12 Gage Restaurant

Made reservations for dinner on Thanksgiving. The service staff was super friendly even on an especially busy night. We made the hour drive from Marfa since everything was closed and I would drive an hour back and forth to eat here again. Highly recommend the fried quail. The cocktails were nice and the ambiance was pleasant with some live music.

Nice looking restaurant and food was average, but the service was a real disappointment. My wife and I ordered a filet special for 2, we asked if half of the steak could be cooked a bit more (simply slice the steak in half). Our waitress said “I am not even going to ask the chef because he will just yell at me”. So apparently what the chef wants is more important than what the customer wants. Then we were told many of the deserts were sold out so we asked if we could pre order some, which we did. This also didn’t matter because even though we pre ordered our deserts they were given away to someone else. At the end of the night we spent $500 for food that was ok, and service that was terrible.

Great fine dining establishment in the middle of nowhere. It is attached to the Gage Hotel. I would suggest reservations in advance, as it is busier than you might think. We had the quail appetizer, which was crispy and juicy, with a great sauce. We had the filet and the NY strip. Both were cooked perfectly. Tres Leches for dessert, which was the perfect end to the meal.

I wanted to share this thoughtfully and fairly. Last night I got food poisoning after dining at 12 Gage Restaurant. I ordered the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and green beans, along with two Texas Old Fashioneds. My wife had the chicken. The service itself was good, and the staff during dinner were kind and attentive. The harder part was how things were handled afterward. This trip was our anniversary, and getting sick overnight was a real disappointment. When I mentioned the situation to the hotel front desk the next morning while canceling our reservation for that evening, the response was essentially, “That’s terrible,” and nothing more. No follow-up, no acknowledgment, no attempt to make things right. I’m not writing this out of anger. Things happen. Food safety issues can occur even at good establishments. What mattered most to me was how it was handled afterward, and that part felt lacking. I genuinely hope management takes this seriously, reviews food safety practices, and empowers their team to respond with more care when guests have an experience like this, especially when it affects a special occasion. Wishing them all the best and hoping this helps prevent it from happening to someone else.

Honest Review Wow — what a disappointment for a place often called the local “gem.” Or more accurately, the only gem in Marathon. Caesar Salad Odd right out of the gate: avocado on a Caesar. Served slightly room temp, nearly zero croutons, iceberg lettuce only, and mini tomatoes ringed around the edge. Unique, sure — but not in a good way. Dressing was fine, nothing memorable. Cocktails (Major Miss) My wife is very particular about margaritas. The night before, she had two at the White Buffalo Bar — both terrible and unfinished. Tonight, she spelled it out: • Patron or 1792 • Agave • Grand Marnier • Lime That’s it. Somehow… they still messed it up. Impressive in the wrong way. Mains • Two filets: solid cuts of meat — no complaints there • Fingerling potatoes: very crispy, very tasty — well done, kitchen Fish of the Day (Fail) Salmon. Except the server forgot to put the order in, then we waited 30+ minutes for it to come out. When it finally arrived, it looked like a frozen, resealed fillet from DG Market in Alpine, and it was overcooked to death. Kids’ Food Even the chicken tenders were bad. That’s usually the safest order anywhere — not here. Bottom Line For the reputation, pricing, and expectations — this was a letdown. • Some solid proteins • Potatoes were the highlight • Service mistakes • Weak cocktails • Inconsistent kitchen execution When you’re the only “nice” option in town, expectations go up. This didn’t come close to meeting them. Not a gem. Just the only option.

Excellent restaurant! Top tier food and service. Our waitress Tina was excellent - friendly, prompt, and available without ever interrupting. The foot was outstanding. The fried quail appetizer was delicious, definitely worth a try if you are there. Caesar salad was so fresh. Entrees were very good, and the date sponge (cake) for desert was as good as any desert I've ever had. I'll definitely return the next time I'm in Marathon!

