Last night I got food poisoning after dining at 12 Gage Restaurant. I ordered the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and green beans, along with two Texas Old Fashioneds. My wife had the chicken. The service itself was good, and the staff during dinner were kind and attentive.
The harder part was how things were handled afterward. This trip was our anniversary, and getting sick overnight was a real disappointment. When I mentioned the situation to the hotel front desk the next morning while canceling our reservation for that evening, the response was essentially, “That’s terrible,” and nothing more. No follow-up, no acknowledgment, no attempt to make things right.
I’m not writing this out of anger. Things happen. Food safety issues can occur even at good establishments. What mattered most to me was how it was handled afterward, and that part felt lacking.
I genuinely hope management takes this seriously, reviews food safety practices, and empowers their team to respond with more care when guests have an experience like this, especially when it affects a special occasion.
Wishing them all the best and hoping this helps prevent it from happening to someone else.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Heidi Koleszar
Shout out to Alexa for being super sweet and attentive! Made my day. :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Samuel Brooks
Honest Review
Wow — what a disappointment for a place often called the local “gem.” Or more accurately, the only gem in Marathon.
Caesar Salad
Odd right out of the gate: avocado on a Caesar. Served slightly room temp, nearly zero croutons, iceberg lettuce only, and mini tomatoes ringed around the edge. Unique, sure — but not in a good way. Dressing was fine, nothing memorable.
Cocktails (Major Miss)
My wife is very particular about margaritas. The night before, she had two at the White Buffalo Bar — both terrible and unfinished.
Tonight, she spelled it out: • Patron or 1792 • Agave • Grand Marnier • Lime
That’s it. Somehow… they still messed it up. Impressive in the wrong way.
Mains • Two filets: solid cuts of meat — no complaints there • Fingerling potatoes: very crispy, very tasty — well done, kitchen
Fish of the Day (Fail)
Salmon. Except the server forgot to put the order in, then we waited 30+ minutes for it to come out. When it finally arrived, it looked like a frozen, resealed fillet from DG Market in Alpine, and it was overcooked to death.
Kids’ Food
Even the chicken tenders were bad. That’s usually the safest order anywhere — not here.
Bottom Line
For the reputation, pricing, and expectations — this was a letdown. • Some solid proteins • Potatoes were the highlight • Service mistakes • Weak cocktails • Inconsistent kitchen execution
When you’re the only “nice” option in town, expectations go up. This didn’t come close to meeting them.
Not a gem. Just the only option.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
Liz Rader Haigler
Delightful and such a west Texas gem 💎
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
MICHAEL
Our first time visiting. What a gem in far SW Texas. A special shout out to Olivia for making sure our request for a quiet table was honored and for a nice talk! Tina was just as accommodating and was a wonderful waitress. Drinks were mixed perfectly and wine was well represented. Finally, the food and it was extremely satisfying. So good! We're coming back for Cristmas dinner. Can't wait! Thank you all!
Cindy
It's not about the food - there's a certain charm and ambiance that overrides the menu. The only real options are the steaks. If you're used to top notch service and cuisine you'll be disappointed but the restaurant has its own west Texas charm. Probably why you're visiting?
Shanna Williams
One of the best experiences we have had in a long time! Such a sweet weekend celebrating our 29th anniversary in Marathon and fantastic dinner at 12 Gage! Will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Laurie
Everything was exceptional! Our server, Jessica, was outstanding and made our dining experience memorable. Everything we ordered was cooked perfectly and was so delicious! If you make it out to west Texas be sure to dine at the 12 Gage.
Ari Varona
Made reservations for dinner on Thanksgiving. The service staff was super friendly even on an especially busy night. We made the hour drive from Marfa since everything was closed and I would drive an hour back and forth to eat here again. Highly recommend the fried quail. The cocktails were nice and the ambiance was pleasant with some live music.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jedi Dad
This place is so overrated. After being sat at our table it took at least 10 minutes before we even had a waitress come to our table. I got my cocktail probably 30 minutes after ordering it and it took over an hour to get our food. The Caesar salad was good but the croutons were not. The green beans, mashed potatoes and steak were all cold. The chicken fried steak was just average and the half chicken was dry. My son and wife loved the tres leches and crème brûlée. The service was extremely slow and not that friendly. And the prices for what you get are absolutely ridiculous.
Be aware that all dishes are very generous. We sat on the patio with a heater and it was very pleasant.
Dave
A wonderful meal at an unexpected gem. Food (Burrata Salad and Crabcakes) was delicious. Service (Tina) could not have been better. Prices were reasonable. Timing was very good. Decor was spot on for what you would hope for in a real western spot.
Kerri
Don't be afraid to eat on the patio! It's almost completely enclosed and is roomy with great decor. Service was excellent and food was great. Would definitely go back.
Jamie
Was the perfect night, celebrating our birthdays! The food was so good, especially the red snapper.
Dana
We eat here every time we are in town so about 5 times. It's good but not “knock your Sox off” great. The Cesar was dry as a bone. Caprese was very flavorful. We shared the filet for 2 and it was great. Super tender. Unfortunately our service was not great. Our waitress had too many tables and we finally asked someone else for our ticket. They were out of their signature dish at open time. We will return but each time it's just a little off.
