If you are looking for a very special restaurant with wonderful food, excellent Texas ambience, great view of the river, look no further. When I want to celebrate a special event occasion or take out of town guests too, I think of this wonderful hidden gem of a restaurant. Great food and reasonable prices and wonderful wait staff. Highly highly recommend!! Also while you are in the area, take advantage of the shops in Gruene and possible live music. While there, we heard live bands playing blues music. Wonderful area to explore!

I don’t understand the hype at all. This place has no AC in the entire restaurant we were told. It was SO HOT. Heavy fried foods, soups and sandwiches aren’t appetizing or appealing while sweating. I was so hot I didn’t even want to eat anymore. And of course flies come in since everything is open. We ordered Ribs with mashed potatoes, cheeseburger, fried catfish, queso burger, chicken Cesar salad, and onion rings for appetizer. Nothing here I’d go back for, mediocre really. The fries are not included with the $10+ burger and were another $5 for a side of them and they aren’t even fries, they are slices of potato fried - so some are crispy and some are too crispy and some are soggy. The chicken Ceasar salad isn’t presented nicely with a grilled chicken breast on top instead the little bit of chicken you get is chopped so tiny and tossed in the lettuce with some sort of homemade crouton, and the pico - I’m so glad I asked for on the side did not belong anywhere near this salad. They don’t cut out the tough part of the Romain spines so you get huge hard pieces of lettuce that I had to fish out. My daughters fried catfish tasted weird, the ribs are nothing special but we’re tender, burgers undercooked to our request.

What a great place to eat! Live music, good drinks, and it overlooks the Guadalupe. I had the chicken salad sandwich was a spin on the original and was fantastic. The steak was also great as well. It's a unique environment and I can't recommend it enough to people coming to visit. Thanks!

It's a super cute place to eat. The food was wonderful. Outside and inside seating. Nice views, waitstaff was polite and prompt. The onion rings were HUGE! The torpedo appetizers were delicious but more spice than I could handle. The hamburgers were large enough to fill up a grown man. The non alcoholic smoothies were so delicious and sweet! The kids' menu is verbally told to parents. I found that to be kind of odd. Overall, I'm very pleased with the visit.

Literally one of the prettiest places I’ve ever dined at! Service was amazing, a cohesive staff from greeting, seating and serving. I genuinely have no complaints and the food is 100% worthy of claiming your next meal. Advice: ask to be seated at the large open windows!

Came across this place by accident and could not have been happier with our lunch. Great margaritas and frozen sangria. The onion rings and Texas torpedos are must get appetizers. We had delicious salads and chicken fried chicken. Don’t go healthy and get a turkey sandwich - it was good but regular - treat yourself to something more indulgent.

Ambiance- location for dining is outside or inside with no air conditioning in either location. Both areas are very noisy. The building is historic and unique Location- downtown Gruene Food- excellent selection of American fare. The house salad, home fries and grilled chicken was excellent for lunch Service- very good with no issues Suggestions- dine in the late afternoon or evening to avoid the heat

We visited on Saturday night on Labor Day weekend, so there was quite a wait. We waited for about an hour, but there was a nice open area to hang out in. They also had some drinks for sale and a bathroom in that area. It was quite a peaceful wait. I was honestly not expecting what the restaurant was like. It is apparently made from the ruins of an old cotton mill. Therefore, seating is outside. The food and atmosphere were great! I had the Fresh Trout, which had a really good seasoning on it. My husband had the ribs, which were very tender and had a good sauce. Their Bloody Mary was also very good! It's definitely a place I would want to go again, but maybe not on a holiday weekend. We did notice that the poor waiters had to put up with a lot of people camping out at tables long after they were done, with so many people waiting for a table.

It's a must to stop here when visiting Gruene. Atmosphere is spectacular, but the best is to eat outside while watching the sunset in the valley. That is priceless! Food is delicious. Texas size onion rings are special and the Top Sirloin is something to repeat. Service is a bit slow, they take too much time to bring you the order but they are very friendly and attentive. Highly recommended place!

Gristmill River Restaurant offers relaxing indoor and outdoor seating. It’s large and spacious. Much of the outdoor seating offers shaded areas with hilltop views of the Guadalupe River. There was a diverse menú of fish, seafood, steak and burgers. It was good but not great. However the reasonable prices makes this a perfect location for families and dates.

