Agriculture has always been important to the life and economy of Bay City, so it’s not surprising that fresh, local food and good restaurants are plentiful here. Along with its grocery stores, farmers markets and produce stands, Bay City has a restaurant to suit every appetite. There are locally-owned barbecue places where chicken, beef and pork are smoked over native pecan wood until the meat literally falls off the bone. On the Tex-Mex side of dining, you can feast on authentic enchiladas, tacos and tamales, as well as steak, shrimp and chicken fajitas. There are steak houses for juicy Texas beef with all the trimmings, cafés serving pecan chicken salad and homemade desserts, hamburger joints and dairy dips for old-fashioned treats, popular chain restaurants of all styles, Asian eateries, donut shops and more.
K-2 Steakhouse planted its roots in Bay City 30 years ago to establish a Kubeczka family tradition of signature meals served with generous portions of southern hospitality. The cornerstone of the menu is choice Black Angus beef hand-cut by their house butcher. They are known to serve only the best steaks, chops and chicken, and a variety of seafood platters with shrimp, catfish, oysters and stuffed crab. Home-style lunches include turkey and dressing, chicken fried steak and enormous burgers served with flavorful side dishes. The centerpiece of the K-2 Steakhouse is its soup and salad wagon created from an old mail cart used during the Civil War, full of fresh garden vegetables and fruits. Guests are offered a dining experience where chefs impress you and bartenders lift your spirits, all in an atmosphere with southwestern antiques full of charm and history.
If Bay City means great food, it also means good times. Residents and visitors alike flock to the fairs and festivals held throughout the year. The Matagorda County Fair & Livestock Show runs from the last weekend in February through the first weekend in March. Summer brings out the fireworks and a big Fourth of July celebration. The Nature Family Fun Fest, an outdoor event that includes an art fair and stagecoach rides, is held at the Matagorda County Birding Nature Center in early October.
The Bay City Lions Club Rice Festival in late October celebrates the county’s top crop with a parade, carnival and rice recipe cook-off. Christmas on the Square gets the holiday season started in mid-November and the Bay City Christmas Parade through downtown in early December keeps the celebration going.
Other holiday events include the Festival of Trees at the Matagorda County Museum and a special Christmas Market Days at the Bay City Civic Center. Musical concerts, bike rides, 5K runs, art shows, Cinco de Mayo celebrations and golf and fishing tournaments add to the fun all year long.
Of course, the people who live here are the most important piece in the quality-of-life puzzle. In Bay City, you’ll meet folks who are friendly, hard working and community centered. They are business professionals, farmers, retailers, cooks, teachers, firefighters, nurses, police officers, engineers, homemakers, factory workers, bakers and pastors. They are young couples just starting families, grandparents enjoying retirement or second careers and every age in-between. They are diverse in culture and background but united in their regard for each other and their town. They are the piece of the puzzle that holds all the others together and make Bay City a great place to call home.