The Root Cellar Cafe

First time here on 6/2/2025. Celebration lunch for 52nd anniversary. Great service. Lots of attention but not pressing. Good menu options. My wife had the pesto pasta and salad. I went with the Brewhouse Burger. Good portions. Fun place to eat with windows at sidewalk level. Parking was easy at mid-day but could be tricky early.

The Root Cellar Cafe – a fantastic breakfast spot in this college town. We had the New Year’s toast with egg and the veggie frittata, both well-prepared and flavorful. The atmosphere is unique—vintage, cozy, with antique furniture, creaky wooden floors, and an old-school charm that makes it feel like stepping into a different era. One fun detail - alcohol service starts at 10 AM, and judging by the crowd, the locals are well aware. The place got noticeably busier right around that time. Service was fast and friendly, making the whole experience even better. Whether you’re looking for a laid-back breakfast, a brunch spot with a little buzz, or just a charming place to start the day, this one’s worth a visit.

Food looked delicious but taste was meh. Chicken and buiscuit were dry/ overcooked and the buiscuit was burnt in the bottom. Brazilian french toasts were ok. Nothing to write home about it. Coffee was horrible. Service was very slow. Will never coming back here.

This restaurant was just superb. My husband and I went in the afternoon during the summer season, and we made a reservation prior. We went in a little early, and were sat immediately. The atmosphere was fantastic and super welcoming. Our waitress was very attentive and made sure to specially note my husband and I’s allergies for the kitchen. Finally, the food was just phenomenal. My husband got the Steak and Eggs, and I had the Brewhouse Burger. He said this was one of the best steaks he had ever had in his life, and mine, which was available on a gluten-free bun, was just decadent. Please come here if you like good atmosphere, great service, and excellent food.

It is a great place for an upscale meal in a very casual but creative environment. It has become one of my favorite places to eat when I am in SMTX.

So I went to get food there for my birthday, I won't lie the service was kind of slow...but the food made up for the slow service! I say I waited about 30-40mins, just to even talk to anyone...but I really did love the food! Would be going back! Just because they make the food so delicious and well seasoned.

My boyfriend and I had brunch here last weekend. The food was excellent! We split a bottle for mimosas and had the spinach and artichoke dip which was so yummy. My boyfriend had the Hill Country Benedict and I had the breakfast hash bowl. Highly recommend this spot for your next weekend brunch or Sunday Funday! Can’t wait to go back.

The Root Cellar Cafe is a delightful restaurant in the heart of historic downtown San Marcos. Wonderfully decorated and featuring good, healthy comfort food, it is a popular downtown spot. We ordered the salmon and pasta carbonara. The exquisite salmon with balsamic glaze was served with pilaf, sautéed vegetables, and eggplant chips. The chips were sweet and my personal favorite. The pasta carbonara was also very good. A 16-oz beer was just $7 which was also very sweet. We ended with the gluten-free Tart and Snickerdoodle bread pudding. Absolutely delicious. I need to mention that the service was very good. Our server was a delight and very attentive. Highly recommend!

We visited The Root Cellar Cafe on a Saturday after a hike with our two German Shepherds, and it was a fantastic experience! The waitstaff was incredibly friendly, giving us a great table on the patio with plenty of space for our large dogs to lay down. They even brought out a water bowl for each of them, which was a thoughtful touch. I ordered a mimosa, which was delicious and very well priced. My husband had a Bloody Mary, which I felt was a bit overpriced. However, the food more than made up for it. I had the half size biscuits and gravy with a side of bacon, eggs, and toast. The Texas toast with the perfect over-easy egg was delicious. While I think a side order of bacon should include more than just two pieces, none of that mattered once I tasted their biscuits and gravy. They were the best I've ever had! The biscuit literally melted in my mouth, and the jalapeno cream gravy was out of this world. I can't even express how good it truly was! My husband ordered the Hill Country Breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed it as well. We will 100% be back!

