We were really excited to try Tantra, but I don't think we'll be back. Super hipster vibe at the counter, with staff caring more about talking to people they know than making drinks. My iced tea took 10+ minutes. Leaving earlier than we would have because of the damn bass, thudding music the whole time we've been here. Can't have a damn thought, have a conversation, or read the book I brought. I thought we were at a coffeeshop not a club. I guess I was wrong. Won't be back. H to the izzo, as I'm hearing from the oversized speaker right now.... read more

The espresso is nutty, rich, and provides the perfect touch of bitterness. The locale is centralized and convenient. The thoughtful employees take pride in their craft and help make this place more than just a coffee shop. It is a venue that exudes positivity as well as a wide array of music: from INXS to modern Hip-Hop and everything in between. Grab a mini pitcher and kick back! read more

What a nice place to enjoy a cup of coffee in a college town. I came to visit my little sister in San Marcos and had to start the day with a strong cup of coffee. I had a delicious breakfast taco and a cup of the Billy Goat Blend. The staff was super sweet and helpful. This was a great place to start the day. read more

Cute shop, but their americanos have tasted burnt every time I've gotten them. At least 3 or 4 times. It's a bummer cause it has a good atmosphere and friendly employees. read more

I really enjoy this laid back coffee spot, their live music and family friendly atmosphere is unique and inspiring. My teenagers love for us to take them to hear music, look at art or just hang out and play a game. Great spot year round but we enjoy winter Saturday nights the best, it's a little escape. Warm drinks are great, my kids like smoothies, good wine and the food is pretty good too! read more

$5. Dollars later....I didn't like my cafe mocha, I dumped it out. Tasted like prunes and no whipped cream! I'll stick with Starbucks...

Fun place! Love hangin' out here Wednesday evenings for bluegrass music. They've always got something going on. Their spiced cocoa hot toddies are magical. read more

Had some great coffee and an absolutely delicious breakfast burrito (all of which were made vegan per our request). The layout of the restaurant is amazing, wishing I could see the stage being used and catch a show here too read more

For San Marcos I really like this place. Good food, coffee is good, fun amount of seething. Only real complaint I have is that it gets pretty warm in there. Ill be back for a quit place to study, but only in the mornings. read more

I really love the vibe this place has. The coffee was delicious. I got a latte with almond milk and I didn't have to add anything to it. So deliciousZ I highly recommend their breakfast tacos. Flour tortilla, potatoes, black beans, I even requested avocado and it was fresh! Not packaged. Reminds me of a coffee shop in Nola, wish the HEB wasn't right in front but it's still SO nice. Looking forward to going back :) read more

I love this place. It's constantly changing (almost always for the better). Cool and quiet environment during the day. Happy minutes deliver wonderful beer prices and a fun crowd. Wednesday nights are always well worth it with live bluegrass outside. Great scene. read more

Great place! My husband and I went in for a quick coffee and stayed to talk with the baristas for about 20 minutes. They were very knowledgeable about the coffee and fun to talk to. I got the Cacaowie Wowie over ice which is like a Mexican mocha. Very tasty! The espresso has a great flavor and the drink was the perfect amount of sweetness. My husband got a peppermint tea and was very pleased at how fresh and strong the tea tasted. If you are in the area I would say it is worth stopping by! read more

Nothing better than a beer @ 6pm with friends. Second best, weekend coffee by your self.

My allegiance has always lain with another SM coffeehouse but Tantra is quickly winning me over. That tempeh! Those mini minutes! The baristas are always friendly and greet you with a smile, and I've been finding myself spending more and more time here. Good on you, San Marcos, for having so many rockin' coffeehouses. read more

love the atmosphere, great organic food, breakfast and lunch! and can't help but run by for some hot tea before classes. great place to meet with a study group! unless an event is going on outside... it can be quite distracting but always a fun break from the books! read more

good latte: check good snack: check plenty of seating: check decent ambiance: check friendly barista: check not Starbucks: check I thought Tantra was pretty cool and plan to come back when I'm in San Marcos. read more

This place is a very awesome hang out spot for whenever you want a litle bit of a different flavor. The inside of this coffee house has a very homely feeling to it. The 'treats' are excellllennnnttt and the coffee is great. I usually get something thath as irish creme in it. Its a very affordable place! read more

Must try the Migas taco, it is so delicious! (with the homemade spicy redhead salsa)

Tantra is chill and has GREAT drinks~ love the atmosphere. Some of the chairs are really not comfortable, but that's why I try and snag one of the couches! haha! read more

Great food and cafe style drinks. Was a bit busy so service was not the best. I would recommend this place to people looking for a super casual brunch. read more

Good food, but we wish they offered egg whites with breakfast sammiches! They said they couldn't because they pre make all of the eggs, which I understand, but then right next to the register is a sign stating to please be patient because they cook everything fresh and nothing is pre-made. I thought it was kinda funny. The food was pretty awesome though! read more

Great little spot, with (limited) parking out back. Hot chocolate was great. Looks like they have a nice selection of drinks, and some food too. Big student hangout, but you don't have to be a student to visit. read more

The service is hit or miss, but generally pleasant and acceptable. The vibe varies from chill hippie/hipster locals, to cranky college kids looking to immerse themselves in their newfound foreign habitat and to fit right in damnit. It's a cool little joint with an excellent menu and bearable prices. Bring your Austin friends. read more

Great place to relax and have a coffee or beer and a quick bite to eat. More than fair prices and very dog friendly! A more than a bit hipster but if that's your thing or it doesn't bother you then it's a great place. read more

Love this place. I've been coming here for 2 years and will definitely miss this place when I graduate and move out of the city. The food and coffee are great, and I love that Tantra offers maté drinks as well. What's also cool is the "mini minutes", which is when mini pitchers of beer are discounted. Overall welcoming vibe. read more

