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

Fun treat after a day at Big Bend. Only reason for 4 stars... When asking server for recommendations... She suggested the most expensive things on the menu. Bartender made a special spicy Mango Margarita. Food excellent. Fun times. read more

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Pricey!!! It was the only restaurant in town open on a Sunday evening. The food was very good. The potions are on the smaller side but was cooked to perfection and very flavorful! I had the roasted chicken and my husband had the steak tacos. Next time we're in the area we're going to check out the bar area. read more

Great atmosphere, staff was warm and friendly. Ribeye was excellent. Would definitely recommend

We stayed at The Gage for Christmas week and had 2 reservations here; one for the night we arrived and one for Christmas dinner. This is an upscale restaurant and the atmosphere and service are great but the food is just marginal. I had the steak. For $51, it was mediocre at best. The accompanying sautéed spinach was so salty, it was inedible (and I usually salt my food). The meatloaf was ok, but nothing you'd come back for. We canceled our Christmas reservations and went to a local pizza place. I am happy to pay for quality food. This just wasn't it. read more

This place is FABULOUS. The food, setting, and service are all like nothing you would expect in the "middle of nowhere". If you find yourself in the area, definitely stop for dinner. I've had the pleasure of having dinner her half a dozen times in the last year and the service and food have always been top notch. I celebrated my wedding at the Gage Hotel (the hotel attached to the restaurant) and part of the reason I chose it as my venue was that I knew the food served would be excellent. And I was not disappointed -- guests raved. I was so happy. (I enjoyed it too! Rumors that brides never get to eat at their own wedding?? Wasn't going to happen here! So so good.) Really everything I have had there is wonderful, but I would definitely recommend the tenderloin (smoked, if it's available) and save room for the chocolate bread pudding for dessert! Soooooo good. Coming to West Texas? Looking for a reason to? Remember this place! PS -- oh yeah, how could I forget the margaritas??!! They are superb! read more

First time and will be back again. Ordered the Gage prickly pear rose wine, empanadas for the appetizer, and the roast chicken and antelope for the main dishes. All of it was awesome: great flavor and hearty portion sizes. Pricey yes, but good value for the quality and quantity of food. Great ambiance as well. read more

12 Gage Restaurant - Roast chicken - American Near Me - Marathon, Texas

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I have mixed feelings about this place. Food is good, service was alright. Not the best in my opinion but Marathon has limited food options. I don't mind paying the price what bothers me is the service.. Maybe they're not used to seeing a lot of brown people..? I've been 2 years in a row and I feel that way every time I'm there. Beautiful place. Food is good. A little overpriced.. Service is meh, drinks are meh. Make sure to make reservations ahead of time! read more

This was a huge disappointment to us. I'd heard how wonderful the restaurant is, and we were looking forward to our meal. Cocktails were good - so we were happy as we started our evening. And our salads were also fine - I had one with roasted beets that was wonderful. We ordered the chicken fried steak to share, curious about how the chef would handle this Texas classic. Not well, it turns out. The breading was tough and not at all crispy. It seemed like it was baked rather than fried as it had grill marks on it, but more like it had been warming in the oven on a rack. Very strange. The steak itself was ok - but nothing special. What a disappointment. read more