Stopped in The Root Cellar on our way to the airport. And wanted to have my beet burger!! I get it every time at the Root Cellar in New Branunfels. We have the most wonderful Server in Kendall. She was fantastic and had the best personality. So pleasant and cheerful. She tended to our every needs. I will ask for her any time I come to this Root Cellar. My beet burger today was so fresh and delish. Best beer burger I have ever had. Love the atmosphere in this location too. It is just so nice.

Located in the heart of downtown San Marcos in a safe, albeit college student dominated area, The Root Cellar is a warm almost hobbit like environment. On a lazy Saturday afternoon my journey past the establishment brought out a general curiosity as I went to a nearby watering hole. Sipping a cocktail, I was unable to shake my wondering mind thus I set my hands on my Palantir (phone) to look deep inside their website. Upon tabbing out, I stopped by the humble abode in an attempt to grab a seat which only took 10 minutes around 5pm. The staff there are extremely nice and jovial as I exchanged meaningless banter. The Root Cellar is located somewhat lower than street level which made me hope some dwarves would stop by after mining mithril all day. The place is cozy; dark hardwood floor panels, old worn-out benches, a bar that looks like it was built from a used keg (which also had a small tinge of beer smell at the bar area) with walls that looked carved from solid rock. I'm not sure if this was intentional but I was drawn to the theme. My hostess took us to our assigned cubby, a small two-person seat at a window with an extended mantel. Some might consider it an insult but for me it played into the theme so I had a smile on my face. I was honestly expecting my server to break out in song about the lonely mountain but it must have been a lucid day dream. Alas, I ordered my typical bourbon while my fellow adventurer laid down her bow and began to sip The Root Rita. She enjoyed the drink and had no real complaints or compliments. I take that as it was good but nothing spectacular. Famished, the "Fellowship of the Two" ordered "meat on the bone" from the interesting menu. Luckily, they were fresh out of orc, so we requested the chips and queso. Too bad Gandalf wasn't in the party as we could have used his staff to fix the monstrosity. The best part was the slightly salty chips b/c the queso was bland. Moreover, it tasted as if someone grabbed a brick of Velveeta, melted it, threw it in a cup and topped with a few items. Utterly forgettable. However, I'm here to tell you the Holy Aioli was so good it would have made Gollum smile. The ciabatta was soft and flavorful and I'm always impressed when bread is seasoned. The chicken breast was plump and juicy with lettuce, tomato and provolone cheese. The kicker was it had basil pesto on it. For those who don't know, basil pesto can overpower almost any dish but in a very clever manner, avocado acted as a balance. As a chef I'm always looking to soften the strength of basil often using spinach. For some reason the two worked in unison; the avocado's fat balancing the basils high herb notes. This is the first time that I can remember I ate everything on a sandwich as I generally discard bread. The chips were honestly forgettable and the garlic mashed spuds were rather bland as well. But the sandwich is tattooed in my memory, forever more. I enjoyed the Root Cellar for first and foremost the atmosphere, it allowed me to let my guard down and enjoy life. The prices were reasonable and all the other road weary travelers at other tables were as diverse as a character in a Tolkien book all being extremely nice and respectful. The grog was limited but not bad and some of the food didn't live up to expectations but the sandwich was epic. I wish I ordered some other items to explore more of what they had to offer but that's a tale for another book.

Tasty French toast. A cozy spot near Texas State University. My friend raved about their breakfast. If I ever went back to San Marcos, I'd return depending on the wait time.

This place seemed busy when we first arrived, so I thought you know it was going to be pretty good. I didn't really enjoy it, the shrimp & grits were pretty basic and it didn't have anything else really & for the amount of money paid for it, I don't think it's worth it. The BYOB, the avocado toast was decent, not much flavor, what got me was the fact that they didn't know what an over hard egg was. I got sent 3 orders of eggs back because they kept giving me runny eggs, by the time I got "over hard" eggs it was just the same eggs all dry from being heated so many times. The host was difficult to find & I had to walk up to the host stand myself, which is fine but it just went terrible. Place is decent, bunch of nice paintings!

