Brick Vault Brewery and Barbecue-Marathon

Thoroughly enjoyed the Brick Vault. Tons of flavor across the board as far as the smoked meats go (I didn’t get any sides). I also tried one of their in-house light lagers and it was crisp and refreshing. It’s about 55 miles down the road for us, but it’ll be a regular stop from now on. Make sure to make the stop if you’re around!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5) Visited Brick Vault Brewery and Barbecue in Marathon, Texas this past weekend, and overall it’s a solid stop—especially considering how remote the location is. The brisket was quite good—well cooked with solid flavor. The turkey was also nicely done and moist. Pulled pork was decent and enjoyable. We tried several sides as well: the mac and cheese with green chile was okay but could benefit from more sharpness in the cheese or a little more pop from the chile. The green beans were very basic, served with mushrooms—fine, but nothing memorable. We also sampled the sausage, which had good flavor but leaned a bit dry. I had a couple of their house beers. One of their Kölsch-style beers was clean, simple, and well-balanced with a nice body—very drinkable. I also tried their Vienna lager, which wasn’t quite my preference; it leaned a little too malty for my taste, though others may enjoy that style. Atmosphere-wise, it’s a cool, casual spot—perfect for lunch or an early dinner. Pricing is very reasonable, especially for barbecue in such a remote West Texas location. Overall, it’s a place I’d recommend stopping into if you’re passing through Marathon or using the area as a base for Big Bend. Not life-changing barbecue, but solid execution, fair prices, and worth the visit!!!

Excellent BBQ and brewery spot! Brisket was perfect and the Mac n cheese side was awesome. Beers on tap were great and the price per beer is exceptionally reasonable. Highly recommend this place.

Wow, everything about this place was great! It was my first time and the employees were really nice and helped me through the menu that each meat in the “combo” section weighs to about 1/4 pound. So, I got a 3 meat + 2 sides with 1/2 brisket and 1/4 jalapeno cheese sausage with some elote and green cabbage slaw. Excellent service and excellent food with amazing BBQ. I’m from Austin but I will definitely drive down here again just to eat from here one more time! P.S. the peach cobbler with ice cream is also DIVINE!

Excellent food and lovely vibe. Stopped off for a quick lunch driving back from Big Bend and so glad we did! We had the sausage, pulled pork, brisket and ribs and sides of beans, elote, potato salad and mac n cheese. All tasty, highlights were the pulled pork, brisket and elote. Looked like a great selection of beers although we didn’t sample as driving. Sat outside in the courtyard which was lovely and had tables in sun and in shade. Recommend!

Not Cheap but worth every penny. I had the 2 meat and was recommended the sausage and brisket, both excellent. My wife had the 1 meat ribs with Elote and mac n cheese for her 2 sides, I went classic cole slaw and potato salad and all the sides were excellent. Just stopped passing through and with we could eat here again.

A bit out of the way, but worth it! This is a brewery and BBQ joint. It's a nice concept, but with a smaller establishment I didn't feel it worked. Bbq joints often are trying to get people in and out quickly due to crowds, while bars/breweries try to keep people in longer. This place is on the smaller side, and when we arrived there were a lot of people there to drink with very few tables to eat at. Outside seating is available, but with the high winds and dust that day it wasn't feasible. Food - family and I had the brisket, regular sausage, turkey, brown sugar glazed carrots and green Chile Mac and cheese. All of it was fantastic. Those carrots were amazing. We ordered a to-go cup. I felt the brisket was lacking some seasoning that day, but I won't hold it against them. It happens. Won't fault them.

The Brisket was a little dry and I could not taste the green chilies in the Mac & cheese. Overall the pulled pork was fantastic as was the jalapeno cheddar sausage. Not to mention the Cole slaw and potato salad were delicious. Great experience. Great atmosphere

Brick Vault Brewery & Barbecue Marathon Texas Quail Pale Ale & Pecan Porter Chile Mac & Cheese Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage Every bit & drop was outstanding

A perfect place to stop after hiking at Big Bend before the long drive home. Very nice guys cutting the BBQ, serving sides, and running the register. Great open and clean place, bathroom's small and wonky, but so much charm that it's easy to overlook. The turkey was good, both sides (mac & elote) were also okay. Next time I'll try the brisket and beans.

We had all side dishes. Beans, jalapeño Mac and cheese, loaded mashed potatoes, slaw, and street corn. We also had peach cobbler and banana pudding. It was like having a buffet. A taste of everything. We lived the food. We sat outside on the patio in the sun. But, they have nice indoor seating. We got our food quickly. Price was very reasonable.

