Albany sits at the intersection of US-283 and US-180 in Shackelford County, about 35 miles northeast of Abilene and three hours west of the DFW Metroplex. It is the county seat, and it serves as the working hub for the ranches, hunting camps, and rural residents spread across 914 square miles of Rolling Plains and mesquite country. If you are heading in for a weekend hunt, driving out to look at land, or moving to the county, this is your directory for eating, sleeping, fueling up, and finding the services you need.
As ranch brokers with a long history working Shackelford County, we keep this guide current so you do not lose an afternoon on outdated hours or a closed business. For a deeper look at ranching, hunting, and land in Shackelford County, see the Landowner’s Guide to Albany, Texas.
In This Guide
- Restaurants and Cafes
- Grocery
- Lodging
- Fuel and Roadside
- Shopping and Ranch Supply
- Banking
- Healthcare
- Emergency
- Government and Civic Resources
- Attractions Worth Knowing About
- Airports
- Wild Game Processing
- Frequently Asked Questions About Albany, Texas
Restaurants and Cafes
Albany runs on a small but strong list of local kitchens. Chains stop at Dairy Queen. Everything else is family-owned, and most of it is downtown within a few blocks of the courthouse square.
Goodnight Steakhouse & Saloon
517 US-180, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 721-5838
Hours: Wed–Sat 4pm–11pm, Sun 11am–9pm
Opened in 2023 in the historic building that housed the Beehive for 40 years. Mesquite-grilled steaks, an expanded dining room called Lottie’s, and regular live music. Named for cattleman Charles Goodnight, who ran cattle through this country in the 1800s.
Website: goodnightsteakhouse.com
The Icehouse Restaurant
200 S 2nd Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-3287
Hours: Lunch 11am–2pm, Dinner 5pm–9pm
Family-owned since 1993 in a 1926 building that used to be an ice factory. Tex-Mex and mesquite-grilled burgers and steaks. Bread pudding with bourbon sauce is a local favorite.
Website: icehouserestaurantatx.com
Los Cazadores Mexican Grill
233 N Main Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-3362
Hours: 7am–9pm Mon–Sat, closed Sunday
Tex-Mex breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Enchiladas, carne guisada, tacos al carbon, tamales. Family-run, family-friendly.
Website: loscazadores.com
Vintage Vanilla & Erline’s Specialty Shop
104 S Main Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-3030
Hours: Soda fountain, coffee bar, and store 8:30am–5:30pm Mon–Sat. Lunch 11am–2pm Mon–Fri.
Old-fashioned soda fountain, specialty coffees, home-style daily lunches, and desserts. Shares a building with Sanders Drug and Earline’s.
Toni’s Home Cooking
124 Hill Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-8020
Daily home-cooked lunch specials, catering, and free delivery to local schools.
Happy Grill Food Truck
Mobile, downtown Albany
Phone: (325) 762-6332
Breakfast and lunch. Burgers and short-order breakfast.
Donut Shop & Kolache
500 N Main Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-4995
Hours: 5:30am–noon Tue–Sat
Donuts, kolaches, and coffee. Local family-run. Worth timing around a morning hunt.
Dairy Queen
300 Hill Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-3232
Albany Food Mart
100 Hill Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-3212
Daily specials, quick eats, and staples.
Grocery
Brookshire’s of Albany
204 N Walnut Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-2792
Hours: 7am–8:30pm daily
Full-service grocery with meat, produce, deli, bakery, and pharmacy on-site. The nearest Walmart is in Breckenridge, about 25 minutes east.
Website: brookshires.com
Lodging
Albany has two motels, a boutique property, and in-town RV camping, with more RV options at Fort Griffin State Historic Site north of town.
Hereford Motel
557 US-180 West, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-0335
Fully renovated in 2024. Fourteen custom-designed rooms in suite, king, queen, and twin layouts. Western-influenced interiors, luxury linens, and stalls out back for horses. Located next door to Goodnight Steakhouse. The Hereford has hosted travelers, ranchers, and hunters since 1952.
Website: herefordmotel.com
Reddy Inn & Suites
724 US Hwy 283 South, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-3434
24-hour front desk, free WiFi and parking, pet-friendly. Business center and laundry service on-site. Within a mile of the Old Jail Art Center and the Fandangle.
Albany Motor Inn & RV Campground
424 E Hwy 180, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-2451
Motel rooms plus full-hookup RV sites. 30/50 amp, laundry, WiFi, pull-through sites. Big-rig friendly.
Website: albanyinntexas.com
Also worth knowing: Fort Griffin State Historic Site offers 33 campsites on the Clear Fork of the Brazos River, about 15 miles north of downtown Albany. Full-hookup and water-and-electric sites available. See the Attractions section below.
Fuel and Roadside
Albany sits at the intersection of two federal highways, so fuel is available around the clock at multiple stations. Diesel is available at both DK locations.