I wanted to share this thoughtfully and fairly.
Last night I got food poisoning after dining at 12 Gage Restaurant. I ordered the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and green beans, along with two Texas Old Fashioneds. My wife had the chicken. The service itself was good, and the staff during dinner were kind and attentive.
The harder part was how things were handled afterward. This trip was our anniversary, and getting sick overnight was a real disappointment. When I mentioned the situation to the hotel front desk the next morning while canceling our reservation for that evening, the response was essentially, “That’s terrible,” and nothing more. No follow-up, no acknowledgment, no attempt to make things right.
I’m not writing this out of anger. Things happen. Food safety issues can occur even at good establishments. What mattered most to me was how it was handled afterward, and that part felt lacking.
I genuinely hope management takes this seriously, reviews food safety practices, and empowers their team to respond with more care when guests have an experience like this, especially when it affects a special occasion.
Wishing them all the best and hoping this helps prevent it from happening to someone else.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Shout out to Alexa for being super sweet and attentive! Made my day. :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Honest Review
Wow — what a disappointment for a place often called the local “gem.” Or more accurately, the only gem in Marathon.
Caesar Salad
Odd right out of the gate: avocado on a Caesar.
Served slightly room temp, nearly zero croutons, iceberg lettuce only, and mini tomatoes ringed around the edge. Unique, sure — but not in a good way. Dressing was fine, nothing memorable.
Cocktails (Major Miss)
My wife is very particular about margaritas.
The night before, she had two at the White Buffalo Bar — both terrible and unfinished.
Tonight, she spelled it out:
• Patron or 1792
• Agave
• Grand Marnier
• Lime
That’s it. Somehow… they still messed it up. Impressive in the wrong way.
Mains
• Two filets: solid cuts of meat — no complaints there
• Fingerling potatoes: very crispy, very tasty — well done, kitchen
Fish of the Day (Fail)
Salmon.
Except the server forgot to put the order in, then we waited 30+ minutes for it to come out. When it finally arrived, it looked like a frozen, resealed fillet from DG Market in Alpine, and it was overcooked to death.
Kids’ Food
Even the chicken tenders were bad. That’s usually the safest order anywhere — not here.
Bottom Line
For the reputation, pricing, and expectations — this was a letdown.
• Some solid proteins
• Potatoes were the highlight
• Service mistakes
• Weak cocktails
• Inconsistent kitchen execution
When you’re the only “nice” option in town, expectations go up. This didn’t come close to meeting them.
Not a gem. Just the only option.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
Delightful and such a west Texas gem 💎
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Our first time visiting. What a gem in far SW Texas. A special shout out to Olivia for making sure our request for a quiet table was honored and for a nice talk! Tina was just as accommodating and was a wonderful waitress. Drinks were mixed perfectly and wine was well represented. Finally, the food and it was extremely satisfying. So good! We're coming back for Cristmas dinner. Can't wait! Thank you all!
It's not about the food - there's a certain charm and ambiance that overrides the menu. The only real options are the steaks. If you're used to top notch service and cuisine you'll be disappointed but the restaurant has its own west Texas charm. Probably why you're visiting?
One of the best experiences we have had in a long time! Such a sweet weekend celebrating our 29th anniversary in Marathon and fantastic dinner at 12 Gage! Will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Everything was exceptional! Our server, Jessica, was outstanding and made our dining experience memorable. Everything we ordered was cooked perfectly and was so delicious! If you make it out to west Texas be sure to dine at the 12 Gage.
Made reservations for dinner on Thanksgiving. The service staff was super friendly even on an especially busy night. We made the hour drive from Marfa since everything was closed and I would drive an hour back and forth to eat here again. Highly recommend the fried quail. The cocktails were nice and the ambiance was pleasant with some live music.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is so overrated. After being sat at our table it took at least 10 minutes before we even had a waitress come to our table. I got my cocktail probably 30 minutes after ordering it and it took over an hour to get our food. The Caesar salad was good but the croutons were not. The green beans, mashed potatoes and steak were all cold. The chicken fried steak was just average and the half chicken was dry. My son and wife loved the tres leches and crème brûlée. The service was extremely slow and not that friendly. And the prices for what you get are absolutely ridiculous.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
Be aware that all dishes are very generous. We sat on the patio with a heater and it was very pleasant.
A wonderful meal at an unexpected gem. Food (Burrata Salad and Crabcakes) was delicious. Service (Tina) could not have been better. Prices were reasonable. Timing was very good. Decor was spot on for what you would hope for in a real western spot.
Don't be afraid to eat on the patio! It's almost completely enclosed and is roomy with great decor. Service was excellent and food was great. Would definitely go back.
Was the perfect night, celebrating our birthdays! The food was so good, especially the red snapper.
We eat here every time we are in town so about 5 times. It's good but not “knock your Sox off” great. The Cesar was dry as a bone. Caprese was very flavorful. We shared the filet for 2 and it was great. Super tender. Unfortunately our service was not great. Our waitress had too many tables and we finally asked someone else for our ticket. They were out of their signature dish at open time. We will return but each time it's just a little off.
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