Location: Alpine
Top Restaurants in Alpine
Where to Eat in Alpine: The Best Restaurants and Bars
Alpine is a city in and the county seat of Brewster County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,905 at the 2010 census. The town has an elevation of 4,475 ft (1,364 m), and the surrounding mountain peaks are over a mile high. The university, hospital, library, and retail make Alpine the center of the sprawling (12,000 mi) but wide open Big Bend area (combined population only 12,500) including Brewster, Presidio, and Jeff Davis Counties.
Things to do in Alpine
1. Reata Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 672 reviews
The original Reata Restaurant located in the scenic Davis Mountains of west Texas offers the same fine dining and Legendary Texas Cuisine you can find at the Fort Worth location. Alpine, home to Sul Ross State University is near Texas tourist destination Big Bend National Park and the towns of Marathon, Fort Davis and Lajitas. Alpine is also a short drive from Marfa, Texas renowned both for the mysterious Marfa Lights and Donald Judd’s Chinati Foundation. Reata, named after the legendary ranch in the James Dean classic movie, “Giant”, which was filmed in nearby Marfa, boasts the same high quality Southwestern dining you can find in Fort Worth. This is not food for the faint of heart, from Chicken Fried Steak to Calf Fries or the Pepper Crusted Tenderloin and Cowboy Rib Eye Steak, this is a dining experience not to miss. Today, Reata Alpine remains a true destination restaurant, attracting loyal diners from miles beyond the charming converted farmhouse where our Legendary Texas Cuisine was born.
Reviewed By graciouslivinguk - Virginia Water, United Kingdom
PROS
1. Patio is fabulous - tucked behind the restaurant and surrounded by fragrant wisteria and shady trees. Lovely breezes
2. Great place for drinks. Margaritas and specialty drinks were very good.
3. Service excellent. Very welcoming and pleasant.
CONS
1. We had dinner here; 4 of us. Corn chowder was delicious, but our mains - carne asada - were very mediocre. Beef was soft and tepid, not sizzling hot with a nice sear. Enchilada on top was also tepid and not very flavorful. Beans tasted like they were from a can. Perhaps if you don’t know good Mexican food, you may find it palatable.
Good place to sit outside and have a drink, but disappointed in the food here.
2. Cedar Coffee Supply
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 36 reviews
Reviewed By JodiCowgirl - Austin, Texas
Ok- you wanna hear something? I really wanted to LOVE this place but first things first- coffee is an art! It really is. There are pros & cons to this place. or atleast one con but it's a crucial one.
I love the building, the actual space the shop is in, the ambiance/vibe and the barista behind the counter was very professional & friendly.
Even in downtown Fort Worth, currently, there isn't THIS kind of café/coffee shop and I wish there was. CCS has such potential. But then again, I lived in Seattle for more than a decade so...I am only going on experience.
What wasn't so exciting was I ordered my standard drink, a triple espresso, and it was at best, bitter.
So bitter that rather than complain or correct the nice young man behind the counter, I just compensated greatly by adding half & half...a considerable amount to my cup.
YIKES! I know. I should have just asked for a new drink but...well, I've certainly had worse.
It is just really important for baristas to take their espresso, seriously.
It's a timing thing, to pull shots, properly.
It's an art.
And I'm a stickler for customer service, too, just didn't have the heart to tell him to his face that his skills need refining.
Espresso is such a no frills way to drink coffee.
You can't mask the bitterness with steamed milk or syrup or additional flavoring.
That's the thing.
It's should be stout, pack a punch and be smooth tasting when you pull it properly.
Otherwise, it can be bitter, nasty, harsh and beyond consumption.
I managed only because I added so much half & half and then let it sit for 30 minutes before drinking the entire thing.
Sorry but...that was my experience.
Just telling you like it is.
3. Dairy Queen
Overall Ratings
3 based on 17 reviews
Reviewed By Kenneth R - Garland, Texas
Was driving through Alpine the evening of 5/29/16 while on vacation. Most dining places were closed so we were glad to see this Dairy Queen open & decided to stop. We shouldn't have. 4 teenagers (3 girls & a boy) were working, well, 1 was working, 1 was evidently training, and 2 were standing off to the side gabbing. We were the only customers in line, but still waited almost 5 minutes before 1 of the gabbers decided to take our order. After paying, we took a booth and looked around. The floor was dirty with dropped fries, napkins, etc, the tables had not been wiped down for I don't know how long and worst of all, the window sills were totally filled with dead flies! I'm not talking a few, I'm saying dozens and dozens on every window sill in the place! Against our better judgement, we went ahead and ate since we had already paid with a credit card & to be honest, the food was decent. The whole time we were in there the teenage staff talked and giggled while people waited. At one point, they all talked loudly about how another worker had cut her finger and bled profusely because a piece of her skin had been sliced off. Not exactly what you want to hear while eating. Totally unprofessional. We didn't eat half our food and quickly left. We like DQ's and eat at them often. This was the absolute worst DQ we've ever been in.
