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    Acenar Mexican Restaurant

    3.7 (1.7k reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Bars, Tex-Mex
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

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    ACENAR MEXICAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Acenar Mexican Restaurant

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    Mousse de Chocolate Mexicano   Chocolate Mousse
    Mariana M.

    We were quickly greeted upon entry around 12 PM on a Thursday. Our server approached us and brought us waters. Our server took a little while to come back to take our order because she had a large party that she was working with. I didn't mind the long way because I was in company with my coworkers, but I was starving. We tried the Chicken Tinga Empanadas. They were sooo good but I totally forgot to snap a picture. My coworkers ordered enchiladas, they stated that they tasted great. I had the grilled shrimp tacos, they were immaculate! Now I'm not sure if it was because I was hungry or if they were truly good. But I will definitely come back to try more items on the menu and for happy hour! The interior of the restaurant was very nice and looked a little upscale. This restaurant was right on the Riverwalk, outdoor seating, but we chose to sit inside due to the humidity. The only thing with restaurants in downtown, you have to find a parking garage and pay for parking. But I found out that Thursdays after 5 PM is free parking in city owned garages... but I went for lunch time and paid $10 for parking... I wish this place did parking validation..

    Alambres
    Becca S.

    My friend and I came in to grab a little something and see the end of a football game. We sat at a table in the bar area, and the bartender was busy, but quick to get to us. They do a late night happy hour starting at nine so we got snacks and drinks. I ordered the alambres and a glass of wine, she got the bean and cheese nachos and a cucumber jalapeno margarita. The alambres were freaking awesome. Tender beef kebabs on this fresh, spicy slaw. It exceeded expectations. Her nachos were ok, they don't come with salsa, just jalapenos. Also they charge for chips and salsa, I believe $5, if that is a deal breaker for you. Her margarita was reported as excellent and she was still talking about it the next day. We were staying nearby and our stop ended up being an excellent decision. I will be back in San Antonio in a week or so and plan to come back to try one of their meals.

    Chalk
    Danielle M.

    I enjoyed my experience here during my weekend in San Antonio! I was craving chalupas and they did not disappoint here. They were loaded with all the works. I also ordered the watermelon mojito and the prickly pear margarita. The watermelon mojito was more candy flavored but the prickly pear margarita was perfect! It was so good that I came back two days later with my friends and to our surprise it was happy hour! This time I tried out the cucumber jalapeño marg and it was perfect for a spicy cocktail lover like myself. Would definitely recommend! There was also outdoor seating with heat lamps and a view of the river!

    Beef fajitas
    Janie F.

    I was practically starving when we came across this restaurant, and it ended up being such a great find. We were seated in about 15 minutes, and the place had a really nice atmosphere. Once we ordered, I got the cheese enchiladas and queso, my mom got the beef fajitas, and Emery got the short rib tacos. We all really liked our food--the flavors were great, and the beans and rice were super good. My mom especially enjoyed the beef fajitas, and the spicy sauce on my enchiladas was amazing. The only thing I didn't love was that the enchiladas themselves were a bit too firm; I had to put a lot of pressure on my fork just to cut into them. Other than that, everything tasted great. It did take a little while for our food to come out, and our waiter disappeared here and there, but overall, it was still a really good experience. I'd definitely come back.

    My server was legitimately terrible. He was saved by a manager who suggested tortillas with the conchinita pibil. Why they're not served as part of the meal? Good corn tortillas, though. The pork wasn't very flavorful, and the beans and rice were bland. Kudos to the manager and runners. Ambiance? It's on the Riverwalk, a quiet part with some charm. The staff couldn't help seating one of the loudest women ever encountered.

    Queso de la Casa
    Chriss N.

