The Tap Room

Bar, Eatery

129 E Hopkins St Ste 120
San Marcos, Texas, 78666
United States

(512) 392-9824 | map
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.03
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
12
pDev:
9.43%
View: Place Reviews
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Rated: 5 by LennyBound from Illinois

Oct 05, 2014
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Reviewed by Radome from Florida

3.51/5  rDev -12.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.25 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
I went here for a beer and some food with a friend who had been here before. It is a college hangout for the University here, but it is certainly not a typical college dive bar. It is clean and has a decent pub/sports bar decor, but it is a little crowded and loud for my taste. The food was decent bar fare, but nothing special. For instance, their "traditional" English Pub Fish & Chips was really fish fingers.

As a sports bar, its 40 or so taps give it an above average beer selection. However, for a BA member looking for anything special or hard to find, you will be disappointed. The beers on tap were all very mainstream craft beers. Lots of US pales and IPAs; a few British, German and Belgian styles, but all were the well-known, easy to find examples. My buddy is somewhat of a beer novice, but enjoys IPAs, so to him the selection was perfect. I found it wanting. The wait staff were not knowledgeable on beer. The beers I had were fresh and it seemed the tap lines were well maintained. Prices were reasonable.

Overall, this was a so-so place to me. On the plus side were the young, happy crowd, cleanliness, well-maintained beer equipment and price. On the minus side were the lackluster food, lackluster beer selection and lackluster beer knowledge of the staff. I suspect it is above average for the town, but not worth seeking out for a serious beer advocate.
Jun 07, 2014
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Reviewed by Anthogonist

4.06/5  rDev +0.7%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
This place is one of the best places to go in San Marcos if you're looking for a good burger and a variety of beers on tap. During the semester, this place gets pretty packed and loud. It's almost always smokey inside, so if you don't like smoke, it would be ill-advised to go. The waitresses are always busy but they do their best to provide good service. After the semester ends, most of the college students are gone and it actually becomes quite a chill place.

As far as food is concerned, most people from san Marcos think their burgers are the best. Others from out of town would probably disagree. I personally like the barbecue cheese burger. All of the burgers come with a sweet bun and a quarter inch thick patty.

The beer selection is great but it doesn't hold up to the hipster places such as the Golden Saucer in the nearby Hipster City Of USA ( Austin). I'd say 42 beers on draught plus the blends and bottles is plenty to choose from.

All-in-all, I love this place and I will continue to go there for a burger and beer as long as I'm around San Marcos.
Jan 09, 2013
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Reviewed by 2xHops from Texas

3.55/5  rDev -11.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
The place seems to be a popular place for the locals to go to. I wanted to go to a place where I could get decent beer while grabbing some grub. I stumbled on this place online while trying to find a place.

I only came here once, and only had a burger. It was decent, and it is a typical pub food I expected to get. The beer list is respectable, but I'm spoiled by Draughthouse, Flying Saucer, and couple other places in Austin. With that being said, I still would come here if I was in town again. The beer selections are reasonable with most of the draught choices being a bit typical of what you see. They do have some bottles that aren't' as common, which is a nice for a little college town as San Marcos... (Little? Maybe not...I don't know. It feels small opposed to Austin!)

I liked their Beer and Burger special! I think it's a great idea that they had it.
Aug 30, 2011
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Reviewed by AdamBear from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
If you're visiting San Marcos, you'll find that most bars here will provide a decent selection of local beers. However, for an overall selection of craft beer and imports, this is absolutely the best place in San Marcos.

Atmosphere: a good mix of restaurant and bar. the decor and noise level is more reminiscent of a bar, but the size and menu is more like a restaurant.

Food: my girlfriend and i both loved our meals. the hamburgers are great.

Selection: there is something here for anyone, no matter how many beers you've had.

Service: the staff seemed to be very patient and king, though slow at times, which generally doesn't bother me too much though.
Aug 20, 2011
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Reviewed by VintageNumber4 from Texas

4.15/5  rDev +3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 5
I'm wrapping up my grad degree at State and have found myself falling in love with the town that has craddled me through this painful process. Tap Room is one of those havens that I regularly find myself in with little excuse. They have the best burgers in town, in fact I've never had anything I didn't like at the place period. Any time I have a friend come into town it is my default place to take them and show off the city. It's no Flying Saucer or Gingerman like you'll find in that larger sefl-indulgent city 30 miles north of us, but Tap Room has around 35+ taps flowing on the reg. You'll also find big national seasonals like Sam Adams Winter Lager next to delectable locals like (512) Pecan Porter (best seasonal I had this winter) and Real Ale Coffee Porter. I just ate there a few minutes ago with my wife and spent $23 including tip on two burgers, a basket of fries, and two beers, one of which was a 23oz Dogfish Head 60min IPA. I think that's a hell of a deal. The mushroom swiss burger is the best burger I've ever had, no doubt, and I generally don't eat red meat. Give it a go.

*Positive: Thursday- buy a burger get a free beer.

*Negative: if you go there after 4pm the place is a smoke pit. Be warned- you will leave smelling like a 1950's high school teacher's lounge.
Jan 22, 2011
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Reviewed by CONOR8832 from Texas

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 5
If you love great beer and great burgers this place is a must. the burgers are amazing, the works burger is by far the greatest burger of its kind and has a little bit of everything a burger lover could want on a burger.

Beer selection is pretty good, they have a lot of good beers on tap, alot of imports, and a few craft brews. It would be great if they would add some more micro/craft brews to their selection that they have on tap, this would definetly send this place over the top. Only other downfall is the smokey atmosphere.

