We sat at the bar last Sunday. The bartender was super friendly and fun to chat with. We didn't try any food but wish we had. The appetizers looked amazing read more

Stopped by for lunch and it was not the best experience. First parking is a nightmare. You need to be there at the right time to catch someone leaving to park. I don't see how they expect people to visit with limited parking in the area. Next we sat inside along the windows near the water. The take location was great but the windows had greasy finger prints from kids on it. Not really the best to look at while waiting for good. The food took what seemed an extra long time to get. Nothing really tricky about bar food. I would go there and only sit the patio, skip the inside. I would also check to see if there was a happy hour. It would be a fun place in the patio or balcony to hang out with friend's for a few drinks. I would have gave them more stars if I was there to hang out and drink only but I wanted a simple lunch near the water and nothing was really worth the cost or wait. Not sure I would go back. read more

Ivar's River Pub - Patio - American Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

Burger tasted great & me and others in my party all liked the seasoned fries. Service was with Ruby and she was nice and did a great job. Nice view of the river. read more

Ivar's River Pub - Brisket tacos - American Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

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Too many issues which is sad because it's a beautiful property. They had plenty of staff working so no real excuse for some of our party getting food 45 minutes after the first people in our party. Yea that happened to 3 of our 13 people. We mostly ordered in couple so for example me and my wife ordered but the bartender outside put every one of our 13 people on the same table tent when led to issues of people getting the wrong orders. As an example the server brings out a bacon jam burger and just says I have a bacon jam burger but 2 of the 3 that ordered had special requests on theirs like add mustard or no onions so people ended up eating other people's food. My wife ordered a burger add cheddar no onions and the server just announced cheddar cheeseburger well it went to someone else and 15 minutes later they brought out a cheddar cheeseburger all the way that should have gone to the other person but now it went to my wife. This all could have been avoided by just giving each couple a separate number. I don't even know how to explain how they came out and told me they could not give me the 3 frozen margarita flights and when I asked if there was something comparable we could have instead the guy just insisted on canceling the order and said something about stopping waste and limiting alcohol. I ordered 3, one for me, one for my wife and one for another adult at the table and my wife had to see a manager to get them to send them out. It's just crazy they prefer to cancel and refund than sell you something else. As an fyi none of us had drank alcohol all day so it wasn't that anyone was drunk and they didn't want to over serve. I was leery because of their low score but tried it anyway and we won't rerun. No one in our 13 party group of friends that met up there will likely come back it was just a mess. read more

Everything wad delicious and everyone was so very nice. We had the brisket nachos, smothered chicken, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, Caesar salad and vodka hydrillas all on server recommendation and it was phenomenal. All while enjoying a beautiful view on the patio. Highly recommend. read more

Horrible experience! Slow!!! Food the worse!!! It took 35 minutes to serve us a can soup read more

My partner and I went here on a Wednesday evening for date night; we really enjoyed it! It's got an easy-going, homey aesthetic- feels like visiting a little beach house, but along the river! We were offered indoor or outdoor and chose inside near the bar. They have a lot of cool lighting inside, as well as a few flatscreen TVs playing. I enjoyed their berry mango mojito... SO GOOD! The price for alcohol is mid-range, but the price for meals is quite reasonable. Paid $8 for the drink, but only $12 for a large platter of fried catfish + fries and mac n' cheese side. Btw, the fries taste amazing- they have a seasoned coating to give 'em the perfect crunch of the outside. I had so much food I took half of it home to enjoy for leftovers the next day! Despite being indoors, we had a good view of the river and the folks enjoying it. We saw kayakers, swimmers, fishers, kids playing frisbee. It was fun to people-watch. Perhaps next time we come, we'll bring our swimsuits so we can play in the river afterwards too! Be warned, the parking lot is a small gravel lot, and folks were "inventing" parking spots where they could in order to fit. If you're going at a busy time of day, consider finding other parking nearby. We noticed Ivar's does have an outdoor stage/venue that looks like you might be able to rent/reserve it for events like parties? Pretty cool. There's also some merch for sale, if you're a big fan. read more