Crazy hard hours, but the food is pretty darn good as are the folks working there. Got there about 15 minutes before opening and decided to stand in line once people started showing up. I was maybe #3 out of a couple dozen, but by the time we were finished eating - no line! So the pro-tip is to just come a 1/2 hour after opening. There's not a lot of lunch options around, so that likely makes it more popular. In a busy season (we were in mid-February), no big deal. Make adjustments if you have arrived in a heavy holiday season. I had the Vaquero sandwich. I didn't want to eat a ton, just sample. It was a great tasting sandwich. It had brisket and a jalapeno sausage. The brisket was good, solidly the reason Texas Monthly gave them an Honerable Mention (high praise) but I liked the Jalapeno-Cheddar sausage that was also in it even better. Came with chips. I also ordered a side of charro beans that were fantastic. They have two BBQ sauces. I sampled both, but liked the darker one. Sorry, didn't come named! The inside had a few tables that were scattered around the two garage bays. However, we sat outside because it was such a nice winter day. I highly recommend outside if you don't get scorched.

Marathon is a gem of a town comprised of little gems, and this is yet another one on that list. Adorable inside and out. The food is outstanding and the portions are generous. I love love loooved that Mac & cheese! Had to take some of my sandwich home but that just means I can enjoy it another round. I grabbed a beer on the way out (their pale ale) and it was very good! Service was great. Stop by next time you're in town!

Outdoor seating with live music and a full bar with on-tap beers makes for a perfect afternoon setting. The BBQ is quite tasty - we split the pulled pork and turkey. The turkey was surprisingly flavorful and the pulled pork was decent as well. We split sides of coleslaw and corn elote in a bowl. Definitely skip the elote, but the slaw was also decent. I can't say this is close to the best BBQ in TX, but it is definitely a top pick in Marathon and a pleasant space to spend time, enjoy music, and enjoy a post/pre-Big Bend dinner.

Very nice, very chill atmosphere. The Cantelope Radler is amazing! Great food, great prices. Highly recommend.

Solid barbecue at a good price. We got the 2 meat 2 side plate and split it. Eloye was good, less mayo-ey and with plenty of lime and cotija. Borracho beans were good with chunks of green chile. Counter service was quick, cool merch with hats and shirts. Bar had collections of beers on tap. We had the banquet and the hazy. Very low key place but worth eating at in marathon.

Add this one place into Big Bend National park trip itinerary. The meats were well smoked with a nice pepper bite, the BBQ sauce while not needed to enjoy their smoked treats was a great compliment to them. The beers were fantastic as well, if I could've brought a junior their Amber home I would have. Will be planning to arrive to Big Bend after this place is open on the way in so I can have it twice on my next excursion to and from the park.

we ordered brisket and got spare ribs. the glazed carrots were horrible. never had bad glazed carrots before. They were out of the pinto beans. ambience and bear was good but rest was not.

Must stop, if you're in Marathon Texas. Best Brisket in this area, especially after a long day of hiking at Big Bend. The edges are perfectly done and the meat is so tender. You have to get it and also loved the jalapeno cheddar sausage. As a bonus, grab some of the two bbq sauces to try, free potato bread, pickled onions, jalapeños! The service is quick, prices are fair and staff is very hospitable.

Popped in during a Marathon pub crawl, and we were not disappointed. The microbrew was outstanding, the service was excellent (thanks Giselle!), and the barbecue was better than average. It absolutely hit the spot partnered with the beer. The place has a good, laidback vibe, and is the perfect place to take a load off in a small town. Great concept guys, and good job.

I had the CPO sandwich with slaw and pulled pork. It was good but I was surprised how much it cost given the portion size. Friendly service. But I wish they would stop using single-use plastic cups to serve non-alcoholic drinks. Seems completely out of place in a quaint spot like Marathon , TX which is also a gateway to the Big Bend National Park.

Brisket 7.5/10 cooked to perfection, it just fell apart, not too much smoke. A bit too much fat on top Jalapeño sausage 8/10 tons of flavor, great balance of heat and tons of cheese Ribs 8/10 peppery, fell off the bone, not too much smoke Mac&cheese 5/10 - a little watery, not a ton of flavor Cole slaw 8/10 - tart and fresh and bright flavors. Might need a pinch of salt to balance it out

Food was absolutely amazing! Loved the homemade bread also. Great food, great atmosphere and great beer- can't beat it.