What a strange experience. We had heard about the Gage Hotel for at least 30 years, but had never been to Marathon. We finally spent a week in the area, making a lovely vacation rental just outside Alpine our home away from home. So our second afternoon here I called to make reservations and to inquire if they would let us bring our 2 chihuahua mixes and dine on the patio. No problem, I was told. Then she added that they were totally booked at 7 pm but they had open reservations at 6:40 and 7:20. I found that surprising for a Wednesday night in the middle of October, but signed up for the 7:40 time. We arrived around 6:45 to check out the hotel grounds and to have a drink at the also-famous White Buffalo Bar. The patio for both the bar and the restaurant is located between the two and we were able to choose just about any table we wanted, since there were only three tables occupied out of maybe 20 total (I'm operating on memory here). Thinking we would probably get kicked out of our table when the big rush at the "totally booked" 7pm time slot came long, I asked if we could change our reservation to a later time. The clerk at the restaurant desk actually got the book out to check, after asking me if 7:40 would work. Before I could respond a waiter came up and said we could sit anywhere we wanted, that the patio wouldn't be full. Say what? So why couldn't we make a reservation for 7pm?? The staff was wonderful to us and our pups, who were put on a blanket we brought so they could chew their bones. The waiters and waitresses were very attentive and friendly. But the food! Ay yi yi! We live in Austin, so we know from overpriced, overrated food. We were expecting the Gage to be expensive, but this was crazy. $24 for a plate of mussels? A chicken fried steak costs three times more than ANYwhere else. But we're on vacation and weren't going to care about prices. We were able to order food off both the bar restaurant menus, which was nice, since I'm an appetizer kind of eater and Randy likes his entrees. We ordered the crab, shrimp and avocado ceviche as an appetizer. It came out on a small white bowl surrounded by tortilla chips. We thought it was salsa. But nope, it was a limey tomato sauce with lots of crab, very little shrimp, which was cut into tiny pieces, and maybe five tiny pieces of avocado. I could elaborate more on that dish alone, but this review is long enough already. The restaurant serves a basket of small complimentary jalapeño cornbreads and tiny slices of bread that was delicious, although the green butter tasted like whipped margarine. Randy ordered the New York Strip steak, which was cooked rare to perfection. His vegetable sides were also excellent. And very overpriced for what it was. But my brisket tacos with the cucumber slaw - yikes! They were waaaay too small for the $14 price, and the tough, dry meat was stacked too high for the 2.5-inch corn tortilla. The meat also badly needed salt and other seasonings. So I ate one and got a to-go box for the other two. Not sure why I bothered, since we ended up throwing them out anyway. Didn't even want our pups to gag on them. So why didn't I complain? Frankly, I didn't want to look like some snobby Austinite, of which many abound (is that a grammatically correct sentence?). We'll never be back and tourists will always eat at the Gage. Just don't say you weren't warned. 2 stars for great ambience and tasty, but mostly alcohol-free craft cocktails. I only had one "Gage Ghost," but maybe they knew I was going to drive back to Alpine and didn't bother adding tequila. Hey, I can always handle ONE restaurant drink! read more

The quail and the pork tenderloin were really good. Can't go wrong with the food. Service not so much. They pulled the do you have a reservation thing. And there was maybe 10% of the restaurant occupied. I asked if that would be a problem and she said yes this is when we get busy. But she reluctantly sat us. They never got even half way full while we were there.. Then the waitress was a bit inattentive. But the real kicker is the drink I got. Ordered a Manhattan. Tasted great but I think the waitress spilled half of it on the way to the table. When you server a drink in a martini glass and it only half full you did something wrong. read more

12 Gage Restaurant - Half full Manhattan as it was served. Hope it half price. - American Near Me - Marathon, Texas

Wife and I had no other option on a Sunday night since no other restaurants open! As primarily veg and chicken/seafood eaters, we were not impressed by the options on paper. But everything turned out damn damn good. And I say this as someone used to the Austin fine dining scene. These people running the show deserve a standing ovation. Food was prepared to perfection, presented well and tasted phenomenal in a very subtle way. Miguel - our host was terrific. Kind, friendly and very patient. Made good recommendations, checked on us in a perfectly timed fashion and was just super super nice. Can't appreciate him enough. Must-check-this-place-out! Deserves 5 stars twice! read more

Couldn't visit this area without a stop at this restaurant. Again it was spectacular. Elk Tenderloin was amazing, our server was Jeramie and he was excellent. We love this place. We are Making a stop here part of our annual holiday traditions. read more

The Gage has a new chef and he is fantastic! Being married to a chef myself, I have been known to be a bit picky. However, I was happy as a clam through our entire anniversary dinner at The Gage. We had a wonderful blue crab appetizer, delicious short ribs and veal for our entrees and some decadent desserts! I highly recommend the Date Cake for dessert (if you manage to save room). As always the atmosphere is top notch and the service was attentive but not intrusive. Whether for a special occasion or just to treat yourself, I would definitely recommend The Gage! read more

The food and service were excellent. I ordered the meatloaf and was very impressed. We also had the chicken fried steak which was also very good. The restaurant was located in the very cool Gage hotel. read more

The food is delicious. Highly skilled chef creates a changing menu with varying ingredients (often some wild game) and executed very well. The price is a little steep however considering the location, (Marathon, TX out in the middle of nowhere), the entire experience is fantastic. If you see quail on the menu, I highly recommend it. read more

The chicken fried steak makes my mouth water just writing about it. Beautiful restaurant and the outdoor dining was spectacular. The waiter was top notch (Jeramie) and the outdoor music was very nice. The bar with the white buffalo was unique. I just loved this place. read more

