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Best Restaurants in New Braunfels (2026)

Twelve restaurants across San Antonio. Compare neighborhoods, price tiers and what to order, then read the full reviews.

Beto Treviño
By Beto Treviño Guides Editor, Top of San Antonio · Updated October 2026 · How the score is built
Best Restaurants in New Braunfels (2026)
THE SAN ANTONIO DINING GUIDES 12 restaurants
Compare all 12 restaurantsNeighborhood · price · score · first order
In the same order as the guide. Scores are out of 10; dollar symbols show the listed price tier.
RestaurantNeighborhoodPriceScoreWhat to order
01 Muck & FussNew Braunfels$$7.8Gourmet Bacon Cheeseburger
02 Gristmill River Restaurant & BarNew Braunfels$$6.3Chicken Fried Steak
03 The Buttermilk CafeNew Braunfels$$6.3Buttermilk Pancakes
04 McAdoo's Seafood CompanyNew Braunfels$$$6.6Crawfish Étouffee
05 Alpine Haus RestaurantNew Braunfels$$6.6Wiener Schnitzel
06 Gruene River GrillNew Braunfels$$6.0Grilled Gulf Red Snapper
07 Huisache GrillNew Braunfels$$5.9Grilled Ribeye with Red Wine Reduction
08 Clear Springs RestaurantNew Braunfels$$5.6Fried Catfish Platter
09 Fork and SpoonNew Braunfels$$5.2Eggs Benedict with House-Made Hollandaise
10 Krause's CafeNew Braunfels$$4.6Wiener Schnitzel
11 Texas BistroNew Braunfels$$6.6Truffle Mushroom Burger
12 Guadalupe Brewing Company & Pizza KitchenNew Braunfels$$6.6Wood-Fired Pepperoni Pizza

12 restaurants · In guide order

1 Muck & Fuss Tripadvisor

Muck & Fuss

Burgers · New Braunfels · $$ · № 8 on the List
Insider Score7.8

The Gourmet Bacon Cheeseburger is the call here, and it earns its reputation as a stacked, messy build that takes both hands. The Loaded Beer Cheese Fries go well alongside, though they run salty. Street Corn Tacos round out the casual menu. Outdoor seating is the default setup, and the patio is heated when the Hill Country chill rolls in. Service is attentive and the room runs efficiently, even on a busy Saturday afternoon.

What to orderGourmet Bacon CheeseburgerStreet Corn TacosLoaded Beer Cheese Fries Restaurant Reservations Call Directions
Full review & visiting detailsRead the full review & visiting details

New Braunfels Burger Joint That Earns Its Locals

Gourmet Bacon Cheeseburger

The anchor of the menu, a stacked bacon cheeseburger built for the serious eater rather than the careful one.

Street Corn Tacos

Street corn translated into taco form, the kind of lateral move that works better than it sounds.

Loaded Beer Cheese Fries

Beer cheese fries built for sharing, though the salt runs generous, which is worth knowing going in.

New Braunfels has the Gristmill and Gruene Hall pulling visitors toward the river bend, but Muck & Fuss operates on a different register: the moderately priced neighborhood burger spot that the town itself returns to. The room runs full service, seats guests without drama, and the patio stays operational even on cold, windy days, outfitted to handle the Hill Country weather rather than fold at first chill. That operational detail says something about how seriously this place takes its regulars.

The Gourmet Bacon Cheeseburger is the anchor of the menu and the reason the room has its reputation. It is a substantial, messy construction, the kind that requires both hands and a stack of napkins. That messiness is not a flaw; it is the product of generous assembly, and the kitchen does not try to sanitize it into something more photogenic. The fries that accompany it are salted aggressively, which registers as a preference rather than an error, but diners who run salt-sensitive should note it. The Loaded Beer Cheese Fries take that base and escalate: beer cheese over the top, a bar-food decision that lands well for the casual-dinner crowd this room is built for.

