San Marcos establishment does its best to resist change

The last time the decor at Gil's Broiler & Manske Roll Bakery was updated, Texas State University was still Southwest Texas State University.

Ruben Becerra, who owns the San Marcos burger joint with his wife, Monica, said they take pride in the eatery's continuity.

"We try hard to not change. Not changing is a lot of work," Becerra said.

Gil's has been open since the 1940s and claims the title of "oldest restaurant in San Marcos," though Becerra said he's unsure of the exact year the eatery opened.

"You've been able to get a Manske Roll through that door since the mid-1940s. No other place can [make] a statement like that," he said. "I'm helping to keep a legacy and an icon alive. I'll see a very old couple walk in here and say, 'We met and had our first date at that booth over there.' That's so awesome."

Gil's Broiler & Manske Roll Bakery, 328 N. LBJ Drive, San Marcos, 392-4595, www.manskeroll.us