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Its become a sort of habit for my family to stop by this pub whenever they're visiting me. San Marcos is a beautiful town, and it's heart is the San Marcos river. During the summer, the outdoor patio is a perfect place to relax and do some people-watching by the river... if you're into that. The food is yumalicious (fantastic)! My grandmother loved the crispy fries and BBQ, in fact, she didn't stop talking about those fries until she eventually went back home. I usually go for the brisket nachos with white queso; the portion is quite large and its enough to feed two people! The service it always great, the servers are usually really nice college students who have dreams and aspirations. Anyways, my mission is to eventually eat everything on the menu. As someone who sucks at making decisions on what to order, it becomes a little easier to make choices when I know Im eventually going to come back. - yummy :0 read more

Ivar's River Pub - Brisket Nachos - American Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

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Delicious appetizers and sandwiches at this place! Love the fried oyster and shrimp appetizer, and the meatball sub. Just super tasty!

Our go-to place in San Marcos on the river. We all love this place. We usually sit on screened patio & enjoy seeing the floaters, the nighttime lite kayakers etc. It's usually a peaceful experience, although it has a lively bar. The service is very good. All the food I've tried is good. Nice variety on the menu & good prices. I highly recommend for anyone. read more

Wow... Went in over the weekend, kinda looking forward to what they had. Really in the mood for Chicken Fried Chicken, which is in the online menu but not in the real menu at the pub. We thought ok, we'll ask... Never got the chance, they smiled at us coming in and promptly seated us next to a very large group by the window. Seated there may have been the problem! We never saw the waiter/waitress... after 15 mins of not even passing us by we left! Hijole!!! No mas. On leaving we were smiled at and said goodnight! We ended going down the street and had some great Mexican food, when we parked they came to the car and immediately gave us a menu, at the car, delivered the food to the car. We loved it. Thanks Ivar for getting us over the Great Mexican food, loved it! read more

We (a party of 4) were terribly disappointed in the food. My husband got the chicken fried steak and I got the pesto chicken sandwich. What boring flavors you served up. The chicken was very bland and boring and the one tomato slice made the whole sandwich runny and ruined the bread. The fried steak was chewy and the gravy was flavorless. The mashed potatoes were mediocre in flavor as well. The shrimp was rubbery and again had no flavor. The burnt ends appetizer was surprisingly yummy, though. The margaritas were also delicious. Honestly, I'm unsure if we would return. read more

Loved the club sandwich Very generous portions Relaxing view of the river from the patio, comfortable even though it was HOT outside read more

Beautiful sunset over the San Marcos river. Breathe in the negative ions generated by the water. The brisket nachos are unique & awesome. Just go read more

Man, where to start. The place has a nice ambiance and view overall, but to me the price of the food and drinks doesn't justify it. It was way overpriced and makes the restaurant mediocre at best for me. Also our drinks took way too long. Don't get the bobcat fries here. They are too small for its price point with Brisk added. You are better off going to Crafthouse and getting the $10.95 Bobcat fries on a Friday night. Not pleased with this place and I will not be coming back. Way too expensive for a pub. read more

We stopped in to Ivar's to have a cocktail before dinner and see the sunset. It was lovely!! Our bartender Kaylynn was fantastic and spunky- loved her attitude and sense of humor. The vibe is upbeat and all around happy. I enjoyed seeing so many helping hands (staff) to ensure a great guest experience. Can't wait to come back to visit San Marcos, this place is on the top of my list! read more

Ivar's River Pub - Patio on the river - American Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