The Street Corn Tacos represent the kitchen stepping beyond the burger lane. They carry the charred, sauced character of elote in taco form, and they work as a counterpoint to the heavier beef options. Not every taco on the menu performs at the same level; the shrimp preparation reads as the weaker choice relative to what surrounds it.

For a casual dinner with friends or family in New Braunfels, Muck & Fuss hits the right price point with the right amount of commitment to its core program. It does not overreach.

Map showing Muck & Fuss© OpenStreetMap
HoursMon - Thu: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PMFri - Sat: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PMSun: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Address295 East San Antonio Ste 101 New Braunfels
TX 78130
Insider tip

Order the Gourmet Bacon Cheeseburger and the Street Corn Tacos as the combination that best represents the kitchen. The patio runs even in cold weather, so the wait for a table tends to move.

2 Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar Yelp

Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar

American · New Braunfels · $$ · № 32 on the List
Insider Score6.3

The Gristmill operates inside the brick ruins of an 1878 cotton-gin boiler room below the Gruene water tower, and the history of the building earns its place in the meal. Chicken Fried Steak and BBQ Ribs are the anchors; the wurst plate and fried seafood also draw regulars. Friday evenings move at a reasonable pace for a room this popular. The setting, on the Guadalupe below Gruene Hall, does most of the heavy lifting for special-occasion dinners.

What to orderChicken Fried SteakBBQ RibsGrilled Catfish Restaurant Reservations Call Directions
Full review & visiting detailsRead the full review & visiting details

Texas Comfort in a Historic Gruene Mill

Chicken Fried Steak

The chicken fried steak is the anchor of a menu rooted in Texas roadhouse tradition, served inside the brick ruins of an 1878 cotton gin above the Guadalupe River.

BBQ Ribs

The BBQ ribs carry the smoke-and-char profile that draws the Hill Country crowd back to this Gruene landmark, built into the old boiler room of a 19th-century cotton gin.

Grilled Catfish

Grilled catfish is the lighter alternative on a menu heavy with Texas beef, a river-country standard that fits the Guadalupe-side setting.

The Gristmill earns its place on the strength of setting and Texas-comfort cooking, housed in the bones of a 19th-century cotton gin in the historic Gruene district of New Braunfels. The building does half the work, its weathered timber and riverside terraces giving the room a sense of place that no new construction can fake, and the kitchen meets it with food built for the same unpretentious crowd. Chicken fried steak is the benchmark order, a broad, hand-breaded cutlet under cream gravy that defines the genre, while the barbecue ribs lean into the smoke-and-sauce tradition the Hill Country expects. Grilled catfish rounds out the range for anyone wanting something off the fryer, and the menu stays anchored in the American-Texan staples that travel well with a long table and a pitcher.

The draw is the experience as much as any single plate: shaded outdoor seating above the Guadalupe, a steady weekend churn of families and tourists drawn by the adjacent dance hall, and a pace that handles a crowd without losing its footing. This is special-occasion dining in the Texas sense, where the occasion is a Sunday with relatives or a stop after a float down the river rather than a tasting menu. Prices stay accessible, which keeps the room democratic and full. New Braunfels has its share of polished newcomers, and the Gristmill holds its ground by being exactly what it has long been, a dependable Texas kitchen in a setting locals bring out-of-town guests to see.

The wurst plate and fried seafood widen the options for a mixed table. For scenic, generous, family-minded Texas comfort food with real history under the floorboards, it remains a Gruene anchor.

Map showing Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar© OpenStreetMap
HoursMon - Thu: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PMFri - Sat: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PMSun: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Address1287 Gruene Rd New Braunfels
TX 78130
Insider tip

Aim for a shaded terrace table above the Guadalupe and pair the chicken fried steak with the ribs; weekends draw heavy crowds from the neighboring dance hall, so timing helps.

3 The Buttermilk Cafe Yelp

The Buttermilk Cafe

Comfort Food · New Braunfels · $$
Insider Score6.3

Biscuits and sausage gravy, served in a bowl and made for a slow weekend morning, are what regulars come back for. The Buttermilk Pancakes and Chicken and Waffles headline the menu, and the Breakfast Platter covers the full spread. Weekday visits tend to move faster than the weekend rush, when waits are real but track closely to what staff quote at the door. Among New Braunfels breakfast spots, this one holds a clear local following.

