy bed at night with a stay at Ronin's Guesthouse?

From getting a glimpse of a working Texas farm to tasting the best chicken fried steak and farm fresh produce, here are several reasons why a visit to Ronin Farm & Restaurant needs to be on any Texas trip bucket list.

Romantic Ronin

Less than two hours from Houston, Ronin Restaurant is tucked away in downtown Bryan. Owned by husband and wife team Amanda and Brian Light, the restaurant is housed in an old Ice House built in 1912. Details of the original century-old building are still visible throughout as the Lights worked hard to keep as much of the historic infrastructure intact as possible.

The menu at Ronin is seasonal and fueled by what is growing 15 minutes down the road in the fields at Ronin Farm. Tomatoes or squash picked that morning are likely on the menu that night. The Lights have made it their mission to create a farm-to-table atmosphere that goes beyond the buzzwords. What isn't grown on their land is sourced as close to Bryan as possible from other farmers, ranchers, and fishermen the Lights have worked with for years.

Guests can look forward to outstanding menu items, including Farmhouse Bread, Ronin Farm Tomato Salad, and Blistered Farm Shishito Peppers. The Texas Wagyu Chicken Fried Steak is an absolute must, as is the Gulf Coast Shrimp Pasta, made with house-made fettuccine, farm vegetables, and freshly caught shrimp. Each dish has a recommended pairing, but Ronin also offers a robust wine and cocktail list as well as sake and mead.

Ronin restaurant is located in a historic building that is more than a century old. Photo by Ryan Price

Farm-to-table, full-moon dinners

Full Moon Dinners on Ronin Farm started it all for the Lights. The couple initially bought the farm, converted an old barn into a commercial kitchen, and began hosting weddings, special events, and Full Moon Dinners.

While the Texas weather cooperates from fall through spring each year, guests can enjoy a nine-course dinner in the forest at Ronin Farm. Each full moon brings a new menu showcasing the month's harvest. Guests can begin the evening with a farm tour and end the night with a walk down a candle-lit path into the herb garden for dessert. Pairings from the restaurant are available for purchase, or guests are welcome to bring something that suits their taste. Full Moon Dinners at Ronin Farm are extremely popular, with diners driving in from all over to get a taste of the delicious farm-fresh menu. They sell out quickly, so those interested are encouraged to make a reservation when the dates are announced.

Guests can enjoy a 9 course tasting menu in the forest, complete with intermezzo and dessert. Photo by Ryan Price

A charming stay

After the heady feeling that only too many glasses of perfectly paired wine and a multi-course meal can bring, driving up the gravel road to Ronin Farm Guesthouse offers a close respite. Nestled on 15 acres, the guest house draws people in and exemplifies the Ronin way of life – it's quietly luxurious and comfortable with meticulous attention to detail.

Originally owned by Don Ganter of College Station's Dixie Chicken fame, the guesthouse is an excellent choice for friends on a wine weekend or couples seeking a weekend away from the city. There is abundant open space, a wraparound porch, and every extra amenity needed for a fantastic stay. During the spring months, wildflowers bloom across the property, and at night it is a great place to sit back and enjoy Texas' starry skies. Oh, and get ready to meet the cutest roaming farm dogs who never met a stranger and love a good back scratch.

The Ronin Guesthouse is located on 15 acres adjacent to Ronin Farm. Photo by Ryan Price

Ronin Farm & Restaurant longhorn skull on fence

Photo by Ryan Price

Ronin Farm's vision is to preserve the gastronomic and cultural traditions of Texas by sharing sustainable foods and genuine experiences with the community.

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go rural

Tiny West Texas town tops Airbnb's 'off-the-map' destinations to visit

Matador, Texas, Airbnb, best rural destinations

Photo courtesy of Airbnb

Welcome to Matador, Texas.

More Texas travelers are shying away from tourist traps for their vacations and instead embracing the calming roadside with increasing interest in rural areas of the state, according to Airbnb, and one tiny Texas city in the Panhandle is generating buzz atop a brand-new list of under-the-radar rural destinations in America.

The vacation rental marketplace's inaugural "Off-the-Map" list features 20 rural destinations across the country where short-term rentals are bringing in "new opportunities for local tourism."

"From coastal fishing villages to Cajun bayou towns and alpine mountain escapes, America Off-the-Map invites travelers to discover something new and helps support local economies and communities across the country," the report said.

Matador, a small town about 80 miles northeast of Lubbock and 530 miles from Houston, was named the No. 1 hidden gem vacation destination in Texas. The report described Matador as a part of Texas that tourists "haven’t found" yet, which is what makes it all the more rewarding as an undiscovered treasure.

"Welcome to the seat of Motley County – where the wind is constant, the skies are enormous, and the history is deeper than the caprock beneath your boots," the report said.

Visitors can explore the Motley County Historical Museum, which explores the building's history as the Traweek Hospital that was originally built nearly a century ago. The museum also sheds light on Native American history, the life of ranchers, and other historical facts about the town and county.

Local restaurants like Chelle's Garden or TC's Ponderosa in nearby Dickens are good spots for travelers to eat like a local, while the Coffee Mill and Mercantile in Quitaque is the place to be for breakfast, lunch, and a cup of joe.

Matador is also less than an hour away from the newly expanded Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, a popular Texas state park known for its roaming bison herd and bat colony.

According to Airbnb's website, there are over 130 short-term rentals in Matador and the surrounding Motley County area, with some homes available for $172 for an overnight stay in April 2026.

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