If you’ve driven I-35 between Dallas and Austin, you’ve probably seen the signs and the packed parking lot at Exit 353. That’s the Czech Stop in West, Texas, a gas-station bakery that has become one of the most beloved road-trip pit stops in the state. Pull off once and you’ll understand why so many Texans won’t drive past without grabbing a box of kolaches.
A little Czech town on a big highway
West is a small town in McLennan County, right on I-35 about 15 miles north of Waco and roughly 75 miles south of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to the Czech Stop’s location page. From downtown Dallas, plan on about an hour and a quarter of driving. From Austin, it’s roughly two hours north.
The town has deep Czech roots. Czech immigrants began settling in Central Texas in the mid-1800s, and Texas today has one of the largest Czech-American communities in the country. West wears that heritage proudly, and the bakeries along the interstate are the most delicious proof of it.
How a gas station became a kolache landmark
The Czech Stop opened in November 1983, according to its official history, which means it has been feeding hungry travelers for more than four decades. It sits beside a gas station at 105 N. College Street, so you can fill up the tank and the backseat in one stop.
Over the years the bakery has earned plenty of attention, including features in Southern Living and on national television. It serves hundreds of customers a day, and the line can look long on holiday weekends. The good news is that it moves quickly, since the staff is used to handling crowds of road-trippers.
Close by is the Little Czech Bakery, which the Czech Stop lists right alongside itself on its website. It’s a handy second stop if you want to browse even more pastries. Both phone numbers are posted on the official site.
What to order: kolaches and klobasniky
First, a quick Texas lesson. A true kolache is a soft, slightly sweet roll with a fruit or cheese filling in the center. The sausage-filled rolls that many Texans also call kolaches are technically klobasniky (or klobasnek). At the Czech Stop, you’ll find plenty of both, and nobody will fuss over what you call them.
The official menu is long. On the sweet side, look for fruit kolaches along with poppy seed, plain cream cheese, lemon cream cheese, raspberry cream cheese and fruit-and-cream-cheese combos like apricot, cherry, blueberry and strawberry. Pumpkin cream cheese shows up on the list too, which is a fine fall treat.
On the savory side, the menu includes sausage, sausage with cheese, jalapeño sausage with cheese, kraut, pepperoni and ham-and-cheese puffs. It’s hard to go wrong with a mix of each for the car.
Beyond kolaches, the bakery case holds pecan rolls, cinnamon rolls, cream cheese brownies, strudels, sweet breads, cookies and whole pies, including pecan and buttermilk. The deli also makes sandwiches on wheat, rye and white bread if you need something more like lunch.
Tips for a smooth stop
- Order ahead for a crowd. The menu page asks that large orders be called in a day ahead so they’ll be ready when you arrive.
- Know the order line. The site lists a separate office number for orders, staffed weekday business hours. Check the site for the current number and times.
- Buy extra. Many travelers take a dozen home. Plain kolaches are easy to pack, and some folks freeze them for later.
- Mind the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas travel weekends are especially busy along I-35.
- No online ordering. The official site says online ordering isn’t available, so call or stop in.
When to go
The Czech Stop has long been known for keeping very long hours, and several Texas sources describe it as open around the clock. That’s part of why it’s such a reliable road-trip stop, whether you’re heading out at dawn or rolling home late. The official website doesn’t post hours, though, so give the store a call if you’re planning a late-night visit.
Early mornings tend to bring the freshest selection, and you’ll beat some of the midday rush. Weekends and holidays are busiest, but even then the line usually keeps moving.
Good to Know
- Where: Czech Stop, 105 N. College St., West, TX 76691 (I-35, Exit 353), McLennan County
- Drive time: About 15 miles north of Waco; roughly 1 hour 15 minutes from Dallas and about 2 hours from Austin
- Hours: Widely reported as open around the clock; the official site doesn’t list hours, so call 254-826-4161 to confirm
- Sister bakery: Little Czech Bakery, 254-826-5316
- Large orders: Call a day ahead; no online ordering
- Known for: Fruit and cream cheese kolaches, sausage klobasniky, pies and sweet breads
Hours, dates and prices can change. Check the official website before you head out.
Some road-trip traditions are worth keeping, and a stop in West is one of them. Y’all pull off at Exit 353, grab a box of something warm and sweet, and enjoy one of the tastiest little detours in Texas.
Featured photo: Michael Barera via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
