I can't say enough good things about this place. Seldom, if EVER do I give 5 star reviews. First thing that comes to mind when looking for a coffee shop though is EXCELLENT frkkn coffee and this place NAILS it! EXCELLENT FRKKNN COFFEE HERE, FOLKS!!
Here are a few more other bonuses! Gal friend had an excellent Chai Latte which held an dead even or horse nose ahead of the one at Summer Moon in Austin and for a better price.
Here is another out of the park perk of this place. ESPRESSO, bamino!! I drank so damn many of them here that I was like a jacked up paisano cowboy doing shot after shot! Prolly espresso addiction lends itself well to my calm and well balanced Buddha-like calm demeanor. OH YEAH!
Here is another COOL thing about this place. Doggie friendly outdoor courtyard. Ultra mellow environment and SHADE TREES!! On your next day off get out of Austin and head a short jaunt south and make sure to hit this stop. Plenty of parking, excellent wi-fi, a very MANLY skull/ Dias De Los Muertos/Nightmare Before Xmas vibe going and a very friendly /attentive staff. Â
NOTA: Chiqui! B and I are gonna have a turf war over dukedom/duchess for bragging rights. Â
Check-ins are for wussies!! Whoever does the MOST shots of espresso in 30 minutes WINS dukedom here for eternity.
Who's up NOW playa??!! RATCHEEEET dat' CHEET wit' yo "badass ratcheet po po posse!!" WHASSUP?! How ya like me now?!?! Who's HOOD!? Bring yo SPICY "A" game YO! !!
OK. All goofy silliness aside. This place is awesome! Ummmm..would it be too much to ask though to have CORN tortilla breakfast tacos? Then ya hit a 5.5! :-)
LOVE Wake the Dead. From it's eerie-themed decor to the corffee to the local made pastries, WTD is a great place to check out if you're in San Marcos. Located off "old Ranch Road 12," it's location might be hard to find if you're not familiar with the area. The coffee & iced coffee drinks are priced just right, but the specialty coffee drinks can get a bit pricey, depending on what you get. Not in the mood for coffee? They do have a great bottled-beer selection. Â WTD also has a side stage & live music most nights hosting various acts & entertainment.
I give it a 4-star for a few reasons: WTD is located close to the Texas State Campus & is a popular place for students to study, socialize, or both. That being said, it can get very crowded in the evenings. Not necessarily a bad thing for them as a business but can be annoying of you're looking for places to park or sit inside. If you want to go during mid-terms, finals, or art shows; forget about it! They, like other coffee shops in San Marcos, will be over-crowded!
Also, as previously reviewed, their service can sometimes be bad, depending on who's working & how crowded they are.
Other than that, WTD is a great Coffee House & should be worth checking out whether you're in San Marcos or just passing thru to get to Wimberley or Dripping Springs.
I'm a morning regular here and have ALWAYS gotten the best coffee and customer service in town. Â Hayley and Chris are the sweetest, most talented baristas who know customers by name and will always chat with you when you sit at the bar. Â Julie, dedicated owner and operator, has put her heart into this business and it shows! Â The atmosphere is eclectic and clean. Â And the coffee really is the best in town. Â I'd recommend the iced toddy or a good old americano.
Review Source:I love to go to Wake the Dead to ESCAPE all the students (no offense) and the bustle of the square.
It's just a different crowd and it's just a great change sometimes. Food is good, drinks are bad ass, and the Batistas are really great.
Wish there was more indoor seating~ (especially for when it rains or gets reallllly hot/cold)
I came in town to visit my boyfriend for the weekend and unfortunately, I had a 20 page midterm to write. But all was well thanks to Wake the Dead! This place is awesome. We spent almost the entirety of our weekend here and neither of us seemed to mind. The coffee is great and inexpensive. He enjoyed sitting on their relaxing patio all weekend thanks to their awesome, and cheap, beer selection and the free wifi. To top it all off, at the end of every study session I was able to enjoy one of my favorite cheap cabernets, Casillero Del Diablo. Go here! I promise you will not regret it!
Review Source:The coffee is pretty good, but that's not the real reason to come here. Â I love this place because there is so much room to move around, unlike many coffee spots.
The food is decent, but golly those chips are fantastic!! Â They have a wonderful selection of beers too!
Lastly, they have SO many events! Â It's a really great place to bring your friends, bring your parents, bring your boo. And it's also wonderful to visit alone, you're sure to make a friend or two.