What to orderButtermilk PancakesChicken and WafflesBreakfast Platter Call Directions Scored from the full review record 1324 E Common St New Braunfels, TX 78130 · (830) 625-8700
4 McAdoo's Seafood Company Yelp

McAdoo's Seafood Company

Cajun/Creole · New Braunfels · $$$ · № 28 on the List
Insider Score6.6

Crawfish Étouffée and Blackened Redfish are the reasons to make the trip, and the Shrimp and Grits rounds out a Cajun-leaning menu that reads more Gulf Coast than Hill Country. The building is a converted historic structure with a back outdoor seating area that picks up the overflow when walk-ins arrive without reservations. Street parking can be tight. The seafood program is the strength; the menu does branch out, but the Gulf plates are where it shows.

What to orderCrawfish ÉtouffeeBlackened RedfishShrimp and Grits Restaurant Reservations Call Directions
Full review & visiting detailsRead the full review & visiting details

Cajun Comfort at Upscale New Braunfels Tables

Crawfish Étouffee

The étouffee is the Cajun benchmark of the menu, a rich, butter-based crawfish dish that anchors the kitchen's Gulf Coast identity.

Blackened Redfish

Blackened redfish is the heat-and-crust preparation that made this style a classic, the right order for anyone testing the kitchen's range.

Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and grits holds the Southern coastal middle ground, the dish that shows how the kitchen handles the Cajun-Creole register against a New Braunfels backdrop.

New Braunfels sits in German-Texan Hill Country, which makes McAdoo's Seafood Company an outlier by design: a Cajun and Creole kitchen operating at upscale prices inside a converted building that has become one of the city's more recognizable dining rooms. The room itself carries weight. The build-out draws attention, and the space reads as a genuine renovation rather than a theme-park approximation of Gulf Coast character.

The crawfish étouffée is the anchor dish and the measure of the kitchen's ambition. Getting étouffée right requires patience with the roux and restraint with seasoning; the version here has earned the room its local standing. Blackened redfish is the second signature, the kind of preparation that either works cleanly or produces something acrid and overcooked. Reports from the record lean toward the former. Shrimp and grits rounds out the trio, a dish that lands in a comfortable Southern register without the Cajun intensity of the other two.

For a landlocked Hill Country city with a dining culture built around German sausage and biergartens, McAdoo's fills a specific gap. There is no obvious competitor in New Braunfels for this kind of Gulf-sourced cooking at this price point. The room draws families, and the casual register of the service keeps the upscale pricing from feeling stiff.

Operationally, parking is the friction point. Street parking near the building is limited, and the lot situation requires planning. Walk-ins can be accommodated, though the outdoor seating in back becomes the fallback when the main room fills. The seafood focus is the draw; the kitchen does handle other plates, but the Cajun program is where the kitchen concentrates its identity.

At upscale prices in a mid-size Hill Country city, McAdoo's asks for a specific kind of commitment. The building and the seafood make that case.

Map showing McAdoo's Seafood Company© OpenStreetMap
HoursMon - Thu: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PMFri - Sat: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PMSun: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Address196 N Castell Ave New Braunfels
TX 78130
Insider tip

Arrive with a reservation; street parking is limited and walk-ins risk the outdoor overflow seating. The crawfish étouffée is the kitchen's clearest statement and the right place to start.

5 Alpine Haus Restaurant Yelp

Alpine Haus Restaurant

German · New Braunfels · $$
Insider Score6.6

Alpine Haus is a small room, and that scale suits it. The Wiener Schnitzel is the order, with Sauerbraten and a solid Bratwurst Platter covering the German-Texan canon that New Braunfels was built on. Parking is in the back. The appetizer selection gives the meal room to open up before the mains arrive. For a city with deep German-immigrant roots, Alpine Haus is one of the places actually delivering on the tradition rather than just trading on it.

