Kyle Mylius has worked in the restaurant industry since he was 17, and one day, he decided to open a restaurant of his own.

“I love serving people and trying to create beautiful experiences for people,” Mylius said.

In 2005, at the age of 25, Mylius opened Root Cellar Cafe in downtown San Marcos. In February 2023, he decided to open a sister restaurant in New Braunfels. The Texas native also owns Tin Top Burgers & Beer, The Gruene Grove and Rhea’s Ice Cream.

“We have a little bit of a family of restaurants here already, and so it made perfect sense for us to come to New Braunfels,” he said.

What’s on the menu


Root Cellar Cafe serves from-scratch Americana cuisine, such as pesto pasta, pasta primavera, seared salmon with balsamic glaze and more.

The restaurant also offers a seasonal menu of eateries and a variety of appetizers, such as spinach artichoke dip and roasted garlic hummus.

Mylius emphasized that Root Cellar Cafe makes as much food under their roof as possible.

“What we feel is that when as much as possible is made in-house, from scratch, you take out the preservatives that are in a lot of other products that give them shelf stabilization, and that really comes across in the freshness and the flavor,” he said.


Root Cellar Cafe also has a full bar and a selection of craft cocktails.

What’s special about it?

Not only is the food made in-house, but Root Cellar Cafe has also been curating its menu for the past 19 years, according to Mylius, which has given Executive Chef Megan Turbeville and Head Chef Joe Ortega the ability to be creative.

“Lots of what have made up staples of our menu now started out as a daily special that we would try, and that’s how we really try to embrace the creativity of our different chefs,” Mylius said.


What else?

Since opening in New Braunfels, Mylius said he has gotten positive feedback.

“We’ve had a lot of great support, and a lot of people turn into quick regulars here,” he said.

Root Cellar Cafe will also be starting a concert series in the spring at The Oaks Biergarten, an outdoor dining space adjacent to the cafe for live music from various local artists. The Oaks Biergarten at Root Cellar Cafe will have a casual menu featuring a selection of gourmet flatbreads, salads and shareables.