Being that I am not from Longview, or Texas, when friends and family come to visit me, I always try to
take them to places that are nothing like anything at home. Food is probably the biggest thing that is
different – and everyone has to eat, right?
Day 1
I’m not much of a breakfast person, but I do enjoy my coffee and we have some great options in
Longview. One of my favorites is The Coffee Mill on Gilmer Road and Loop 281 – they have a ton of
different flavor options and milk options to meet your dietary needs. I love their granita but my favorite
drinks are either their flavor of month or the Medicine Ball tea –it’s absolutely delicious. It is kind of like
a hot lemonade with a kick of ginger and mint – it is delicious.
After grabbing drinks, I love to go to Supermercado Monterrey – they have a fantastic bakery with a
variety of Hispanic favorites, but buying a package or two of their housemade tortillas is a must! Fresh
and hot – they are delicious.
If you want to do a little shopping or if you’re ready for lunch, you can’t go wrong with Café Barrons.
Initially started as a bookstore, Barron’s is now a great gift store and is home to a great café with a lot of
great options for lunch. If you’re not quite ready for lunch – just look around – you will most certainly
find something that you must have! They have a great selection of children’s toys and books which are
fun to look at!
If I skipped lunch at Barrons, I would head to Moose Market on Gilmer Road for lunch. They have a lot of
great options – and if you go on Wednesday, you can have the best black bean burger in town! The
baked salmon cakes on Fridays are really tasty too! Save room for dessert! Everything is homemade and
delicious.
If you happen to be in Longview on a Friday night in the spring or fall, you’ll want to head downtown to
Heritage Plaza to check out Downtown Live – a free weekly concert series. Beer and wine is available for
sale and the music is always really good.
After Downtown Live, I like to stay downtown and head to Oil Horse Brewing Company for a drink.
Brewed on site in their taproom, Oil Horse usually has several options to choose from and they often
have live music on the weekends.
If it’s not Downtown Live season – I love having dinner at The Catch – they have fantastic Gumbo and
other Cajun specialties and FREE margaritas and beer!
Day 2
We are grabbing some iced teas to go at Chuggs Water and Tea Co. and some Russian Rocks from the
Butcher Shoppe and heading east to visit Caddo Lake.
Caddo Lake State Park is about 45 minutes or so from Longview, but it is well worth the drive to visit the
only natural lake in Texas and to see a place that almost appears otherworldly. Spanish moss drapes the
huge mangrove trees, lilly pads dot the lake – and if you are lucky you might see an alligator, a snapping
turtle or some beautiful cranes as you stand on the shore. If you start to get hungry for lunch, drive over
to nearby Uncertain, Texas for some lunch at the Big Pines Lodge – I love sitting on the patio and watch
the boats and birds. If you have time, arrange to take a guided tour on Caddo Lake – the lake is full of all
sorts of wild tales of crime, bandits and Sasquatch. You are free to believe what you wish!
After a full day at Caddo Lake, go home, rest, get cleaned up and have dinner at Tomboni’s Bistro. They
have a fun menu with a lot of vegan, gluten free and healthy options. If you are here on a day when they
are doing their Outside Live concerts – it is great to sit under the canopy of trees and enjoy a couple of
appetizers with a glass of wine.