I SOOOO Wanted to love this place, but unfortunately, our visit wasn't quite what we hoped for. I'd first like to say that I don't think the space was at its best due to prep for a high volume event in their event space. However, for a passerby foodie, it was certainly unfortunate. Staff were VERY KIND! Service was pretty slow, as it was busy. Apps took 45 mins, and our meals took over an hr to get to us. Their menu is veggie/vegan friendly, but simple. We attempted to order an array of appetizers, but each time our server (who was swamped) returned to our table she notified us of another item that "had run out". - Garlic hummus : NAY. Chips tasted store bought, and the hummus was over salted - Fried asparagus: yay. Simply because it was different, and worth trying - Beet and goat cheese salad: Nay. Fresh but VERY simple, and the dressing was a bit too tangy/sour for my taste - Meatloaf: Yay, was pretty tasty, but had the consistency of a burger. - Eggplant sandwich: Yay. My mother-in-law got this and said it was tasty **Side dishes were very underwhelming. Nay, not worth it. I got the grits, and it was bland stove top grits with cheddar sprinkled on top. The home style potato's were bland and not fully cooked. Very fun interior though. If I return, I'll stick to drinks & small bites just for the ambience and staff. Cute merch.

Food: Simple, average brunch-Nothing special or unique about it. The biscuit, sausage, and egg with the gravy was good. However, the potatoes were undercooked. I personally got gluten free bread and gravy on the side since it contains flour. Service: Good for a busy restaurant. Ambiance: Rustic, warm lighting, cozy American brunch restaurant. Nice for all kinds of parties.

My friend had to be in San Marcos for a conference and asked if I would meet her up for dinner. She chose this place! The menu looked good and they actually had a lot of vegetarian options which was cool. They also had a small section for mocktails. I got the pasta primavera and she got the Mac and cheese! My honest review is that the food was A-okay. It was not something that blew me out of the water. The service was slightly slow, but hey it was also crowded and we didn't mind because we had a lot of catching up to do. The price was a little overboard considering the taste. The ambiance was cute and quirky. There was a lot of college ages kids in the area since it is near campus. Overall this place was okay. Would I go again? No, probably not, but that's okay too.

Watch your step at the door! This is a San Marcos square institution, and I knew I had to go back when I was in town for the first time in... what... 7 years? Ambiance is still cozy and homey and eclectic with mismatched tables and chairs and fun art. Some classics on the menu with some changes over time. Highly, highly, highly recommended the Brussel Sprouts and Mermaid Water! Bonus, the Brussel Sprouts taste really good added to the Mac & Cheese! Friend got the penne and asparagus. Originally, we ordered the bread plate, but apparently, they were out, and instead of telling us, let us wait and just took it off the bill? Appreciate taking it off the bill, but we would have liked to know sooner... Service to get your food is historically slow. So, it's a good thing it's a good place to sit and chat and catch up with friends! They won't seat you until your whole party is there, and the inside waiting are for waiting parties is tiny, so be prepared. Also, single person restrooms.

This place was ok, not amazing, not bad, just ok. It was t disappointing nor was it something I'd talk about to my friends. The food was cooked well and served quickly, and my coffee was hot. If I happened to be in the area again I would probably be ok with going for breakfast here again but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there. All in all - just meh Our server was nice and the restaurant itself was cute and in a cool basement setting.

So while on a trip to San Marcos my daughter and I found this place on Yelp and thought we would give it a try. This place is located in a downtown type area but parking was very easy. The wait time was very minimal and we were checked in and seated quickly. Our waiter was very polite. The venue is decorated nicely and has vintage furniture and it does feel like you're in a cellar. It has a homey feel. I was shocked though when I went to take my youngest to the bathroom. We stood outside waiting for about 5 minutes for her to go and then she started doing the potty dance. I knocked on the door because I heard music playing and wanted to make sure it was actually occupied. An employee opened the door, stuffed her phone away and walked out. When we entered there was paper towels and tissue everywhere. I have never been to an establishment where the bathroom goes unchecked like this. I even had to flush the toilet prior to my daughter using it and it. It also took awhile for our food to come out. It took almost an hour so I'm not sure if they were behind in the kitchen or what happened. The food was okay. The salmon was cooked fine and had great flavors but the chicken sandwich was bland and my youngest didn't really enjoy her Mac and cheese and kept eating my salad. I would give them another try and prob order something different. I did order brussel sprouts but they never came out and requested a cranberry mimosa but received the normal orange juice.

