Palmer's Restaurant Bar & Courtyard

Nice place, but dated in decor and dark. Started with the Brie appetizer. It was nice, but got cold very quickly. I wouldn’t get that again. Loved the short rib enchiladas and the Texas margarita. Enchiladas were served with rice and zucchini, which I love, but would rather have had rice and black beans. Service was amazing. We came in a little after 4 pm and were asked if we had a reservation. Restaurant was almost empty, but maybe they expect you to make a reservation.

We had a delicious dinner and our server was friendly, knowledgeable and overall great. The manager, Monte, came by 2x asking if we needed anything. He learned we were fresh in from Boston and gave us all kinds of insider tips to the area! I ordered the Signature Chicken which I never would have (as I cook chicken all the time!)but.. .The goat cheese and preach preserves were outstanding! We loved everything about this restaurant!

We came for cocktails and at at the cocktail bar section. We only ordered the charcuterie and salmon to share. Both dishes were good but in my strongest opinion, not worth the price. As for the cocktails, we each had a variety of martinis and all were superb! Will definitely come back just for the ambiance and cocktails.

From the moment we walked up, we were mesmerized by the vibe of this restaurant/bar! The waitress, Paris P, was a fantastic server. The food was well worth the wait, and the special purchase of a Bourbon Gift for Dad (1806 Old Fashioned, rocks glass and pecans) was a great touch! Will def I nicely return!!

Me and my boyfriend have been to Palmers multiple times, and will continue to come! Truly one of our favorite restaurants ever. We spent his 22nd birthday here, and our dining experience was amazing. Our server, Sam, gave such good recommendations and he was very thoughtful throughout our time there.

First time guest. Sat in the bar area. Andrew was our bartender/server. We usually try to visit upscale nice restaurants on our Sunday outings. Palmer's did not disappoint. Andrew made some great recommendations for our meals. We had the 3 egg omelette with crawfish, variety of veggies and hollandaise sauce. Potatoes, crispy bacon that was probably the most perfect and flavorful that I have had in a long time. Only complaint was the potatoes were not hot. But I could actually overlook that minor issue because they tasted so good even at room temperature. We had a salad with the vinegarette dressing which was a nice surprise if flavor. I'm not a crouton eater but these must have been house made they were so good. Not sure they were but I was surprised. We also had the pancakes that were the closest to homemade. They weren't full of artificial flavor or vanilla extract to cover the cheap taste. They were so good you could eat them without butter or syrup. (Well to be honest I need the syrup but my wife didn't.) I do like to relax and enjoy a few drinks as well. I tried a variety of drinks from the Apricot buck, Mimosa and a Bee string. They were all good. My next visit I plan on a few other of my favorites. The juice is fresh squeezed and they infuse a variety of about 7-9 flavors of vodka. Something new for me was the flavor infused ice balls. The atmosphere was comfortable and cool walking in but as the day continued the room felt warm. I'm sure due to the customers and the door to the courtyard being used. One plus for me was that the owner/manager Monte and Kyle visited the table. We were welcomed and asked how our dinning experience was going today. You could tell from the conversation and the true concern they were interested in our visit. I look forward to next trip. This was truly an A+ experience in dinning. I already look forward to my next visit. Probably later this week or Friday for the early hours. We did have a slow Sunday so hung around for a little bit. I think the bartender got a little frustrated but it not like it was overly crowded and we were taking up another customer tip. Sorry if that was the issue but overall it was a good time Even though you may say not the case. Sometimes reading people is easy.

What a lovely place with the best bartender in town Kaitlyn (I hope I spelled that correctly) such a warm and cozy atmosphere and the food was so great. Can’t wait to come back in September for the whiskey pairing meal. ☺️

This sophisticated restaurant on the outskirts of downtown San Marcos wraps around a beautiful courtyard. They have numerous tables in several dining rooms as well as a bar area. Their menu is reasonably priced for how thoughtfully composed and executed the meals are. I enjoyed the pecan crusted chicken and look forward to trying the meatloaf. They also have an extensive menu of desserts and cocktails, particularly different Mexican martinis. They have a small parking lot alongside the building and overflow in an adjacent lot.