This place is so overrated. After being sat at our table it took at least 10 minutes before we even had a waitress come to our table. I got my cocktail probably 30 minutes after ordering it and it took over an hour to get our food. The Caesar salad was good but the croutons were not. The green beans, mashed potatoes and steak were all cold. The chicken fried steak was just average and the half chicken was dry. My son and wife loved the tres leches and crème brûlée. The service was extremely slow and not that friendly. And the prices for what you get are absolutely ridiculous.

One of the best dining experiences in Texas. Got a reservation months ago and definitely recommend getting a resy in advance (the weekend I went was the Marathon2Marathon event). Appetizers were yummy. Chicken fried steak was bigger than my face and the jalapeño gravy had a nice kick to it. Comes with a side of veggies and mashed potato underneath the fried steak. Would definitely come again. The patio and restaurant are just so beautiful.

Great little steak house in Marathon. Fillet was seasoned and cooked perfectly. Our server was sweet and we never had to ask for anything.

Cute Texan atmosphere with ample seating and great service! Our food was just mediocre though and definitely not worth the price (though portion sizes were good). My boyfriend had the scallops & shrimp which came on a bed of mushroom risotto. The scallops were cooked well, the shrimp was slightly undercooked, and the risotto had quite a few undercooked/crunchy bits throughout. For it being called mushroom risotto, there were four mushrooms in the risotto (and looked/tasted thrown in rather than chopped pieces cooked in). My southwestern Caesar salad with blackened chicken was good, but I've had comparable for a fraction of the price. The Gage Hotel is a cute stop and 12 Gage was the closest restaurant we saw leaving the Big Bend NP that was open, but next time we'll drive further to Alpine to eat.

No Bueno. Steak had no sear and no flavor. Sides were nothing special. Definitely not on par with the price. Wait staff was great.

Small town is almost an understatement when describing Marathon Texas. Haven't learned much about the history here yet but I do know there aren't a lot of...ok,make that two dining options. The one I chose was the 12 Gage. Attached to the historic Gage Hotel. Way out here I'm sure complications of skilled and enough help are compounded. Those two things are what seem to have haunted my meal tonight. Just be aware your a little bit of a captive audience here and the prices are higher. All in all the meal was good but I won't be standing in line waiting to return.

3.5/5 For being the only fine dining restaurant in the area, I was disappointed with the dishes. We ordered the bison burger, the vegetarian pasta (added chicken), and the butterscotch pudding. The Bison burger could have had a better flavor, meat was gamey (which was expected). The pasta had a good portion size, but the pesto sauce they used needed to be more flavorful. The dishes were also expensive and not worth the price.

I've been coming here for more than 30 years. Until recently, I've always left a satisfied customer. But the restaurant is starting to look like it is cutting corners to make money. Usually, I order the chicken fried steak in the jalapeno gravy. The steak used to sit on a bed of mashed potatoes and was smothered with the gravy and a side order of green beans. Tonight, there was barely a ladle full of gravy on the steak and the mashed potatoes served on the side were colder than an ol' blue norther. There was no hint of jalapeno in the gravy, either, and the green beans were rubbery. Might as well admit the steak wasn't exactly hall of fame either. Seemed tough. I'm done spending money at this place. There is just too damned much presumption by ownership and management that people will come and pay just for the location and ambience. I may saunter in for one of their weak assed drinks now and again, but I'll never eat there again.

Great experience having dinner here for the first time. Betsy was our waitress and she was super sweet! Highly recommend stopping in for dinner if you're staying in town or next door. Reservations are recommend as it gets pretty busy in the evening. Even in a Tuesday night the place was hoping. I suggest 7:30pm or later like we did. Most everyone was leaving by then. The ambiance is charming and romantic southwest. I ordered the shrimp Cesar salad for my meal and was delicious! Husband got the chicken equally perfect. They offer a bread basket with jalepeno muffins. They have nice by the glass Argentine Malbec on the menu too if you like wine. 12 Gage did not disappoint!