I kept telling my partner that I felt like we were in The Hobbit. You step down into the restaurant and it's beautiful in a simple way. I felt really relaxed and the staff were very kind as well. The Scuba Libre is one of the best things I've drank in a long time. Speaking of drinks there is a wonderfully intimate bar directly above the cafe.

Extremely slow service................ Food was salty (Cesar salad w/shrimp and shrimp and grits) mac and cheese were bland and cold.

The food in this place is really good; I liked the beer-battered asparagus, the biscuit, and the gravy. The brewhouse burger was good; just the jam tasted more like BBQ, and the bread pudding was really good. The place in a historic building looks so nice, and the customer service is great. Parking is tough to find.

Very welcoming place in the heart of Texas State land. It's part of a nice main st strip with plenty of walkers and window shoppers. The servers were all nice. It had tables and booths and a second room, which we didn't enter. It had a full bar, but the actual bar was small w seats for only a few people. The brunch menu had plenty of options: breakfast food/eggs/omelets/french toast were tasty, lunch options like beet burger, Brussel sprouts, and steak and eggs were delicious too. It has on street parking but easy to find a spot before the bars open. A definite must go-to when hanging out in this town.

I would summarize my visit as well worth the wait. Today we tried The Root Cellar Cafe and this place could be a hidden gem. It's quaint, cute and intimate. The staff is friendly and very pleasant. But they were clearly short handed. Fifty mins has elapsed from the time we sat down until the time we got our food. So don't show up HANGRY because this place will take some time. BUT it is WELL WORTH THE WAIT. The food was fresh and VERY tasty! Every bite revealed another level of season and the portions were hardy. We will be back!

The gravy and sausage was delicious but the biscuits were cold, hard, and had a cornbread texture. Definitely do not recommend it. The Frittada was nicely plated. I would recommend some salsa or hot sauce as it was on the bland side. Great for a healthy option! The service was prompt and friendly. The ambiance is so cool! Definitely a historic building with charm! I am rating this place as a 3 because the food is...not so tasty.

Before heading to the San Marcos Outlets, we stopped for brunch. This place was super packed but the hostess took us up to their rooftop. No one else was there, which was perfect. Parking: street/paid for. Just gotta look for it. Ambiance: super chill since we were not inside (downstairs). The day was gorgeous too. Food: it was oookkkaaay. Nothing mind blowing or life changing. Our favorite item on the menu was the Brazilian French toast. My boyfriend loved the jalapeño "gravy" sauce--me, not so much. Didn't have any of their drinks. Overall, it was "eh." Not terrible. Not amazing.

Food was delicious! Great atmosphere, quaint and quirky. Highly recommended! Hibiscus mint tea is a must! The biscuits are amazing and chicken and waffles to die for!

Great place to eat. Service is good and the food is delicious. It's a vegan friendly restaurant.

This place is in a historic building. It has a cool ambiance but the room way in the back is humid and has a funny smelly smell. We were going to be sitting there but my husband and I quickly asked for different seating and we were sat in the middle room which had much better ventilation and was dry. The food was delicious. The spinach and artichoke dip could have been better. I didn't like that I had to pay an extra $1.50 for fruit on my French toast and extra $2.00 for a scoop of cream. My server just asked if I wanted fruit and cream but my husband's waffle came with it included. I'm also used to having powdered sugar on my French toast. Overall this place is good and I will be back to try different things on the menu.

We were then on a Sunday and The ambience of the upper root was enhanced by the great music. The food was so good especially the French toast and jalepano gravy. Service was excellent as well. We will be back to experience the dinner menu!

