33 Best American Restaurants in San Marcos

“It’s a great place! Nice atmosphere, good music playing, delicious migas! Service is great, friendly staff! We’ll be back and recommend the place to family and friends! Thank you for your hard work and keep up the great work!“

“Really enjoyed our meal there this last Saturday. When I attended college at SWT back in the '80's this was the high end go to place...especially for parent visiting from out of town. Now I am the parent as we visited for a Sigma Chi reunion and to show my HS senior step son the campus. It felt good and JORDAN, our waitress was OUTSTANDING. It felt good being there.“

“We absolutely LOVE Tarbox & Brown!! The food is always amazing, and the atmosphere is awesome. They have a ton of outdoor seating, and the inside is really comfortable and stylish too! Full bar with awesome drinks and kid friendly! It’s our go to place now in San Marcos!!!“

“Best food and great friendly atmosphere“

“We usually come most Sundays after church. Abbie always waits on us when we come in and she is ready with our order. She has a smile on her face and excellent customer service. The cafe is lucky to have her on their staff. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“Recently went to Twin Peaks and had one of the best experiences with my waitress Deasiah. She made sure my family had great understanding of the menu items and suggested some favorites since it was our first time, not only that but she ensured all meals were okay and was very patient with us since we sent back orders to be heated more than once. But overall the food was very tasty but not well heated, I would definitely try it again.“

“We had a delicious brunch on the patio today. We really enjoyed the avocado toast Benedict, which featured a perfectly poached egg. We also really enjoyed the pancake, which was huge! Best of all, they have a dog friendly patio with plenty of shade.“

“The baleadas are amazing!!“

“OMG the burgers are to die for better than ever and the manski rolls are amazing.Recommend to all come out and try delicious“

“Burgers, chicken quesadillas, potato skins“

“We just moved to the area from Boston and were driving around looking for a new dinner spot when we stumbled upon Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen. What a good discovery! We were surprised by the quality of the food and the excellent service we received.
​The atmosphere was welcoming, and our server was attentive and friendly, making us feel comfortable.
​For dinner, my husband ordered the Tender Sirloin Steak Tips. They were prepared perfectly medium, with generous portions of sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions, and served with a rich brown gravy over mashed potatoes, topped with a dollop of sour cream. He said it was a satisfying comfort meal—tender, rich, and delicious.
​I had the 6-oz Top Sirloin Steak, which was juicy and cooked just right. I paired it with a huge loaded baked potato, and the star of my meal was definitely the Broccoli Cheese Casserole. It was creamy, and cheesy, and a must-try!
​Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen is definitely our new go-to for a satisfying meal. We definitely recommend it.

OMG the croissant drizzled with the honey butter was my favorite part!!!“

“I have eaten here many times and they serve breakfast all day. My favorite is the Migas. Tx Bean & Brew is consistent, in that each time the food has been spot-on. There is ample parking. They have what I would call an Italian-style professional coffee maker. I love their lattes and cappuccinos. I can’t stand lukewarm coffee, so I ordered my cappuccino “Very Hot” and that’s exactly how it came out. Today I ordered a large entree that is called the Texas B & B. It comes with eggs your style, two large pancakes, sausage or bacon, and your choice of hash-brown potatoes or hash-brown sweet potatoes. I got the pancakes with both chocolate chips and pecans…just Wow! I also ordered my bacon crisp, which is how it came out. The ordering process is smooth. Simply go to the counter, order your meal, get a table, and the food comes quickly…and freshly cooked. This is my go-to in San Marcos! A BIG plus, dogs are allowed to join diners at the outdoor seating.“

“Always great food friendly waitresses and waiters. Love the store. Love the food always a great time.“

“It was a lot of fun! The food was good. There were three of us, we all got something different and everything was fantastic. Real good flavor. For me, it was a little loud but my daughter who is 22, loved it. She said this is my kind of joint. Next time for me, it's outside. The food was that good.“

“My waitress from Boston was excellent and attentive. her name was Tracy B“

“I had an amazing experience at the Craft House, thanks to Alexis! Her service was exceptional; she was incredibly attentive to my needs, ensuring that I had everything I required for a fantastic visit. Alexis's warm demeanor and willingness to go the extra mile truly made my time there memorable, and I can't wait to return!“