12 Gage Restaurant - American Near Me - Marathon, Texas

When visiting Big Bend National Park, be sure to allow some time for a dinner at the 12 Gage Restaurant in Marathon. The food was excellent. One of the best steak dinners I have ever had. Prices are a little above average, but the portion sizes more than make up for this. read more

Amazing service, amazing food! Our server (Trey?). It was the day before his last day (before he quit) and you wouldn't have known it. He was prompt, he was funny, and he was very attentive. Not near what you'd expect from a guy who was leaving the service industry to move on to something else. But the food... best chicken-fried steak ever! Drinks were great! Everything was great. Pricey, but well worth it. read more

We made a reservation, showed up on time, and had to wait over an hour to get our food. They weren't busy, and we had driven over 30 minutes to get there for a birthday dinner for a party of 3. Tables that got seated after us, got their food before us. The manager was good, she comped our meal, but we will not go back. It's too expensive to have that happen. read more

Sensational filet mignon, one of the best we can remember having. Cooked perfectly to medium rare as requested. Appetisers we had the poblano pepper soup and the shrimp cocktail, the shrimp was ok, soup was better. Desert was crème brûlée and the brownie - both pretty good. They had a lovely aged tawny port which you don't often come across. Had two cocktails which were both pretty average. read more

great food and service, I had the filet and the wife had the salmon, everything was excellent a bit pricey but it was worth it. the fresh vegies were phenomenal. read more

12 Gage Restaurant - filet and salmon, great stuff - American Near Me - Marathon, Texas

I am always extremely impressed with this restaurant. I have eaten here many times and I can always say that I am never disappointed. The people there are extremely friendly as if you have known them forever.The building is beautiful and I am always amazed with the history behind it. I would definitely recommend the southwest Cesar Salad and the amazing experience that comes with it. read more

Wonderful environment and excellent food. The drinks are professionally mixed properly by and experienced bartender. We will eat here again soon! read more

I am surprised with the food after such glowing reviews on Yelp. We were there on Monday night and although the staff were nice to sit us in the main restaurant as the bar was packed, both our meals were below average. I was recommended the burger and it was pretty much a disappointment. You will be better off having a good home made pizza at Big Bend Pizza down the road - way better in quality and taste. read more

We had an amazing experience at this restaurant. The manager was beyond accommodating when there was a mix up with our wine order which resulted in our bill to come out a lot more than expected. Also we couldn't have asked for a better attitude from the manager and staff who were extremely friendly. On top of that, the meal itself was sensational. I highly recommend the beef! I can't wait to pay a visit again someday soon. Thank you! read more

Definitely make a reservation ahead of time, because this place is popular. The service is good, and it's nice that they have live music. We ordered the crab cakes, which were surprised good for Texas! It had a yummy side salad with orange slices and pomegranate seeds. They serve you mini cornbread, and it had bits of jalepeno in it which is much better than the standard dinner rolls. The ribeye is by far their best entree. I like that their menu is seasonal. If I come back to Big Bend, I will make a stop here again and try something else! read more

we order 4 steaks and they were all over cooked. Order extremely rare if you expected medium. Food took forever to arrive and tables sat after us were served first. Food was brought out at different times. disappointing experience. Waiter was polite so unclear if it was him or the kitchen that botched this order so badly. read more

On October 13 I made a "Birthday Dinner" reservation. Upon arrival the fact it was a Birthday was acknowledged. There was never another Birthday recognition. You would think they could have at least a candle or a song when they brought my $124.00 dinner for two check. Chuck S. read more

We normally love this place but our last visit was not so good. For some reason the ribeye has been removed from the menu. The server, a really nice woman named Cheryl, I think, steered us to the NY strip saying we would not be disappointed. Well, we were. It was pretty tough and tasteless and at $49, we won't be ordering it again. Other than that it was delicious. We will call first to see if the ribeye has returned before going back. read more

Food was just ok. The filet was cooked perfectly though. Mixed drinks weren't crafted well, bread was cold, quail legs were cold with no sauce. A little underwhelming but the only nice place around. read more

Enjoyed a perfect meal last night and great service! Both my husband and I ordered beef entrees (different cuts) and both were prepared exactly as requested. Fork tender and flavorful, the steaks were some of the best we've ever had. It was a special occasion and they sure treated us as such. Thoroughly enjoyed the 12 Gage. read more

Very good service received during my early December visit. The starter salad was my favorite - inventive and flavorful. Plan for at least 30 minutes to walk across the RR tracks, through the nearby Gage Gardens and back. read more