Great place to go watch sports and meet up with old college buddies and talk about how much you miss being in college. Bottom line this place kicks ass and if you are around the San Marcos area and want to get some good grub and a good pint or two, or three, go downtown to the square and stop in the Tap Room. Enjoy!
Jul 26, 2010
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Reviewed by HardTarget from Texas

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
A Nice place, dark wood, exposed brick, odd stuff above the bar to look at. Was crowded on the Sat. late afternoon I visited, mostly college kids but not rowdy. It's a bar, not really a "bring the kids" kind of place.

Q: One of the beers may have been a bit old, but still enjoyable, that's the down side to loads of taps.

S: We were well taken care of, didn't quiz the staff but they seemed to know at least a bit about their offerings.

S: This is where the place shines. As others said, this isn't going to give the major Austin beer spots a run, but they must have the bast selection in town. You are sure to find something you want to drink.

Beers were about 3.50 a pop for the pint sizes.

I'll be back.
Jan 31, 2010
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Reviewed by Spineypanda from Texas

4.15/5  rDev +3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 5
I really love this place, it has the atmosphere of a good pub, and the food of a fine burger joint! :). Their service was great when Jenny was around but since then it has declined a bit. They are more than willing the fill your beer but are a bit slow on the check. Nonetheless this is probably the best burger in most of Texas in my opinion.

Try the Guacamole Queso burger or the Hell Burger. Also enjoy their 50 beers on tap and their 10 blends. This does not include their bottles.

They also have a card that you can check off beers and win a t-shirt and plaque by finishing. Check it out. Only costs about 350 dollars in all xD.
Oct 21, 2009
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Reviewed by ballewblake from New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -8.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3
Landed here after spending the day on the San Marcos River. Grub was needed and provided as standard bar faire. 'Hell burger' was touted as being hot, but I barely got any heat off it despite being stacked with jalapeno's, bummer. Bartender was highly energetic, professional, and busy. He knew his shit, and if he didn't the bar backs were great help. I'm giving the selection a lower score just cause I know the town gets much better (see Yellow Store review.) When we were there this last weekend it was a gateway selection at best. Nothing hoppy/malted/yeasty/sour, just middle of the road brews on tap. ie, New Belgian, Spatan (which was out) Carlsberg, Guiness, Harp, Bass, Stella, Bud, Light, SN summer fest, SN PA, Two BBC/Sam Adams offerings, Harpoon IPA, Maredsous 8. Bottles were all 750's minus a Lendimans Frambois. And from memory all were either Unibroue or Mortgatt offerings (La Fin, Maudite, Ephemere, Trois Pistoles, Duvel, Maredsous.) Oh, and Delirium Tremens was in full stock.
Atmosphere was a dive sports bar, almost every tv had soccer or baseball on, with a lone one showing some reality tv show. Smokey, and stale smoke smell lingers in the place, so along with the dusty junk trinkets and dark wood of the interior, I was digging the feeling.
Jun 08, 2009
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Reviewed by Bagman007 from Texas

3.95/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Went to the tap room when I was in town to visit a friend. This bar has a very old feel to it. Taps are hung up on the walls around the bar. The size of the place isn't really that big. The bar is basically in a big square room. It was pretty busy when we went on a Friday night, but I was told that it was the busiest they have ever seen it. They have about 20-30 beers on tap and about as many in bottles. I'd say the selection was lacking when comparing it to The Flying Saucer or The Ginger Man, but it was still a good selection. I was very happy to see Harpoon IPA. Excellent beer. I had a hamburger when I was there. Very good hamburger for a bar. I was pleasantly surprised. The beer is priced about as you would expect, but the food was a tad steep, but not too outrageous. I think a burger and fries was about $8. Overall a very enjoyable place. If you find yourself in San Marcos it's definitely worth checking out.
Feb 05, 2009
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Reviewed by cryptonomiciosis from Texas

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 5
While this place may not have the selection that some other places do, nor does it brew its own beer, it is a staple of the City of San Marcos. The first thing you notice when you get there is that it is loud and dark. It's a hangout for all the twenty-something at Texas State University; althought, that is by no means exclusive as I have seen many a professor walk in with students.

At any point, they have about 40 specialty beers on tap and about another 10 or 15 in bottles. They also have the usual domestics like Coors and Budweiser. Always have a second beer in mind from the tap, especially if you come in at the later part of the night, because they might be out of it. (They always seem to run out of Fat Tire, and others by New Belgium.) The food here is great my personal favorites are the burgers (any of them) or the fish and chips, and I hear that their ribs are tops. The service here is real hit and miss. Most of the times it's good enough that you won't notice if they're a little slow, but the big screen TVs showing the big games usually help with that. On the other hand, you can have your waitresses switched on you and your food order lost, but not to worry, if that happens, and it takes an hour to get your food, it will probably be on the house, this happened the last time I went there (May 2006).

The serving staff is exclusively female, and they are, for the most part, very friendly and very attractive. The prices here aren't too bad, for two people you can have four beers, two burgers and some fries for about $23-$26, depending on what you drink and their "regular" 1/2 pound burgers. They have a special group called the "World Travelers Club" in which they give you a card to be punched with the number of beers that are being served, and if you drink all the different draught beers, beer blends and specialty bottles, you will get a T-Shirt and plaque with your favorite saying engraved on it.

All in all, I find that this is the best place in San Marcos to come and enjoy a couple of pints and some good food with friends. Although, the place is noisy and the service is hit and miss, it is hard to do much better in this town with its selection of pool halls and shot bars where the most exquisite beer they serve is Shiner, not that I have a problem with Shiner.
May 21, 2006
The Tap Room in San Marcos, TX
Place rating: 4.03 out of 5 with 12 ratings