Places to Eat

Pop Into These Popcorn Bars in the Texas Hill Country

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Popcorn pairs well with many activities from watching movies to enjoying a festival. But, if you want your popcorn to have a little more flair and flavor than stale, buttery movie corn, you need to visit one of the many popcorn bars in the Texas Hill Country who specialize in making popcorn a real dessert. Depending on whom you visit, you could find standard – yet tasty – caramel corn or more unusual flavors such as pumpkin cheesecake. Pop into these Hill Country shops when you next get a popcorn craving.

Papa Hoo’s Hill Country Popcorn: Wimberley

Papa Hoo's Hill Country Popcorn is one of the many popcorn bars in the Hill Country

Photo: Facebook/Papa Hoo’s Hill Country Popcorn

Visit Wimberley for Papa Hoo’s Hill Country Popcorn shop where you’ll find tutti fruiti, classic caramel, puppy chow, and many other flavors. Watch out during the holidays for seasonal flavors such as peppermint bark and pumpkin pie. Whether you like sweet or savory, Papa Hoo’s has a popcorn flavor for you.

Just Pop – N: Fredericksburg

Just Pop N has 50 popcorn flavors for you to try

Photo: Facebook/Just Pop – N

Located conveniently on Main Street in downtown Fredericksburg, Just Pop – N attracts a lot of people, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise when you try the delicious flavors of popcorn. Though flavors change throughout the year, some remain all year long, such as peanut butter, cookie butter, and bacon cheddar. Free samples in the store give you the chance to see which popcorn flavor will become your next favorite before you purchase it. While this is one of the many popcorn bars in the Hill Country, you’ll also find an array of candy for sale here. From nostalgic classics to modern sweets, don’t miss shopping for candy here when you pick up your popcorn.

Kernel Corner: San Antonio

Popcorn bars in San Antonio include Kernel Corner which sells sopapilla flavored corn

Photo: Facebook/Kernel Corner

Sometimes, you may find yourself in one of the major Hill Country cities with a sudden flavored popcorn craving. Though popcorn bars abound in San Antonio and Austin, you may want to shop local and visit Kernel Corner in San Antonio. This small shop is one of the few places where you can have sopapilla flavored popcorn. Where else but Texas could you find that flavor? Other standouts include salt and vinegar, loaded baked potato, and Dr Pepper.

Austin Gourmet Popcorn: Austin

Popcorn bars - Austin Gourmet Popcorn

Photo: Facebook/Austin Gourmet Popcorn

Regardless of what you think about keeping Austin weird, it’s a good thing when you want unusual popcorn flavors, and that’s exactly what you’ll find when you visit Austin Gourmet Popcorn. Not only will you find the standard caramel and butter flavors but you’ll also discover Texas barbecue, pecan coffee, coconut curry, iced tea, and dulce de leche. These Texas-inspired popcorn flavors don’t appear in many other popcorn bars, but you can get them at Austin Gourmet Popcorn.

Popbelly’s Popcorn: Gruene

Popcorn bars - Popbelly's Popcorn

Photo: Facebook/Popbelly’s Popcorn

Located in Gruene, Popbelly’s Popcorn is one the newest popcorn bars to open in the Hill Country. Visit the store in person to sample different flavors for free, but don’t go on Monday, which is the only day the shop is closed. Like other Hill Country popcorn sellers, this one features unusual flavors. Don’t miss trying crawfish, taco, mac & cheese, and berry bliss cheesecake. Since the shop experiments all the time, ask about any new flavors for sale, too.