Well its been 10 years since we have been here, and glad we returned. We started with a few drinks and custom cocktails in the indoor bar area. We relaxed and then enjoyed another drink and some sunlight on the spacious outside patio. Then, when the dining room opened at 6pm, we moved to our table to enjoy a salad and the delicious bread basket. We had the red fish entree, a streak entree and iced tea. We both enjoyed our meals. We completed the dinner with the butterscotch pots de creme. Very nice. We asked the server for multiple baskets of bread because it was the perfect companion to all courses. The dining area we were in seemed like it was a partial courtyard with a tent roof and fireplace complete with Mexican equipale chairs and tables. This beautiful rustic furniture added to the personality of the historic hotel. Service - host, bartender and server were all very nice and knowledgeable of the menu, and the server marked each course at the table with fresh silverware. Very polished environment for such a tiny town! Will we be back? Absolutely. read more

This restaurant has been on my bucket list for years, but it's in far west Texas and not easy to get to. It was worth the drive! The steak may have been better than any other ( although Vargas in Galveston is soooo good!) The chicken fried steak was good, but nothing super special. I would definitely re immense this place for the food and ambiance. read more

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This place was pricey, but I think it was the only diner dining that was worth the money. I got the steak and he got the half chicken and we very much enjoyed both. Definitely add it to your list, but make sure you get your reservation early read more

12 Gage Restaurant - American Near Me - Marathon, Texas

Ambiance was excellent, having a margarita under the white buffalo head. Drunks were excellent, pricey but very good

I can safely guarantee you that the 12 Gage Restaurant is by far the best restaurant in all of Marathon, Texas. If given the opportunity, eat here. When you do, you're certain to have nothing but the most magical experience. read more

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OMG! One of our favorite places on the planet. It's way out of the way- but that's part of the charm. A bit pricey- but where else will you get antelope or quail. Veggie options too. read more

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The food was all excellent! We also had the quail, just forgot to snap a pic. It was good, a tad spicy. Our server was friendly but left for long periods of time. We finally had a different young guy close our tab for us. I'm sure they were short staffed, as it was pretty busy on a Wednesday. Still worth a trip for a good meal and yummy cocktail. read more

12 Gage Restaurant - Ribeye, pork chop and Mexican Brownie - American Near Me - Marathon, Texas

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Mmmmmmm, not so sure about this one. We've been in west Texas for five days now and this is the first and ONLY place that we walked in to where the staff were not wearing masks and didn't seem to give a crap. So strange--you would think at the most "high end" place within 100 miles that they would care about catering to their clientele (who, we noted, almost all had masks). So one star off for that. Drinks and food ranged from OK to pretty good. We started with prickly pear margaritas, which were refreshing and not too sweet. The spicy cowgirl isn't bad either. For an app, we got the oyster nachos, and while we were expecting a "normal" plate of nachos, their more refined/cheffy version of 4 chips with fried oysters on top *was* delicious. For dinner, we split the chicken fried steak and the Kale and Romaine Caesar salad. The former was OK as far as these things go, but the jalapeño gravy was a bit congealed by the time that the plate made it to the table (read: was sitting for a while). We liked the mashed potatoes and veggies. The salad had SO MUCH dressing on it---too much! And there were only a few pieces of baby kale in the mix. Our daughter's quesadilla did not impress, but all three of us enjoyed the butterscotch creme brûlée. Final thoughts: not worth the price point, but nice to get something a bit more "upscale" in the area. Three (very fair) stars for now, but we'd be happy to come back again post-Covid when the whole mask thing doesn't put us off. read more