DK Gas Station / Allsup’s #2980
427 US-180 East, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-3949
Hours: Open 24/7
Gasoline, diesel, restrooms, ATM, tap-to-pay, air for tires.
Prairie Star Convenience Store / DK Gas Station #736
225 Hill Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-9095
Store hours 9am–6pm daily. Gas pumps 24/7.
Well-known local stop with a deli. Gas, diesel, ATM, food, restrooms, air for tires.
Shopping and Ranch Supply
Downtown Albany centers on Main Street, and most of what you need day-to-day is within walking distance of the courthouse square. The one exception is feed and ranch supply, which is south of town on US-283.
Blanton-Caldwell Trading Co.
117, 125, and 129 South Main Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-2370
Hours: 10am–5:30pm Mon–Sat
Three connected stores under one roof. The Men’s Store carries Filson, Kuhl, Under Armour, and Browning. The Women’s Store carries Johnny Was, Double D Ranchwear, Ivy Jane, and Hey Dude. The Kitchen Store carries cookware, gadgets, and wedding registry items.
Website: blanton-caldwell.com
EZ Feed & Supply
9580 Hwy 283 South, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-2955 or (325) 762-2954
Hours: 7am–5pm Mon–Fri
Full-line feed and ranch supply. Deer corn and protein, bulk feed, hunting and fishing supplies, rope and tack, livestock medicine, show needs.
Email: ezfeedsupply@gmail.com
Website: ezfeeds.com
Sanders Drug Store
104 South Main Street, Albany, TX 76430 (in the back of Vintage Vanilla)
Phone: (325) 762-3979
Hours: 9am–5:30pm Mon–Fri. Saturday 10am–noon, pickups only.
Owned by the Shackelford County Hospital District. Prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and medication counseling.
Banking
Clear Fork Bank (formerly First National Bank Albany/Breckenridge)
100 South Main Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-2221
Founded in Albany in 1883, it is one of the oldest privately-owned banks in Texas. Rebranded from First National Bank Albany/Breckenridge to Clear Fork Bank in June 2023. Same local ownership, leadership, and staff. Six branches across Albany, Breckenridge, Abilene, Gordon, Strawn, and Mineral Wells.
Website: clearfork.bank
First Financial Bank
232 N Main Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 627-7905
Hours: 9am–5pm Mon–Fri
Full-service branch of First Financial Bank, an Abilene-headquartered community bank with 79 locations across Texas.
Website: ffin.com
Healthcare
For emergencies, dial 911. For non-emergency care, Albany has a small hospital and a community health center in town. The nearest full-service emergency department outside Albany is in Breckenridge.
Shackelford County Health Clinic
450 Kenshalo Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-3661
Hours: 8am–5pm Mon–Fri
Family medicine group practice for primary and preventive care. Operates under the Shackelford County Hospital District, which continues as a governmental entity supporting local healthcare access.
ResourceCare Community Health Center — Albany
725 Pate Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-2447
Hours: Mon–Fri 8am–5pm
Federally qualified health center providing primary care, dental, behavioral health, and pediatric services. Sliding fee scale available.
Website: resourcecare.org
Nearest full-service emergency department: Stephens Memorial Hospital
200 S Geneva Street, Breckenridge, TX 76424 (about 25 miles east on US-180)
Phone: (254) 559-2241
24/7 emergency department. Level IV designated trauma center. CT, X-ray, laboratory, and respiratory therapy on-site. Coordinates with EMS and regional medical centers for higher-level transfers.
Website: smhtx.com
Pharmacy: See Sanders Drug Store under Shopping and Ranch Supply. Brookshire’s on Walnut also runs an in-store pharmacy.
Emergency
For any life-threatening emergency, call 911.
Shackelford County Sheriff’s Office
791 W US Hwy 180, Albany, TX 76430
Administrative: (325) 762-9500. Dispatch (24/7): (325) 762-9555.
Sheriff Edward A. Miller.
Shackelford County Office of Emergency Management
Law Enforcement Center, 791 W US Hwy 180, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-9555
Government and Civic Resources
Practical stops for new landowners, current residents, and anyone handling business in Shackelford County.
Shackelford County Courthouse and County Judge’s Office
225 South Main Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-9400
Website: shackelfordcounty.org
Shackelford County Appraisal District
132 Hill Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-2207
Property tax and appraisal, including 1-d-1 agricultural valuation questions.
Website: shackelfordcad.com
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — Shackelford County Office
225 South Main Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-2232
Practical landowner resource for wildlife management, range and pasture, cattle, and 4-H programs.
Albany Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center
2 Railroad Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-2525
Albany Post Office
24 N Jacobs Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-3067
Hours: 8am–11:30am and 12:30pm–4pm Mon–Fri. Closed Sat–Sun. PO Box lobby open 24 hours.