I hate having my barista take their time to produce a quality drink, even when they are busy with many other customers. Not. These coffee craftsman are not inconsiderate, they will educate you on the coffee you are drinking, and not act like a trained monkey that makes watered down cappuccino with their less than par experience. How dare they be a non-chain coffee house with personality, complemented by great service. When you visit Wake the Dead, you are getting a quality drink at an eclectic coffee house. I love this place for their great attitudes and coffee, and anyone that can't appreciate that won't appreciate Wake the Dead.
Review Source:Ummmm, I love this place. Â It's like the coffee shop that would be in the movie Nightmare Before Christmas, which just happens to be a movie I love. Â And so, I love this coffeeshop. Â The decor is great if you're into skulls and Halloween anytime and it's got a great iron statue of Jack-the-Pumpkin-King in the back patio area. Â Besides the cool decor, it has excellent coffee. Â I have to say that chai tea lattes were my more regular order, and those were great. Â As were the giant brownies and assorted other pastries. Â Really cool staff, great seating areas, awesome artsy decorations, good coffee and standard coffeeshop drinks, and all around, a good vibe.
Review Source:I wish there was a 6th star to give to this place - because it is really in another league as far as coffee shops go in San Marcos.
The coffee is always delicious. Always. Morning noon or night they are consistenly amazing. Chris and Hayley have it on lockdown in the morning - even if theres a line theyl'll treat everyone quickly and with a smile.
If you can, come in during David's shift. That guy can make a mean cappuccino - and drops latte art like a laser printer. Jeff gives him a run for his money on the lemonade though.
The food is great as well, but the Chicken Corn Chowder and Coffee Cake stand head and shoulders above the rest. I'll get double of the chowder when it's available. Julie, the owner, keeps a great stock of tasty snacks and a impressive inventory of beer and wine.
The music is always enjoyable, and if it gets too noisy it's comfortably quiet in the jazz room. Shoutout to Mich, Chris, and Dana for the best tunes.
Outside seating is always clean. Dog owners pick up always and there's never a dirty table.
If there's any last thing to say about this place it's this - I know every barista's name because they make an effort to get to know you. WTD is more than a coffee shop, it's a San Marcos institution.
Keep up the good work y'all.
I have passed this spot numerous times on my daily commute. Finally today I decided to give it a shot. I went inside and immediately felt unwelcomed. I didn't know where to place an order and when I asked someone he rudely said, "hey give me like 4-5 minutes, I'm busy. Put your stuff down and take a seat and I'll be over there in a bit". I did and patiently waited ....for 30 minutes!!! Never got my order. At least i saved money and got free wifi in return of the poor customer service. It's a really awesome looking place but customer service is definitely not a priority to them therefore I will not be going back at all!!!!
Review Source:When I say I love local coffee shops, THIS is what I am talking about. Sadly when I'm in another city traveling and find their local joints they never stack up to Wake the Dead. I've always had amazing service from this place. All the baristas are friendly, chatty (when you want them to be) and quirky in their own way. When I'm looking for a place to get some work done that I can't do at the house this is where I come. They have lots of seating and hangout space. Best part is that courtyard! What a fabulous space to spend and afternoon when it's nice outside. I've been going to Wake the Dead since it opened and will miss it greatly when I leave San Marcos.
Review Source:I love this place.
I used to live in San Marcos and was a frequent day time visitor. I still go despite the fact I'm just a Texas State commuter now, but sadly less often.
Some of the employees take the time to do the cute fern leaf latte thing- you can tell my technical knowledge of coffee from how I described that- but its nice that they care enough to do it, most places don't.
Also, they have events often, from open mic nights to art shows to charity events. Its a San Marcos culture hub, and there aren't many of those around.
I recommend this place for everything from studying to socializing. They have an indoor and outdoor area, and are great morning or night.
While in San Marcos I stopped in for a bagel and cappuccino. The staff was friendly and personable while not feeling rushed. They were busy and working but you got the sense that much like San Marcos, a college town, everyone is just hanging out.
The coffee was good, the menu ample and my asiago bagel was toasted and tasty with some cream cheese. The place appeared to have semi-regular events, talks and culturally open. The decor was nice, not too gaudy and was spacious enough with plenty of different options for sitting and enjoying your cup while reading a book.