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Solid deck by the river with a somewhat good selection of food and beverages. Most cocktails were geared toward the sweeter palate vs balanced as depicted by their shot offerings too. Plus each of the cocktails we had were clearly watered down. We perfectly understand the tough margins in the restaurant business especially in today's challenging economy, but stand behind your product and adjust as needed and serve quality or you eventually won't have anyone to serve. Don't like to be harsh, but I will say this is some of the worst service I've received period. Order taken, drinks brought quickly as was our app. After that food was delivered by a runner and we never saw our server again. I had to go find her on her phone in the wait station 30 minutes later to tell her we were ready to go. The place was NOT busy at all BTW. Ambiance: 7 Food: 7 - Peel n' Eat Shrimp + Brisket Nachos Cocktails: 4 - Ivar's Mule Spicy (not spicy and yes, extremely watered down) + Ivar's Red Devil Mexican Martini Spicy (not spicy) and again, watered down Service: 2 (extra point only due to the prompt start but it did drop off completely after the first 5 minutes - unacceptable for a $75 outing. On a slow Saturday night, the server should have been hustling for every dollar, instead she was more interested in Social Media). Will not return. Hopefully ownership and or management is reading these and seeks to improve. read more

Each visit I stop here to enjoy the food, scenery and awesome waitstaff. Today they had burnt pork ends on coleslaw so I ordered it. They were tasty. But still need to come back to get the brisket nachos! read more

Ivar's River Pub - View from the patio. - American Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

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Beer from the tap was flat. We were going to order something more than burgers. But we watched as several tables around us left large portions of their meals uneaten when they left. So we just went with burgers for safety. Even the. They were acceptable at best. We sat inside, maybe sitting on the deck makes the experience worth it. The waitress was as very nice. read more

After cruising down the river in our crystal clear kayake.. we decided to hop off and get some food and drinks for happy hour. Tequila Tuesday? Sure! We ordered a couple of flights. Blue mermaid is highly recommended. I ordered their chicken fettuccini alfredo. Not sure how you can go wrong with chicken fettuccini.. but they did everything right! Super good after a long hot day out in the sun. read more

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We arrived when they opened so we could have a view of the river. All the outside seating had already been filled. The Bloody Mary mix is made in house and was probably one of the best I have had. The burger was cooked to perfection and the aioli I requested on the side. One taste of it and it all went on the burger. Delicious. My husband had the pulled pork plate with a slice of bread he requested it on the brioche bun and said it was delicious read more

Ivar's River Pub - View of river at window seating - American Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

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Great burgers and cold beer with a view of tubers on the San Marcos River await you at Ivar's River Pub in San Marcos. We got here after a long hot day and needed a cold beer and a burger. We found both here, and will definitely come back! There's nothing better than a cold beer on a hot day by the river in the Hill Country. Ivar's has a reasonable selection of local craft beers and the servers are actually familiar with them. Ivar's burgers are the maraschino cherry on top of a great experience. We had the Ivar's burger, an 8 oz patty topped with a generous amount of guacamole with creamy white queso poured over the burger, which was tooped by a fresh-baked toasted bun. We ate ours with a fork, and every bite was delicious . Service was fast and efficient, attentive without being intrusive. We needed an extra small plate and Tabasco sauce for the mutant diner who mixes ketchup and Tabasco, and it was quickly provided with a smile. The private parking lot is watched carefully to keep the tubers out so you can park here no worries. 5 awesome beer and burgers by the river stars! read more

Ivar's River Pub - American Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

The crawfish bisque is amazing with tons of crawfish and a really rich flavor. The chicken fried steak looks better than it tastes. The meat is bland and grisily and the crust looks good but is not seasoned well. Stay away from the mashed potatoes, they have a weird flavor almost like lemon. Both of us couldn't eat them. The fries are awesome, crispy and flavorful. The Mac and cheese is good, but not as cheesy as one would hope. It is a little bland. Great view! read more

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Food was great! Came out quick and everything was delicious. Our waiter was quick and attentive to our needs. Brought drinks out pretty quick considering how busy they were. Place has a super chill river vibe! Right on the river and makes for some great people watching read more

