The best bang for your buck. From quail to cabrito tacos, you can’t go wrong. I’m a California boy now planted in Hill Country. It may be a bit out of the way, but ALWAYS worth the drive .

We have been a couple time and it is always great. We have tried the cheeseburger, cabrito burger, lamb burger and Buddah basket (catfish, shrimp, and scallops). Every time it is delicious and cooked well. Great stop

Phenomenal catfish and shrimp, everything is always great!

FANTASTIC. Would highly recommend. We eat here every chance we get & have never been disappointed.

Great food, excellent staff. Will certainly go back!

I visited this place in the summer and we were surprised by the service we experienced. Staff was friendly and food was excellent. If we ever visit Tarpley or Hondo area again in the future, we definitely will stop by for lunch or dinner whatever the time may be.

Great little spot in the Texas Hill Country. Not fussy...laid back for family dining and adult dining. Nice selection of wine too. Very hospitable.

Awesome service, delicious food. Service is very family/friendly! Love the food and recommend this place to all who love food!

We're in central Texas. We walk into Mac & Ernie's and tell them we don't eat gluten, garlic or onion. Quietly, l'm thinking to myself "Good luck." She says"OK, your best bet will be the ribeye, no seasoning, salad no onion and baked potato w butter and sour cream." We said yes and we were smiling the rest of the night! Thanks, M & E 😊

7 diners all ordered different dishes and each was amazing. My pork kabob was perfect and tender paired perfectly with a great green chili sauce. Perfecto

Mac & Ernie's Roadside eatery was a surprising treat. We were staying in cabins in Vanderpool, TX and decided to trek over just to check this place out. Situated in the quaint town of Tarpley the atmosphere was cozy, eclectic and inviting. Fun outdoor seating is available and they are very dog friendly if your pooch is along for the ride. We orderd our food and the order was taken by very friendly staffers. The order was placed on a little metal goat and sent along its way on a track to the kitchen to get droppen in a order slot for the cooks. Very fun to watch! The food was very good and portions were generous. One of our meals was the Mahi Mahi which was amazing with the grapefruit cilantro butter on top! Yum! We loved this place and will be sure to eat there again when we are in that part of the woods! Give them a try!

Everything was delicious - I did not expect to find such perfection in such a small town. The entire staff was so friendly and welcoming. Our family left very happy, and with extra food to go.

OMG ! I LOVE THIS PLACE. Today we tried the Triple D. A Red Deer burger with balsamic onions and Blue Cheese. You can order it with a different cheese if you so choose....but don't! 😉

This place is so good..!The food here is large portions, is very fresh and fantastic.! We had the catfish..and a blue cheese burger..The fries are fresh cut and the burger meat is hand Pattie made thick.The catfish was great..all the sauces were homemade..not from a bottle.It was so good. I highly recommend this established restaurant.!

Always excellent food! Staff is awsome. I can't say enough good things about Mac and Ernies.

Great staff food is wonderful

Limited menu and quantities so arrive early! High quality food in a quaint atmosphere. Excite your taste buds while meeting new friends in a relaxed setting. Food varies each night, portions are just right, and dessert is always something you want to save room for. Outside seating is also available.

Absolutely a must in the TX hill country. Every single thing is seasoned perfectly. True Texan food, simple, hearty, yet not too heavy and made with love. I dream of this food, somewhat drunk and 5000 miles away... sigh. Go. You will not be disappointed.

If you haven't tried it, GO NOW, do pass go!!!! Their food is great! Their service is great! The atmosphere is great! It's been a while since we have been there, but it won't be that long again. Take a nice relaxing drive or ride and stop for a great meal and a cold beverage.

When my boyfriend suggested we stop here for lunch, I was skeptical to say the least. Some of the pictures looked sketchy! As soon as I walked in the door my perceptions totally changed. There is plenty of indoor seating and the staff is super friendly and helpful. I devoured my cheeseburger and fries! I'd absolutely to back next time I'm in town!

