Location: Terlingua
Top Restaurants in Terlingua
Where to Eat in Terlingua: The Best Restaurants and Bars
Terlingua (/tərˈlɪŋɡwə/ tər-LING-gwa) is a mining district and census-designated place (CDP) in southwestern Brewster County, Texas, United States. It is located near the Rio Grande and the villages of Lajitas and Study Butte, Texas, as well as the Mexican village of Santa Elena. The discovery of cinnabar, from which the metal mercury is extracted, in the mid-1880s brought miners to the area, creating a city of 2,000 people. The only remnants of the mining days are a ghost town of the Howard Perry-owned Chisos Mining Company and several nearby capped and abandoned mines, most notably the California Hill, the Rainbow, the 248, and the Study Butte mines. The mineral terlinguaite was first found in the vicinity of California Hill.
Things to do in Terlingua
1. Espresso...Y Poco Mas
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 31 reviews
Espresso...y poco mas is located in the Terlingua Ghostown. We serve coffee drinks like espresso, mochas, lattes and the best coffee in town. We have great breakfast and lunch. Our burritos are very famous, especially the burrito Mexicano. We make everything fresh from scratch. Best Meatloaf sandwich in the area.
Reviewed By Sharimck - Kelowna, Canada
I visited Terlingua ghost town solo while my family was on a guided tour, and discovered this place on the recommendation of one of our guides. So glad I did!
Friendly welcoming people, excellent latte's, free wifi, clean bathroom, and a shady spot to sit with a view over one of the coolest little towns in the world - what more could you ask for?
I noted and appreciated the attention to food-safe practices here (salsa refrigerated, milk for coffee on ice, clean kitchen).
It was so great that I brought my family here for breakfast the next morning. I had a breakfast burrito and it was everything...quality fresh ingredients and perfectly cooked eggs.
Don't pass through this area without visiting this place! Highly recommended. Please respect the locals:)
2. DB's Rustic Iron BBQ
Overall Ratings
5 based on 108 reviews
Roadside BBQ concession . Brisket, ribs, sausage , pork butt and Turkey breast plates with sandwiches and sides.
Reviewed By GrumpyTravelGuy
Some of the best brisket I've ever eaten served out of this truck by a nice couple who also sold me a frozen, vacuum sealed whole smoked chicken for $10 which kept me fed for a week. Can't wait to come back every time I visit Big Bend.
3. la Posada Milagro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 220 reviews
Reviewed By 70redbird - Dallas, Texas
We have stayed here four times and we just can’t imagine staying anywhere else. The location can’t be beat, the rooms are clean and cute, the ambience of feeling like your glamping! The fire pits with views of the Mountains is just amazing. We love the little restaurant as well. They open early for coffee and great breakfast. There is also an outdoor area with grill, fridge, etc to make food. Shhh don’t tell anyone about this place!
4. Canyon Brew Coffee
Overall Ratings
5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By TerlinguaDragon - Terlingua, Texas
I like good coffee and that's a rare thing in a town serving tourists.
Canyon Brew, part of and located with Far Flung Adventures, opened recently and I decided it was time to see how their coffee tasted. I ordered an Double Espresso and was very pleasantly surprised - EXCELLENT coffee!!!
It's a great spot for the traveler getting started in the morning on one of the river trips and the only place in Study Butte to get an espresso (La Pasado Milagro is in Terlingua Ghost Town)
5. Starlight Theatre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 903 reviews
Reviewed By TravelLover8098
Last year we visited Terlingua and decided to have dinner here after a long week of tent camping. This time we visited after a day trip to Santa Elena Canyon. Both times we went on spring break, and there was always a long wait. If you get there when they open and get your name on the list, you may only wait 30 min to an hour. This time around we arrived around 6pm and literally waited three hours for a table. Luckily there was live music, drinks for sale, and hula hoops to entertain the kids. The atmosphere is hippyish and fun. Despite the long wait our kids had a blast just waiting for the table.
The food here is waaaay overpriced for the portion sizes. I had the quail. The presentation was not appealing, although the food quality was decent. The service was also a little slow due to the place being packed.
If you’re looking for something other than hiking or sightseeing to do, this is your place, but expect long waits during peak season.
6. High Sierra Bar & Grill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 305 reviews
Reviewed By CookseyMom - Plano, Texas
We went here over spring break. I think the restaurant exists because of overflow from the Starlight Theater, honestly. I had read reviews of it before we went and thought the reviewers were being harsh, but now I understand. It was extremely slow service...like 2 hours to get grilled cheese, kids burgers, and a taco dinner. The only good dish according to my family was the tacos al carbon. The rest of us thought it was pretty bad. But my biggest complaint was the service. Very very slow.
7. La Kiva
Overall Ratings
4 based on 333 reviews
The bar and restaurant at La Kiva is once again open for business after a 14 month rebuilding project. The super modern kitchen is delighting customers with our constantly changing menu. Come and visit this iconic bar. The rock walls are up to four feet thick, huge patio, parts of the bar are underground and parts are semi subterranean. Live music changes frequently. Call for up to date information.
Reviewed By Mudreaux
My friends and I enjoyed our visit to La Kiva. It's a really neat restaurant bar dug down into the rock. Several cave like rooms, a long bar, live music, good pizza, and board games scattered about. The service was slow, but friendly, and it didn't matter to us. Great atmosphere and a history intriguing to ghost hunters. A very old cowboy got up and recited cowboy poetry, good and not so good musicians, but we loved every minute of it. We played dominoes and a good time was had by all.
8. Chili Pepper
Overall Ratings
4 based on 221 reviews
Reviewed By TrademarkTraveler - Austin, Texas
Nice local stop for Mexican-style cuisine. The restaurant has an enclosed "outdoor" seating area, which is nice when the weather is pleasant (it's not air-conditioned). Food is okay. It's not over-priced. To set expectations, the roasted chicken chalupas, as described on the menu, led one to expect tostadas. But, they did arrive in little pre-fab cups, like mini taco-salads. The chicken was - well - difficult to find. It was buried under the shredded lettuce as if the instructions said "Add a pinch of chicken." This noted, the service was pleasant and we enjoyed our meal.
9. Long Draw Pizza
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 80 reviews
Reviewed By EmeraldBeach97
This place is a true "joint". Good pizza, good beer and good company. They are open when they are open, usually evenings, so call ahead. You could also drive by and check the hours. (sometimes they don't answer) It is between Terlingua and Lajitas.
10. Rio Bravo Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 136 reviews
Reviewed By Trish E - Rochester, New York, United States
I had flautas and my husband had the mexican sampler plate. We sat outside and had a gorgious sunset. There were only a couple tables outside so everyone was sitting together and it was a fun way to meet people. The service was almost non-existent. We never got refils on water, we had to find the lights on our own, and we were stacking things in the chip baskets to keep them from blowing away since they never got picked up. No one at our table were enthusiastic about their food. Some of the dishes were spicy, but no flavor. Chili Pepper was much better.
