259 Brantley’s, The Best Little Bistro in Boerne

Glancing down the bustling main street of Boerne, you may spot a delivery truck unloading some local Texas brew at this downtown eatery. One hundred years ago, you may have witnessed the same sight. At 259 Brantley’s Bistro the tradition of serving great local food and drink highlighting the Texas Hill Country’s bountiful resources continues as it has for nearly a century.

Photo: 259 Brantley’s Bistro Courtyard in Boerne. (Facebook)

Located in the middle of the Hill Country Mile entertainment district, Chef Joseph Brantley dishes up Texas flavor on a daily basis. Brantley, a Kerrville native, began chopping eggs at the age of eight at his mother’s restaurant. Afterwards, Brantley pretty much made the kitchen his home. Impressing diners since the tender age of 16 as evening chef of the Cypress Grille restaurant and Cartewheels Catering, Brantley also worked as Executive Chef at The Terrace Grill at Riven Rock Ranch.

Photo: San Antonio Brewing truck making a delivery to the saloon at 259 S. Main, Boerne. Courtesy of Patrick Heath Public Library, www.kendallcountyhistory.com.

Brantley’s not the only one you’ll spot working hard at the restaurant. “It’s a family business,” he says proudly. In 2014, Brantley, his wife Bonnie and their eldest son opened the bistro in a historic downtown building loaded with family and culinary tradition.

In 1866, German Ludwig Ort and his Boerne born wife Olga built and operated a saloon and bakery at the location. Then in 1921, Frank Krause and his wife Mathilda purchased the property and carried on both the bakery and saloon businesses while living upstairs. The Brantley family now keeps the oven fires burning and drinks flowing as the tradition continues.

Photo: Chef Joseph and Ty of Windy Hill Farm (Facebook)

Brantley develops eclectic, regional plates highlighting locally sourced ingredients complemented by dishes with an international influence. Brantley proudly says, “Eighty percent of the proteins we use are locally sourced.” He takes culinary influence from the Italian tradition. He says, “the rustic aspect of Italian cooking – using just a few choice ingredients in a sauce, for example, allows each ingredient to really come through.”