Clean, delicious, and tasty. This place was perfect late lunch on a quick day trip. The food is fresh and unique; the decor is fun and kitchy. There's a big outside if there are people inside. Totally going back.

Amazing. Took the ride up there from Castroville and it was well worth it.

Best fish tacos I’ve ever had! The creamy cilantro sauce is amazing🤤 The staff is so sweet and personable. Highly recommended!

There's no other place like it. The owner gave me her recipe for cole slaw...the best I've ever eaten!

Found this place through Guy's triple D's on Food Network and could not have been more pleased. Didn't get here in time for lunch to try to Cabrito burger but had fried lamb chop, quail, and filet mignon instead. Very delicious home cooking served by kind wait staff. Definitely worth the drive

Best burgers anywhere but especially out in the middle of nowhere. The dinner menu is always wonderful. Picnic tables outside for Covid safety although some still eat inside. Highly recommended.

Wow, in the middle nowhere you find rhis great family owned eatery and it delivers big time. Try the Triple D burger featured in Guy Fieri on Diners,etc-Foid Network. It's made of New Zealand Red Deer and it's worth the trip. Try their Sweet Potato Home fries with a zesty dip. Also the Cabrito (Baby Kid goat) burger that's very good. Try their home cole slaw. Others such great sandwiches and home desserts. Ask for Marsha (Owner) and the rest of the friendly staff. Enjoy!!!

Outstanding food! Not your run of the mill menu. Super friendly staff. The fried catfish is to die for!!

They were proud of their Cole slaw, but I wasn't a fan. The best BLT in all the land???...well maybe but not by much. I love BLTs so although I greatly enjoyed it , I didn't think there was anything super special about it. It was very good, but if it was better than all the other BLTs I've had, it was difficult to confirm. I could have gone with 5 stars on the food but since their menu bragging raised my expectations I didn't. The Cole slaw was a 3 at best, and I'll give 5 stars to the BLT, it was good.

This may not look like much bc the food is on a styrofoam plate, but let me tell you about Mac and Ernie's Roadside Eatery in Tarpley, TX. They were feautured in Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives many yrs ago and the food continues to remain ON POINT!! Every bite is like a passionate affair on your tongue that you don't want to end but have to get back to your family. 😞😢. . This Lamb chop with salsa verse and Ancho chili honey basted quail were nothing short of perfection. Everyone needs to dine here.

Great place! Had the catfish/shrimp basket with fries. The breading was perfect, not too much and tasted great, the red sauce was the best I've ever had, and I don't like red sauce on fish usually. The fries were even good after they got cold, the true test. Can't wait to go back!

Great off the beaten path place to eat in Tarpley Texas. Chef Justin is awesome.. great food at affordable prices.

What an amazing hidden gem I’m so glad we stopped here during our road trip. Salmon and steak were excellent. Still craving the brownie I had. Loved our dining experience 🤍

Lovely place, the service was amazing and the food was delicious. I highly recommend if you are in the area.

The whole team is welcoming, friendly, and eager to ensure you have a great experience. Food is fantastic and fresh. While the entire menu is good, I like the Combo Wambo with fries and corn dip for appetizer.

A friend introduced us to this nice little restuarant off the highway with one of best deer burgers ive had in texas. Well worth the wait and service was wonderful. Even has outside dining with tables and lights

Absolutely delicious! A local recommended since we were from out of town. This is a must stop when in Tarpley Texas

Let me say this. If you ever even sorta enjoy food, COME EAT HERE! This place is absolutely bomb. I got the lamb chops which you would not expect from this sort of place if you just drove by. They were cooked and seasoned perfectly. Absolutely five star quality! My wife got the pork tenderloin kebab and it was great as well. Service is fast and friendly, and you can even bring your own liquor! They do sell wine by the glass and bottle as well as beer and bottled drinks. I'm gonna go back to get a burger at lunch ASAP. I cannot recommend enough to come give this place a try, you will not be disappointed!