“We just had our Jack C. Hays High School 50th Reunion at Ivar's River Pub, Saturday, Oct 4th, 11am-2pm. It was an amazing gathering; the outdoor venue incomparable because of the gem of the San Marcos River view, the drinks and food delicious, the service great, and working with Denele Gunnarson, VP of Ivar's was refreshing. Thank you Denele and Ivar's River Pub for helping make our 50th Reunion so memorable! The 'spirit' of Ivar Gunnarson and his legacy is alive and well on the beautiful banks of the San Marcos River. Gerrel Williams, Chair of the 50th and Marieta Hutchison, 1975 Hays H.S. Class President.“

“Burgers were very good and the Hat Dog special, how can you go wrong with dollar dogs.“

“We were passing through and noticed this bbq place. Oh my! We are so glad we tried it. Absolutely the best burnt ends and potato salad!“

“Great place 10/10 recommend, will go out of my way to go back to this place, brunch was top tier service was top tier“

“I had such a great experience at 54th Street! The food was fantastic. I ordered the veggie burger with sweet potato fries and an iced tea, and everything was fresh, flavorful, and really satisfying.

What truly made the visit stand out, though, was the staff. My server, Zach, was outstanding. You could tell he genuinely cared about the customers and the experience. I also noticed him helping his fellow employees throughout the time I was there, which says a lot about his character and the teamwork in the restaurant.

The overall vibe is relaxed, friendly, and fun. It’s the kind of place where you can enjoy great food and feel comfortable at the same time. I’ll definitely be back!“

“Where to Start! :) Tears down my face! this lovely family was a vendor at my autism sensitive santa today in New Braunfels, TX! I say that god puts people in front of us for good reasons :) he did that just tonight! The owner Rescued me from my cater person who brought in burnt non edible food! he offered to send his family to heb with $40 from us to get chicken to make dinner! he served chicken and french fries that were delicious❤️thank you Martys kitchen we lover you❤️❤️“

“Isabella was a fantastic waitress!! She brought a lot of energy to our family today as we celebrated our son’s 21st birthday! Thank you Isabella for the great service, always smiling, and the recommendation on our food order!! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ service!“

“Hubby and I went for dinner and the environment was very welcoming and so were the staff. Julius was our waiter and he was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! Not only did he make great menu recommendations, he fixed our bill to reflect their Happy Hour half off prices!!! Things to try… Fried Mushrooms - A MUST!!! If you like spicy - the stuffed/fried jalapeños Caesar salad - AMAZING (with fresh pepper) Cajun ribeye - Yummy Fried shrimp - OMGEESH Brussel sprouts - Must try Even the bread with fresh honey butter was great!!! 10/10 will return again and again!!!“

“My husband took me and the patio after my meal almost put me to sleep clean atmosphere and easy going staff like nothing I wanted would be a problem what a view of spring lake“

“Support a good cause. Nice lunches!“

“We had a graduation celebration dinner for my son back in May and the staff here went above and beyond to make it a very special occasion. The restaurant was unoccupied this night, and the bar area was crowded, so the manager, Derek, put 2 tables together fir our party of 12 and allowed us to order off the restaurant menu instead of the bar menu, which was limited. The food was good, and they were short on ingredients that night, and the service was excellent. The wait staff and bartender staff, Emily A., Theresa, Aliyah, Wisby and Lani, were very friendly and accommodating to our party. I wanted to thank all who made this celebratory dinner a success, and Derek really made it happen. I do recommend this hotel, bar and restaurant.“

“Always delicious...!!! My Birthday go to place!!!“

“My first time in Pluckers, I loved the wings, I don't really like the waffle fries though, I prefer the regular french fries, but that is just my personal taste. Service was good, good timing, nothing extraordinary. I will continue getting wings here for sure.“

“Great spot! Brayden is an awesome bartender 10/10 recommend the Serrano marg!!“

“Bets to choose to dine in“

“Everything about eating at chilis on our family night out was amazing! Our server and the manager Brianna delivered a peerless customer service experience. The restaurant looked clean, the atmosphere was great, and our food was precisely cooked and prepared to order. We often eat at chilis about 2/3 times a month, but our experience tonight was absolutely different. My children, wife, and I would certainly say that we’ll return back for dinner here again. Thanks to the entire staff, from the front to the back of the restaurant for making tonight magical.“

“We have been coming to this location for years and Adrianna and Parker are our regular servers. We ask for them every time. They know our orders and always on top of everything. They have amazing personalities. We always look for them when we come in. They know our names, our orders and we love just sitting and chatting with them.“