We stopped by this restaurant after a day in Big Bend. When we walked up, the hostess asked if we had a reservation, and we said no. She looked surprise, as if we were supposed to know that it would be crowded. They had no available tables. And even though the website says the outdoor patio is part of the restaurant, they wouldn't sit us there. We were told only the bar served the outside area. Ultimately we asked if we could do takeout. But takeout did not start until 7:45 for some reason. I understand that it's a small restaurant with limited resources, but I would have liked to see more COVID--19 safety measures and options in place. And that includes social distancing, outdoor seating, and takeout during all hours. The indoor dining area looked extremely crowded and the tables did not look 6 feet apart. This was concerning. We ended waiting for the takeout hours to open. The restaurant also did not pick up their phone so we had to order takeout in person. Contactless ordering and pickup would have been preferred. Below is a photo of the dish I ordered, the one vegetarian option. It was smaller than I expected for the price (nearly $30!) and was about 1/3 the size of my boyfriend's steak entree. For the price, it needed more vegetables/sides. However, it was tasty. Overall, I think the food here is good--but a bit overpriced. My main disappointment was in the lack of safety measures, limited takeout hours, and no dinner outdoor seating in an empty patio. With a few adjustments, this restaurant could be a safe option for food in a pandemic. But right now, I cannot recommend dining here while COVID cases are still rising. read more

12 Gage Restaurant - Eggplant entree - American Near Me - Marathon, Texas

Wow. The food was top notch. We came for valentines day as part of our trip to the national park. Quality of food was excellent and quantity was right there with it. Beef tips appetizer was amazing & Mario's chicken fried steak blew me away. Excellent drinks to pair read more

Not great, unfortunately. Our server Grace was great. Helpful, attentive but not over the top. Grace did a good job. The wedge salad was not a hit with my wife at all. I had a shrimp appetizer that was okay. We shared a ribeye steak for the entree. It was actually well cooked - medium-rare - but I don't think it was good quality meat. The mashed potato needed butter and the sautéed spinach was drowned in vinegar. Very odd. Go for barbecue next door. read more

Had the quail appetizer, and a strawberry spinach salad with shrimp. The Saracha was not too spicy, which made it perfect. Excellent meal. Nice people and good atmosphere. I highly recommend this place. read more

The best restaurant on site of the Gage Hotel. It has great service, impressive wine list and good menu. You must try the quail appetizer and the Mexican brownie for dessert. read more

Very good service, great signature cocktails, food was good, not great. Overall a nice experience and would recommend.

Great food, great booze, great service, great atmosphere. Enjoyed it so much we ate there two times while in Marathon.

You guys need to check it out. The menu is generally seasonal. It's a great dining experience from dinner parties to date nights. You never know who you'll run into. The dining experience is next level and you do not feel like you're in west Texas. Try one thing or try them all. Everything on their menu is a home run! read more

Spent a night at the historic Gage and it was wonderful . Enjoy a very relaxing and delicious dinner at the 12 Gage. Great staff and adored Glenn our waiter. Tried the famous prickly pear margarita which was delicious, salad with their house dressing ( named for a founder of the hotel) and the filet which was tender and delicious and serve d with their famous mashed potatoes and fresh green beans . Perfect night! read more

One of the three main reasons to visit Marathon (other two are White Buffalo Bar and Gave Hotel). Outdoor seating in the courtyard is perfect on a nice day. Live music on the weekends which you can't beat. Chicken fried steak with jalapeno gravy was incredible. Green beans, zucchini and carrots as well as mashed potatoes completed this meal. Had to finish it off with dessert so opted for the chocolate tart, which was perfect to split with a friend after the large meal. Not too rich or too big, just right for two. Absolute perfection. I love the environment they've created and it even smells authentically rustic. Great job, Gage. read more

12 Gage Restaurant - Live music with dinner on a Saturday! - American Near Me - Marathon, Texas

Absolutely delicious and a must on your way to Big Bend. Loved staying a night at the Gage hotel . Great service and outstanding staff.

What a disappointment! When we walked in, the hostess never made eye contact and asked "What's the name on the reservation "? She didn't have it down. We stated we made them the day before and told the girl taking the reservations that it was our anniversary. She was very nice by the way. Then the hostess says, "Hmm, I wonder why it was cancelled". Was she insinuating we were lying? She then sat us at a tiny table against the wall in a back room. The waitress looked very sour too. We had the shrimp cocktail and the shrimp was overcooked and very tough. We had the tenderloin and a chicken fried steak. The tenderloin was melt on your mouth tender. The sauce was a great flavor BUT was so salty I couldn't eat but half of it. The asparagus had the same seasoning as the steak and was on top of the mashed potatoes therefore EVERYTHING was extremely salty. The waitress came and took my plate from me and never asked how everything was. I called her back to tell her that everything was too salty. She apologized slightly and walked away. She came back and asked us if we wanted dessert. We stated no, and then she said "are you sure, we will buy it". With a sour look on her face. Really? For having the reputation of a high-end restaurant, they definitely need to train their staff better. Our special evening was a huge disappointment. read more