The atmosphere is lovely! The food is delicious and they have great non alcoholic drinks too which I appreciate! Servers are also delightful!

Night before News Years Eve. They only had the News Eve menu , not told before we got there. Only two servers for the entire restaurant. Ok we then understood and so we decided to continue, staying there and trying out the New Year Menu was our choice . Shrimp was under cooked, we had ordered J Lohr for 56.00. They substituted Prisoner for 126. This was after they said they were out of J Lohr but this was the same. After we got the bill the new price was $126. They said they would only split the difference and we had. O other choice. We come here four times a year with our daughter's family, never again. Horrible service, horrible customer interaction and the food was at best just Ok. Bill for four adults and two storing children was over $400.

I just love the food here. The ambiance is so charming I ordered the special seafood dinner. I wish that it was a regular offering. The Mexican martini is "primo". I was also impressed with the service. We sat at the bar and the female bartender was great.

We ate Father's Day today at Palmers. We came from San Antonio to meet our son from Austin. The service was not great, but it was adequate. Food was a step below just okay. I ordered a bagel. After she brought out all the other 10 dishes, she said they were cooking my salmon, I should have known. She then proceeds to bring out shredded salon on a biscuit, saying they ran out of bagels. I have never seen something so un appetizing in my life. The restaurant was pretty vacant as we were there close to closing, but no excuse for simple meals sub par, eggs undercooked, etc. Why do you not know you are out of bagels and say the last one went to the table next to us. Let me know, so I can order something else. Too late after everyone is eating. Nice place though, and big for meeting with our family. Too bad we have made our first and last trip to Palmer's. Wish I had a pic of the pale salmon biscuit. My daughter is still laughing at the way it was plated and brought out. Yuck.

Hunter provided us wonderful upbeat service, the ambience is incredible. This place is a huge win. My étouffée was lovely

It was Sunday morning and I felt like an omelette. I was going to be in San Marcos and so I did a quick search for a breakfast or brunch place and came across this place. I didn't look at any pictures or anything beforehand, I like to be surprised. My daughter and I went there and as we walked in we were very surprised with how fancy the place is. It's well manicured and maintained. We sat outside and they sat us next to a fountain. Super fancy! The menu isn't huge and I don't mind that as that usually means that the place can focus on the items they do have other menu better. I ordered a hot black coffee and an omelette and my daughter ordered the roasted salmon on a bagel. The food was great and not horribly overpriced either. The server was very pleasant and helpful. My ONLY gripe is that the coffee came out cooler than lukewarm warm. I did get a coffee to go which was hot and so that made up for it a bit. :) I'd go back especially to try their dinner and see what their nightlife offerings are!

TERRIBLE MOTHERS DAY BRUNCH! AFWUL MENU AND AWFUL FOOD! So underwhelming! It's not even diner level food it's worse! TERRIBLE ORGANIZATION! No reservations! Called weeks in advance to get on a call ahead list and ended up waiting for over an hour! The waiter Brock was nice and tried to help...

