San Antonio Restaurants - Best Place to Eat? (Magnolia, Spur: live, bars)

[badalchemist]

If you need some help finding restaurants, there may be better places to look

[JuanValdez]

Originally Posted by tortuga29

I'd stay away from Fujiya though. Sushi is horrible and all other food is so-so.

Fujiya's pretty good if you avoid it on a Monday or Tuesday. Same advice goes for any place serving seafood. I'll admit I've had a couple of not so great experiences there, though.

[tortuga29]

Originally Posted by amexicano

I would suggest Sushihana for sushi. Nicer setting that either Goro or Godai and to my taste better. It's located in Castle Hills, on NW Military, south of West.

Originally Posted by JuanValdez

Fujiya's pretty good if you avoid it on a Monday or Tuesday. Same advice goes for any place serving seafood. I'll admit I've had a couple of not so great experiences there, though.

For me, in my travels to Japan, people have always said if you sit at the sushi bar in the restaurant and is SMELLS like fish, run the opposite way. Both these places I have gone against that little "wifes tale" and both times I was let down, with both these places being the venues.

[tortuga29]

Originally Posted by Chaka

Normally I'd agree with this, but in San Antonio, if they're staying on the Riverwalk, the places the staff will recommend are all the same boring riverwalk places, many of which are chains. I sometimes wonder if they get kickbacks for the recommendations because they're all the same. But really I think it's just because they don't know - the staff aren't interested and rarely venture beyond the hotel they work in.

You'd be surprised and it's closed minded to think the staff don't venture beyond their "bubble" of work. Before I moved back home, I would travel into town and my company would put us up in a hotel along the Riverwalk. I used that same technique here as I would anywhere else. 9 times out of 10, I got a non-chain restaurant, a restaurant I normally wouldn't have read in a San Antonio brochure, and not their own restaurant. It doesn't hurt to try and ask. People would be surprised. I never know why more people don't. If they don't, then they'll end up at the same boring chain restaurant in San Antonio.

[jwebtx]

Originally Posted by theeddie

not when you order one dish and and you get another dish 20 min later.
also when you are taking individual orders from a table people expect the food to all come out at same time

no, you really don't. it is tapas style and dishes come out when they are ready.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by tortuga29

You'd be surprised and it's closed minded to think the staff don't venture beyond their "bubble" of work. Before I moved back home, I would travel into town and my company would put us up in a hotel along the Riverwalk. I used that same technique here as I would anywhere else. 9 times out of 10, I got a non-chain restaurant, a restaurant I normally wouldn't have read in a San Antonio brochure, and not their own restaurant. It doesn't hurt to try and ask. People would be surprised. I never know why more people don't. If they don't, then they'll end up at the same boring chain restaurant in San Antonio.

Fair enough. Seems every time I meet a friend who's staying in a downtown hotel for dinner, their concierge has suggested the same place (usually Boudros, which, while not a chain, I find to be uninspiring and overpriced). And just based on this and other forums, the number of people who say they work downtown but claim downtown is "boring" doesn't have good restaurants or they only know the same few standard places, I don't have high hopes.

But I am happy to know this experience is the exception.

[amexicano]

Originally Posted by tortuga29

For me, in my travels to Japan, people have always said if you sit at the sushi bar in the restaurant and is SMELLS like fish, run the opposite way. Both these places I have gone against that little "wifes tale" and both times I was let down, with both these places being the venues.

Too bad your experience has been bad. I always order the sashimi sampler, which to me it's the best way to know how fresh things are and always had good experience. How long ago did you go? I wonder if they changed chef or vendor

[jwebtx]

Originally Posted by theeddie

ok and ill remind them to refill my drink put toilet paper in the bath room etc etc

if you are going outside the norm then you need to tell people. I wont be back so its a mute point. plus no parking and the neighborhood is kind of ghetto

The neighborhood is not remotely ghetto. They are a gastro pub and their service is not remotely "outside the norm" for similar places. Your loss. Their food has been incredible lately.

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by tortuga29

For me, in my travels to Japan, people have always said if you sit at the sushi bar in the restaurant and is SMELLS like fish, run the opposite way. Both these places I have gone against that little "wifes tale" and both times I was let down, with both these places being the venues.

I guess you haven't been to Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo yet. Some of the freshest seafood I have never seen when I toured the place last time I was in Japan. Some of the fish was still moving in the crates. Despite how fresh the fish was, it smelled really bad in there. I almost had to hold my nose the entire time.

If you go (which I highly reccomend for the views, not to eat) you may have to sneak in like I did. They don't seem to like foreigners going in there for some reason.

I am going back to Japan in April but I will be in Nagoya this time. Hopefully I can find me some good sushi there as I did in Tokyo.

[CLR210]

Originally Posted by Vshibley

My boyfriend and I are graduate students going to San Antonio for spring break and we're sort of newbies to the area.
We'll be staying the San Antonio from March 10th-14th March near the Alamo/Riverwalk area.

Here are a few places I have on my list from asking friends about their experiences:

Chris Madrid's
Mi Tierra
Coco Chocolate Lounge
Chart House Restaurant
La Fogata
Big Lou's
LuLu's
Rita's on the River
Fujiya Japanese Garden
The Salt Lick BBQ (driving on the way up there)
One of the 4 BBQ restaurants in Lockhart


So I figured I would ask some experienced locals about these restaurants and the quality of food.

Also, if there any places that I am missing that are really good? I don't mind the touristy areas but I'm also really looking for some low key San Antonio gems

Like I said I'm sort of a newbie to the area. We're open to traveling for really good Mexican and BBQ. Also, we're looking for these really good margarita's I keep hearing about

Thanks for your time

As you can tell, there are TONS of varying opinions regarding the restaurant choices in San Antonio. We are a passionate bunch when it comes to our food. I like Chris Madrids, Mi Tierra's and LaFagota but that's just me. Another place I take visitors is Rudy's BBQ because no where else can you fill up your car with gas AND have excellent BBQ at the same place. It's very casual as you can imagine but the food is always good and the beer is ice cold. My mother in law from New England loved it. Be sure to get their creamed corn, it is delish. You could also look at the restaurants on Urbanspoon.com. I've come to agree with all of the ratings so far on that site and it's taken me to some REALLY good hole in the walls that I would not have other wise known about or tried. Hope you guys have a great time during your visit and welcome to San Antonio.