North Street

Really great food! Our server, Kelsey, was very sweet and our food arrived quickly. We sat inside due to the windy weather. Not too many customers but we went on a weekday during spring break. We'll be back!

Northstreet is one of the only Indian spots I've found in San Marcos, conveniently located right outside the Square. It's got bold flavors, a cozy ambiance, and makes for a solid date night pick. The vibe almost feels like a Mexican-Indian fusion, but don't be intimidated--it works, and the food is good. Their cocktail menu has a nice variety, and I went with the sangria--strong and well-balanced. The servers know their stuff, offering great recommendations and allowing substitutions (we swapped the butter chicken nachos for fries, and no regrets there). It's a little pricier than your average college-town meal, but if you've got a bit to splurge, it's worth it. Definitely try their tacos--they don't skimp on the fillings--and don't skip the mango drink!

My wife and I picked up our son and daughter in law in New Braunfels to go for lunch in San Marcos. I was really happy when they said we were going to North Street Curry Shop. I had thought about going there when I was in town for the Master Naturalist Annual Meeting last month, but chose a different venue that I could walk to from my hotel. This place is housed in an old house on North Street about a block from Hopkins Street and about three blocks from the Square. Traffic was flowing pretty heavy for a Saturday, but you get out of it the minute you turn onto North Street. There is a parking lot on the side that should hold at least twenty cars and is a permeable parking lot. I feel like a lot of the plants were Texas natives, which I appreciate. We opted to eat indoors, although there is a nice outdoor area. The dining room was nicely decorated and smelled of enticing spices. There is a wall full of draft beer taps in the back. Fortunately for me, they had a really good non-alcoholic IPA. I took a picture of my vegetable samosa. Unfortunately, I forgot to get more when the main course came out. I ordered the curry trio. I chose chicken curry, chicken tikka masala, and saag paneer as my trio. My son ordered the trio with chicken curry, butter chicken, and chicken tikka masala. My daughter in law had the chana masala taco. My wife, less adventurous than most people, had an order of fries. Everyone loved their food. I really enjoyed the chicken dishes, but the saag paneer was the best I have ever had. In the car on the way to pick the kids up, I told my wife that saag paneer is spinach cooked to the consistency of canned spinach from our childhood with big cubes of delicious cheese in it. It has always been one of my favorites. Here at North Street, the spinach was not cooked to death. That made it so much better than any I had ever had. My son and I ordered the paratha on the side. Neither of us is a big fan of papadam. He made a taco out of his. I tore little pieces and used them to scoop mouthfuls of food. It was heavenly. Okay... I can't end this without giving a shoutout to our server Ian. He was absolutely fantastic. His friendly and welcoming personality made our dining experience even better. You've heard me rave about special servers before. Ian goes right up into my top five. He had answers for all of our questions. He got our order 100% correct. He smiled and was friendly at all times. You could just sense that he is very happy working for North Street.

Nestled in the heart of a college town, I initially thought this little curry shop might be your typical student-centric spot with distracted and unmotivated staff. I couldn't have been more wrong. From the moment I walked in, I was met with friendliness, attentiveness, and a level of service that truly surprised me. I arrived about thirty minutes before my friends and set up my laptop to get some work done while I waited. During that time, multiple staff members checked in to see if I needed anything, going out of their way to make sure I was comfortable. Our particular server was sweet and incredibly accommodating. It was clear to me that she was genuinely trying to curate a great experience for us. The atmosphere was cozy, the vibes were relaxed, and the food -- delicious. The samosas were good, though pretty standard. But the Paneer Tikka Masala Tacos? Out of this world! I've had plenty of Indian-Tex-Mex fusion back in Austin, but this place delivered one of the best renditions I've ever tasted. If I'm ever back in San Marcos, I'll go out of my way to visit this gem again. It's rare to find a spot that nails both service and food so perfectly, and this curry shop certainly did just that. The fond memories will linger for a while; I'm sure of that.

I'm quite a noob to Indian food, but what I tried at North Street made me want to try more! The tacos are my favorite because they combine a variety of flavors and textures. It would be more accurate to call them a flatbread wrap. Their chocolate cake was an unexpected treat! The frosting was so fudgy! (It was from a local bakery, not made in house.)