I'm giving Palmer's a 4 star review because everything that irritated us there was fixed and management took to themselves to show care which we appreciated. Our service was where the place fell short. We traveled four hours to have a weekend getaway in San Marcos (somewhere I've never visited.) I do my research here on Yelp before choosing where we dine and have drinks. I was split between here and Cody's for brunch Vs dinner and we ended up choosing here for dinner because I am a huge fan of fish. The interior is intimate and dated, but in a nice way. We had a secluded table off to the side, much better than being in the middle of the room. For an appetizer we ordered the boudin balls. They came out before my drink (one of the problems we faced.) Our waitress also dropped off bread, which when offered we politely declined when ordering our appetizer, but still she'd dropped off and we sat with it in front of us testing our self control.. (lol) My partner ordered a beer and I ordered a spicy vodka based margarita. When finally brought to the table my drink was clearly made with mezcal- not a fan- and I've been a bartender for years so I knew it had to of been a mistake. I ended up having to flag down another server to have the drink fixed because ours hadn't returned to check on us in awhile. The entrees took soooo long to come out. I am almost positive she didn't send the order through until picking up our finished appetizer plate. He had the bacon wrapped meatloaf and I had the fish of the night (redfish.) The mashed potatoes were out of this world!! Seriously, if you try anything, make sure it's those. My fish was a large helping and delicious. We both enjoyed most of it, but again the service was spotty throughout. We waited for our check for a good 10-15 mins after she picked up our dinner plates and offered dessert. I ended up getting out of my seat to find her just as she was walking our way with it. I immediately turned to who was clearly the manager and asked if he could cash me out because we'd been waiting and were ready to go. He asked how things were and I was honest. He then asked for further detail off to the side out of the dining room. Being in the service industry, I let him know where things could use improvement. He showed genuine concern. I was thankful for the other manager on the floor for fixing my drink and for him helping us get out of there. It was a much longer dinner than intended, but I would give this place another try in hopes of better service!

Favorite date night restaurant in town. Food is excellent, staff is fun and know how to serve food! Tasty, and hot. A great place meet friends

Thieves and fraudsters. I would encourage you to look at your bill when it arrives. They have a credit card fee that you aren't told about until the bill comes. Entree items on the bill were marked up 40% above what the menu prices are. Owner replied to my Google review with "you're insane, 40%". Without getting into why calling your customers insane isn't the best way to respond to reviews that I've seen I'll add this. Pecan crusted chicken on menu is 18. On bill was 24.99. That's a 38.5 % price increase that appears on the bill with no advance notice. I'm sad because I wanted to like this place. The other reviews made it seem really good. The Palmer potatoes was one of the most unique items I've had in a while.

Everything we had was really good and the service that Sami gave was great. The Peanut Butter Pie was delish!!

We have lived in San Marcos for nearly a year and finally decided to visit Palmer's for our anniversary. What a pleasant experience! The entire staff was super friendly and welcoming . Sami was our server and she was great. Monte, the owner, greeted us at our table and was genuinely grateful for our patronage. Palmer's would be an excellent choice for a nice intimate dinner.

I really wanted to like this place. I had read great reviews. However, the red flags were validated by the poor food. First, there was something floating in my tea. Then, when they brought me another one there was lipstick stains on the glass. I did not return it because our waitress was sweet and I think I was already over it. For our appetizer we ordered the fried jalapeño Brie. It was not bad but my husband immediately said it tasted like a jalapeño popper from sonic. I got upset with him for saying that because that is exactly what it tasted like. Like I said, it wasn't bad, but also, not what I expected. Then came our food...the chicken fried steak was not good at all, bland no flavor. The gravy was not flavorful either. My husband and I actually traded our meals because when I got the blackened salmon that looked like a hockey puck I knew I would not like it. This was unfortunate because it's such a beautiful place and the ambience was lovely. If the food were better I could see this place as a go to spot. Ultimately, the worse food experience in San Marcos yet.

Even though I highly anticipated that my dining experience would be phenomenal...service was subpar. Waited for over 1 hour to be seated and stood around the bar waiting to be served for another 10 minutes. Website stated to call ahead for dining but that was not the case! Was hoping for a better experience since we drove 45 minutes to eat at this top rated restaurant. Wishing it was a better experience

After living in the area for 11 years, I'm ashamed to say we have just recently discovered this amazing local gem. The hostess greets you immediately upon entry and they are very efficient at seating guests quickly. The menu, while not as large as a chain restaurant's, has something for every appetite. Definitely recommend the seafood cakes! I have had the meatloaf as well as the short rib stroganoff and both were delicious. Before wrapping this up, I'd suggest to everyone that you request Hunter for your server. He is super attentive and very helpful when you need more details on a dish to make your decision.

