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    The Water Stop

    3.9 (292 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

    The Water Stop Photos

    THE WATER STOP ATMOSPHERE

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    Moderate noise
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    Elote!
    Stephanie K.

    Sadly the service was slow more like a water trickle - moving better up front, perhaps, but I wasn't the only patron who had to get up and find help when requiring service. Food has been consistently tasty during all visits - this time a Ginger Sesame Salad & chocolate cake (balance!) kept me satisfied.

    Cheese burger and fries.
    Deborah C.

    Food exceptional, service first class and indoor/outdoor (Dogs welcome on leash) dining. A great place to sit back and enjoy a cocktail and good company.

    Spicy chicken sandwhich and old fashion.
    Rhett C.

    Man... I've got to say, thank you for staying open later than the norm out here. We rolled into town from Fort Worth and learned real quick that most everything shuts down promptly at 9pm. Not this place. They keep it going until 10pm and we were grateful. We pulled up and immediately noticed the vibe. From the front, you can see the patio and straight into the main dining area. Music was on point and lively bar tunes that set the mood just right. We grabbed a spot outside on the patio and had an awesome dinner. I went with the spicy chicken sandwich. definitely hit the spot. The Old Fashioned was good too, though I'll say... too many ice cubes and it starts to throw things off a bit. Still, drinks, food, and atmosphere all came together for a really solid night.

    Cod and chips, and the tartar is next level!
    Scott S.

    Waterstop 5.0 star rating 1/10/2026 Look, Marfa's got its share of those arty, foo-foo spots where the portions are tiny, the prices are sky-high, and everything's drizzled with some weird essence that tastes like a hipster's dream. But Waterstop? Nah, this ain't that. This place is a straight-up, no-nonsense gem with real-deal food that's dang good and reliable every time you walk in. I rolled up for dinner after a long day exploring, and from the jump, the service was on point--friendly folks who actually care if your margarita and beer's cold and your order's right, not some performative act. Ordered the 8oz ribeye (juicy, perfectly cooked, with shrooms and leaks that slap) and the Cod filets which were loaded with flavor without any unnecessary frills. The kitchen here has balls-to-the-walls talent; you can tell they're pros slinging out hearty, satisfying plates that hit the spot, not trying to impress with Instagram-worthy nonsense. If you're in Marfa and want something solid that won't leave you hungry or broke, hit Waterstop. It's the kind of spot that reminds you why you love Texas eats--unpretentious, delicious, and served with heart. We'll be back!

    Mushroom leek pasta
    Erica F.

    This spot may not look like much from the outside but let me tell you it was excellent. From the service, to the drinks, and the food! I'm still thinking about my meal it was just delicious and honestly one of the best things I've eaten in a long time. I wish it was a meal I could repeat, but I was in town on weekend visit and I don't live near there. We were a large group of 8 but they were on it! Our waiter was excellent and attentive.

    Cheese board. 2.16.2025
    Jenni M.