The weather was nice so I sat outside and was happy to see more artwork and nice shaded areas to hang outside in the nice weather. This made me like the place even more. Having space outside to enjoy TX weather when it is nice is grand.
I'll be happy to try out Tantra next time I'm in town and see what the difference is. I hear there's a rivalry going on...
I will never ever go there again. Â I've been pretty unbiased and have tried four different coffee shops three different times each. Â I wanted to find the right place for me, but this review is not about that.
Dear snobby man who was very "anal" about making my cappuccino,
 First of all, get a life.  Did you really think you were impressing all the 18 year old girls behind me?  You talked on and on about how you were a barista in Italy and making a cappuccino to go is just unacceptable.
 Well honey, get a f*****g grip.  I have never, in my ENTIRE LIFE, wanted to punch somebody in the face SO BAD.  In public, for that matter.  Dude, all I wanted was a good drink and you were so up your on a** you couldn't do that for me.  You made me a latte that was probably the shittiest latte Ive ever had.. and you're so smooth you spilled it all over the counter.
Good job.
PS, I also bought a burrito and I was so pissed off I didnt eat that burrito.
PSPS If you are the manager and you read this, don't bother calling me personally and apologizing or sending me an email because Tantra now has one extra daily customer that you just lost.
Suck it.
I didn't go to tx st but if I had, I probably would have made this my study spot. I've never had his famous creations, but there is a barista here that makes those FAHNCY crafty drinks.
Cute little space for art students to display their work. They have some cool serigraphs on display right now. Good stuff.
If you like catching a drink that's not on the square, come here yo!
*Shout-out to David. :)
WTD took some time to grow on me. Maybe I'm the only one who didn't like "A Nightmare Before Christmas," but the Tim Burton-esque design--red & black striped exterior, giving the place a funky-gothy look--didn't sell me. I was wrong to judge.
WTD is clean, almost classy inside. The cafe is an entire house converted into a cafe space. This means it has several rooms for you to find your element in and get your chill or study on. Some rooms are busier, some for groups, others better for studiers that need a quiet space for working. With so much room, however, studying here on slow nights can become a little claustrophobic (you did go out to a cafe to work to be out, right?).
The baristas are always friendly and WTD's coffee tastes like coffee (bold & flavorful) and not like coffee flavoring, which is more than can be said for most cafes in town. Their assortment of tasty pastries are also worth the 2-3 bucks.
They also have the cheapest regular coffee I've seen yet at a cafe.
This place serves the fondest memories for me in San Marcos just because everything in that atmosphere was the best.
For the past three years my then future roommate and I have chosen this shop to be the best spot to lounge while enjoying a drink or amazinggggg cookie while discussing our college days in town :]
The baristas are always awesome and their white chocolate hot chocolate is the greatest thing to touch your tongue in the winter. If texas weren't so hot I'd order it in the summer but I love having a simple root beer float from these guys and sitting out on the patio and enjoying some of the tunes in the background.
Excellent place for anyone in San Marcos to visit and enjoy for a bit.
Love this place! They always have cool events going on- sometimes live music, discussions, movies, story time! (How cool is that?!) They have a great selection of coffees, baked goods and beers. Â The outdoor patio is nice for groups and get togethers. Â I'm part of a group that meets here and they were even nice enough to let us reserve a spot for our bi-weekly meetings. Â Very relaxed "chill" environment, and the people are friendly. Â I love the art always displayed around the place.
The only downside is sometimes it's not well lit at night (no lit up sign or anything) so it's easy to miss. Just remember it's right next to the Valero and you're good to go though.
Wake the Dead seems to be the anti-Tantra. This can be a good, bad or neutral thing depending on your scene. That being said, I love Wake the Dead. The building is great. Cool Tim Burton style color scheme, with lots of bright, yet brooding colors. Really nice interior for relaxing with a coffee or beer, and a great fenced outdoor patio area for socializing or playing ping pong.
I'm not a coffee person, but they do have a good beer selection. Lots of microbrews, as well as imports and some rare and seasonal beers (all in bottles). Prices are moderate. I can't comment on the food, as I haven't eaten here yet. Not sure what the vegan options are - I know the bagels are from Einstein Bros.
In reference to the anti-Tantra thing - there seem to be far less tie-dye hippies that frequent this place. Not a jab at tie-dye hippies or Tantra, but just a comment on the scene and what you can expect. I like both places.