4. Cow Dog
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 112 reviews
Reviewed By JimH85641 - Vail, Arizona
If you visit Alpine the Cow Dog is a must visit place. It specializes in hotdogs of all descriptions. They are prepared in an old Winnebago RV and the tables are both inside and outside in an old gas station. They come in two sizes, regular and footlong. Great place and it is always packed.
5. Plaine Coffee
Overall Ratings
4 based on 49 reviews
Family owned coffee shop serving locally roasted beans from Big Bend Coffee Roasters.
Reviewed By Pyra-Danny - St. Petersburg, Florida
(Warning: young adults from Central Florida in for vacation) Do I look at the zany, huge paintings covering the walls reflecting local humor? All the funny sayings on signs? The cool menu board created out of Scrabble pieces? There was so much wit and creativity I didn’t know where to begin—I loved it!
COFFEE WASN’T BAD
Hubs had a Nitro Brew and it was delicious- naturally creamy without a need for additions. My Vietnamese Coffee didn’t taste like the real thing at all (wrong Coffee bean and condensed milk) however it was still very tasty… whatever it was. Just a very creamy, very sweet Coffee.
RELAX HERE FOR A BIT
Our only issue was with the barista who was very stand-offish and unsmiling… but it could also be because we arrived at 7:30am and it was cold and drizzly outside so I can't dock points for that. Nobody is happy under those circumstances. There’s comfy couches inside but not too many seats; however the shaded patio outside is great for studying.
6. Guzzi Up
Overall Ratings
4 based on 323 reviews
Reviewed By CookseyMom - Plano, Texas
We had a fabulous dinner here while visiting Alpine. Kids had pizza and we had pasta. It was all delicious. There was a small wait, and the process to get us seated was kind of disjointed (e.g., no real process to take our name/party size...we just stood in line and they seated parties one by one). The highlight, other than the yummy food, is that our waiter literally serenaded us and also did a Shakespearean monologue. He was a hoot. We will definitely be back the next time we're in Alpine.
7. Magoo's Place
Overall Ratings
4 based on 142 reviews
Reviewed By Chadsaeswt - San Antonio, Texas
We stayed in Alpine over the Thanksgiving holiday. Magoo's not only has great breakfast burritos and the standards but we ate lunch there as well. Half of us had mexican food but they also had solid burgers. I'd eat there anytime I'm in town.
8. La Casita
Overall Ratings
4 based on 227 reviews
Reviewed By Chadsaeswt - San Antonio, Texas
I've been to Alpine many times and have my favorites. When we were there for Thanksgiving many places were closed. Stumbled upon the tiny, La Casita and loved it. We had taco salad, flautas, tacos, and queso. It was all worth it. I'll be adding it to the regular rotation.
9. The Century Bar & Grill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 269 reviews
The Century Bar & Grill offers a distinctive menu infused with tradition as well as the forward motion of the modern age. We have crafted the Century dining experience with a variety of flavors: relax in the comfortable and classic Rio Grande Room, indulge a New York mood at our Chef's Tables with a view on the open kitchen, or savor outdoor dining in the Hotel courtyard under West Texas skies in a delightful high-desert climate. The beautifully designed bar, airy yet intimate, serves superb locally brewed beer from Big Bend Brewery as well as unique cocktails. A favorite of locals, The Century Bar & Grill guarantees anyone visiting the Big Bend a friendly Texas welcome with casual elegance, great food, and good drinks.
Reviewed By DeltaDiners - Glen Rose, Texas
Here we are.............in Alpine, Texas..............and every time we are in the Big Bend, we make it a point to eat at the Century Bar & Grill. Great food, great prices, with so much attention to detail! WOW!!
10. Judy's Bread and Breakfast
Overall Ratings
4 based on 212 reviews
Reviewed By GayeSekula - Converse, Texas
The atmosphere of a small town cafe, warm and welcoming. The most delicious eggs florentine I have EVER had! Tried to eat there on Sunday morning but there an a FIFTY minute wait. That ought to tell ya sonethin'!
