the Water Stop — Restaurant in Marfa

We had a very disappointing and unfortunate experience - hopefully just an off day, but one of the worst we've ever had. We arrived for lunch a few minutes after 12 and found a table inside as all outdoor seating was full. We were the only ones in the room when we sat down. By the time we ordered it was filling up, and service was a little slow, but that's understandable these days.

Unfortunately, it was downhill from there. We each ordered straight from the menu (no substitutions or complications), and I ordered a bloody mary. 20 minutes later I still had no drink and no sign of food, and our waitress had never returned. We flagged down another waitress, and she said she'd check on the drink and that they were backed up at the bar. Another 20 minutes passed, and other tables began getting food. We inquired again and were told our food was coming up and "she's working on the drink, they're just backed up at the bar."

Everyone else in the room got their food. We asked again, told they were backed up. When we said sure, but we ordered before everyone else here and they all have been served, "your food is next." I mentioned the still non-existent drink, and got a "yes, I know about the drink. She's working on it now."

A minute later she returned with two plates - neither of which were what we ordered. She asked if we were sure - yes! She disappeared. 10 minutes after that we flagged her down again (our original server never came to our table after taking the order) and she said we were next up. I said it's been an hour and I still don't have my bloody mary. "They're backed up at the bar." Multiple rounds had been served to other tables.

At this point I made the direct point that something isn't right because everyone else has their food and drinks - did something go wrong and our order isn't in? "Yes, the printer didn't print a couple of the tickets and we got mixed up." Okay! Great - there was an issue but it can be fixed. Just tell us. "Your food will be right up."

She returned - with the wrong orders again. And again seemed miffed when we said that wasn't right. I said that's it, we're done. How much for my wife's soda? She didn't answer and just turned and walked away. I threw a $5 bill on the table and we left.

As we left we passed the bar, and I told the bartender to take the bloody mary off her list. She looked at me like she had no idea, and went back to talking to her coworker - looking anything but slammed behind the bar.

Needless to say, very disappointing. We're very patient and understanding diners. The opposite of high maintenance. But this was crazy bad service, and in the end I think they were upset with us?! We were there a total of 1 hour and 20 minutes and I drank water. Very...

Everything that we ordered was prepared well, was seasoned well, and tasted great, including the drinks. We appreciate plant-based food and this place had enough options for our table of two to order three separate dishes (including their Vegan Dark Chocolate Mouse) and a few of their specialty drinks ... all were enjoyed. The Vegan Dark Chocolate Mouse was so good that I stuffed it in our cooler and tried to slowly consume a few bites a day during our road trip so I could simply extend my enjoyment of that dessert.

We tried two of their fresh juices; a watermelon slushy (that had to be prepared like a Mexican juice stand as just watermelon juice on ice due to a slushy machine failure) and a Ginger Shot that hit the spot with a sweetened, spicy ginger kick that you'll appreciate if you are into fresh ginger drinks.

The Ceasar Salad was not vegan due to the parmesan cheese (and maybe the dressing as we are not as diligent with veganism while traveling, but you'll want to ask if you are), but the lettuce was fresh and a fresh lemon sqweeze gave each bite a nice acidic pop. THE FRENCH FRIES and toasted brioche bun for Avocado Veggie Burger set this dish apart. The pattie appears to be a familiar, high-quality store-bought (I could be wrong) pattie, but everything atop and surrounding it made it a very satisfying dish.

Back to THE FRENCH FRIES ... they appeared to be fresh cut, with skin on. They had a tasty coating from being freshly fried and salted while hot! Order these alone if you enjoy tasting deep fried potatos with a hint of salt on them. I am unable to compare them to anywhere else for reference, they are simply prepared uniquely well.

If you are passing through, I would suggest this restaurant during non-peak hours as it is right on one of the two main streets that travels east/west through the quaint city. Everyong that we interacted with was great, and drink/food service was prompt. We sat outdoors, but the interior is a funky combination of art that tends to make Marfa the eclectic city that it is. We will be sure to support this local business the next time that we are passing...

Poor service was the theme of our visit. Can't even comment on the food, since we didn't get anything but our appetizer. When we arrived, we were told that they were closed for a bit for a private event; no worries, we waited until the time they told us. When we showed back up, they sat 6 tables all at once outside. They then realized it was cold outside, and scrambled to get their heaters placed and lit. Turns out they were a tank short. They poorly placed the remaining warmers, leaving the section of the restaurant we were sitting it in out in the cold, literally. We asked if I hey could relocate some of the warmers to better distribute heat, especially since they were getting a wood oven going in a corner where they also had a warmer. The waitress said she needed to get somebody, and we never saw her again. After that debacle, it seemed the waitresses couldn't remember who had what table. We waited 20 minutes to get service. The table they sat us at was under a gap in the roofing, and it was raining. I asked if I could move the table a few feet to get it under some cover, and I was told "it's raining on everyone". It was another 20 minutes before we got our appetizer. The appetizer tasted like it had been warm at one point, but, much like our table, was forgotten about for a while. We immediately asked for the check, because we were fed up. All we had to show for being there for over 45 minutes was a cold appetizer, and possibly a cold (we'll see in the morning). Even getting our check took forever; we ended up leaving cash on the table and leaving. We ended driving past the restaurant about an hour later, and they still had the warmers poorly...