Omg this place is awesome Great brisket And slaw And green chili Mac and cheese Fantastic

We arrived after 7:30, and the brisket was sold out. I settled for the pork spare ribs with mac-n-cheese & slaw. The ribs were good- fall off the bone. The mac-n-cheese was watery to me. I liked the slaw though, and should've gotten two orders of it. I needed more veggies in my life. The service was lackluster from the younger workers, but the gentleman was more friendly.

We live in Alpine and have always enjoyed eating at The Brick Vault since it opened, however, we had lunch there today and my husband was appalled at the amount of meat he received. He has always received three ribs when he ordered his one meat dish and this time he was given two. Being a rib, most of it is bone and not a lot of meat. He used his credit card and the cheapest tip was 18%. The servers put the meal on the tray, we carried it to the table, got the sauce to put on the meat, filled our own water glasses, picked up our own silverware, and cleared off the tray (you eat off of paper) in the trash can and stacked our tray when done with the clean up. Around $19 total for lunch. I have always steered visitors who have asked me for lunch and dinner suggestions to the Brick but I won't be doing that again. And, we won't be going back for lunch again either.

I had a turkey sandwich and coleslaw. Hubs had a brisket plate with German potato salad and borracho beans. The sandwich was great. The brisket was great. The coleslaw was too bland for me. The "warm" potato salad was not, and the potatoes were hard. The beans were firm and not hot, although had good flavor. Pickles, onions and peppers were supposed to come with the plate. The did not, and were not offered. By the time I saw that they were supposed to be there, there was a line at the counter and we didn't want to go back. What place doesn't give EVERYBODY pickles, onions and bread with their BBQ? Sandwich-$13, plate-16. Details matter. They should also offer some kind of child's menu. I heard someone ask what they could order that would be good for a 5 year old. He was told "what we have is on the menu". Really? They couldn't do better than that?

What a treat the Brick Vault was after a long hike through Big Bend. I ordered the 3 meat plate and 2 sides. Brisket, jalapeño sausage, pulled pork, green Chile Mac n cheese, and elotes. Everything was delicious. I look forward to stopping by again on my next adventure at Big Bend.

This place has the best BBQ in the area. Including all the surrounding towns. The brisket is some of the most delicious brisket I've had in Texas. The sides and desserts are nothing to pass over, all of them are worth a try. Definitely stop by on your way through Marathon or make the drive out to try it.

If I could give half stars, I'd give 4.5. While this isn't the absolute best brisket I've ever had (my go to) it is some of the best sausage. The brisket is solid and has a nice smokey flavor. We ordered the jalepeño and cheese to go and on a rainy day on our Big Bend vacation, we ate the sausage for breakfast, lunch and then what was left for dinner. We meant to freeze it and take it home to share, oops. We loved getting the two sauces! The veggie pickles were also *kisses hand like an Italian* excellent. Between the four of us we tried all the beers. Very mature tasting beers--not like newbie beer. I particularly enjoyed the cherry sour. To boot, it is just a fun place. This is the kind of place for a good vacation find. Games, energy, sit all day, order more food... If you're looking for the best of all the world's, start and maybe end here.

Good solid bbq in West Texas. I prefer my brisket sauced, but had good flavor. The original sauce is what I expected in Texas, but what they call the "tangy" sauce is more like a Carolina vinegar sauce. Green chili Mac and cheese was great if too runny and the skillet green beans were fantastic. Don't miss out on the pickles.

We were skeptical of the 5 star ratings but what can I say? From the service (I called to place an order and the girl on the phone was so polite, kept saying "yes, ma'am" it sure made me feel good, lol) to the pick up (they packed my food right at when I said I'd pick it up) to the taste of the meats (we had ribs that fell off the bones; brisket that melt in your mouth; pulled pork that was ultra flavorful; and sausage that was super juicy) and the sides (loved the coleslaw, it doesn't have that usual unwelcome sweetness; the green beans were a bit undercooked but they were adorned with chopped up tomatoes and onions, not your typical boring green beans!) If not for Covid I'd eat inside, such a cute dining place and you can smell the BBQ from a block away!

The food was delicious - pork ribs & sausage - along with sides of coleslaw, green beans & potato salad.

Great brisket. Unique spin on Mac and cheese, loved it. Great potato salad and slaw. All of the sauces are fantastic Great outdoor space to just relax

My son and I went to the Brick Vault today. We ordered a couple 2 meat plates, Brisket/ Turkey and Brisket/ Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage. All of the meats were great, especially the brisket. For sides we got green chili Mac & cheese and Elote in a cup. Both sides were solid. We have previously eaten at Brick Vault about 10 or 12 times. We have never been disappointed.