And they recycle! Nice!
This place has great coffee and yummy baked goods! Â It manages to be an all around great place for a variety of people......
1) Great place to see a show and have a beer (wide variety of beers, although they are changing their lineup so hopefully it will be even better)
2) Â Outdoor patio is awesome.... I love the artwork - the dude coming up out of the "grave" with a coffee cup in his hand is very cool.
3) Â Kid and dog friendly - Friends brought their little ones, who seemed to have a great time and loved the cereal and root beer
4) Â Nice place to meet friends to discuss philosophy, politics, movies... whatever it is!
5) Â I even saw people there playing old school Scrabble (not Words With Friends).... good old fashioned scrabble. Â They even had a dictionary out!
I love this place. Â I would be there every day if I lived in San Marcos!
Cold-brewed toddy coffee, the best bagels I've found in town, friendly staff, a really nice owner, AND all the things I like about Spider House without the swarms of hipsters?! All that plus rotating art and a patio that allows leashed dogs has me hooked as a loyal new customer.
Wake The Dead has me getting up earlier in the morning to be able to come by before I start my commute into Austin. It's where I find myself coming to work on something when I need to get out of the house. It's a relaxed, clean place that attracts an interesting cross-section of people. I love it here.
From the outside, this place looks totally Beetlejuice. Pink and black stripes, you'd expect them to be playing death metal once you get inside (rather than the indy rock or whatever un-gothlike music they had on).
The coffee was excellent, the staff was extremely friendly, and it was a pleasant place to spend a few hours doing some work. If this place were in my hometown, you can bet I'd spend a whole lot of time there. Le sigh.
I feel like the strength of the delicious coffee here lends appropriately to the name of the shop. It could, by all accounts, Wake The Dead, with it's caffeinated goodness, even if "dead" only means a hungover coed recovering from a wild night, not that I have any experience with this, I assure you...
The decor and atmosphere are fun, quirky, interesting. What I found particularly great was the fact that this spot is divided into three rooms. As the sweet and helpful barista explained, the back room is where you go to find quiet, the middle room is where might catch a local musician on a weekend night, and the front room is perfect for study groups.
The drink menu is huge and spans the spectrum of caffeine, alcohol and the fluffy stuff in between, like smoothies and Italian sodas. MY iced coffee was freshly made, very flavorful and strong. Really strong. But for me, the stronger the better! If I ever find myself back in San Marcos and in need of a java jolt, this is my spot!
A gothy coffee joint? Why the hell not! A number of folk from all points dropped in here recently for a little bidness chat, and one of the things that struck me immediately about WTD was it's meandering arrangement, chiefly, the separate rooms you can bury yourself in to study or work or talk shop.
By virtue of the wooden floors and quiet spaces, voices carry here, and occasionally the distance between patrons isn't enough to manufacture an acceptable solitude. That said, the staff's cool bordering on cheery and were super helpful in sharing some of what this shop's all about. And they make a mean mashup Italian soda to boot - try the vanilla/hazelnut concoction.
"Wake the Dead!" declares Uncle Fester with eye rolling delight and a little bit of phlegm. The shivery delight of the Addams family translates well to this fantastic coffee shop in San Marcos that's a blend of big colors, clean lines and little Nightmare before Christmas light strands.
The true measure of a place for me is "Would I go to this place regardless of the city it's in?" Depends on what you're looking for. If you're looking for mouldy couches, BO and an entitled staff, then no. If you prefer great coffee, super cool decor, excellent staff and enough open space for single working or collaborative learning, then this is your spot. Looks like they've got live music each night on their little stage and a decent selection of beer too. Bonus!
So if you're ever in San Marcos and looking for a shot of caffeine or a beer to "wake the dead" brain cells, drop in this adorable shop, grab a carta blanca table and just try to get ""They're creepy and they're kooky, Mysterious and spooky" out of your head.
Stopped by to chill and unwind with a couple of friends and though it was a bit late in the evening for caffine, I really enjoyed the Pineapple smoothie and the atmostphere.
They have a large case of baked goods and bagels if you have the munchies. Â Art work is displayed on the walls throughout and there is plenty of room for a group so sit and chat. Â Before we left, loud live music was blaring from the patio area out back. Â Definately sounded like a party going on!
I'll be back on my next visit to try it out early in the day for some coffee and breakfast tacos.
