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The best part about San Antonio’s restaurants is that many of them feature full bars with extensive wine lists and great draught beers. The Iceman’s Pub, besides being in an excellent location across from SBC Center, serves up tasty American bar favorites and cold brews. This restaurant bar is a popular stop before and after Spurs games. Though they might not have the classiest fare, San Antonio’s dive bars often feature small menus perfect for eating and drinking on a tight budget. It’s nearly impossible to find a dive without at least some cheap tacos on hand. Charlie Brown’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill features American bar food and plenty of TVs to catch any game that might be playing. La Tuna combines delicious food with cheap beer for a winning combination. So many options in San Antonio make it very difficult to go hungry, or thirsty, while out on the town.
Atomar Bar & Lounge
146 E. Houston St., San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.222.2362
Bright and metallic greens, blues and yellows modernize the décor and make Atomar one of the more colorful places to eat and drink at on the San Antonio River Walk. A long curving bar in stainless steel, lounge chairs and post-modern art draw a down-to-earth yet trendy crowd that lives off overly colorful cocktails. Up the stairs Acenar restaurant serves up gourmet Tex-Mex—like the Bistec Avenar, a steak topped with sweetbread salsa ranchero with rice and beans—to demolish any hunger. After dinner, stick around the Atomar lounge to digest and ingest a few more drinks.
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Banana's Billiard Bar & Grill
2003 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.226.2627
There's no monkey stuff about Banana's Billiard Bar and Grill. On the corner a few blocks from San Antonio College, the pool hall has several pool tables that have Wednesday and Saturday night 9-ball tournaments. Four coin-operated tables provide plenty of opportunities to get a game in at Banana's Billiard Bar & Grill and, believe it or not, ladies always play free at this San Antonio college hotspot. If a few games work up an appetite, Banana's luckily has a grill to serve up American fare including an excellent burger. Banana's, burgers, beer and billiards may seem like an unlikely combination, but they actually go better—along with a healthy dose of San Antonio hospitality—at this local bar and pool hall.
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Blue Star Brewing Company
1414 S. Alamo St., San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.212.5506
The Blue Star Arts Complex on the border of the San Antonio River is a group of historical warehouse buildings that have been turned into retail space, apartments and of course, the Blue Star Brewery. With a wide selection of beers brewed on site, the Blue Star Brewing Company is San Antonio's premier brewpub and draws a mixed crowd of artists, businesspeople and local San Antonio college students. The Blue Star Brewing Company also offers a full restaurant menu, which is perfect for those who head straight to the pub after work and also need a bite to eat. The second floor balcony has a view of the San Antonio River and allows drinkers and diners at the brewery to get a breath of fresh air.
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Casbeers
1719 Blanco Rd., San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.732.3511
In 1932 Newt Casbeer built Casbeers and the surrounding strip center in San Antonio. Casbeers was only a full service bar until the early '60s when Newt Casbeer's daughter started serving up enchiladas that have become, what some would call, the best in San Antonio. It was then that Casbeers became a bar and restaurant offering a full menu of hamburgers, steaks, sandwiches and of course enchiladas. Several nights a week the San Antonio bar and restaurant also plays host to regional live music from local singer and songwriter musicians. Casbeers is a San Antonio local bar staple that can't be missed.
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Champps Americana
11075 Interstate Hwy. 10 W., San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.561.2833
The full bar at Champps Americana sports bar has several flat screen TVs for a great view of the game. The San Antonio location also offers a full menu for their restaurant that has burgers, pastas, steaks, seasonal specialties and other special entrees. Happy hour at Champps Americana sports bar is a great time to visit for Texas sports games and customers who stay longer will be able to enjoy the nightlife when a DJ comes to spin music. Saturday games often draw a college crowd into the wood paneled bar area of this local San Antonio bar but, be assured because there's also a fine wine selection at Champps Americana to enjoy at the bar or with one of their entrées.
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Charlie Brown's Neighborhood Bar & Grill
11888 Starcrest Dr., San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.496.7092
On the backside of the San Antonio International Airport, Charlie Brown's Neighborhood Bar and Grill serves up cold beer, sports, all-American bar food and appetizers. The sports bar can be a little dark in the evenings, but it's really great for the sports game-watching environment it creates. The menu at Charlie Brown's bar has everything from burgers and sandwiches to sirloin and chicken fried steaks if beer and cocktails aren't filling the hunger. In addition to sports, drinking and food, some of the customers frequent this San Antonio local sports bar to get a game of pool in while enjoying their beverage of choice or a few songs of karaoke. When the night is slow the jukebox is a welcome filler to all of the bar's extracurricular activities.
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Chuy's 281
18008 US Hwy. 281 N., San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.545.0300
Winding metal palm trees in the dining room of Chuy's won't fool anyone into thinking they're in the tropics, but the Mexican cabana decor at this San Antonio bar and restaurant is a charming accompaniment for the Mexican martinis and Tex-Mex dishes. The San Antonio location of Chuy's has the signature Elvis shrines and colorful atmosphere of the other restaurants in the chain as well as the great drink specials. The down-home feeling of '50s restaurants is infused in the service and food at Chuy's. On the menu are salads, appetizers, fajitas, burritos, tacos and many other Tex-Mex favorites. Chuy's restaurant and bar will surely provide a unique experience and good times during a night out on the town in San Antonio.