Today we opted for BBQ and we were damn happy! Fantastic bbq. Fantastic sides. Homemade pickles and pickled onions.

Fine option in this small west Texas town. The pulled pork and turkey are good options as well as the cabbage Cole slaw. We weren't aware that the corn elote was mixed with a cream and cheese sauce as we like grilled and simply seasoned elote. So just be sure that is what you want before ordering. Otherwise a low-key comfortable atmosphere to have a casual filling meal.

We happened upon this place while on a road trip. Even though there isn't a lot of competition in town this place didn't act like it. The food and service was incredible! We had the brisket and turkey with various sides. Everything was delicious! The beer was also relatively cheap and tasted great. If this place was close to home for us we'd be in there all the time.

Awesome find in Marathon! Stopped in on our drive through. This place has plenty of character. Staff is good and quick. The food was good. I had brisket and Green chili Mac-n-cheese and I highly recommend it! I'm typically not a fan of borracho beans but these were good also. Wife had the pulled pork and Cole slaw which were both good. She also had the potato salad but in her opinion it had way too much mayonnaise but it was ok. Overall I recommend this place if your in the neighborhood.

We had a short stay in West Texas and were excited to try some bbq on our way to Big Bend national park. We were happy to find Brick Vault! The service is quick and friendly and they also have a bar with some of their beers on tap. We ordered the brisket and jalapeño cheddar sausage with a side of coleslaw and potato salad as well as pickled onions and house made cucumbers. The sauce was tasty and both meats and sides were enjoyable as well. Decent prices and good beer to accompany your bbq also don't hurt. I wouldn't hesitate coming back!

This experience was a highlight of our West Texas trip! We were driving a long distance and running a bit behind time. So we called and ordered to-go. When we arrived, they let us sit there while they were cleaning up. My husband is obsessed with brisket and said this was the best one he'd had. And as a vegetarian, I can confirm that their sides are delicious too! I had the coleslaw and the potato salad. The portions are quite large - I couldn't finish them by myself! Oh, if you like foods with a kick to it, their spiced pickles are incredible! I ate them for days and can't get enough. The people working here are really nice and friendly. They made the whole experience memorable for us!

Pretty much everything all the reviews say about this place. Stopped in after a day in Big Bend. Tried sausage ( both regular and jalapeño) and the ribs. Sides included the Cole slaw, potato salad and their homemade pickled onions and such. Everything was delicious. The sausage was not greasy and seasoned well and the ribs were not fatty and perfectly cooked. All the sides could stand on their own. We got their hazy ipa and their pale ale. Both were nicely balanced, straight up no frills beers. Sat on the patio and it was lovely. I highly recommend swinging by here if you are in the area. Oh, their prices are ridiculously cheap compared to anything here in Austin!

We made a pit stop during our trip to West Texas. I had dine a quick search of the best rated restaurants in Marathon, TX and this was on the list. Wow, it did not disappoint. We dined in on a Sunday. Note the hours in this day if the week 12-3pm... "or until the bbq runs out".. we arrived about ten minutes to noon and there was already three families ahead of us. My recommendations would have to be the brisket sandwich and the corn side. Absolutely divine. For dessert banana pudding. I would make the drive just for the brisket. It's worth it.

What a fantastic little BBQ joint!! Here you forget you're in the middle of nowhere! The food is good, the atmosphere is simply charming and the staff are polite and super friendly. And let's talk about the great quality of the napkins shall we?! I mean have you ever gone to a BBQ joint and you use about a million thin and cheap napkins? Brick Vault has your back with large, thick and absorbing napkins! Thank you!! But if you're ever in the area stop by and grab yourself some jalapeño cheddar sausage, some brisket and a beer and enjoy your delicious meal!!

Good beer in a town of 500 or so. Pecan porter is very good. Brisket is plastic fork tender, sausage was nicely smoked. Green beans are good, cole slaw had quite a different spin on it, excellent. Yep

After viewing their website, my wife and I drove 30 miles to Marathon in order to get a take-out of 1lb of turkey breast advertised on the website for $20/lb. When I got home, I looked at my receipt and it was for $26/lb. I called them for an explanation and was told I had been charged the correct price. They said the website had not been update in a couple of years. I have been tasked with supplying a 6-person Christmas dinner with the meat. I planned on purchasing a few pounds of the Brick Vault turkey, but will not darken their doorway again. It is not the money but the principle of it. They refused to honor the advertised price on their site. Hate to be ripped off with a bait and switch gimmick. The Gage Hotel owns it and has a good reputation but I am surprised and disappointed with the Brick Vault management.