    *** really good choice for a higher end dinner in Marfa, TX *** The food is excellent! It really was fresh, carefully-prepared menu items. Let's get this out of the way... Oof... The knocked off star is primarily because we didn't know if it was seat yourself or an employee with assist you. My daughters begged me to stay when I said I was walking out after multiple employees walked past us yet made eye contact with me. Please address this issue because an older couple came in after us. Did their little wandering around thing like old folks do. Confronted a nice man who seemed like he was in charge who quickly apologized and got staff to assist us after standing around for over 10 minutes. Inside reminds me of my brother and sister-in-law's house with dark green paint and accents of black and gold. A mix of all kinds of antiques. Greenery. Gold chandeliers. Some eclectic items. An assortment of artwork was displayed in the larger dining area. However, we sat outside. The patio was delightful with a cool breeze. Luckily we had jackets since none of the heaters were operating. Rotisserie chicken was rotating on the grill near us. Service was friendly and attentive once we finally were seated. I'm admittedly staunch on the service side of businesses, but perhaps more so with a restaurant such as this one. DRINKS: + Hot chamomile/lavender tea (they were out of green tea): $3.50 + Dr. Pepper in a glass bottle (my oldest loved it - so fresh, she said) $3.50 + Mystery Light cocktail $16 (I would definitely order it again.) + Cheese board $24 (this was my meal... loved it!) + Pasta Rossa (campanelle pasta in vodka sauce, topped with fresh mozzarella and basil pistachio pesto) $23 (my youngest ordered this... so delish. No meat, but pasta was cooked al dente. Amazing sauce!) + Classic burger meal $17 (the fries were so yummy... my daughter didn't give me a chance to try her burger LOL) + Two scoops of ice cream $13 (worth it... the girls allowed me to try their Cotton Candy and Peanut Butter Bailey's) Marfa, Texas, is a small town. Thus, restaurants seemingly run out of items here, so bear that in mind. Order a cocktail. Facilitate good conversation. Be merry. Forget the disappointments (for a while anyway... lol). Cards or cash accepted. Recommended for a casual or fancy dinner. RATING BREAKDOWN Food: 5 | Service: 3 | Ambiance: 4 | Price: 4

    Karla D.

    Bohemian restaurant with outdoor seating and a fireplace as well as a resident cat. Well, neighborhood cat who likes to come by for a visit. Love that! The food is much higher-end than you'd expect and that was a welcomed surprise. It was all well-made and locally sourced. The tortilla soup was beyond perfection. Superb service with attention to detail.

    Menu! As of 1/19/26
    Kat H.

    Y'all. PLEASE come eat. Posting a picture of the steak frites because we consistently order it (so amazing!!!) The drinks are delicious, go down well, and poured very nicely. We've ordered the Steak Frites, Queso, Paloma, fancy and regular margs, and the Marfa Lights drink. Everything deserves 50/5 stars. The atmosphere is wonderful, it can get a little chilly but the wonderful people working here keep a fire on, so it's nice and warm. We've had very good service so far, everyone is warm and inviting (very Texan tysm) and if extra things need to be ordered, like water, there is fast service. Thank you so much Water Stop People for always treating us amazing and being happy to get us fed. Kitchen closes at 9pm (something to keep in mind!)

    Mushroom Leek Pasta
    Terri P.

    OMG! What an incredible addition to the menu! Soooooo good! And with little hints of goat cheese. Yum!

    Fries
    Lauren M.

    Great food and service! This was our first stop when we arrived in Marfa. We ate outdoors so flies were a small issue but not big nuisance. The outdoor patio is shaded and nice. Drinks were cold and tasty after a long drive. The food was also delicious! The fries and aoli were a great appetizer. The summer salad and the grains bowl were also fresh and yummy.

    Caesar with chicken
    John M.

    Solid food and service. We started with cocktails--an excellent Margarita and a draft IPA--followed by our mains. My wife enjoyed her Caesar salad with chicken; my green chili cheeseburger was fire!

    Happy holidays!
    Suzy H.

    Very cool place with delicious food! My Greek salad didn't have any lettuce, but I didn't even miss it with all of the delicious and well sliced veggies. I'd ask for a little less dressing next time. I tried the French dip and the bread was perfectly crunchy to stand up to the au jus; the beef was so incredibly tender that I was kindof sad I didn't order that for myself. I loved the old building that had a little chilly breeze running through all the cracks but the heater was doing a great job of keeping it warm enough. The whole place felt like Austin, including great music on the playlist, cool waitstaff, and high prices. Definitely a nice place to stop when you're deep in the heart of Texas.

    Linda J.

    Delicious classic cheeseburger, perfect fries and great service! Loved the outside patio seating area and tables with some spacing for privacy!

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    Very nice little place with excellent food and a great staff. Very personable & mellow!

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    All is amazing. Food. Ambiance. Servers. All great!! Great detail in all the decor. Ate at the bar. And had a great time.