I love customer service. Actually it's why I eat out so much. I love to try new and exciting things in my life. Ya' know? One of the more recent things in my life I did was travel to Big Bend National Park and go camping with my girlfriend. As you could imagine after a three day camping extravaganza you may look a little rachet on day three as the kids would say. I always turn to my handy dandy yelp app to find some true gems that I can rave about. However, today was not one of those times. When arriving at the Gage restaurant on Sunday evening dressed in my Army PT shorts and a plane White T I knew I wasn't necessarily dressed for the dining experience. On the other hand I do expect good service because as I said before service is kinda my thing. The host looked me and my girlfriend up and down and said she would be right with us. Then before she helped us another group came in and she told us that because we didn't have a reservation she would have to seat the other normal dressed clientele first. They obviously did not have a reservation and this "Pretty Woman" scene played out before my eyes. "Big mistake, huge." Julia Roberts said in the film. The dinner service was ok. Just ok. For the prices it was not up to par. But hey, neither was my dress. Oh-well. The food was good but I rate on the whole experience. Cheers! I won't be back, sorry :/ read more

12 Gage Restaurant - They didn't like my outfit. - American Near Me - Marathon, Texas

The 12 Gage Restaurant is a fine dining restaurant that adjoins the Gage Hotel. The decor is Classy Wild West.....the ambiance is romantic dressy casual. There's casual seating oon the outdoor patio / courtyard. We made reservations for 6:pm. As we arrived, we were greeted and seated promptly at a table by a window, overlooking the beautiful courtyard. Perfect! Our server, Ernest, quickly came over to take our drink order and answer any questions we had about the menu. Ernest was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. His descriptions of all the menu choices, made you want to try every single dish! As we munched on a basket of fresh baked warm corn muffins, sourdough bread with compound spice butter, we each ordered a glass of 12 Gage Prickly Pear Pink signature house wine....it's a must! Wonderful! Hubby & shared an appetizer of Shrimp & Grits.....Good Lord..... Outstanding! We each ordered the recommended 8 oz. Filet....one of the Best I've ever eaten! Tender, Seasoned Perfectly & each bite mouth watering! We were so tempted to finish our meal with the warm homemade peach cobbler & homemade vanilla bean ice cream....we decided to wait til next time. They also serve Prickly Pear Ice Cream! Our entire dining experience was Superb from start to finish! We looked forward to dining @ 12 Guage Friday evening! Hats off to the Chef ....& thanks, Ernest! We'll never forget cha! *** Friday evening, we met our new friends, Chris & Laurie over @ 12 Gage. Hubby ordered the CFS....one of the best he'd ever eaten.....Laurie & I ordered the Margarita Chicken w/ mashed potatoes & fresh seasoned veggies....& Chris ordered the Mammoth Buffalo Tenderloin w/ compound butter, mashed new potatoes & seasoned Veggies! Every single dish was Spectacular! Our server, Hillary, was friendly & very helpful to Laurie, who was selecting a Gluten Free dinner choice. Hubby & I split that Homemade peach cobbler w/ vanilla bean ice cream....it's sooo goood! It was a great ending to our wonderful stay @ the Gage Hotel! read more

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I believe our server's name was Destiny and she was great! There were 5 in our group. The chicken fried steak with jalapeño gravy was the best we've ever had. Try the oyster nachos for an appetizer. Creme brûlée and sorbet for desert. The Ghost specialty beverage was delicious, as well. read more