I must start by saying, I really did not expect much for the BBQ in Marathon as my wife drive to Big Bend. WOW, was I wrong. This place is awesome. Best pork, beef and turkey. The BBQ is some of the best I've ever had. They also have a craft brewery with really good beers. I will definitely stop on the way back from Big Bend. Highly recommend eating here.

Awesome place and some of the best customer service I've ever experienced anyplace, anywhere. 10 stars! Not sure I've ever been to restaurant with so many smiling, helpful, and friendly employees. Just a cool vibe here in this small West Tx town. Place was clean and well kept. Nice, shaded outdoor sitting areas in front and in back. They were surprisingly open this Friday afternoon at 3 PM so I happily obliged myself to a little "snack." I tried a quarter pound of their spicy sausage and a quarter pound of their beef brisket. And to add to the caloric binge, I wrapped my order up with their Mac and cheese. The meats were both the bomb. The sausage was uber juicy and flavorful with just the right amount of kick to it. I've never had sausage with such large noticeable (cheddar?) cheese chunks in it- BOOM! I didn't think it could get better but it did with the brisket. Simply the most juicy and tender brisket I've ever had. The mac & cheese was good (but not great), and the BBQ sauce was tasty too. This place is a solid 4.5 stars, so I've got to give them 5 stars given the vibe and service. Check this place out and support this joint! I liked this place so much, that I squeezed in lunch the following day post half-marathon. Ordered the chopped brisket sandwich with potato man was outstanding. I much more preferred their sweeter BBQ sauce with the sandwich. Their pork ribs are fall-off-the-bone juicy, and have a unique peppery, smoky taste to them. The brisket still reigns supreme IMHO... For dessert, I tried the local made peach cobbler served warm ala mode with vanilla cinnamon ice cream = Bomb... my pancreas will be on overdrive for the next week trying to offset all the sugar goodness. Looking forward to next year... They do have a pretty nifty electronic shuffle board around the right back side free to play. Loser pays???

Great BBQ and great beer! Loved the raspberry sour! Drove past it the first night of our stay and decided to try it the next day, it was so good we went back for another round.

Great Bbq and craft beer Try the hefe grande. As good as beers I had in Berlin Great job guys! Keep it up

Great place to stop for lunch in Marathon Texas. Staff was friendly and the brisket was delicious. Yummy sides including fried okra and green beans. Definitely worth the stop.

I've been smoking bbq for rears and the ribs here were amazingly better than I've done. There was a broad variety of brews and every one was great. (yes, I had all of them). congrats to the cooks, brewer and staff. I'll be back for my next birthday.

We consider ourselves BBQ connoisseurs and this place is legit! We drove over an hour to try it and it was soooo worth it! The brisket was divine, jalapeño cheese house made sausage was incredible and Ribs were great too. If they have creamed corn when you go, get it! We also have our own brewery so to say we're particular about beers is an understatement. All of their beers on tap were solid and definitely ones we would drink again. If we're ever within a 100 mile radius of this place, we'll make the drive.

I have to admin I had my doubts to have a seriously good BBQ in such a small town. The ribs are literally perfect. They are not dry, they are not wet, and the meat falls right off the bone. You have no idea how hard that is to pull off. The peach cobbler and ice cream is all home makes and it is literally divine. Seriously, they are worth $20.

Coming from Dallas - I thought the BBQ here was decent. Pretty fatty but falling off the bone - I got the ribs, potatoe salad, Mac and cheese. Mac & cheese was watery and the potato salad a little bland BUT the BBQ was great! Beer was also pretty good! I got the sour beer but was given a chance to taste them to make my decision. Outside seating was great, mask weren't enforced as an FYI. Service was quick and it's service line style. Portions were pretty big so I didn't have much room for dessert but was looking forward to trying to bread pudding. Overall great experience!

A must try on your visit to BigBend. Great BBQ and good beers! We tried the brisket, Green Chili Mac & Cheese and their house Amber which was phenomenal! The food was really good as well. They have a nice porch area in front where your pups are allowed.

Everything here is so delicious - the cole slaw was fresh and crisp and perfect, juicy tender ribs and yummy Turkey. And they even supplied a bowl of ice water for my pup.