What to orderWiener SchnitzelSauerbratenBratwurst Platter Call Directions Scored from the full review record 251 S Seguin Ave New Braunfels, TX 78130 · (830) 214-0205
6 Gruene River Grill Yelp

Gruene River Grill

American · New Braunfels · $$
Insider Score6.0

Gruene River Grill plays the scenic-dinner card well, with a menu built around Grilled Gulf Red Snapper, Hill Country Ribeye, and Pecan-Crusted Chicken. The happy hour is a real draw, with specialty cocktails priced to move, and the Italian Margarita has its fans. Outdoor seating adds to the appeal for a room positioned as an upscale option inside Gruene. For a special-occasion dinner with river-adjacent atmosphere, it covers the brief.

What to orderGrilled Gulf Red SnapperHill Country RibeyePecan-Crusted Chicken Call Directions Scored from the full review record 1259 Gruene Rd New Braunfels, TX 78130 · (830) 624-2300
7 Huisache Grill Yelp

Huisache Grill

Wine Bars · New Braunfels · $$
Insider Score5.9

Grilled Ribeye with Red Wine Reduction is the anchor plate, and Bacon-Wrapped Scallops give the menu a steakhouse-adjacent range that sets it apart from the casual end of New Braunfels dining. The outdoor waiting area works as a spot to settle in before a table opens. Regulars cycle through the menu repeatedly without hitting a weak point, which is the clearest indicator that the kitchen runs with consistency. Reservations-friendly and positioned as a go-to for date nights.

What to orderGrilled Ribeye with Red Wine ReductionPan-Seared SalmonBacon-Wrapped Scallops Call Directions Scored from the full review record 303 W San Antonio St New Braunfels, TX 78130 · (830) 620-9001
8 Clear Springs Restaurant Yelp

Clear Springs Restaurant

Seafood · New Braunfels · $$
Insider Score5.6

Fried Catfish Platter is the signature, and the Gulf Coast Shrimp and Oyster Basket keep the menu solidly in the fish-house lane. Chicken Fried Chicken pulls in the crowd that wants land over sea, and by multiple accounts it is the best version of that dish in the area. The room runs with friendly, knowledgeable service and a family-casual pace. Clear Springs has been a New Braunfels constant long enough to qualify as a neighborhood institution rather than just a seafood stop.

What to orderFried Catfish PlatterGulf Coast ShrimpOyster Basket Call Directions Scored from the full review record 1692 Hwy 46 South New Braunfels, TX 78130 · (830) 629-3775
9 Fork and Spoon Yelp

Fork and Spoon

New American · New Braunfels · $$
Insider Score5.2

Classic Eggs Benedict with house-made hollandaise is what draws the crowd, and the build-your-own breakfast skillet gives the menu flexibility for the table that cannot agree. Brioche French Toast and Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast round out the brunch range. Waits run fifteen to thirty minutes on a typical weekend morning, but the room has enough interior seating to move the line. Fork and Spoon has settled into the role of New Braunfels' go-to for a sit-down weekend brunch.

What to orderEggs Benedict with House-Made HollandaiseBrioche French Toast with Seasonal BerriesSmoked Salmon Avocado Toast Call Directions Scored from the full review record 651 N Business IH35 Ste 1150 New Braunfels, TX 78130 · (830) 626-6999
10 Krause's Cafe Yelp

Krause's Cafe

German · New Braunfels · $$
Insider Score4.6

Wiener Schnitzel and German Bratwurst Platter are the plates that keep regulars returning, and Wurstfest season turns this into a mandatory stop for anyone coming down for the festival. The outdoor setup and live-music programming give it a biergarten feel that the German-heritage crowd expects. Brussels sprouts have earned recent praise as a solid supporting act. Krause's functions as one of the town's central gathering points, not just a restaurant, and the room reflects that on a busy weekend.

