Weikel’s Bakery in La Grange: Kolaches, History and How to Spend a Morning in Town

Ask a Central Texan where to find a great kolache and there’s a decent chance the answer will be “La Grange.” The Fayette County seat has a deep Czech heritage, and Weikel’s Store & Bakery on Highway 71 has become one of its best-known stops. Pick up a box, then spend an hour or two in a riverside town with a striking courthouse and a bluff-top view of the Colorado.

La Grange sits on Highway 71 about an hour and 15 minutes southeast of Austin and roughly an hour and 45 minutes west of Houston. San Antonio is about two hours away.

The family behind Weikel’s

The Weikel family has been cooking for La Grange since the 1920s, when relatives ran a downtown diner called the Bon Ton. In 1985 Jim and Jo Ann Weikel opened the store and bakery, and the kolache recipe traces back to Jo Ann’s grandmother, who brought it from what was then Czechoslovakia. Jim Weikel passed away in 2023, and his son Philip now leads the business, which has grown to include locations in Brenham, Carmine and Hearne. La Grange remains the flagship.

What’s in the bakery case

Fruit and cream kolaches are what Weikel’s is famous for. The online menu lists a long run of flavors, including apricot (which it notes is a La Grange exclusive), cherry, peach, pineapple, poppy seed, prune, cottage cheese and cream cheese, plus “cream” versions that pair fruit with a sweet cheese filling. Seasonal flavors rotate in; the website currently shows pumpkin and pumpkin cream through the end of the year.

Beyond kolaches you’ll find pigs in a blanket, cinnamon and sweet rolls, strudels, pies, cookies, cakes and bread. There’s also a deli and grill for breakfast, lunch and dinner if you need something more substantial before you get back on the road.

Planning your bakery stop

• Weikel’s La Grange opens early, at 5 a.m. daily, and stays open until 9 p.m., so it works for both sunrise commuters and evening drivers.
• Holiday hours change. The bakery closes on Christmas Day and shortens hours on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
• It’s also a gas and convenience stop, so you can fill up the tank and the cooler in one go.

Spend some time in La Grange

Once you’ve got your kolaches, drive into town. A few highlights:

• Fayette County Courthouse – Completed in 1891 and designed by architect James Riely Gordon, this Romanesque Revival courthouse anchors the downtown square. A restoration reopened its central atrium, and the building was rededicated in 2005.
• Texas Quilt Museum – Housed in two restored 1890s buildings on Colorado Street, the museum rotates antique and contemporary quilt exhibits. It’s open Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with admission of $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and students. Current exhibits, including Christmas in Texas, run through December 19, 2026.
• Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites – Just south of town on a bluff above the Colorado River, Monument Hill holds the tomb of men killed in the Dawson fight and the Mier Expedition, marked by a 1936 Centennial monument. Next door are the home and brewery ruins of Heinrich Kreische, whose operation was one of the earliest commercial breweries in Texas. Grounds are open daily, and weekend guided tours of the Kreische house and brewery ruins are offered.

Pair it with another Hill Country-to-coast stop

La Grange is a natural hub for a Fayette County weekend. The Painted Churches near Schulenburg are about 25 minutes south, and Round Top’s antiques shows are about 30 minutes north. And if you want to compare kolaches, Hruška’s in Ellinger is just 15 minutes east on Highway 71.

Hours, dates and prices can change. Check the Weikel’s locations page before you head out.

Whether you’re passing through on Highway 71 or making La Grange the destination, start with a warm kolache and give the town the rest of the morning. It’s a small detour that turns a long drive into a good day.

Featured photo: Bwickliffe via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.