This restaurant is a must when in Bandera area. The chicken salad special was delicious, and the carrot cake was so, so good.

Lots of delicious variety. Very kind service!

It is so delightful to encounter a place where the owner/manager clearly cares enough about doing things well and serving customers some really good food that she takes good care of her team and the restaurant. Texas rural excellence is how I would describe Mac and Ernie's. We found it thanks to two random encounters with people who raved and said you have to try our favorite little restaurant. We drove 50 miles to Tarpley on eclipse day, and it was worth it.

Awesome!! The DDD burger was excellent. The cabrito burger was just as good and so was the fried catfish. We rode our motorcycle 300 miles just to get a taste of Mac and Ernie's. The service was excellent as well. Thanks guys. We'll be back and recommend to anyone if you're anywhere close by. You won't regret it.

Awesome! Stopped here on the way back to San Antonio from Garner State Park. Got the “DDD” Burger, so good! Sweet potato fries on the side and it was the first time I’ve ever ordered sweet potato fries and they actually came out crispy. 5-star fries! I added them to my burger and the extra crunch was amazing!

We moved into the neighborhood. New neighbors treated us to a wonderful supper here. Wife had catfish combo (with scallops on Saturday) I had the quail. Both were fantastic! Along with stimulating conversation, cold beer and a very nice wine, very nice evening. Though they were busy, wait staff was very friendly and attentive, even the chefs were friendly and waving. Can't wait to go back!

Happy birthday, Marsha Jo! Your Cabrito Burger and ancho-chile honey-basted quail keep us driving an hour since we moved. You’ve turned Mac & Ernie’s into a Hill Country landmark, featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, thanks to your genuine Texas hospitality. Here’s to another year of sizzling success and unforgettable flavor. I've got a do the drive, the porch and environment is great.feeling right at home.

Great American Diner. The food was fresh cooked and plentiful. The staff were cheery and helpful. My fried catfish was delicious. My wife's steak just right. Plus you get visited by the local chickens. Perfect

Very small but Great food!!! Get there before noon on Sunday if you don't want to wait in line!! Seats are available outside too!! DDD Burger was Awesome and big enough for my mom and I to share!!! PHENOMENAL Cheesecake and Carrot cake!!! Big enough for the 4 of us to share!!!

The DDD burger was so good!!! Our group stopped on the way to float the Medina river today for lunch and we ate outside. The young lady at the front was so friendly and gave us great recommendations on what to eat. We had a great time hanging outside and the food was delicious!

Great place to stop and take a break while out riding. Burgers are great!! Owner and staff are awesome!!

We had the fish tacos and the DDD burger with a side of Shrimp and corn dip for an appetizer. Soooooo good. The staff were great. Kennedy had the best suggestions. Well worth the drive from South Carolina for the experience. Oh....and the banana pudding secret recipe is a secret for a reason...to keep you coming back for it.

Delicious food; personable and attentive staff. Possibly one of the best things about Tarpley. Most Tarpley elements are near perfect but M and E ties the place together in an indefinable manner. And the food. There's nothing close to its quality for hundreds of miles. VITAL UPDATE!!! I am a coeliac which means gluten free and that can be a challenge but NOT at M&E. I had a burger on a gluten free bun that quite frankly is...well...(as he wipes a tear away in his eye) it is the best hamburger I have had in years. My wife was horrified as I inhaled it and immediately thought about getting another one. My final point is that we actually determine our movements in and out of Tarpley based on when M&E's is open. You cannot get much better than that.

Was absolutely a welcomed surprise of deliciousness !!! The entire staff is so Friendly , they truly make the experience so Feel Good while enjoying amazing food. We will definitely be back when we are even within 20 miles or so. Well worth the drive!!

He wasn't open when we stopped yet the owner came out & greeted us started telling us what he was doing to the place, is going to be great! He gave us a tour and a piece of brisket he just made was fabulous!! His attitude, excitement & he is the friendliest man makes you want to go back there and let everyone you can tell to go there too.

