Downtown McKinney is one of the most charming places in the whole Dallas metroplex! It is home to dozens of unique local shops, tons of delicious food, and beautiful historic buildings are everywhere. McKinney also has a special place in my heart because Austin and I got married there, in the historic chapel at Chestnut Square.
These days when we visit, we skip the gowns and tuxedos in favor of a good pair of walking shoes. If you have an afternoon to spare on some shopping, snacking, and adventure, give downtown McKinney a chance!
Here are eight of our favorite things to do in downtown McKinney.
1. Lattes at Layered Café
Start your day off right with coffee from Layered. Their Nutella Latte is heavenly, and every drink is a foamy work of art. Layered has a special machine that prints designs in the bubbles of your coffee.
We don’t understand how this works, but we absolutely love it. If you want to see your own face staring back at you from your cup, download this app and send in a selfie. Layered will print it on your latte for you! (Check out our blog about Layered here.)
2. Home Décor Shopping at Birds and Words
There are dozens of places to shop for rustic-chic furniture and home décor around the McKinney square, but Birds and Words is our personal favorite store. Their designs are beautifully unique, and their prices are fair.
One of their signature goodies are hand painted globes in all colors and sizes! We have one at home already, but every time we go back I’m temped to buy another one.
If you are looking for some fun new pieces to freshen up your interior design or you are searching for a unique gift, Birds and Words is a great place to look around. This family owned and operated business features scripture and messages displaying their faith on many of their beautiful products.
3. Time Travel at The Groovy Coop
If you are feeling a little nostalgic, take a gander at Miss Henny Penny’s Groovy Coop. As you’ll find on their website, this quirky store “embraces individuality and artistry by providing eclectic goods from yesterday and today.”
You can find vintage records, clothes, toys, buttons, video games, and more as you explore this nod to decades past. You’ll also find novelty items like funky patterned socks, and funny cards, mugs, and posters. The Groovy Coop would make a great place to shop for anyone who loves vintage items or a good gag gift.
4. Snacks at Mom and PopCorn
If you are starting to get hungry from all of that shopping, pop over to this adorable old fashion popcorn and candy shop. Mom and PopCorn has a large selection of gourmet popcorn flavors, and every brand of candy you can possibly imagine.
Seriously, all the candy.
5. Global Goodies from Fair and Square
When you shop at Fair and Square, you can feel confident that your purchases have a powerful impact. All of the beautiful products in the store are handmade fair trade items from all over the world!
The owners of Fair and Square partner with organizations who help people in developing countries break the cycle of poverty with creativity. Their inventory consists of clothes, jewelry, toys, home décor, and more, all of it ethically handmade by artisans from more than 40 different countries. We love the mission behind this store, and the products are delightfully unique.
6. Big Bites at Square Burger
After a long day of exploring, you have probably worked up a pretty big appetite. Fortunately, Square Burger is just around the corner!
This is our favorite restaurant in downtown McKinney because of the gourmet quality food and superb service we have received every time we visit. The burgers are enormous, so usually we split one burger and each order a side of fries or onion strings. On our most recent visit, we split a Bleu Cheese Burger (our personal fav), and ordered Cajun Onion Strings and Sweet Potato fries on the side.
7. Desert at Emporium Pies
After you chow down on some delicious burgers, save room for desert at Emporium Pies! One of three locations in the Dallas area, this adorable little pie shop will knock your socks off. Our go-to pie order is Ebony and Ivory, a chess pie flavored with buttermilk and chocolate hazelnut. But you can’t go wrong with any of the pie choices!
8. Groceries from Local Yocal
Make your last stop on your trip to downtown McKinney at the locally-sourced grocer, Local Yocal.
Order quality cut meats by the pound from the butcher, or snag local dairy products, bakery items, honey, salsa, snack foods, and more. On our last trip we grabbed a bag delicious organic blue corn chips and some of the award-winning “best ginger snaps in Texas” (they weren’t kidding).
There are so many fun things to do in downtown McKinney!
Really, our top eight list is only a small sampling. Pay a visit next time you’ve got a weekend to spare, and leave a comment if your find a local gem that you think we need to try on our next trip!
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