Wow! That about sums it up. We were'nt prepared to be overly billed for the food. I doubt we could've ever truly been. Simply the smallest portions ever. Definitely dont go there to satisfy your appetite. The main courses were barely in the appetizer range. The taste was not even satisfying. Decor was marginal. Coffee was old. Too much silverware on the table. The menu itself is bigger then the servings you'll recieve and probably taste better. The menu has some great sounding dishes though. I usually really enjoy new experiences but this was so embarrassing for me and my daughter. The restraunt food at Big Bend was so much the better and thats s fact. Seems fellow patrons were trying to hide their own astonishments and just try to enjoy their own disappointments. It was really a bad choice on my part. I had a better experience fighting my way through the blizzard effects of Goliath through Texas in Dec. 26/27,2015 on my way to Big Bend! read more

What a disappointment- from the food splattered wall besides our table to the horrible waitress. $20 for a small bowl of tomato pasta or a $25 4oz red deer steak .... So so let down read more

This restaurant is in a really neat historic hotel and grounds are lovely. Ambiance was great, food was pretty and service decent, but I was not at all excited about the food. The salmon was $24 and I have had better from Outback and other chains. Other menu items I tried from my friends were meh and prices were WAY too high considering quality. Stick to appetizers and drinks, food was disappointing, especially for $120 tab. read more

It would be difficult to find a worse meal. Granted, "the regular chef was not working tonight" (that was my wife's intuition, which proved true), but one would think that a restaurant with this reputation (not to mention prices!!) would ensure that a substitute chef would be at least competent. The inedible strawberries in my beets in my roasted beet salad had an actual crust of salt over them. The beets were probably boiled, not baked. The mashed potatoes were oversalted, as well as the roast chicken and most of the other things our party of four ordered. My friend ordered medium-rare lamb chops. The first time they were brought to the table, they were very well-done. Next time, they were so uncooked, they were bluish inside. We sent them back again for the third time, and instead of cooking them, all they did was cut them in half, and returned them,still uncooked. We gave up! The restaurant offered no apologies. They deducted the one meal from the bill, but hardly even acknowledged the problem. The staff was not unpleasant; they were probably embarrassed. But then again, the restaurant pretty much has a captive audience in this town. This is probably the first one star restaurant review I have written. read more

First, I'll start by saying the Marathon and the Gage Hotel are a great experience and well worth the visit. Regarding 12 Gage, the food was very good but service was a bit lacking. My wife and I both started with the soup of the day, a poblano and potato. It was very good and I'd highly recommend. It was a bit on the spicy side which we really like, but they probably needed a heads up on that for people who can't handle spicy. The entrees were also very good - I had the salmon and my wife had a salad with chicken. The wine selection was good, but the mark-up was on the high end of the range, but not crazy. The service turned out to be attentive, with the exception of refilling the wine glasses. Some places overdo that, but here they didn't after the initial pour. I may have rated a 5, but they failed to seat us for 20 minutes after our reservation time and we were 10 minutes early. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt as an honest mistake on a busy night, but unlike baseball, strike two and I would likely not go back and take a cheaper option and save fine dining for when I return home to Houston! read more

This is a beautiful place to eat. The atmosphere is romantic. The air holds the smell of the desert. The food is incredible. Excellent service. The fireside guitar makes you feel like your in a dream. What a special place. This is a treasure in south Texas. I highly recommend staying at the Gage hotel and spending you dinners at the 12 Gage Restaurant. read more

I've enjoyed several trips to The Gage, but have yet to write a review. Tonight's New Year's Eve visit warrants a stellar review for sure. My fiance and I braved an ice storm and drove sideways from Midland, Tx to Marathon. Tx for a special New Year's Eve dinner. The wild trek was worthy and the dinner proved to be the best we've had at The Gage yet. We've enjoyed the seasonal offerings at the hotel's restaurant, but the NYE dinner really showed the chef's creativity and was prepared beyond the Chicken Fried standards of West Tx. Foie Gras, Lobster, Sweetbreads, Axis Deer, Creme Brouille: the menu sounded a bit pretentious for West Tx locals, but the thoughtfully prepared dishes were well balanced and appealed to all (from 'foodie' to passerby). The atmosphere throughout our stay was awesome. The wait staff is great, and the White Buffalo Bar yields some great drinks. I'd suggest this hotel / restaurant to anyone passing through, or living in, a ~200 mile radius. It's worth the trek, Big Bend is down the road, and the food is fantastic. Go for it. Really. read more