San Marcos Downtown Square

Among our treasures, locally-owned shops and restaurants, bistros and nightspots adorn every corner of historic downtown San Marcos, fueling American’s favorite vacation pastimes – shopping and eating!

Bring along your appetite and savor our rich, local flavor, gourmet Texas Fusion, ethnic flair, plus a wide array of traditional favorites. You’ll love our charming neighborhood cafés, our college “hang-outs,” and local favorites. Some great places for breakfast include Cafe on the Square and The Coffee Pot Bistro.

Have a delicious lunch at Root Cellar Cafe serving anything from a sandwich or salad made from local produce to your pub favorites at Sean Patrick's Irish Pub. If you need a something a little sweet to get you through the day, stop in and have an ice cream cone at Rhea's Ice Cream. Rhea creates each flavor herself and she has created some interesting flavors, such as Maple Bacon and Big Red. Other sweet stops include Twist & Shout Frozen Yogurt, the Smoothie Factory and Gil's Broiler and Manske Roll Bakery.

Unique gifts, trendy boutiques, cool art, vintage clothing, one-of-a-kind jewelry and handmade furniture are all in the bag when you shop in the historic downtown square. A long time favorite within downtown San Marcos, Paper Bear has unexpected gifts for the person who has everything or find affordable new styles at STRUT. In the mood to reclaim vintage clothing and make it your own? Shop Retro Exchange, Bada Bling, Twice Blessed, and Vagabond Vintage.