Great food at reasonable prices. Interesting selection

I've missed out on my Friday lunches a few weeks, but glad I made it In this week just before the winter break. Great food and they are always smiling! Will definitely be back after the holidays!

Delicious food and friendly staff!! We ate here while staying in Utopia and will definitely be back if we are ever in the area again! The restaurant was clean, staff were super nice and they had a nice outdoor seating area as well! Fried catfish, fried shrimp, banana pudding and many options is sauces were amazing!

Drove an hour to try the cabrito burger. I have to say loved it. I was not disappointed! Great taste. And banana pudding was a great closer to a great meal!

My husband and I stopped at this cute little burger joint and let me say that it was The BEST Burgers we've had! They DDD Deer burger with grilled onions and blue cheese was perfect! They also had the best Banana pudding and brownie dessert! Place was super clean and staff was super friendly! We highly recommend this place!!!

Chad Wright

I enjoyed a delicious lunch at Mac & Ernie's yesterday - my first time eating there. I had the catfish, which was tasty, and topped it all off with the banana pudding, which was wonderful. The service was great also. Will definitely be back!

Sean Holt

This restaurant was amazing. The beautiful drive out was topped by really good food. I had the quail and coleslaw, both were fantastic.

M B

Out of the way roadside diner worth the drive (it is 45 minutes for us). Very large menu for the size of the establishment. Extremely friendly staff with one of the cleanest diners we've seen...period. Party of 2 on a Friday for lunch. From order to food ready was just under 15 minutes. They update their menu weekly (check their website). Prices are reasonable and portions are good. Deer burger was rated as excellent as was the shrimp. The sweet potato waffles fries were rated as the best sweet potato fries we've had.

+2

Miriam Zaga

Eat good, relax ,nice place, good setvice, the cabrito burguer was great, the chicken salad sandwich too

+5

Phoebe Powell

Absolutely worth the drive! We're in the area from Washington and made a side trip to try Mac & Ernie's. It was well worth the drive! Our party had the DDD burger, the Philly cheese steak, a grilled pb&j, sweet potato fries, and regular fries. Everything was amazing! The food is very reasonably priced for what you're getting. It's a little longer wait as everything is made fresh when you order, but it's worth waiting for. No complaints from our crew! Even the kiddo ate her lunch.

Walter Williams

The DDD burger was definitely a great burger. Good size and not overloaded with too much. The onions and blue cheese were the perfect balance to the lean Red Deer patty. Great atmosphere and a nice friendly welcome to Tarpley, Texas.

+4

Valerie Welch

Best burger I've had in ages! I live in Austin and seriously, nothing there compares to the food at Mac & Ernie's. They are serving 5 star food in one of the prettiest places in TX. I am very glad I opted to have banana pudding for dessert, wow was it good!

A Farrell

Check this joint out after driving by several times and seeing several times on DDD. Fish basket and hamburger were on point. Good selection of beer and wine as well. Super friendly staff. We will be back! Made it back! Great meal! Combo Wombo and fried shrimp were on point. Ice Cold Beer! Will be back when in the area.

Kirk P.

Such a great burger. Such flavors. Generous size as well. This is a great diner and on the way to a yearly trip we make.

+4

Samuel Patton

I knew Mac & Ernie's existed but I just didn't take the time to stop. I was headed to Utopia but decided to turn around and head here instead. You walk in and order at the counter at the front. The first thing the lady told me was it was going to be a 45 minute wait. It was kinda off putting at first but with it feeling like 102 outside, I decided to wait. I had the intention of ordering a burger. 🍔 But I remembered my brother telling me that the fish was good so I ordered the Catfish & Shrimp combo with coleslaw. Everything was excellent. The fish & shrimp were fried crispy without being grease soaked. The accompanying tarter sauce was homemade and had a strong dill flavor. The slaw was finely chopped and included broccoli in it. It wasn't sweet but was great just the same. Would I go back? I definitely would. I still want to try that burger!