What to orderWiener SchnitzelGerman Bratwurst PlatterSauerbraten Call Directions Scored from the full review record 148 S Castell Ave New Braunfels, TX 78130 · (830) 625-2807
11 Texas Bistro Tripadvisor

Texas Bistro

New American · New Braunfels · $$
Insider Score6.6

Chicken fried pork chops and the Truffle Mushroom Burger represent the range here: classic country plate on one end, a dressed-up burger on the other. The BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger and pecan-crusted chicken fill in the middle. Service is a consistent strength, with the front of house managing reservations made an hour out and seating parties quickly. Texas Bistro runs as a reliable family dinner option in New Braunfels, the kind of room that handles a big table without losing focus.

What to orderTruffle Mushroom BurgerSouthwest Chicken SaladBBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Call Directions Scored from the full review record 1932 S Seguin Ave Ste 209 New Braunfels, TX 78130 · (830) 302-7538
12 Guadalupe Brewing Company & Pizza Kitchen Yelp

Guadalupe Brewing Company & Pizza Kitchen

Pizza · New Braunfels · $$
Insider Score6.6

The beer program is the pull, with a rotating selection that regulars describe as exceptional in both range and execution. Wood-fired New York and Detroit style pizzas hold their own alongside it, and the wings and Brewery Nachos keep the table occupied between pints. Counter-service ordering keeps the pace moving. Live music adds to a room that functions as a neighborhood hangout as much as a pizza spot. For a casual evening with local craft beer and a wood-fired pie, this is the move in New Braunfels.

What to orderWood-Fired Pepperoni PizzaBrewery NachosBBQ Chicken Flatbread Call Directions Scored from the full review record 1586 Wald Rd New Braunfels, TX 78132 · (512) 878-9214
What to know before choosing a restaurant

New Braunfels serves up Texas charm with flavor. The Buttermilk Cafe and Gristmill River Restaurant prove this town's dining scene rivals any city.

New Braunfels sits where the Hill Country German-Texan heritage meets the Guadalupe River, and the eating reflects both: schnitzel and bratwurst alongside Gulf seafood, weekend brunch crowds, and a live-music biergarten scene that the locals take seriously. These twelve spots cover the range, from a riverside landmark built inside an 1878 cotton-gin boiler room to a neighborhood burger counter that earns its lines on a chilly Saturday.

Frequently asked

What are the best restaurants in New Braunfels near me?
The twelve restaurants in this guide cover New Braunfels and Gruene, including spots along the Guadalupe River, inside historic downtown buildings, and out toward the Hill Country edges of town. Each pick is ranked by an Insider Score built from the verified review record, and no restaurant pays to be listed. Use the map view to sort by distance from your location.
Which New Braunfels restaurants are best for a special occasion?
Huisache Grill and Gruene River Grill are the two strongest options for a date night or celebration dinner, with full-service rooms and menus anchored by ribeye and Gulf seafood. The Gristmill is the pick if the setting matters as much as the plate: a restored 1878 cotton-gin boiler room below the Gruene water tower is hard to beat for atmosphere.
Where should I go for German food in New Braunfels?
Alpine Haus and Krause's Cafe are both solid. Alpine Haus is a smaller room built around Wiener Schnitzel and Sauerbraten, good for a quieter dinner. Krause's leans into the biergarten side of the tradition, with live music and outdoor seating that makes it the better call for a group or a Wurstfest weekend visit. New Braunfels was founded by German immigrants in 1845, so the heritage here is real, not decorative.
How were these New Braunfels restaurants chosen, and did any of them pay to be included?
No restaurant pays to appear in this guide or to improve its ranking. Every pick is based on an Insider Score calculated from the verified review record, weighted for consistency, volume, and what the reviews specifically say about the food. The list is updated as the data changes.
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The data first, then the verdict

We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →

About the writer
Beto Treviño
Guides Editor, Top of San Antonio

Beto runs the dish-by-dish beat across San Antonio, from the puffy-taco counters to the marquee rooms, building best-of lists that send you somewhere specific. His rankings start with the reviews and end with an order you can place tonight.

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