Our first visit and the food was great. Chips and spinach artichoke dip were an amazing app. I had the chicken fried steak and loaded mashed potatoes and both were delicious and enough to have for lunch the next day. Emily M was our server and she was informed and attentive. Best service we have had. We will definitely be back.

Friendly staff, very good food, and a cool atmosphere. My wife and I both had the chicken fried steak with gravy - I had the fries on the side and she had the mashed potatoes. We both thought the steak was well-prepared and tasty, with a very good breading on it. It's easy to see why this is a favorite dish here. My wife thought the mashed potatoes would have more garlic flavor based on the menu description but they still tasted good. Portions were large - we probably could have split an entree and been fine but decided we wouldn't mind some leftovers and are glad we got our own plates. We also left room for dessert and the Jack Daniels Pecan Pie really hit the spot. I thought the chocolate chips, while not necessary, complimented it well. My wife thought it needed more chocolate based on its description. We had been told prices were a bit high but we didn't think so. If we're near Gruene again, we'd like to go back and try some other dishes since everything coming to the tables around us looked great.

Meal of the year! I had looked up top 10 chickens fried steaks for the great state of Texas, short version it brought us here and I'm glad it did! Upon arrival we were greeted with so many friendly hosts, the place was an amazing blend of history and modern rustic somehow. Excellent outdoor views and seating. Easily could go here to not eat. Now the food, I knew what I came for but wow many great options on the menu made it tougher than I thought. So we did appetizers! Huge portions of amazing chips and dip all fresh and greatly done, plus onion rings were Texas sized, definition of huge for sure! Main event was lightly battered like the rings. We were so full we took dessert to go which was also amazing. I can't even try to give a bad comment because it was all so good from host to service to ambience to satisfaction. Go here! Oh, also parking we got lucky as there was a new years event nearby but it was busy around for that. Id suggest going early if concerned about that.

The BEST customer service, Darius was Superb and attentive to every need without being over bearing. The manager Diana was really on top of everything! This restaurant is huge and it takes a lot of skills to be a hands on manager like her! the food was wonderful and cooked perfectly! Beautiful atmosphere & fast service that keeps high expectations! This place is a MUST EAT if your ever in the area! 💕

Over rated spot for the map here. This one has one hundred percent the feel of tourist/party attraction. The beer garden area was beet because there was live music and a nice green area for all the kiddos to run around together and play. The hostess girls were inviting and gave us a pretty accurate wait time expectancy. We chose to sit on the back patio to have a view of the river… well there is not a view of the river. There was tons of bugs that not only swarmed us but kept getting in our drinks and food. Also they seem to be way under staffed because although our waiter was good he was running all over the place. We started making sure we asked for anything possible because we were not sure when we would see him again. Our food took almost an hour. It was steaming hot and they have runners but wow be ready to spends extra time here. Below is our food which was good but way over priced. Onion rings were the regular and could definitely be cut one more time for fitting in your mouth better. Another bucket list visit that’s a one and done!

Our family loved having lunch at Gristmill River Restaurant it was a beautiful very unique rustic setting intertwined with a lovely natural setting. We enjoyed listening to music outdoors while waiting for our table and I had a yummy margarita with Tajin on the rim! Our daughter had the chicken sandwich, I had the BBQ sandwich & my husband had the rack of ribs everything was delicious!! Almost forgot to mention that we had a side of the sausage and we absolutely loved the sausage! Our server was wonderful & friendly. We will definitely return:)

The beautiful grounds, amazing building, and the customer service alone would bring us back up The Gristmill. The food was fantastic too! We loved everything we tried. Don’t miss out on the onion rings. They are so so good and definitely live up to the hype! I had the chicken fried chicken and it was so juicy and tender! My boys both had the Grist burger and loved the spicy queso. My daughter had the pulled pork sandwich and really enjoyed it. My husband had the chicken fried steak—which I tried too and it was awesome! We were too full for dessert but I look forward to next time.