Meh. This placed was sooo talked up and I didn't really see why! I went with a large-ish party and the seating was good, we had plenty of space. Service was to on par for a college town, our server was friendly and attentive. . I ordered a spicy Mexican martini and it was just ok, not spicy at all. We had to ask for the complementary bread and butter. They were out of mashed potatoes but our server suggested the palmers potatoes which was just four slices of pan roasted potatoes over cheese for an additional $6! The chefs side of the day was glazed carrots and I was shocked that they were basically diced carrots from a bag. My chicken was a an odd serving size and not worth the $19 in my opinion. They also charge per plate if you bring in your own dessert. It all tasted good, but probably wouldn't go back because it was nothing special.

Palmer's Restaurant Bar & Courtyard offers authentic homegrown ingredients with daily specials. They have great cocktails I ordered the ranch hand which was served in a martini glass. They also gave me the shaker which included more of the drink I ended up getting about three drinks after everything was set and done. For appetizers they serve complimentary bread and ordered the baked fondue. The fondue included four different cheeses. I ordered the fish special which included rice and cooked carrots. The rice and carrots were just as good if not better than the fish. All the portions size were very generous. The vibe of the place was great and it is a great date night spot. They had a fire going in the middle and they offer plenty of outdoor dining, also with heaters for the colder months. A great date spot to grab dinner in San Marcos. All of the food was absolutely delicious.

Great ambiance! The service was great ! The food was great! Wait staff was on point and there is a great back story for the restaurant.

I decided to give Palmers another try when I heard they had updated their menu. I started off with a Mexican martini that was good and moved on to the meatball appetizer. They were just ok and needed a sauce to dip in or over the top besides the small amount of cheese that came with the dish. My friend and I split the pork chops and they were a good size but not much flavor and were more on the dry side. We had to ask for a side of the marinade to hep with the dryness. We had asked for a substitute side of asparagus and knew there would be an additional charge. They brought us 4 skinny spears! Obviously that was unacceptable and we had to ask for a full serving. So... disappointed in the food but I do want to give a shout out to our server/bartender Hank! He was attentive and very nice.

Louisiana flare meets Texas. We had the shrimp etoufee with andouille sausage. Shareable dish. Ordered an extra salad. Portions are generous. We had the grilled oyster special. Little on the small side bit packed with flavor. 5 oysters in an order for $19. Bit pricey. We also had the queso with guacamole and chips as a starter. Generous wine pours for the 10oz glass. We went when the graduation menu was happening- so some of the favorites were not on this visit. Will come back again.

Really disappointing dinner experience. Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf- Smothered in ketchup, served on top of gravy. 1/5. Mashed potatoes and maque choux 2/5. Pasta Fume Caprese- bland, noodles were not good. 1/5 Garlic Confit Ribeye- Zero crust, might not have even been seasoned. Palmer potatoes are just slices of baked potato, subbed grilled veggies seemed like they were steamed in a bag. Service was generally ok, but like the food, substandard of the price and reputation.

Service was great. Kitchen and food was subpar. Highly mediocre and was disappointed.

Always a great experience. I love sitting in the courtyard on these nice spring days. The food and service is perfect!

We came for a nice quiet dinner and it was fantastic. Our waitress, Kenzie, was amazing and very sweet. When i asked for a recommendation for a sweet drink she picked out the perfect drink for me and my sweetness level. She was very attentive to us and everything was brought out loiking and tasting delicious. Definitely will be back!

I had a lovely experience. Ours server/bartender Misty was very nice and helpful. She recommended great cocktail for my friend & our meal was wonderful. Looking forward to another visit.

We were there on a Friday night. Service was extremely slow. Waitress very rarely checked on us. Chicken fried steak was burnt on the inside. Food is mediocre. Service was almost nonexistent.