+2

Ray Goldenberg

Excellent food and service from this wonderful family owned business. We enjoyed the ribeye steak and mahi-mahi. We also had the superb banana pudding and took home the scrumptious carrot cake.

kynnedy gleason

The love put into the food is very evident. The coleslaw is the best I’ve EVER come across. I mean like it’s suspiciously good. The Shrimps are colossal and the catfish is the real deal. These women know how to throw it downn.

Pete54

Second time at Mac & Ernie’s was just great as the first time. I had the catfish basket with sweet potato fries. The catfish was tasty and the sweet potato fries were yummy with a nice crunch. And, the employees were very friendly with smiles. I’m definitely going back.

Howard Freeman

All in all an amazing restaurant. Totally worth the 1-hour drive from Kerrville through rolling hills. Go via Medina and not Bandera.

+1

Reuben Reyes

Yes this place has super good food. I had a cabrito burger with goat cheese and it was cooked perfectly and was out of this world! The price is a bit more than what I wanted to pay but the portions were enough for 2. It came with fries. The place was not crowded and had a relaxing environment. A bit out of the way but worth the drive.

Mary Vargas

I ordered the Red Deer burger with Bleu Cheese. Y'all... This was amazing. I've never eaten deer before. It was delicious, tasty, and very filling. Their fries were crispy and fresh. I believe homemade. And this spot was featured on Diner's Drive-In, and Dives during their pilot episode. I have to say. It was so worth the hour and 10 minute drive from San Antonio. Y'all, please. Check out this spot.

Terri McCulloch

I've been trying to eat here forever, and it did not disappoint. I had the grilled chicken sandwich, and enjoyed the spices and juiciness. The young lady that waited on us was very friendly and helpful. A must stop on a motorcycle ride through Tarpley.

Lee Ann Robinson

What a great experience. Wow is all I can say. The food was great. It is a little expensive but they do give you a lot of food. It was way out of the way and a little tricky to find but we are so happy we did. So much food. There were so many choices between ribeye, pork chops, lamb, snapper, catfish and so forth. Great patio area. Come out and give it a try. They have several wines, beer and sodas. By the way the staff are AMAZING!!

+3

Wow… the small town of Tarpley has one of the best eateries in the Hill Country: Mac & Ernie's Roadside Eatery👍

Oh darn ...I wish I had photos! but the steak was excellent ....medium rare! Love the welcoming positive atmosphere, menu, etc.... just really really really wish yall would graduate from disposable plates at least to melamine or even really really stiff paper disposable... just doesn't do your good food justice to serve it on thin divided styrofoam plates....too small for your very generous portions! And... if any items supoer hot when seved ...it WILL melt in spots. the only glitch with the atmosphere i think, is a conversation interrupting.... sound of a very loud electric blending or chopping tool in the kitchen. Find a way to muffle that...and the atmosphere is perfctly fun and sublime! Rock on chicas !🤟

Quaint eatery with good food in the middle of nowhere. We had breakfast, which they serve until 11:30 and then they close for resetting their small kitchen until 12:00. Omelette perfectly cooked, fluffy and moist, great home or locally made sausage, great service, will come back for lunch.

Very unique menu situated in and old house. The food is fantastic but I was disappointed that they use plastic utensils and styrofoam plates which are so bad for the environment. That's my only dig on the place. On weekends they open for breakfast and have homemade bloody Mary's where you bring your own alcohol of choice. Very good.

Really juicy, nice gigantic burgers! And I'm not even a burger person. Probably the best burgers around Bandera and San Antonio. Reasonably priced for the size and the quality! Nice outdoor seating with simple benches under the tree. Feels like a picnic.

Nice little "Hole-in-the-wall" kind of place. I had the ribeye and it was nicely seasoned with a loaded spud all the way. No fancy dinner ware but you can't go wrong with good food and cold beer.

