01/13/2022
We went to Killeen for a very quick trip to spend some time with our oldest for her 22nd birthday. Her new husband is stationed at Fort Hood so we chose to stay at the Holiday Inn so that we could earn IHG Rewards points. I prefer to book directly through the IHG app to get the lowest price and ensure we get the correct room type. (Note: This hotel does have an incidental hold of $150 on credit & debit cards, somewhat higher than many limited service hotels. (https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/killeen/kilen/hoteldetail)
We had dinner in Temple prior to driving into Killeen so we checked into the hotel late. There were a few small delays getting checked in because I wanted to change the credit card on file. The restaurant/bar were already closed for the night and we did not get any chance to use the outdoor pool. The hotel room was clean and it seemed like the property may have been recently renovated.
My daughter chose Casa Ole in Temple for dinner. (https://casaole.com/). It has been several years since we’ve eaten here because many of the locations in our area have closed. This location is inside the mall but is still a full size restaurant. There was no wait to be seated and they were willing to seat an incomplete party as we arrived a bit later than our daughter & son-in-law. The enchiladas are always my choice at Casa Ole and they did not disappoint, neither did the queso! The service was a bit slow, but overall attentive & the food was all satisfactory.
Meagan prefers ice cream to birthday cake so we found a local ice cream shop in Temple that was open late. (https://www.fpicecream.com/) When we walked in, the aroma of waffle cones being freshly prepared was a delightful welcome! There are several ice cream flavors, cones, and topping/add-ins to choose from so everyone was able to get their favorite. The coconut ice cream was some of the best I’ve ever eaten and the amaretto was also a good flavor! The ice cream is super creamy & several of the flavors are fun colors (this was an added bonus for my 7-year-old who was thrilled to get a bright blue ice cream). I highly recommend giving them a try!
After dessert, we drove into Killeen to try one of the local craft breweries (I will be starting a secondary section devoted to the craft breweries around Texas as this is one of my husband’s & my favorite leisure activities). Meagan suggested several in the area, but Michael ultimately chose Iron Gauntlet Brauhaus primarily because of the name 😂. (https://irongauntlet.beer/). This brewery is female-owned and has a wide selection of beers (including flavored seltzers) as well as non-alcoholic drinks. There are lots of activities for kids and adults alike: air hockey, a Ms. Pac-Man arcade game, & big Jenga set to name a few. There is lots of comfortable indoor seating & there was live music on the night we went. I recommend get a flight or 2 to try a wide variety of their craft beer.
On Sunday morning we needed a coffee fix and a quick google search led us to a local coffee shop, Boozy Beans. (https://www.boozybeans.com/) Aside from the great coffee they also offer liquor-infused drinks and ice cream and a fairly extensive menu of various pastries. We definitely plan on going back when we have more time!
Before leaving town, we wanted to have lunch with our daughter & her husband at a local restaurant. Galaxy B&G (https://galaxyburgerkilleentx.com/) was an excellent choice for us for so many reasons. Don’t let the rough exterior turn you away; this Star Wars themed restaurant provides a fun atmosphere for fans of all ages as there are both obscure & obvious nods to the movie franchise throughout. The menu has a variety of fun burger options all aptly named to match the Star Wars theme. I had a “Princess Buns” burger that has honey buns in lieu of regular hamburger buns! The also have a huge cereal bar with the option to get either a single or a bottomless bowl. As if the decor & menu are not appealing enough, there is also a small arcade and numerous fun photo ops!
It was a quick trip, but we found some awesome local establishments & got some quality time with Meagan & Alex.
The ONLY microbrewery in Killeen and surrounding area, veteran family owned and operated with up to 20 in house craft beers on tap.
