The Original Mexican Restaurant

Reviews

• ★★★★☆ Charro Beans Cheese Echilada Spanish Rice Crispy Taco Pork Tamales Visited Mar 25, 2017

  24 Hour Mexican Food On The Riverwalk

  This was my first time eating here, and despite having lived in San Antonio my entire life. I had no idea we had a 24 hour Mexican restaurant on the Riverwalk.
  
  Since it was my first visit, I ordered the San Antonio Plate, which is a good way to sample several different items. The plate came with a chicken verde enchilada, a cheese enchilada, rice, charro beans, a crispy taco, a tamale, calabacitas, and a small salad. Complimentary chips and salsa were brought out right away, along with fresh flour tortillas made in-house.
  
  I've tried several of the more tourist-oriented Mexican restaurants around San Antonio and have often been disappointed, but this place was actually pretty decent.
  
  There were several things they did well. The service was good, drinks were refilled promptly, and the chips and salsa were on the table almost immediately. We were also greeted as soon as we walked onto the patio from the River Walk. The menu prices were reasonable, with tacos generally in the $2–$3 range and plates around $8–$14. Having a full menu, a decent bar selection, and being open 24 hours also gives the restaurant an advantage, especially for anyone looking for Mexican food downtown late at night.
  
  The charro beans were probably the best thing I had. They were full of flavor and tasted authentic, with just the right amount of bacon and cilantro. The enchiladas were decent as well. They weren't anything extraordinary, but they were better than what I've had at quite a few other restaurants. The crispy taco was good, and the rice had an authentic flavor, although it was a little dry.
  
  The biggest disappointment was the tamale. It was extremely dry and almost flavorless, and tasted like it had been frozen rather than freshly made recently. The San Antonio Plate also has so many different items packed together that everything started running into everything else. The foods were piled closely together, causing the flavors and sauces to mix and making it difficult to enjoy some of the individual items on their own. In this case, I think there were simply too many different foods on one plate. Green verde sauce mixing with the red enchilada sauce, and rice sitting on top of enchilada sauce.
  
  When it comes to authentic Mexican food in downtown San Antonio, I'd put this restaurant right behind Mexican Manhattan. It may not be perfect, and there are definitely a few items that could be improved, but overall I was happy with the meal.
  
  The biggest advantage is that it's open 24 hours. If I'm downtown late at night and looking for Mexican food, this would probably be my go-to. It's also a restaurant I wouldn't hesitate to bring a visitor to, particularly if they want to experience Mexican food along the Riverwalk.

  — Paul