I love Tantra, but mostly because this is a great place to work and study. It has a great cozy vibe and most of the drinks are pretty good, including simpler ones like the limonada. The staff is always super nice and the food that I have had is pretty good for what I consider to be a coffee shop. Only con is that there is not being a ton of seating but that's also kind of why I go there. Not a ton of people and a pretty quiet place most of the time. Live music isn't bad and if you're looking for a pretty low key scene, you can't really hear the music inside. Great place to meet up with friends. read more

Great mini minutes special, bluegrass night is a cool thing they put on as well as the occasional show. Drinks are good (the busy bee is nice on a hot day), food is fine. read more

This place is okay. It's not the holy grail of san marcos coffee houses. I personally feel this place has an air of pretentiousness around it. Some love it but it's just not for me. read more

I was at a friend's party pretty late, south of San Marcos, and faced a long drive home. I asked if she knew of a coffee place, and she said, "Welll, there's a Starbuck's at the next exit..." while making a face. We said, pretty much together, "Not Starbucks." I suggested I'd go get a cup of vile gas station brew, and my friends said, "Wait, you should go to Tantra!" They gave me some fairly simple directions and off I went. Which is how I ended up being That Person, who walks in bare minutes before close. I apologised for being That Person (I don't like to do that to servers and staff, you know?) and explained that I just needed a coffee to go, for a long drive, and the barista said, "Oh, I'm out of drip, let me make you an Americano." He was friendly and helpful, and the coffee was super-tasty! They participate in the 'Go Local' program, and we chatted about hippies and shows and coffee while he made my drink. Was it the OH MY GOD BEST COFFEE I HAVE EVER HAD? No, of course not. It was a tasty cup of coffee served in a courteous and professional manner by a friendly and cheerful barista, which in my book counts as a solidly positive experience. Also, their cookies are good. read more

I tried out this place a few times about a year ago and the service was just so horrible! The staff was incredibly rude and stuck up. I was pretty upset because it seemed to be a cool place, but I stopped going. Well, recently a friend of mine convinced me to give it another shot because she always received great service, and I'm glad I did. The staff was very nice. I'll definitely be going back with the hopes that the service stays pleasant, and maybe then it'll be a five star review. read more

This place is pretty. The fountains and whatnot, the historic building, all great. This review is based on my one and only visit around early February, 2014. I stopped in one morning on the way to class because I hadn't had time to brew my own coffee at home. I was also starving and need a bit of brain fuel, so I thought I'd give this place a try since it was on the way to campus. Coffee was fine. Coffee price was tolerable. I spent most of my time there scanning the menu for SOMETHING reasonably priced, food-wise. I just wanted a little bite. Maybe I am spoiled, having moved to San Marcos from San Antonio where tacos of all kinds are literally on every corner and darn near a "dime a dozen", but yikes on the prices! I ended up paying about $3 for a single small black bean and cheese taco. The kind of taco that would have been 2 for $1 in about a jillion places in SA, or maybe a whopping $1.70 at a sit down place. Flavorless beans. Basic sustenance, I guess... but to me, everything (food wise) seemed priced high. I would have opted for a bagel or a scone but those were even more than the taco! Even the much loathed Pacific NW coffee chain doesn't price their muffins and such that high, and they are high on everything. So, too spendy for me. I might return for coffee from time to time but not going to show up hungry there, not while I remain on a student's budget anyway. read more

Be sure to come tuesday nights for bluegrass and mini pitcher deals! I really like this place to bring friends from out of town or to hang out with those I know here. The service stafff is real friendly and quick to make your order. I love that they showcase local artisans on the walls as well. Parking can be difficult sometimes, but you usually don't have to walk too far. read more

Awesome hummus and an impressive veggie breakfast taco. Customer service goes the extra mile when this happens: I ordered a Chardonnay and the guy who waited on me asked if it was good because he felt it might be better if he opened a new bottle. Wow! read more

It's refreshing to have a place like this in a town that is otherwise a bit homogenous. I saw Doug Stanhope here, which was awesome. I played at the open mic night once. I usually saw cool people there and enjoyed studying on the comfy sofas inside. read more

BEST COFFEE SHOP IN TOWN. If you're choosing between this and Wake The Dead, definitely go with Tantra. Amazing environment, founded on strengthening the community and local economy, outstanding staff, great selection. While Wake The Dead is expressively Anti-Tantra, Tantra promotes the chill vibes that draw people to a coffee shop in the first place. Love it here, love the people, definitely the place to go. read more

I met a friend for coffee here. It was certainly a neat, eccentric place. Clearly by it's magenta colored outside walls, it has much character. The pricing is also nice however some of the people it draws are questionable. read more

First and only experience here. Watered down latte for $6 that took 40 minutes with only three people in line. Only have them 2 stars because the art and patio are awsome. read more

Such a great spot to catch a band and a turkey sandwich with a great beer, tea, or coffee. I make the trip out to SM whenever I can just for this place. read more

My AmeriCorps team and I just moved into San Marcos on Friday and we'll be living here for 13 weeks. I found your coffee house here on Yelp and brought the team with me today. We all loved it. Great atmosphere and the food/coffee was great. I ordered the tacos del cielo and they were great along with my drip coffee w/ soy. It is sometimes very hard to find a little cafe that meets my dietary needs and I'm glad you succeeded them. The staff was very friendly and often checked on our team asking if we needed anything else. You will definitely be seeing us these next few months and we hope to make it for a music night! read more

Great coffee, great vibe, and great people. I highly recommend Tantra to anyone who wants to spend some time studying or wants some killer coffee. This coffee is high quality specialty grade. read more