I use Wake The Dead as my office, my writer's retreat and my "oh dear God what did I DO to myself last night" recovery room. Everyone on staff is amazing, knowledgeable and friendly. All the drinks are good -- the coffee drinks, the espresso drinks, the Italian sodas, the teas ... everything. If you get there early enough to pick up a breakfast taco delivered from Nopalito's, they're the bomb. And so is their bagel sandwich with the whole shmear -- smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, tomato and onion. I get one every Sunday. It helps to keep me sane.
Review Source:Wake the dead is seriously a home away from home. They have great coffee, great simple food, delicious baked goods and Einstein bros. bagels. It's owned and operated by the wonderful Julie Balkman and she and the staff are amazing and greet everyone who come in. I know for a fact that everyone is incredibly happy to work there there and happy to see you, unlike other coffee places.
The only downside is that sometimes it does get very packed, but! there is a new room open for that extra space needed.
I was here the other day with a friend and got two malts that ended up costing over $10. That's steep for a lonely coffee house. I love the way it's built in a house with a nice patio in the back, but sometimes it can feel too quiet there. In general it's a nice place and I love the art on the walls. But for now I'll only use it as a super special treat.
Review Source:I am very torn on this review.
PROS: Toddy and drip coffee, awesome loose teas as well. Yummy snacks, and cool atmosphere.
CONS: Smokey and cold when the leave the door open which is often. LACKING hugely in seating, and the baristas always burned my espresso so I just stopped ordering anything with it in there.
...and the biggest one for me is the owner. I had frequented this place once a week at least to study and I called in to ask for a table for a study group in a few hours and she jumped down my throat asking who I was to think I could get a table so fast. I was so so offended, and  sad because the other baristas have been so nice. Even ordering from said owner is an ordeal. She was just very condescending and rude, like I was bothering her.
I stopped in for a quick cup, and was pleasantly surprised by the knowledgeable and friendly barista behind the counter. Typically when i ask for ingredient or source information, I get a dumb walmart stare back from the other side of the counter. But, this lady was very helpful and took pride in the quality of there sources. Anytime I'm back in San Marcos I will be stopping by for a tasty snack.
Review Source:It is always such a pleasure to stop by Wake the Dead. Â The coffee is awesome. Â I recommend the Jumping Mouse blend. Â Their baristas are friendly, talented (e.g. images on the foam of lattes), and clearly happy being at their job. Â Although I never stay long enough to study or read the newspaper, the brief moment that I am there makes it a great way to start the day.
If you go during lunch, they have some pretty good sandwiches, baked goods, and a hibiscus mint tea to freshen you up on a warm Texas day. Â The establishment also offers a wide variety of beers and some wine. Â It is definitely worth driving the few extra minutes outside of the center of San Marcos. Â Check it out!
Drinking coffee and tea at Wake the Dead got me through grad school in one piece! Free wi-fi and a beautiful outdoor patio for warm days.
Such a diverse calendar of weekly events: family friendly music, movie nights, and little farmers markets/art shows. There is a constant rotation of new art on display thoughout the coffee house.
I love to meet friends here or just sit by myself and enjoy a drink.
Cool place. Â Good coffee. Very clean. Â I mean it looks clean even when it isn't. Â Actually it is probably the most comfortable coffee 'space' in town, but it is in a crappy location and easy to miss from the street. Â The beautiful patio is huge, which is nice, but the tables/seating are so spread out that it is a little awkward striking up a conversation when you are 10 yards away from the nearest table.
Review Source:This place is awesome. Â I'm a grad student and I love to come here to work. Â During the day, it is usually nearly empty and there's just the right amount of noise of hustle and bustle. Â In the evenings, it's a bit more crowded with undergrads and a bit louder and on certain nights they have cool activities like movie watching. Â So far I've had good coffee and food experiences. Â Their baked good are really good and fresh and their sandwiches are awesome and pretty cheap. Â I also really like the Burton-esque decor and local art exhibition. Â Cool place, great to study, especially during the day!
Review Source:Possibly the world's ugliest coffee house from the outside, but I love it! Good coffee, tea, beer selections, and they seem set up for more interesting stuff to come. There's movie projection equipment in the back room, and what I understand will be a music room in the front. (This will be particularly nice, as the loud piped-in music makes it tough to bring a guitar and have any fun with it there currently.)
Review Source:
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