Attractions Worth Knowing About
Albany punches above its weight for a town of about 1,850 people. Three institutions define its cultural identity and are worth a stop while you are in town.
Fort Griffin State Historic Site
1701 N US Hwy 283, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-3592
Hours: Open daily 8am–4:30pm. Adult admission: $5; senior/veteran/teacher/first responder: $3; child (6–17): $2; under 5: free.
Remnants of the 1867 US Cavalry fort, home to the Official State of Texas Longhorn Herd, and 33 campsites on the Clear Fork of the Brazos River. Dark-sky stargazing, hiking, catfishing, and periodic living-history events. Managed by the Texas Historical Commission.
Website: thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/fort-griffin
Old Jail Art Center (OJAC)
201 South 2nd Street, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-2269
Hours: Tue–Sat 11am–5pm. Admission is always free.
An accredited art museum housed in Shackelford County’s original 1878 limestone jail. The permanent collection includes works by Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Amedeo Modigliani, and Grant Wood alongside regional history exhibits. American Alliance of Museums accredited since 1989.
Website: theojac.org
Fort Griffin Fandangle
Prairie Theater, Albany, TX
Performed the last two weekends of June annually.
The oldest outdoor musical in Texas, running since 1938. A cast of 250 local performers tells the story of the settlement of Shackelford County with music, horses, longhorns, and a full-scale replica of the Texas Central Railroad train. 2026 marks the 88th season.
Website: fortgriffinfandangle.com
Airports
Abilene Regional Airport (ABI)
Approximately 45 minutes south via Hwy 351.
Nearest commercial airport. Nonstop service on American Airlines (operated by Envoy Air as American Eagle) to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), and on United Express (operated by SkyWest) to Denver (DEN) and Houston (IAH). American also runs seasonal nonstop service to Phoenix (PHX).
Website: iflyabi.com
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Approximately 3 hours east on US-180 and I-20.
Website: dfwairport.com
Wild Game Processing
Escalon’s Buck n’ Hog
6490 W Hwy 180, Albany, TX 76430
Phone: (325) 762-3800
Wild game processing serving West Texas since 2006. 24-hour self-drop-off. Also operates a location at 308 S Reynolds Ave, Throckmorton.
Facebook: facebook.com/bucknhog
Frequently Asked Questions About Albany, Texas
What restaurants are open in Albany, Texas?
Albany has about ten locally owned restaurants and cafes. The best-known are Goodnight Steakhouse & Saloon, The Icehouse Restaurant, Los Cazadores Mexican Grill, and Vintage Vanilla. Toni’s Home Cooking, Happy Grill Food Truck, Donut Shop & Kolache, Dairy Queen, and Albany Food Mart round out the everyday options. See the Restaurants and Cafes section above for hours and phone numbers.
Where is the nearest hospital to Albany, Texas?
Albany has the Shackelford County Hospital District at 600 Gregg Street for local care. The nearest full-service emergency department is at Stephens Memorial Hospital, 200 S Geneva Street in Breckenridge, about 25 miles east of Albany on US-180. Stephens Memorial has a 24/7 emergency room and a Level IV trauma designation.
How far is Albany, Texas, from Abilene?
Albany is approximately 35 miles northeast of Abilene, or about a 45-minute drive via Hwy 351 and US-180.
What is there to do in Albany, Texas?
The three anchor attractions are Fort Griffin State Historic Site, the Old Jail Art Center, and the Fort Griffin Fandangle. Fort Griffin State Historic Site is home to the Official State of Texas Longhorn Herd and offers camping, hiking, and dark-sky stargazing. The Old Jail Art Center is a nationally accredited art museum housed in an 1878 limestone jail, featuring works by Picasso, Klee, and Modigliani. The Fandangle is Texas’s oldest outdoor musical, performed the last two weekends of June every year.
Where can I get game processed in Albany, Texas?
Escalon’s Buck n’ Hog at 6490 W Hwy 180 processes deer, hog, and other wild game. The shop has been serving West Texas hunters since 2006 and offers 24-hour self-drop-off. Phone (325) 762-3800.
What county is Albany, Texas in?
Albany is the county seat of Shackelford County, in north-central west Texas. The county covers 914 square miles of Rolling Plains and mesquite country. As of the 2020 Census, Albany’s population was 1,854 and Shackelford County’s was 3,105.
Where is the closest airport to Albany, Texas?
The closest commercial airport is Abilene Regional Airport (ABI), about 45 minutes south. DFW International is roughly three hours east.
Shackelford County has held a steady place in the Texas ranching world for well over a century, and Albany is the practical center of that world. If you are heading in to hunt, look at a tract, or move to the county, we hope this guide saves you a phone call or two. If you are thinking about buying land in the Albany area, our brokers work this country regularly. Contact Hortenstine Ranch Company to talk through what you are looking for.