CALEB! Provides the best service at the restaurant. We ordered just about every appetizer on the menu, drinks, entrees, everything, and provided STELLAR ambiance. Food was great, came out quickly, and the manager Kyle was extremely friendly as well! We will be back!

The manager actually insulted and harassed one of my guests. I won't go back. The food was mediocre at best. They burn brussels sprouts and no amount of seasoning covers that. The bacon wrapped meat loaf was pretty meh and sort of burned too. Portions were tiny. Cost was way to high for the quality of service and food. Avoid this place. The manager is an inconsiderate jerk with no customer service accumen.

went back yesterday..beautiful spring day..went in at 4 pm opening with friend.. we wanted to sit on patio so we went thru bar to patio..but were told hostess must seat us ( by goofy gen Z ?) type gal .. so back to hostess stand.. she finally came back and took us to patio and said the only table she could seat us was in the sun by the fountain..we wanted partial sun because full sun was a bit warm ( absolutely no one else on patio) she said NO..must seat where she told us..I said no and we sat in shadier spot.. but were told they wouldnt wait on us, I had to go into bar and order..beer and margarita $15..kinda put damper on happy hour ( but no happy hour prices) later we had 3 different waiters come and try to take our order...I mean what a bunch of morons.. many yrs ago, this place was called Hansel and Gretel ( mid 1970's) .. it had great german food and the best dark draft beer.. now its just another booze hustle mediocre place with goofy gen Z or whatever they are now..sadly, it used to be great.. now less than ..zer0.

Palmer's is such a staple in San Marcos. The building is very cute and cozy with a beautiful outdoor space. The service is good and the the food is always fresh and delicious. I've come here for date nights, family get togethers and just anytime I want a solid dining experience. I recommend the Brie to start, cheeseburger and all of the desserts.

The manager at restaurant on Sat. October 14th (Parent's weekend) was rude and not friendly to our party of 10. So much so, that we left before being served. It's a shame we had this experience considering our party size, our eagerness to try the steakhouse, and we were celebrating a birthday in our party. Someone served us elsewhere with no complaint and we left a 30% tip for his effort and ease of servicing us. Do not recommend.

I'm undecided about this place because the last time we were here it was good but today was a bust. Got there at opening. Asked for over easy eggs and I got hard eggs. They replaced one but not the other. I asked for ham and the pieces I was given were as big as a credit card. And that's making it bigger haha. The pancakes were folded when they arrived which should have told me they were not fresh. Almost like those you cook in a toaster. Potatoes were bland and dry. Just blah for $40!

Had an amazing first experience. If you are looking for top-notch food, excellent ambiance, and phenomenal service, this is your go to restaurant in the San Marcos area. Our waitress Kaylie made sure to take such good care of us from start to finish. Highly recommend!!

Such a nice place for an intimate date or a girls night out. I tried Palmer's for the first time after looking on Yelp for something new. My husband took me here for brunch on a Sunday. We started with their Charcuterie board. Nothing fancy but I'm a sucker for charcuteries. I did see goat cheese on the board and I hate goat cheese. I decided to try it and I was quite surprised. After asking our waiter about it he said it it goat cheese however they add a twist to it that is made in-house and it was great!! My Belini'tini was perfect and my husband had the Southern Mule and he enjoyed it. My eggs benedict were as well amazing and the Palmers specialty husband ate was great too. The atmosphere in the bar area is nice. There was a fireplace we sat next too. We will return for dinner and sit in the formal dining area. After brunch we sat out on the porch and had a glass of wine. Overall experience was great. Our server was taking care of multiple tables however his positive attitude when he returned helped.

Ayden was our server and was so attentive. We were there for a special dinner as my aunt and uncle were visiting and had an amazing experience. All the food was incredible from the table side guacamole to the boudin balls. Not to mention, I asked for a skinny mojito and they nailed that too. It was super hot out so we ate inside but the ambiance of the outside looked very nice if it was cooler than 102. Thank you, Ayden for being an incredible server and to the whole Palmer's crew to make this night so special.