Our server was fantastic! She gets a million stars, hands down. The food? Oh gosh - what a disappointment. I can't even give it one star. I am going to preface this with this: If I am paying money for what I am assuming will be good food, it should be as good as, if not better than what I am able to make. If it's not, I will send it back - I don't want to pay for something that is not good. I'm nice about it always - it is NOT the server's fault that something is not good or wrong! We had chosen this spot based on the rave reviews and were looking forward to a really wonderful meal. I walked in to get us on the waitlist while my friend parked. Once she walked in, we were pretty much immediately sat at a table. That we both wide-eyed looked at, looked at one another and giggled... but sat, nonetheless - it was a really teeny, wobbly table that looked like it had been moved here from bulk pickup in someone's yard. The table was placed right in front of the mini split and it was freezing. Our server came over to get our drink and appetizer order and we share with her our request to please be moved to a different spot in the restaurant. We chatted with our server, who let us know it was no bother at all to move us - people were always asking to be moved from this table and it seemed to be the most hated spot in the place. Our request to move was met with a giant sigh and eye roll from the woman working the board. We are then moved to the weirdest table that is up against a column and pushed against the wall as a 4 top - glad there were just 2 of us because I can't imagine this would be enjoyable at all for 4. The layout in here is just not one that's been done by a professional, but rather someone looking to cram as many tables into the awkward space as possible. It really needs reorganizing. Once we were moved and assured by our server that she would remain with us, we went back to perusing the menu and decided on the spinach artichoke appetizer with both the tortilla and pita chips. The appetizer arrives. The chips were stale Julio's chips - they're a tortilla chip that comes with an abundance of taco seasoning on the chip and packaged pita chips (so easy to make - come on chef!) that were "meh" at best. Spoiler alert: I didn't have high hopes for our meal and my expectations were met. I decided on the Seafood Scampi (seared bay scallops, shrimp, and steamed mussels tossed with linguine, arugula, tomato, and a white wine sauce). The plate is $22, so I am hoping for something really wonderful with a beautiful sauce. That's not what I got at all. There was no sauce. While bay scallops, they had no real flavor, were rubbery and not cooked well. There was absolutely no sauce. It just completely lacked in flavor and wasn't appetizing. At $22 for a small bowl of what was supposed to be a scampi dish (garlic, butter, white wine YUM!), this wasn't it. I let the server know that I would like to try something different and what was something that she'd reccomend. Based on her recommendation, I got the ShoeString Chicken (grilled citrus marinated chicken breast topped with our house basil cream sauce and fried shoestring onions. Served with garlic scallion mashed potatoes and vegetable medley). Again, there's no sauce. Who is making the menus and not telling chef what they say?! The mashed potatoes were just glopped on the plate and scallions thrown on the plate. I took a bite and the chicken tasted like frozen bagged chicken from Costco that had been in the back of the freezer too long. I couldn't do it. I sent that back and said I was going to pass on dinner. The chef seems to have no real passion for his menu and whomever designed the restaurant seating is just looking to cram every human they can in the area. I won't be back. Who in the heck is writing all these 5 star reviews?! Students that are used to the grub at the cafeteria at Texas State? While this spot pushes "farm to table" and "made from scratch," it's not. Please don't be fooled.

I have been here before a long time ago but recently came back for my birthday and it's just as amazing as I remember. The music the service and the food were all incredible. We came in on a a Sunday and were promptly greeted and didn't have to wait more than 5 minutes for our table. You have to try their waffle it's my favorite ever and their mocktails are great too! We cleaned our plates. Yum!

What a great spot for lunch or brunch. I've done both. Great food and cool space. A little gem right off the square.

Had French Toast with berries. It was good but berries were sparse. However, the homemade jelly more than made up for this. The jam came with my husband's meal was so delicious that I mixed it with the fresh fruit on my French toast. Turned out amazing! I ordered a side of sausage. It was too salty. My husband ordered the Hill Country breakfast. It was also good. However, the sausage was rather salty for him also. He still gave it a 4.5 Overall it was a good experience and food was good.

