12 Gage Restaurant

12 Gage is a must stop if you are heading west or to Big Bend. The restaurant operated 6-9pm the day we went so we decided to head there are some big bend hikes. Alpine is a quiet town with limited selection but sometimes small things have great impacts and 12 Gage did just that. Immediately you are greeted with an esthetic of classic West Texas meeting modern needs. The menu is concise and drives real flavor focuses. We ordered the quail as a starter and it was crispy with a unique BBQ take. I do think the small veggie salad is not needed. For entrees we had the special of the day red fish with veggies and crab cakes. Both were amazing and our waiter let us know they do get fresh fish in daily. The crab cakes had a lemon purée sauce they sat on with just the right amount of citrus to elevate the crab cakes flavor. The red fish had a crispy skin with a purée to complement the veggies and gosh combination. We would order both if and when we return. Last the star... a bourbon bread pudding. Now bread pudding may not seem to some an elevated dessert but this one was. First it was fresh with a warm steamAnd a scoop of Hope (Plano ice cream spot) vanilla bean ice cream on top. Below this was a white cream sauce that had just the right spice of bourbon within. Even if you just eat dessert 12 Gage is the spot yo try in west Texas. Everyone was engaging and our water glasses never went empty. I truly felt the true culture of Texas in 12 Gage and can't wait to return.

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.

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.

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'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.

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.

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