Served my daughter raw chicken tenders and gave her food poisoning. The inside was completely pink and my daughter was sick for days. Disgusting and completely unsafe.

Love it here and the fact that they are still going strong. Food is authentic and everyone is always so helpful and happy! Great happy hour too!

Overpriced, food is mediocre at best, service has never been great. Will not waste my money there again.

Used to be our favorite place in San Marcos, now overpriced for what you get. Sunday brunch still good. Service very good, ambiance great, especially patio. Too bad food flavor and quality has gone down, especially for dinner menu items.

I love Palmers. Monty has built a phenomenal staple in the San Marcos community. The food is always fresh and delicious. The menu is refreshed often and the specials are unique and adventurous. The cocktails are top notch with half a dozen infused tequilas. Date night (you'll probably get lucky)! Brunch! Girl's night! Lunch meetings. Happy hour. Palmers covers all the bases.

Great place! Food and desserts are fantastic. Service is always top notch. Great patio and fun bar area.

Called ahead to get move to the head of the line. Arrived and was told we have an hour and a half wait. Can't figure out why calling ahead even helps? Why not just take reservations, seems to be the simplest.

We are so impressed with Palmers! We called ahead after I found the menu online as we were travelling from San Antonio and Austin and wanted to stop on the way to grab dinner. We added our names to the waitlist and the girl on the phone was super sweet and helpful. We asked for indoor on the phone but by the time we arrived it was cool enough and it wasn't busy yet so they accommodated our change of request and we were able to sit on the patio. Our waitress, Makayla, was a breath of fresh air! Service has gone downhill since Covid and so we were delighted at how well she took care of us while we were dining. I even overheard her recognizing one of her other tables from having dined there previously. She remembered the woman's job and that they shared a bottle of wine last time they dined there. The food was incredible! The bread and butter was a favorite of everyone at the table. We started with the queso, my husband and I got ribeyes, my mom got the seafood cakes (and we shared my steak), one kiddo got the chicken fried steak and the other got kids chicken fingers. The entire meal came out exactly as we ordered it and everything was full of flavor and so good! We will definitely be back and will be asking for Makayla!

Good date night place. Very nice but not stuffy. Dimmed lighting, cozy at home feeling. We enjoyed our meal. Service was great. Our waitress Alex was attentive and helpful with suggestions when we inquired about specific items on the menu. Their boudin balls were very good but aren't really balls. I had their chicken fried steak and it was cooked perfectly. Not too much breading and the steak was tender and easy to chew. The jalapeño cream corn was very nice and the red mashed potatoes were very good. My husband had the pork tenderloin with peach Demi glaze. He said it was excellent. I don't care for sweet with my savory so I didn't try it. My husband raved about their Margaritas. The crème brûlée was good. If you're like me and like your food to look pretty I felt like they could work on their plating. Overall it was a good experience.

Absolutely wonderful. I have live in San Marcos for 21 years and finally tried this restaurant today. It is so great. Appetizers are very delightful! Every course was amazing. The short rib quesadillas were probably my favorite thing on the menu.

My wife and I visited Palmers for the first time on a Friday night. The food was really good, and the drinks were top notch as well. We received excellent service from Makayla, who was very kind and helpful. She represents the best of the service industry. Highly recommend this place for special occasions or just to grab a quick bite of good food!

Ayden provided great service. Table side guacamole is a must. Appetizers were great. Bread pudding is a must!

Love their first Tuesday night wine dinner pairings, A great place and a great night to experience the expertly plated and paired food and wine.

Amazing food. This was our first time dining here. We had crispy Brie, Caesar's salad, pecan crusted chicken, red potatoes masher, rib eye, carrot cake, and margarita pie. Everything tasted so delicious. Best mashed potatoes EVER! Best carrot cake I've ever had. We had Kaylie for our waitress. She is great! Definitely recommend.

Fantastic food and service. We always enjoyed our meals while visiting our daughter at Texas State University. Check this jewel out!