The original building for the restaurant began serving as a cotton gin in 1878 until the wooden parts of the structure burned down in 1922, leaving it abandoned and in ruins. The three-story boiler room—mostly made of brick and stone—survived, and in 1977 was transformed into the first space greeting customers for the restaurant today.
Adding to the original structure along with sprawling open-air decks overlooking the Guadalupe River, the restaurant has more than 130 tables for guests that stay filled. Guests should expect to wait for a table, sometimes for more than an hour on busy weekends, General Manager Larry Abel said.
While waiting, patrons can wait in the beer garden and enjoy a drink and live music, or wander about the village. On weekends, a rotating list of musicians keep customers waiting for tables entertained in the garden, with Tony Taylor, Jackson Parten and Clifton Jansky frequently performing for guests, among others.
“One thing that we’ve incorporated now is an iPad so you can put your name down on the wait, walk around town, and then we can give you a call or a text. ... We always just had everybody hanging back here, and now they can experience the whole town,” Abel said.
Known for its American food, the Gristmill offers chicken-fried steak and other items that are favorites among guests.
“Outside of the chicken-fried steak, I would say onion rings [are most popular],” Abel said. “The ribs have really come on strong over the last five to 10 years. And then our burgers. I think we did an excellent job with those.”
The Gristmill also offers a full bar, and margaritas are bestsellers.
“One that’s really hot right now is the jalapeno margarita. That one sells really well. We make it fresh every day and make it to order,” Abel said. “The secret recipe is lime juice. No syrups or anything like that.”
The Gristmill River Restaurant and Bar
1287 Gruene Road, New Braunfels 830-606-1287. www.gristmillrestaurant.com
Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
