A venue worth visiting on the Salado Creek Greenway

As the popularity of the greenway system grows, new venues are popping up along the way. The noted Los Patios venue that consists of an assortment of enterprises including a hair salon, little shops, and an assortment of food and beverage establishments had undergone a few transformations. Los Patios is Martin's Garden At Los Patios as a place for special events such as weddings. Their website is lospatios.com/fork-garden/.

Located near the parking area is the Olla Express, a coffee and tea venue with a contemporary lodge atmosphere. There are comfortable seating next to a stone fireplace with picture windows that let in the picturesque views of the surrounding hardwoods. Their lattes and hot teas were excellent. Their website is ollaexpresscafe.com/. They operate Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Right behind this venue is the Comfort Cafe East that is a part of the Serenity Star Recovery, a substance abuse recovery program. They operate the cafe that according to their website at serenitystar.org, they "provide a safe, sober, and spiritual environment for individuals and families to recover from addiction." 100% of the proceeds from Comfort Cafe and their related endeavors go directly to their recovery program. Their website has a menu available for viewing. According to their website, their hours are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

At the back is the Naco 210, a Mexican flare cafe nestled in the woods next to Salado Creek. Its contemporary all-glass walls and large wood decks take advantage of its natural surroundings. Their brunch is worth a stopover for cyclists. Their menu can be viewed from their website at nacomexican.com/naco-210-menu. They showed that they are open Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Recommendation for cyclists

These venues can be considered as a major stop. The greenway trail runs through the property as there are signage posted that direct to remain on the trail because it is private property. The Olla Express, however, has a free-standing sign on the trail that advertises "coffee." Therefore, it should be okay to leave the trail and grab a cup or stop for a meal.

These establishments get busy on Saturday and Sunday which can mean having to wait to be seated. Best time to go on the weekends is in the morning before 10 a.m. or afternoon between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Parking is subject to be a challenge during those busy times; therefore, best bet for cyclists who wish to visit is to start their rides from nearby Lady Bird Johnson Park, Tobin Park, or Oakwell trailheads and find their way to this venue. Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday would be better days to avoid crowds.

—SRR Features