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    Jett's Grill - Tequila, lime chicken on a bed of cilantro rice

    Jett's Grill

    (263 reviews)

    $$

    Very good food, great service, nice outdoor patio. We came to the Paisano Hotel with a large tour…read moregroup, all of whom descended on Jett's Grill at the same time. The staff were a bit overwhelmed but they stayed calm and friendly. We were a party of two and were seated immediately at an outdoor table next to the fountain. It's a very nice patio that was nicely lit by the hotel lights as it got darker. Our waitress was very friendly and greeted us when she came to our table. My wife ordered the pecan crusted salmon, which she said was very good. It was a large portion of nicely-cooked salmon. I ordered two items from the appetizer menu - bacon wrapped quail and kale beet salad. Both were very large portions, plenty for a meal or maybe even 2 people. There were about 6 pieces of quail and a moderately spicy aioli. It was very good. The kale beet salad was also delicious. We also had a piece of chocolate mousse cake, that was delicious. Nice and chocolatey but not overly sweet or rich. Even though the restaurant was crowded, our service was great. Our waitress was always friendly, checked on us often enough, and took the time to chat briefly without seeming harried. The food came out quickly and was hot and fresh. Our total check was about $75 plus tip. Not inexpensive but worth it for the food, service and ambience.

    Jett is a character in the movie Giant, which was filmed in the Marfa area, and the stars stayed at…read morethe Hotel Paisano where the restaurant is located. If you have never heard of the movie, that is a lot of their problem. The hotel and restaurant are resting on their laurels from a movie from the 1950s. If you took a date to see Giant when it first came out, you probably need food you can gum. We were here two years ago and had a good experience so we came back and were sorely disappointed. Service was appallingly slow because there was one waitress (who was great) for the entire restaurant and patio. There was one bartender. Very short-staffed. We had drinks and chips and salsa on the patio before moving inside for dinner. Entrees on the menu were chicken and veggie burgers (no beef?) and chicken was out. The other entrees were the pistachio-crusted steak (basically fancy chicken fried steak) and a ribeye. They were out of the pistachio-crusted steak. So, it was a veggie burger or a ribeye. No chicken dishes, no fish, no pasta. A frozen veggie burger or a $45 ribeye. We started with a a charcuterie board which was tasty but not very generous. The ribeyes were served on mashed potatoes and very good, but there was no vegetable, no bread - just steak and potatoes. I don't mind the price of the steak but part of that price is service and if there is one server for an entire restaurant and the patio, the service is not going to be that good, and it wasn't. Drinks were not refilled, dessert wasn't offered (they might have been out!), so it was eat and run. So, staffing issues, inventory management issues and a restaurant that had a number of customers to serve so they should do better. Much better.

    LaVenture - Pepperoni Pizza

    LaVenture

    (128 reviews)

    $$$

    Stopped into LaVenture after a long day on the road, and while it checked the "convenient" box, it…read moredidn't quite rise to memorable. We started with the salad, which was a solid opener--fresh, generous portion, and overall enjoyable. Nothing that really stood out, but definitely not a miss. The pizza was... okay. You can tell it's fire oven cooked, which is usually a win, but ours came out a bit too toasty--borderline burnt on one side. It also wasn't cut properly, which made things a little awkward. Some slices weren't cut through at all (had to ask for a knife), and others were uneven--ranging from oversized wedges to tiny slivers. Service was a little scattered, but to be fair, we came in toward the end of the night and our server mentioned it had been a hectic evening. No real complaints there--just felt a bit rushed and disorganized. A couple of downsides: they close at 9:30, which isn't ideal if you're looking for a late-night bite or drink, and there's no room service--you have to head down to order. Overall, it's a convenient spot if you're staying at the hotel and need something easy, but it's not necessarily a destination meal. Convenient? Yes. Notable? Meh.