Not many choices in Marathon. We were spending the evening there while we hiked in Big Bend. This place was a bit fancier than expected but we rolled in anyway with our leggings. Seemed that when you walk in - there are multiple restaurants in one or areas. The menu is pretty limited. Mostly different types of steak. Our server was extremely friendly and polite. I got the country fried steak. You are given the option of white gravy or jalapeño gravy. It was recommended by our server to get the jalapeño due to flavor. He was right!! The food came out quickly. The portion was huge. The country fried steak batter was flavored very well and the fixings were also delicious. vegetables tasted so fresh and the mash potatoes were good.

I just ate the second finest tenderloin of my life. (The best was at a locally renowned restaurant in Chicago). Naturally, they charged approximately. But this is a fine dining experience in a somewhat remote area in Texas. The oyster nachos are fried and served with cotija cheese and watermelon radish, and the filet was just perfect. I had a sotol margarita and a carajillo night cap. Overall, it was a top shelf evening with plenty of local Texas atmosphere. The Gage Hotel anchors the town, from morning coffee through late night at the bar. Highly recommended.

This restaurant is located inside the Gage Hotel in Marathon, Tx. - Small little town but worth stopping by if you're in the west Texas area. Beautiful hotel, restaurant, and bar. The night we went it was pretty busy so there was a little bit of a wait. I'd recommend making a reservation if you can. I was not disappointed with the food, it was reasonably priced for a Hotel restaurant and it was worth it.

Our recent trip to Big Bend took us for dinner at the Gage Restaurant. The hotel/restaurant is beautiful and screams TEXAS. From the paintings, taxidermy to the Longhorn skulls, you will have a unique experience. For a starter, we had the shrimp Campeche. Served with fresh tortilla chips, it was very tasty. We went with the chicken fried steak which is served with mashed potatoes and vegetables for dinner. The portions are large and I enjoyed every bite! To put a bow on the evening, we had the brownie with vanilla ice cream. Yes, served in a cast iron skillet, it was piping hot and delicious. If you are ever in Marathon, Texas the Gage Restaurant is a MUST! Go get Full

Great service and food very good. Generous helpings. Nice anniversary dinner! Very friendly and welcoming!

Group of six ate here Tuesday night before Thanksgiving. Had another fabulous meal here with great drinks, great food, terrific service. Everything was spectacular.

While visiting the Big Bend area, we decided to stay in Marathon and the Gage hotel. This was the obvious place to dine and we were VERY happy that we did. I thought it would be much more crowded than it turned out to be, but this was the start of the "slow season". As a result, we practically had the restaurant to ourselves. It started out with a basket of breads. Cornbread, sourbread, etc. All well made and just the right "taste" size. Since we came early the meal came out wickedly fast. We should have had some drinks or an appetizer to slow things down. Anyway, I went with the meatloaf because I'm a sucker for my mom's meatloaf. This was a kick way up the culinary arts scale from what my mom makes, so I enjoyed the "high falutin" version. It came with some great green beans and my favorite: mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, my dinner date had the rib-eye. Unfortunate because she couldn't eat it all and gave me some. Wow!! I enjoyed the meatloaf until I tried it. Then I just felt like a rube. That steak was powerfully good, well aged, awesomely cooked - it was the best steak I've had in a long time and it suddenly made me regret my dinner choices. If you want a great meal in Marathon, with awesome staff, in a beautiful setting - you gotta try this place out.

Sat at the bar the nachos were great the atmosphere was awesome, the drinks were great and the company was fantastic

First time at 12 Gage with friends who are repeat customers. Special ambience. Special event or special treat.

Excellent food, spectacular ambience. We were able to dine outside with our dogs. My wife had the Chicken Tortilla Soup which we both agreed was the best (by far) of any we have ever had. There was a wonderful deep chile flavor. I had the salmon which was good. After seeing other entrees delivered to other tables, I think the quail would have been a better choice. If you eat beef (we don't), then that would probably the absolute best choice.

I greatly enjoyed my evening here at 12 Gauge; the service was stellar and the ambiance was inviting. The steak was cooked to perfection and was very tasty albeit a little too much fat and gristle for my liking. The potatoes that accompanied the dish were phenomenal but the veggies were way overcooked, almost mush. Hence the 4 star rating. I would highly recommend this restaurant going forward and would definitely return if I've the chance to return to the area

Nice little watering hole in Marathon. They do start serving drinks and some awesome looking loaded nachos at 3 PM, but their full bar menu starts at 6 PM. Lots of seating inside and out, and be sure to check out the back patio (the door to the back patio is at the left side of the bar). They had four beers on tap and I was glad I found one that suited me...