Absolutely love this place. The food is made to order fresh and is absolutely awesome. The lady's that there are absolutely the best !! *****

Christina Ramirez

It was good, the cabrito burger was really good, surprisingly I don't like gamey meat. I ordered the fish and shrimp combo with a qide pasta salad and sweet potato fries. They were good. I would have liked to try to order from the dinner menu, but we went on a Sunday and their hours were inly from 11-2. Some of the menu items sounded very interesting.

The lamb chops excellent! The ribeye was horrible! Green beans undercooked. I like al dente but Raw is another thing. The coconut cream pie to die for! Service was wonderful.

The food was great...a solid 5 stars. The atmosphere was nice; kinda quirky, and fairly comfortable. The service during our visit, however, was lacking. Sorely. Kudos to the gal who took our order. In the midst of the kitchen chaos, her smiles and demeanor when she took our order stood out. She's the only reason I'd give service 2 stars rather than 1. We showed up on a Sunday, about 30 minutes before closing. The restaurant didn't appear to be busy and full. There was maybe 10 folks outside waiting on food, and 4 folks (including my wife and I) inside waiting on food. Our intent was to order, eat, and leave. It could have been, at most, a 45 minute lunch. We'd have left after closing time. After about a half hour of watching food being delivered to folks outside and in, and watching to-go orders being picked up, we were the only two people sitting inside waiting on our order. It was closing time, and we didn't want to linger around in an empty restaurant till well after closing. I asked staff to go ahead and make our orders to-go instead. Another 10-15 minutes passed before we were handed our food. 40 minutes to prep a chicken sandwich and a seafood plate is not what I'd call good service. To add to the wait time...no one made an effort to explain the wait to us. The restaurant is pretty open, and based on kitchen conversations that were clear for us to hear, there were issues and confusion in the kitchen. We were patient, and did not bother staff about our order status. We didn't want to potentially add to the kitchen confusion by bugging staff about our food. The wait, the non-communication, the obvious kitchen issues...the sum of it all translated to service that was just plain awful. Then to further "salt the wound", when we were given our food we didn't even receive a simple "sorry for the wait". Based on other reviews here, it's clear that our experience was not the norm. Hopefully management will read this review and make more of an effort to assist staff in avoiding whatever sort of issues they were having Sunday afternoon. As good as the food was, I don't think we'll be visiting again. We're not willing to drive this far off the beaten path to *maybe* get worthwhile service.

Beware Arrived 10mins after opening for a Sunday brunch. Young lady behind the counter informed us there was a long wait. I said ok. She then said they were about out of food. I turned to the family and said they are out of food. Young lady said she would check with the kitchen. I said ok. When theyong lady returned she said we have enough for 5, (we're a party of 5) pancakes. It was weird. The reasturant was maybe half full. We left for the hr ride home within 5 mins of arriving. On a brighter note Stopped at Brick's in Bandera. We were greeted by happy people and enjoyed a nice lunch. All and all, pretty good family outting.

We stopped in for a lunch ...first time. Read about the great food..our experience not so good. Dinner salad was wilted...not fresh....grilled chicken was not seasoned . Coleslaw was good but portion was very small.....almost sample size....we tried the banana pudding...$5 almost $6 for a tiny cup....ridiculous portion for the price....sorry guys but you got to step up your game....won't be back...

Normally this is a five-star spot and I love taking the trip there. We have never been treated more rudely at a restaurant than we were this evening. Told us to get out without masks. We checked their website before hand to make sure they were open and available and there’s nothing about masks required. There was no offer to take our order outside it was basically get out if you don’t have a mask. No one at the picnic tables have masks on…Very Weird. Turns me completely off to this place.

Lucy Wilke

Third time I’ve tried this place. Ordered the hamburger and fries this time because how difficult is that. Both the meat and fries tasted freezer burned. Has a steak in the past and it’s was less than just ok.