Down the Kolache Trail, North Route

Back in April, we began our trip along the Texas Kolache Trail when we traveled the south route, through La Grange, Schulenburg and Ellinger. We finally had a chance to hit the north route when we visited my parents last weekend.

There were two bakeries that we wanted to try on the north route, and both of them were in West, Texas, off I-35: the Czech Stop and the Village Bakery. And because we literally did not plan this one at all, of course one of them was closed. (We should have stopped on Friday on the way up, but I wasn't feeling well and just wanted to get home, so we went on Sunday instead.)

Bummer, it looks like a cute place!

But I'm really glad I finally got to try the Little Czech Bakery at the Czech Stop!

We've stopped here for gas and potty breaks for years, but every time we pull in, no matter what time of day it is, the line for food has always wrapped around the store. We usually decide we don't want to wait, and get back on the road, but not this time!

We braved the line and peered between other people standing in front of the kolache cases to see what flavors they had. It didn't take us too long to get through the line; maybe five or ten minutes, tops. It was a pretty efficient system they had going on. Since I'm not eating meat anymore, I stuck to the fruit options and let Matt evaluate the meat choices.

I chose a strawberry kolache and a pumpkin and cream cheese kolache, while Matt got a sausage and cheese kolache and an apple one.

We agreed that hands down, the pumpkin kolache was the best. (I didn't sample his because I'd been coughing and sniffly for almost a week at that point, and I knew Matt didn't want me touching his food. He did try mine before I touched them though.) The pumpkin was fantastic and warm and creamy and good. The strawberry one was good too, but once I'd tried the pumpkin, that was it for me — I could have eaten ten of them. The dough was nice too, and not too sweet, which I liked.

Little Czech Bakery also had a couple of options that I hadn't seen in other kolache places, like coconut cream cheese kolaches, and pineapple ones too. And they had mondo cupcakes that looked like pure icing, and I wanted to stick my face in them.

I wish we'd gotten to try the Village Bakery! But now that we know where it is, we'll hit it up the next time we head to DFW.

Do you like pumpkin-flavored things?