The Gristmill River Restaurant and Bar celebrates 45 years of business in May as one of the primary cornerstones in the revival of the Gruene Historic District.
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.