My recent experience at Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar had its ups and downs. To start, I must mention that our dining experience got off to a less than ideal start. We were initially seated at a wobbly table with water spilled all over it. It was not the most pleasant way to begin our meal, and it did detract from the ambiance of the restaurant. However, the redeeming factor came in the form of the food. The portions were generous, and the taste was good (not the best but good). The flavors of the dishes we ordered were well-balanced and satisfying. Taking into consideration both the positive and negative aspects of my experience, I would rate Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar three out of five stars.

I ordered this salad without cheese, it’s the chicken salad with balsamic dressing- a great option for a hot day. It tasted good and was light, refreshing, and filling. Our waiter was attentive and filled glasses as soon as they were halfway empty - great service here!! If you’re visiting from a cooler climate, and sensitive to hot weather, I would not recommend coming here as it’s not air conditioned and there is only outdoor seating. Even the indoor seating at this location is basically outdoor seating with a roof. I would call and order ahead so you do not have to wait to be seated, although the wait was not bad. For parking, this area was busy- I believe we parked in a dirt parking lot nearby ( about a 6 minute walk) from the actual restaurant.

This place is beautiful surrounded by trees and plenty of shade. The onion rings are massive, and the ribs I ordered were fall off the bone! Our waitress Ja’la was great she made sure we were taken care of. Would definitely recommend going again.

This restaurant was a cool experience. Our server was attentive and friendly, the history and atmosphere were cool, and the food was tasty! I recommend the onion rings and frozen sangria. I couldn't give a perfect score for food because the house margarita wasn't good and it was the first drink on their drink menu, and also my wife's steak was ordered medium but cooked well done. Overall, we would like to try them again when back in town. Also, note that when they ask if you want indoor seating technically, it is indoors, covered, and has fans, but it's still incredibly warm because the windows and doors remain open. We did not know that before this trip and were hoping for A/C.

This was an amazing place. I highly recommend it if you do not mind waiting. The food was great and the atmosphere was so pretty at night with the lights. I am going back definitely. I got a burger and fries but they were good and my friend got the chicken fried steak. Very good! The wait was 40 minutes for a table but it flew by because of the guitarist playing music.

Great food, we had the country fried steak (a must get) and the chicken salad sandwich. Service was average and the restaurant is nice and eating outdoors during the summer is a must because it's hotter inside. Overall I would suggest going.

This place was beautiful and staff was on the spot. Did the online waitlist and pretty much went straight to the table. Outside seating as it was in the side of the hillside with the rustic style and natural views that added to the experience. Steak was cooked to perfection, round steak fries were great though in my mind I expected chip by the look vs fries, and the Jack Daniel's pecan pie is a must.. perfect texture and taste with the hint of Jack Daniel's taste not overpowering the delicious pecan taste.

The service and food were amazing when we were there last night. We had a great time and would recommend this place highly. Everything was great. The whole area is beautiful for Christmas this time of year. Worth a trip if you’re in the area.

Stumbled upon this place having never been to New Braunfels. Wow! What a seat... Lower level with a view of families floating the river. One of the best margaritas I've ever had and the food? Superb! From the chalkboard table system to the stellar service, Gristmill is on point ❤️🙂

Omg were do I start. The establishment was beautiful. On vacation in the area and heard rave reviews about this restaurant so I made it a point to stop in and I wasn’t disappointed. From the historical landscape , atmosphere and quick service I was super impressed. Me and my husband choose some of the restaurants favorites and it was absolutely delicious 🤤 this place is a hidden gem 💎 if your passing through and want good hospitality and food this is the place to stop

Ordered the beef tips salad medium rare, got it more done--it was still good. My companion had the chicken fried steak with green beans. We shared the Jack Daniels pecan pie. Very interesting space.

Food and drinks were great! Waiting for a table with a a river view can be a bit longer of a wait. I'd suggest coming anticipating a wait (our was an hour for 2 people on a holiday weekend), get on the wait list, then walking around the town or get drinks in the waiting area. I will say it is not the most friendly for people with decreased mobility, handicaps, or little children. There are many uneven surfaces and stairs to keep an eye out for! On the subject of kids- the waiting area (yard?) does have a lot of space for kids to run around, outdoor fans, and things to climb on. Strollers not recommended. Good luck with parking. I'd say find the first open spot and be ready to walk. Staff was super friendly and helpful! All in all I will be back!