The Root Cellar is just the kind of place to take your family. We live in Austin, parents visiting from out of town, and wanted to see the Hill Country. After a long day of exploring, a big dinner was in order. The Root Cellar had healthy delicious food that fit everyone's diets. It was hard to decide what to order, but I finally settled on the Seafood Scampi, because it's something I wouldn't make myself at home. I think it was a smart choice! The funny thing was that the server also was serving his family at the booth behind us on the patio, since they were in town visiting for college Parents' Weekend. Important things to know - they do have patio seating with a good view of sidewalk traffic. They don't take reservations for the day of, or on weekends. We were, however, able to walk in and get a table for 4 at 6 on a Sunday night with no wait. They said is usually gets busy about 6:30.

I ordered Marinated Eggplant Sandwich! it was delicious. It was savory and flavorful! A must have!

Excellent food and service. Had the breakfast sandwich, grits and frittata. Kayleigh was the friendliest, best server. Will def go back!

This might be one of the most disgusting things i have ever eaten. I cant speak for the rest of the plates, but I was NOT expecting my pasta to be mixed with the whole egg+the yolk. I read the yolk but I am only assuming this pasta was pan cooked with the egg. If I wanted scrambled I would have gotten scrambled eggs. This entire plate tasted like $5. No hint of cheese or carbonara, or even any sauce. It was slightly wet linguini with egg. And very boring, gross bread as complimentary. This plate was not worth any dollar spent, and if you come here wanting carbonara pasta, go ahead and make fried eggs at home to get the same equivalent of flavor. I may not be returning, although the atmosphere was very homey, It cannot overlap the disgusting food I was served. Service was fine. My server was polite and straight to the point, of course cannot blame her for the food. Do not eat carbonara here!!!! At that point just go to olive garden.

Not sure what the hype is about. Chose this place based on reviews and my expectations were high, but I was disappointed. No only with the insanely long wait for our food, but also the shrimp'n grits. Shrimp were not seasonings and were simply boiled and thrown on there... the grits were just ok. The holy aioli was also not worth it. Maybe it's my dislike for ciabatta bread, but even so, I wanted to try it out since it seems to be a favorite. Overall it was nothing special. The aioli is what saves it. Highlights: Bloody Mary mocktail- 5 stars Breaded asparagus-4 stars . they were crispy on the outside and not "stringy" when you take a bite.

Such a cute place, and the food was really good. Don't miss out on trying this place.

The food is pretty good. It is a little high in price, but it seems to be good quality ingredients.

Near the Texas state university, this eatery fits perfectly with the surrounding college town hangout feel. The spinach artichoke was very good could use a few more chips to go with it. The salad was refreshing with the root razz vinaigrette light enough to balance out the heavier dip. Service was overall friendly but the bathroom needs to be remodeled. Otherwise a pretty cool place

I came here a couple months ago with a friend and brought my husband with me this time. The atmosphere is a step back in time when conversations were the main form of entertainment at the table. The food is delicious but be prepared for a slower paced service. Excellent service just at a slower pace. It seems the order of the day is to enjoy the meal and the company NOT rush you out to turn tables as quick as they can. A truly lovely gem!

Be sure to make reservations on the weekend! Also, finding parking can be hard as there's only street parkinf. We waited about an hour to be seated. Luckily, you can walk around the stores nearby to kill some time. Once seated, drinks will take a bit to come out and food took over an hour after being ordered. I think they're severely understaffed. We ordered the fried asparagus, which is the best part of the meal. I had the pesto pasta with salmon and it was okay. The pasta was very al dente and the tomatoes weren't cooked thoroughly. Also, the focaccia bread that comes with the dish was super brittle. Salmon wasn't too bad. I understand they are understaffed, but the food is not worth the wait.

Always fresh, delicious food and good service. San Marcos location is a little loud.

My son and I visited around the holidays. The food was delicious, the drinks were tasty and service was excellent. We sat outside and enjoyed a nice warm evening.