Stunned. That's what a friend and I were after dining here. We've come to this part of the country to spend a few days hiking in Big Bend National Park. Tiny Marathon can't be more than a few hundred people at most but the hotel is a real Texas treasure. They have a world class little bar (both of these I'll review separately), but the restaurant is a gem. Open courtyard under the stars but with room under eaves next to fireplaces, great service, and spectacular food. Great wine and cocktail list. We had the rib eye (brined, I confirmed), cooked perfectly with cheese grits. Filet mignon with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Started with a west Texas quail appetizer that was over the top, accented with a cherry reduction. Alexander Valley cab to accompany the entrees and bliss ensued. Hit all cylinders: perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, just the right amount of service and attention without a bit of pretense. Exceptional atmosphere/ambiance. Reasonably priced for such an incredible meal. So good I intend to return with my wife and just stay here a few days and that's a serious trek. What a find, what a gem. Wow. read more

12 Gage Restaurant - Rib eye with grits - American Near Me - Marathon, Texas

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I had a great meal here! The atmosphere is very cool. The seating was really comfortable. The service was excellent! We had a 6pm reservation. We started with a chardonnay and Southwestern Caesar salad. Instead of croutons, it came with super thin, crispy tortilla strips. The salad also had diced avocado and a not too spicy spin on your classic Caesar dressing. We even ordered a little extra on the side. They brought a bread basket with French bread slices and some jalapeno cornbread rolls. Both were delicious. Even more of a surprise was the butter with a greenish tint and wonderful flavor. Our server explained it had garlic, cilantro and poblano and jalapeno peppers whipped in. For an entrée we split the chicken fried steak. The meat itself was nothing to write home about, but the jalapeno sauce was so delicious and different. It came on a bed of mashed potatoes and a good amount of steamed veggies. I think we got extra on the extras since we paid a $5 split plate fee. We purchased a bottle of the Becker cabernet for dinner and were able to take the rest of the bottle and our wine glasses back to the room. Even cooler, our server packed up a little container of the bread and butter for us to take for breakfast. If you're in the area, you should check it out! Plus it's one of the few dinner options. read more

12 Gage Restaurant - Super cool atmosphere! - American Near Me - Marathon, Texas

While creating a road trip itinerary, from San Jose, CA to Austin, TX for a friend of mine, I remembered staying in Marathon, TX one time many moons ago. Back then, we had dinner at the Gage and it happened to be one of the best meals of all time for me. For the most part, the company was pretty good too....for the most part ;-P This joint, which is part of the Gage Hotel, exudes ambiance complemented by outstanding service and delicious food. When we ride out to visit him in Austin next year, we'll be sure to spend a night here with dinner and plenty of star gazing. Good times just east of the Pecos!!! read more

12 Gage Restaurant - You can meet all types at The Gage! - American Near Me - Marathon, Texas

The food selection is not what it was in July of 2016. Very basic menu - beef and beef and chicken. There was one lamb dish. The tenderloin was prepared beautifully and delicious. The salads were very good and this is where the innovation is. The vegetables were fresh fresh m the hotel garden and perfectly tender, but still maintained their color. Chicken fried steak was delicious and huge as it should be in Texas. Mashed potatoes were yummy. The service was outstanding & the drinks were innovative and so good! Try the strawberry jalapeño lemonade cocktail or the prickly pear margarita (pictured). read more

12 Gage Restaurant - American Near Me - Marathon, Texas

We dined here recently and the restaurant/bar was very clean, nicely decorated, and had very friendly staff! I got the oyster nachos as an appetizer. They were really good!! I lucked out because it seems we got a few extra oysters added on by the chef. So shout out to him/her! I had the buffalo burger as my main entrees, which was delicious!!! My boyfriend got the roasted chicken, which was also good, but he wished he had gotten the burger and ended up eating half of mine haha. I had the burger cooked medium rare. You could taste the mesquite they used to cook it. It was seriously delicious! We also had some cocktails and really enjoyed them! The staff was personable and I appreciated their chipper attitudes! There's not too many places to dine in the area, or at least not that we noticed. I would recommend this spot, but it seems the menu changes up every now and then. I do wish they had more on the menu in terms of options for dinner or just from some of the pictures I see Yelpers post from their experience dining here. They had a very long list of wines and beers! Which is never a bad thing! Check it out! I know you wouldn't regret it. read more

We dined here two nights in a row and we're very pleased with all the dishes we ordered. The service was extremely professional and friendly. Their corn muffins (instead of 'bread') were great. We particular recommend the chicken and the red fish dishes. We did not try their steaks though others nearby seemed to enjoy them. read more