I've been coming here for years, and fondly remember my Texas State days kicking back to a Mexican Martini with my chicken fried steak. This place is well worth your time because the food rocks! I was expecting green beans out of a can but wow was I surprised to see these! read more

Ivar's River Pub - Chicken fried steak, green beans, mashed potatoes, and a Mexican martini - American Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

I remember this place growing up, the location is great, by the river, and it has an outdoor patio. I also remember them having this dish, that was so delicious, it was served with some tomatoes and a dip. Anyway, we saw the menu online, really looked impressive. So we finally went. We first sat down, not very busy, noticed that the place is very drafty, I had to put my jacket on, then I thought, "I have to eat my food fast before it gets cold." We ordered French bread for an appetizer, I don't recommend it, the bread was cold, the spread was good. I ordered the queso blanco with pico, chicken fried chicken. The portion was perfect, great size piece of chicken, but the crust had no flavor, the chicken was juicy. The queso tasted great. The pico de gallo, we'll it had a lot of tomatoes few onions and a few pieces of jalapeños, wasn't spicy it all. Mashed potatoes tasted great, I really enjoyed the green beans. Maria, had the smothered steak. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, my wife always gets the better plate. The brown gravy was tasty, the mashed potatoes tasted great, and she also enjoyed the green beans. We had a few drinks, a margarita for her and a couple of beers for me. We shared the pecan pie bread pudding, it was nice a warm, sweet and delicious. I am giving them only three stars, because for a place that wasn't very busy, we waited a bit for the waitress to come attend to us, I didn't feel like we very important to them. The kitchen staff brought our food, and the hostess brought us on of our drinks. read more

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We had a group of 20 people. The food was delicious and we never had to wonder what happened to the waitstaff. The view was amazing and we had a great time in an outdoor room. I will definitely eat there again. read more

To start with the good - There is a good view and a good vibe and the service was ok. The bad - the food is probably the worst food I've ever had. This was the brisket nachos ... when we saw it we tried to eat it but decided to try to order fried pickles instead. They were completely inedible they were so salty and gross! The margarita was ok for the price. I would suggest going for a drink and a view but not to eat. read more

Ivar's River Pub - American Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

Good! Very good patio seating by the creek, great for a pretty afternoon in the fall. We both enjoyed the chicken fried steak, and pretty good IPA selection on draught. Fun experience. read more

Food was delicious and atmosphere was great out on the back deck. Service was also good. Nice to watch everyone enjoying themselves on the River. Definitely will be returning on our next trip out there! read more

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One of my favorite places in town. Food is wonderful. Staff is friendly Beautiful views of the River Must I say more? If I could give it 10 stars I would Ivars, I love you guys read more

I guess we've dined at Ivan's before and completely forgot about it , so we came back for lunch while we were in the area. The location is awesome although the view wasn't so nice because of the construction by the river. Our server was super nice. I had the frozen margarita flight which was pretty good. For our entrees the kiddo and I had chicken fried streak with green beans and the hubby had the pub burger with bacon and fried egg and a side of fries. The green beans were fresh, garlicky and delicious. Unfortunately, the chicken fried steak was a salt bomb and the breading was totally separated from the meat. Both of our steaks were same. We were in a hurry so I did not send it back. The burger on the other hand was pretty good. If we ever come back here again, I'll definitely stay away from the chicken fried steak. read more

Ivar's River Pub - Very salty chicken fried steak but delicious beans. - American Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

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We have been to Ivar's a few times now. It's a nice place to try if you're in the area. Great service each time we have visited. I would suggest burgers for a good meal. I've also had the pork belly sandwich which was decent. I do suggest the beer as it comes out nice and cold. One of the reasons we enjoy Ivar's is the view. It's a nice Lil midday escape during the week because if the weather permits sitting outside provides you with a wonderful view of the river. The only downside is the parking during the weekends. A definite place to try for a nice casual eating experience. read more

