Local Food Businesses in Downtown Association (3)

The AquaBrew is a brewery, beer garden, restaurant, and events center located in downtown San Marcos. Opened in March 2016, it’s a spot where “craft beer, culinary delights, local music, and community come together” and aims to stimulate all the senses. Its events center can accommodate up to 500 people, and its rooftop bar and patio has bench-style seating that gives a casual and friendly vibe – perfect for taking in the Texas air. They have about 10 varieties on tap, and also usually feature a couple of guest breweries as well. Growlers and crowlers are available so you can take home a favorite brew. The place is open daily with both lunch and dinner menus. On weekend nights, they feature live music.

Roasting ethically sourced coffee from around the globe, Redbud Roasters is an artisan roaster out of San Marcos, TX. They have “high quality beans” that are roasted in small batches resulting in a perfect balance of bitterness and smoothness, which is why they are hailed as the “Best Coffee in Central Texas” All of the coffee beans are fair trade, certified organic, as well as 100% arabica - “the premium bean”. They are shade grown, allowing the coffee trees to incorporate local ecology, which in turn produces a rich taste. At the moment, Redbud Roasters has coffee from Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, Costa Rica, Sumatra, Colombia, Nicaragua, Honduras, Peru, Congo, Mexico and Water Processed Decafs from Mexico & Nicaragua.

Producing a range of locally sourced Belgian-style brews, Darkside Fermentation is located in the storage room of “The Root Cellar Cafe in San Marcos.” It started when Brewer and owner, Silas Parker approached The Root Cellar’s owner, Kyle Mylius in May 2009 to sell Darkside beer in the cafe. They offer Darkside’s flagship beer, “Mark of the Yeast: 78666” which is referred to by Parker as a “dark medieval ale.” This beer is nourishing and the finish lingers. Other beers in the Darkside lineup include the draught beers BrideAle and GroomsBeer, Weiz Guy, Golden Mean, and Pale Rider, a Belgian pale ale. Come in and try some these great beer that are brewed in-house. They also have a lot of seasonal flavors to choose from.