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Dick's Last Resort
406 Navarro St., San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.224.0026
Usually tourists are looking for restaurants and bars with friendly service and a taste of the local culture. Others apparently want to be annoyed and insulted by the wait staff while on vacation. Dick's Last Resort has several locations nationwide—usually in tourist heavy areas like San Antonio—where entrees come with insults. Locals don't seem as easily entertained when they're able to go to the bar regularly, but the restaurant is still packed almost every night thanks to its River Walk location. Later at night, live music gets going and so do the staff of bullies at the San Antonio bar. Beware of taking thin-skinned people to Dick's, but for those with a good sense of humor it can be a blast.
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Fatso's Sports Garden
1704 Bandera Rd., San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.432.0121
The bar area of Fatso's Sports Garden is always filled with people sitting at picnic tables with their eyes directed at the many TV screens for any Texas games. Pool tables, trivia, karaoke and other entertainment besides watching sports on TV are offered at the San Antonio neighborhood bar for customers who aren't enjoying food and drinks. Outside, sand volleyball leagues run from March to December with Monday night open play at Fatso's Sports Garden. Lunch and dinner are popular with the locals because Fatso's offers some of the best BBQ in the San Antonio area. Come play on one of the six sand volleyball courts then retire to the bar for BBQ and beer at Fatso's Sports Garden.
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Floore Country Store
14464 Old Bandera Rd., Helotes, Texas; Tel. 210.695.8827
Opening in 1946, the Floore Country Store has had some of the greatest names in country and folk history play the venue like Elvis, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, BB King and many other notable artists. Outside of San Antonio, the Texas Historical Commission has recognized Floore Country Store and the building that houses it important to Texas history. Now the Country store has a full bar and café serving up excellent barbeque almost every night with live country, folk and rock shows go on almost every night usually for free or for a small cover at the door. The San Antonio outdoor amphitheatre is a great place to catch a live music show, soak up the Texas night air and enjoy a cold beer. The Floore Country Store is a true taste of classic Texas history.
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Hooligan's Bar & Grill
13920 I-35 North, Live Oak, Texas; Tel. 210.654.4444
Right outside of San Antonio, Hooligan's Bar and Grill offers a friendly environment to watch a game or partake in one. The sports bar offers poker nights, pool and darts to give customers a break while watching a Texas sports game. Local San Antonio live bands perform throughout the month when they won't interrupting a game on TV and draw as much of a crowd as the game would. Daily drink specials at Hooligan's Bar & Grill go from happy hour into the late night, so there's a way to save money all night long. The best part about Hooligan's Bar and Grill is the food they serve up fresh from the grill. Barbeque chicken, enchiladas, burgers and wings are served throughout the day and when the grill closes down at this San Antonio local bar and restaurant there is a menu of "Late Night Nibbles" to satisfy hunger. Looks like this sports bar has all the bases covered.
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The Iceman's Pub
202 SBC Center Pkwy., San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.270.9587
Directly across from the SBC Center at the Willow Springs Golf Course, NBA Hall of Famer George Gervin has spruced up the clubhouse and made it a cool San Antonio sports bar. Now Spurs fans can eat and drink before, during and after the game right across from where their perennial NBA playoff powerhouses are making a run at another basketball title, or on away games to cheer on the home team. The Iceman's Pub bar and restaurant serves up American bar fare like burgers and hotdogs to golfers and San Antonio sports fans with a huge outside patio offering more seating on those warm San Antonio nights. Iceman's Pub is a prime location for a nice lunch or dinner alongside a cold beer whether catching the Spur's game at the SBC Center or playing some golf at Willow Springs.
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La Tuna
100 Probandt, San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.224.8862
Southtown has become known for its artsy culture and the Blue Star Arts Complex, not to mention the great food and cheap beer. At La Tuna, good food and culture, plus a prime location across from the Blue Star Brewing Company, all play a part in this San Antonio bar's success. The bar and restaurant gets especially crowded on San Antonio's monthly art event, First Friday. La Tuna has daily drink specials as well as unique and tasty food like lamb sandwiches and burgers to satisfy all ages. Picnic tables under trees and live music attract beer drinkers and artists in San Antonio—sometimes that means the same group—to La Tuna's fantastic atmosphere.
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Legends Sports Bar & Billiards
1305 SW Loop 410, Ste. 208, San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.674.0627
Sports fans that don't want to deal with the sometimes-obnoxious drunk fans that can flock to the River Walk go to Legends Sports Bar and Billiards in San Antonio. Customers at Legends can still catch a San Antonio Spurs game and all the excitement, but they get lower prices and better service. A menu with classic American bar fare and south-of-the-border influences keeps customers full while they sip cold beer and watch the game at the bar. Video games, darts, a card area and obviously pool tables are always available for idle sports fans. Karaoke and live music are also offered during the week from San Antonio locals, so there's always plenty to do and see at Legends.