So I will start with the good news. The food is quite good. Good presentation and quality ingredients. Here is the negative. I made reservations for 730 to sit outside. They didn't honor those reservation and put us in a corner then forgot about us. I had to wait an hour between getting our salad/apps and main course. The server avoided us so I searched her out after 45mins. I told her we would like to just skip the main course and settle up now as we had lost our appetites waiting. She told me we would still have to pay in full. So those are the facts. I could talk about vibes but I am not sure so I will just say if you are down you can probably guess. There's a Mexican restaurant down the street we will go to if we are ever there again despite how good the food at 12 Gage is. read more

My daughter and I took a trip to Big Bend, and decided to splurge on one night at the Gage Hotel with supper at the 12 Gage. I can't say enough how amazing our evening was. We ate in the Cantina area of the bar. We'd intended to dine at the restaurant but after having a drink (prickly pear margarita) at the bar, we decided we liked the cozy atmosphere of the cantina. We shared a brisket nachos (huge!) and the pork bellies, both on the appetizer menu. The nachos were so big, we really could have done without the pork bellies, although they were delicious. We finished it off by sharing a Mexican chocolate brownie for dessert. It was a truly wonderful evening and dining experience. read more

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Absolutely fantastic. Small menu, but excellent food. Our waitress Tina was super. I recommend the quail-out of this world. Really all the food is fantastic. read more

This is our second time to the 12 Gage restaurant and we were as impressed tonight as we were 13 years ago on our fist visit! This place is classy western with excellent food, service and ambiance. All the staff were wearing masks (although this was not a concern of ours since we've already had covid). We had drinks at the White Buffalo Bar that were very good. We had made reservations at the 12 Gage so after drinks we went and ate the best steak I've had, maybe ever!? The filet, so tender!!! Also dessert, we were so full but could not pass up our favorite, cream brûlée and also tried the sourdough chocolate cake. Both we so yummy! Thank you to all who made a birthday dinner perfection!! read more

LOVE the 12 Gage!!! We drove over from Fort Davis for dinner and it was well worth the 55 minute drive each way. Everyone enjoyed their meal and the best was the Mexican chocolate cake and ice cream we shared for dessert! read more

Well. Dinner is now at the Holland hotel in Alpine. After an hour wait for food at the 12 gage and 6 tables that ordered after us, including 2 that ordered the same thing we did, we left. So disappointed. Been eating here for years. Never again. Drove an hour to enjoy a meal here. read more

I want to start out by saying the hostess and even bus boy were great! However, the waitress Tina was less then that! We had three small kids and four adults. She was less then personable! Never asked if anyone wanted anything to drink. We finally had to say can we please have drinks for the kids and also us. Then it felt like we were rushed and even had to ask if there was a special. I guess I wouldn't mind but spending $350 and to feel the way we did wasn't the experience we were expecting. To go out to dinner and spend that kind of money is a treat and this was far from it. I live in Alpine first time dining with them and I would definitely not return. read more

Terrific ambience. Next to the Gage Hotel. Attentive server. Terrific salads, roasted chicken, and scallops entree. Nice wine selection, both by bottle and glass. A Texas wine selection, which was also appreciated. Would definitely return. read more

Excellent chicken fried steak! The restaurant (and all of the Gage Hotel) has an upscale Texas vibe, great decor. Wish the restaurant had a daily special that would change in addition to their standard menu. Definitely pricey! read more

12 Gage Restaurant - Chicken fried steak - American Near Me - Marathon, Texas

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Excellent steak dinner and lovely Cabernet. Followed by delicious chocolate ice cream with hot fudge sauce. Elegant western dining room. Perfect service! read more

Genius! The French fries come in a little, hot cast iron skillet so they stay hot while you eat. Buffalo/elk meatloaf and pork chop Milanese were both delicious. They let us take our unfinished bottle of wine (Becker Vineyards!) back to our room. Great atmosphere, warm service. The Caesar salad looked amazing at adjoining table. read more

12 Gage Restaurant - Our roasted cauliflower appetizer was almost too pretty to eat! - American Near Me - Marathon, Texas