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

We dined in tonight and had Sedilla as a waitress. She was amazing. Extremely helpful with recommendations and very friendly. She recommended the chicken fried steak WITH jalapeño gravy. This over-seeded our expectations. Must try. You won't regret it. Sedilla let us know how huge the portion was so we opted to split the dish. So glad we did because the portion was huge. I will say though, they charge $5 fee for splitting. This restaurant is a must stop while in Marathon, TX. The entrance is a little confusing, enter the Buffalo bar and head left to the hostess area.

Had dinner while staying at the Gage Hotel. We had the filet and strip and both were really great. High quality! Great service!

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.

They have the best filet I have had in many years. I did not want to eat it because if I did I would have any left to eat. It is not the cheap but it was outside. Excellent service. If it find myself in Marathon TX again I will be returning.

Truly the best steak we've had since we've been here. Staying in Marfa, eating at several different good restaurants, it was worth the 55 minute drive from Marfa to the Gage in Marathon. Our server, Taylor, was fun which made our dinner even better. The steaks were DELISH foodies. Slightly crunchy on the outside and cooked to perfection, perfection y'all. Placed upon garlic mashed potatoes with a wilted spinach and kale side that had the most fantastic flavors. Every bite was a delight to my palate. Since we had such a wonderful experience with dinner we ordered a Brownie and some kind of ice cream that, well, my picture tells THAT story! Lol Do go into the White Buffalo Saloon and grab something to drink. Their famous hand squeezed margarita should do the trick and then ... enjoy your dinner!

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

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.

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

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

Great atmosphere and awesome service. Felt upscale but not stuffy. The menu offered some great west Texas meals including ribeye, salads, incredible starters and perfectly done cocktails. Save room for dessert, we didn't and we regret it! Looks so so good.

My boyfriend and I had been in Big Bend all day and planned to eat at 12 Gage around 10 pm. We misunderstood the hours the Gage restaurant was open. When we arrived at 10 pm, Andrea explained the restaurant was closed at 9:00 pm. We had nothing to eat in our room except for Power bars and we were hungry after the long hike. Andrea's generosity and empathy was so evident when she offered us her two employee meals of chicken fingers and mashed potatoes. We were so appreciative of her selfless offer and grateful accepted the food. So happy to see that the Gage Hotel and restaurant have thoughtful, empathetic and kind people employed there. Thank you Andrea for your kindness and generosity! The meal was tasty and the next time we are in Marathon we will visit the Gage during serving hours and thank Andrea again face to face. . Thank you Andrea!!

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.

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.

We ate here on 2 separate nights, because we got snowed in and stuck in the city. I am extremely upset by this restaurant and they should be closed down. During our Covid crisis the managers are not requiring their waiters to wear masks. And yes the managers were completely aware of this. I will provide a picture of their waiter who was serving food, chatting with customers for 5 minutes at a time and not required to wear a mask. I am considering contacting the state about this. Don't go here because they have no safety measures enforced. Additionally, their food was ok, but not worth the price. I ordered a medium steak and it arrived rare. I sent it back to the kitchen and had it returned burnt and completely ruined the cut of meat. How disappointed we were!

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.

This spot was unique. Had dinner with friends, staff was very friend and helpful. We enjoyed many many drinks from the bar, they were wonderful. Food was good but I can't say it met expectations. Food was a little cold when it came out. Overall I would try it again.

Chicken fried steak was average. The fried quail appetizer was not edible. It was so tough, it wouldn't come off the bone. The waitress removed the charge from the bill, so I did appreciate that she did that. The steak filet was very good, but my medium well came out medium. I asked them to cook it a bit longer, and they brought it back out and I'm pretty sure they didn't touch it. So if you order the steak, order it more cooked than you usually do.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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.