Food and view were great! We took our dog and he loved it, as well. Will definitely be back. read more

Ivar's River Pub - Outside table view - American Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

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We had Pesto sandwich(without meat) and Po-boy sandwich. Both the mocktails were refreshing and the Bobcat fries were good as well. We sat in the patio with a great view. Not much Vegetarian options but you can still modify dishes and make it Vegetarian. read more

Ivar's River Pub - American Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

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We were out visiting our niece and decided to eat at Ivar's for lunch. They didn't have outside seating available but we were still able to overlook the river at our table inside. We ordered the seafood platter, chicken fried steak and Mac and cheese with brisket. All the meals were good. It wasn't slap you in the face great but I also wasn't disappointed by the flavor. Service was good and food came out in a timely manner. I love that they had a dog friendly patio. We enjoyed the view while eating our meals. read more

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My friend and I came here for a late lunch after taking graduation photos at TXST! We chose it because of it's view of the river and it didn't disappoint. We had a very nice lunch with a pretty fun view! There was a bit of a wait, so we decided to go down by the river since it's literally next to Ivar's haha. For an appetizer, we ordered the BBQ Chopped Brisket Potato Skins. They were pretty good, standard potatoes, but were also generously topped! For lunch I got the G.Q Burger and it was everything I could have asked for! The Queso was absolutely delicious and the guac is an obviously great pair for it. The fries were also crispy and satisfying in every way, especially when dipped in the overflowing Queso. Normally, it may have been too much food, but I was so hungry I kind of demolished the whole thing haha. Overall, I had a great time here and would definitely recommend to anyone in the San Marcos area looking for a relaxing place to enjoy some comfort food! read more

Ivar's River Pub - G.Q Burger - American Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

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In the fall of 1980 I arrived in San Marcos to attend SWTSU. All the local restaurants were like Ivar"s, mom and pop establishments with owners who care about quality, service and price. I arrived at Ivar"s on a Thursday afternoon and 1:30pm. I was greeted at the door, taken out to a fantastic outdoor deck and seated at a table for two. Twenty minutes later our food arrived and it was fantastic. Jose checked on us four times, great service. Please support local restaurants, I had a great experience and hope you do too. Dine early or late limited seating. read more

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My wife and I have been meaning to try this place out for a while but, for one reason or another, we haven't until just recently when temperatures in Central TX began to rise. Our community's veterans group just observed Memorial Day with a poignant ceremony late Saturday morning so it was a late lunch when we got to Ivar's. I was always dreading parking at Ivar's thinking the parking lot was limited as I only saw a fairly small paved lot but parking actually extends past the building. The place itself was quite spacious with great views of the river and all those enjoying water activities where the Lions club picks up tubers on the San Marcos River. Feeling a bit hungry, my wife and I looked at the menu and quickly decided what we wanted. My wife ordered the Chopped Steak (without the bleu cheese) with green beans and I ordered the Smothered Chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and cole slaw. My wife loved the chopped steak with the mashed potatoes but thought the green beans fell short of the Gruene beans from Gristmill or the green beans from Clear Springs restaurant. My smothered chicken was flavorful although I wished the garlic mashed potatoes has gravy on it. The cole slaw was meh...probably could've chosen a tastier side. Service was good and the views of the river were fantastic. I can't believe we didn't dine in here sooner but we'll surely be back. Lunch for 2 on a weekend came out to just over $30 with tip. read more

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I wasn't expecting the ribs to be this big, but they were definitely above the size I imagined. Plentiful, yes but unfortunately they lacked a lot of flavor. I don't know if they were smoked or baked in the oven but I ran out of the tiny portion of bbq sauce handed to me. My party enjoyed their dishes and the one single bite I took from the CFS was really good. Ivar's is ideally located on the river with a big deck for outdoor seating. But if you go during the evening, the sun will be bashing you the entire time. Bring a hat!! read more

Ivar's River Pub - American Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

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