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Lion & Rose Pub
5148 Broadway, San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.822.7673
As the San Antonio original in the Lion and Rose Pub chain, the Alamo Heights location still has the magic touch when it comes to serving customers cold beer and classic British food. Plasma TVs line the bar and show American and European sports plus there's free WiFi for those that have a laptop. Because a great pub needs good food too, there is a full menu of British food at the Lion & Rose Pub and a few San Antonio favorites also. The shepherd's pie, English pub crock and Piccadilly pasties are all worth trying with a fine imported beer. Nowhere else in San Antonio—except maybe their other locations—can sports fans feel like they're watching a game in England.
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Menger Bar
204 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.223.4361
In downtown San Antonio, the historic Menger Hotel has an equally historic bar where none other than Teddy Roosevelt spent time recruiting men for his Rough Riders. The Menger Bar is a replica of the House of Lords Pub in London and was built in San Antonio in 1887. Dark cherrywood paneling and beveled glass cabinets radiate a classiness that attracts locals to the bar for a cocktail after tourists disperse. A second floor loft offers more light and an intimate atmosphere to enjoy the stiff drinks from downstairs. Menger Bar offers a full menu of pub food like sandwiches and appetizers that are delicious, especially when paired with a beer form their extensive selection.
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Republic of Texas Restaurant
526 River Walk St., San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.226.6256
By day the Republic of Texas Restaurant serves up "Tex-Mex-Southwestern" right on the San Antonio River Walk. By night the restaurant shifts to a nightclub with a wood dance floor and DJ playing all types of music that makes people want to dance. A full service bar has friendly bartenders and offers drink specials throughout the week. On Thursday and Sunday nights, the Republic of Texas Restaurant has some of the liveliest karaoke on the River Walk. The 30 and over crowd converges from all over San Antonio and know how to party hardy at the bar.
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Sam's Burger Joint
330 E. Grayson St., San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.2230
Every night of the week Sam's Burger Joint has something going on whether it's a local San Antonio band or a DJ to get the place pumped up. As one of the greatest live music venues in South Texas, Sam's is also home of some of the best burgers in the area. Every Monday night the bar and restaurant hosts the Swing Factory with free lessons and a live swing band playing for classy broads and their partners. Tuesday nights have San Antonio's edgiest poetry reading, Puro Slam and on Thursday nights the San Antonio Blues Society presents S.A. Blue Cats Jam for a fabulous jazz jam session. Sam's Burger Joint has a great menu with burgers, sandwiches, appetizers and other stuff—like Frito pie!—and even a few salads, but how dare anyone go to a burger place for a salad? Sam's Burger Joint in San Antonio is a place to go for a big sloppy burger that can be danced off afterwards.
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Steers & Beers
849 E. Commerce, #101, San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.223.9687
The river-level dining room at Steers and Beers serves up American Texas cuisine on "cow hide" tablecloths while upstairs the San Antonio crowd gets to boogieing down. The full upstairs bar at Steers & Beers compliments karaoke and dancing that will make anyone forget they're in modern day San Antonio and send them back to the old west. Everything on the menu is paired with a wine selection—the Lone Star Nachos go with a Beringer White Zinfandel—that gives the restaurant unexpected classiness. The farmhouse and old west Texas décor make Steers and Beers a great San Antonio restaurant, bar and dance hall that anyone in the whole family can enjoy.
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Stone Werks Café & Bar
7300 Jones Maltsberger Rd., San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.828.3508
The patio at the Stone Werks Café and Bar is really the reason to go to the San Antonio restaurant and bar. A full bar inside and another outside make sure that everyone is well lubricated for their meals. Typical American fare like pizza, burgers and sandwiches are on the menu along with a few Mexican dishes. Thursday through Saturday evenings in warm weather there are local San Antonio bands playing on the patio, another good reason there's an outside bar. It's San Antonio and there's good seating, so the Stone Werks can get very crowded when it's peak lunch and dinner times. Head over to this local bar for one of the many beers, wine, bands and full menu of American cuisine classics.
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Waxy O'Connor's Irish Pub & Eatery
234 Riverwalk St., San Antonio, Texas; Tel. 210.229.9299
Patio seating, wandering bagpipe players and even European football—that's soccer to Americans—bring a little bit of Ireland to the San Antonio River Walk for the yanks to enjoy. Live Irish music during the week accompanies pints of Guinness and Irish entrees like shepherd's pie and corned beef and cabbage. The bar at Waxy O'Connor's Irish Pub and Eatery was handcrafted in Dublin and is the focal point of the San Antonio pub. The River Walk crowd packs the pub on weekends and all throughout the summer, but locals often find the time to stop in for the friendly service and an imported pint of beer.
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—San Antonio bar and club reviews by Alanna Lee |