I'm so very sad to post this about a place we really like but here goes. My Husband and I thought we would try to get in here to grab a bite at 10:30 on a Saturday morning. We knew there would be a wait as it was a nice day out and this is a popular place. The sunshine tends to bring the crowds. The waiting area inside is always cramped and it's loud in the restaurant. My husband went in to put our name on the wait list and let them know that we would be outside. He was told a 20 minute wait for outside because they didn't have a waitress covering the outside yet, which is reasonable. He came to tell me and I asked him to go in and grab waters and a carafe of mimosas while we waited. My husband was told that there was no bartender so we could not get water or mimosas. Say what? The two ladies at the other table outside had mimosas, water and a waitress. I suggested that we be patient because it hadn't been the 20 minutes and maybe that's why we couldn't get service. The waitress came outside to serve the two ladies without a glance in our direction. After 30 minutes and no call (they took my husband's number to contact us when it was our turn) or text we decided to go around the corner to Blue Dahlia at 11AM. Blue Dahlia is always short staffed but their staff work together to accommodate their customers. Novel idea, right? We enjoyed a lovely carafe of mimosas, brunch, Irish coffee and a Lemon sorbet. We walked back around the corner to the root cellar. I stepped in at 12:04PM and asked for a manager. The girl at the register hemmed and hawed but finally another young lady came out. I explained the situation and that it was now 12:05 without a call or text saying they were ready to serve us. Absolutely unacceptable and she agreed. She assured me they were understaffed and "training" servers. We get being understaffed in a river town and we don't mind waiting but being completely blown off isn't ok. I find it most interesting that first a young male server then a young female server stood around behind the "manager " listening in and smirking. We've been here several times and have always enjoyed it. Today was ridiculous and they lost out on a 100 dollar meal plus tip . We will be back in a month to give them one more shot. I certainly hope they do better.

I wanted to like the Root Cellar. Located right in the heart of San Marcos, the Root Cellar is situated in what basically is a cellar with a hippy-ish vibe that feels pretty at home in this university town. That said, the menu isn't super expansive, with some salad and sandwich choices along with some breakfast options there's going to be something for you - but you may be surprised that none of the choices will get your heart pumping. I had a club sandwich that seemed loaded with items but short on any real flavor. The service was friendly but slow and the food took forever to be served. Would I come back? Possibly. But would I really recommend it? Probably not.

Great local place. Good environment and food. Staff were friendly too. Pesto pasta and side salad

Best little cafe in San Marcos. We love going to brunch on the weekends! Great food, great service, great atmosphere!

I am sharing the love! The Brazilian French toast is out of this world, especially when topped with a cup of berries and a side of ham. It's my favorite! Really, anything on the menu is simply delicious! A shout out to Matthew! He is an amazing server; cute, too! Knowledgeable about the menu and really friendly. He kept our coffee cups and water glasses full. He even offered Coffee To Go!

Was in San Marcos for one of the kids swimming lessons and came back to try this place a second time and dined in this time. We were there Sunday around 5:15pm and it wasn't busy and we were seated immediately. The table ordered burgers with kettle chips for two of the burgers and Mac n' cheese and peas as sides for the other two. The burgers are some of the best I have had in the area and would happily go back for them again and again. The peas and Mac n' cheese were also really surprisingly good, especially the peas. The kids shared a brownie for dessert which they demolished and I didn't have time to take a picture. The bread pudding, while it looked delicious, was dry and they were out of ice cream which would have helped tremendously. However, the burgers were so good it was still a five star experience.

Atmosphere, menu options, price, service, food quality, can't go wrong here apparently. 4 times eating here and it has been great every time.

YES, highly recommend! This place has really amazing food. We tried 3 different dishes, all of which were impressively good. The chicken was so soft and flavorful. The service was also very generous, she stayed and engaged in convo with us politely and kindly. We learned that there are cabinets in a lot of the tables that have fun notes! We came here for a casual birthday dinner and it was a great vibe for it!! Delicious food, spacious, cute!

The food is always great here. I prefer the dinner menu over the brunch menu. I've enjoyed just about everything on the dinner menu and the chicken is probably my favorite. Service is always friendly but can be a bit slow during the weekend.

The food is great and has good proportions for your money. The service is great. Nice spot for brunch! The mimosas are the best!

Consistent and reliable place to get a bite to eat. Menu tends to have a decent variety. Staff is always helpful and friendly. Despite the place being in an old building they make it work and it's part of its charm.