    American, nouveau! Chef Carlos is bringing comforting classics like chicken wings and brick oven…read morepizza, along with German schnitzel and Tex Mex faves to the Saint George menu. I had a fresh Cobb Salad with romaine and butter lettuce, cherry tomato, chicken and bacon. The avocado and fresh goat cheese blended in with a whole grain mustard vinaigrette for exceptional flavor on the lighter side of decadent. Grab a Topo with lime for a refreshing placebo buzz. Service with a smile.

    Cochineal - Happy that I followed Dallas's recommendation and ordered the steak.

    Cochineal

    (124 reviews)

    I found this place when googling nice spots in Marfa, TX. It's a really interesting restaurant;…read moreseems it was built inside an old house? It's for a very Texas upscale vibe tho, I liked the ambiance quite a bit! They had a lot of tables outside with heat lamps because it does get cool in the evenings, and they had regular tables and bar seating inside. We didn't have a reservation bc I wasn't sure what time we'd be arriving, but luckily they were able to seat us immediately at the bar since all the other tables were taken (wait for a table was almost an hour and a half). Our waitress (her name was Dallas) was super sweet and attentive and clearly knew the menu well. It's not a very long menu and the portion sizes were a little small for the price, hence 4/5 stars. But the flavors were excellent! My dad and I both got the risotto which had a little more to the portion, and my mom got the trout which was admittedly very small for like $35ish. But as I said, excellent flavor there! She also got a cocktail for like $16ish that they made off menu because she likes sweeter drinks and all the main menu drinks were pretty dry. I spent like $170 in total for all our food plus tax and tip I think? Objectively not terrible, but again for the price - it was a little high. Will also mention they had a single stall restroom, it was immaculate! And there was a good bit of street parking just around the corner from the place in front of a church, so even though there's no lot you can find a place to park.

    We read reviews that the tasting menu could take a really long time, and some reviewers said it had…read moreimproved. Unfortunately, our experience was it didn't improve. We asked the waitress, how long it would take and she said it would take 1.5 hours. We were there for 3.5 hours! Our first indication of the slow service was after we ordered drinks, they came 50 minutes later. They were pretty watery so we wondered if they were sitting at the bar for a while. The food was delicious though took a very long time between the courses. The variety of food was great from white asparagus to rabbit to delicious bison ribs. It's too bad the service took so long, this could have been a wonderful experience.

    The Sentinel Marfa - Posole verde con pollo.  Worth the wait.

    The Sentinel Marfa

    (165 reviews)

    $$

    I usually get a cold brew with a shot. Sentinel has the best coffee around, a chill vibe and they…read morehustle even when they re busy. Even with a hustle, of it's busy or might be a 20 minute ordeal, so plan accordingly. They also have a delicious London Fog. I could drink that all day! Best cold brew Ive had in a while. They also have a wonderful selection of unique gifts.

    My first morning in Marfa called for strong coffee and something warm after an eight-hour drive the…read moreday before. Getting there, though, felt like stepping backward in time--partly paved roads, weathered buildings, and aging homes that quietly carry the town's long history. Then, almost abruptly, Sentinel Marfa appears as a striking contrast. The building is crisp and modernist, the kind of clean, intentional design you'd expect in a big-city neighborhood, not tucked into a rugged, historic West Texas landscape. Inside, that contrast continues. The high ceilings and open, airy layout give the space a contemporary calm, while scattered tables display local art, newspapers, and small curios that root it firmly in Marfa's creative spirit. A hallway beside the ordering counter leads to a quieter back room, which in turn opens to an outdoor area shaded by a massive oak tree. The place was buzzing, full enough that we ended up sharing a table with another family, which somehow felt fitting in a town like this. Coffee is ordered at the counter, with both staff and baristas displaying some of that West Texas charm and with a smile. Drinks are picked up at the counter while food finds its way to you. The coffee drinks are crafted with beans from Picacho Coffee Roasters. Straight coffee and lattes were exceptional, and the breakfast tacos, made fresh with fluffy eggs, cheese, and potatoes, delivered exactly what we needed. By the time we left, we felt not just caffeinated, but welcomed and ready to explore a place where time seems to move at its own deliberate pace.

    The Water Stop - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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