    Wow! Was in San Antonio for business and was looking for a new place to try. After looking at Yelp and talking with local's Ácenar was our choice. My colleagues and I arrived around 5:45 on a Monday, we were greeted and seated immediately. The atmosphere was very welcoming and inviting. Once we were seated our server (Freddy) greeted us and ask if we had ever dined with them before. He made several recommendations from drinks, to appetizers and entrée. Needless to say he knocked it out of the park! Everything was delicious and the service was excellent. If you're in the area stop by, great TexMex!

    Street level entrance
    Mitzi M.

    If you have to eat on the River Walk, this is a good choice. It's visually interesting, it's not a chain, the food is good, and the service is efficient. I had the Entomatadas, which were kind of like a flauta but with sauce on top. These had chicken and sweet potatoes inside and they were delicious. I also had the cucumber jalapeño margarita and it was the best non-sweet margarita I've ever enjoyed. Even with a cocktail, my bill, pre-tip, was about $30. For a downtown place this nice, that's a good deal. My only complaint was the noise level, as it got rather crowded while we were there.

    Tom H.

    The food and service were great. Meal sizes were pretty good. The restaurant was located right off the River Walk.

    Menu
    Stephen W.

    We went here for dinner on a Tuesday night. It was close to the hotel and we did not feel like driving anywhere, so we walked a few minutes and found this place on the Riverwalk. Yelp reviews were good so we felt confident in our decision. The menu is pretty big but as Mexican food experts we knew what to focus on. We started with drinks and my Mexican martini was very good. The orice was reasonable, $13.50, so I had two. For food, I had the tres enchiladas with mole and verde sauce. The mole was excellent and the verde even better. Both had deep, developed flavor. The pulled chicken was good quality. I would get that dish again and would recommend. The wife had Chile relleno which is deep fried. It was good but not great. Our server was very attentive at the beginning but as the patio filled up he obviously had his attention divided. Overall, service was fine. The ambience on the patio is very nice, overlooking the river.

    Outdoor seating. The best at the river walk.
    Nokie H.

    Good location oversea the river. Love the outdoor seating. There are lots of birds singing. Would be perfect for dinner with friends. Service is great. Food came quickly. I would skip the ceviche. Shrimp taco was flavorful with very light shell.

    Stale chips and flavorless guac
    Tony C.

    Maybe the worst restaurant I have ever been to. Started with a mango margarita and table side guac. Marg just wasn't good, and the guac was flavorless, no other notes other than avocado. Chips brought were stale and had no salt. Put order for food in for a table of four, waited 30 min before waiter came back and asked about another drink. 20 more minutes pass and wrong drink was brought. Waiter than asked if we wanted food, realizing after our answer that we ordered an hour previous. Waiter never put it in! Staff and manager did nothing to remedy the situation and tried denying drink brought was right one. Saw manager arguing with other customers, food brought to other guests also seemed to take forever and portions were small. Avoid this place at all costs

    Suggested by hotel
    Greg H.

    This place was recommended by our hotel so we headed here, it was a nice day so we ate outside, there is signage not to feed the birds but they come anyway and find food. The area was large and even had an upstairs patio section outside. You enter at street level and that is the bar and waiting area, you walk downstairs to the host stand and they seat you. Our host was friendly and fast, also I wish I still had our waiter's name the guy was easily the best one we had the whole trip, friendly, took time to explain things, checked up on us without being overbearing and was fantastic. We ordered chips and salsa and he brought an extra bowl of Salsa to make sure we had enough! I got a fajita meal that I have never seen an option for before, it had two kinds of meat, chicken, sausage, and shrimp. It was a amazing mix and all of it was good, the chicken being the weakest which is a surprise as I usually prefer chicken in fajita's. The only weak part was it was one shrimp and one part/piece of Sausage so if you want to mix and match your meats that could work and I may if we return but if you wanted to try a shrimp fajita you were out of luck. A minor issue. The tortilla's (flour for me) were plentiful even for one and I was full after. Shana got crab tacos, she was branching out and trying something she had not before. She loved them and the sides were all pretty good. The rice may have been the weakest but still good. The drinks were solid and as the restaurant wasn't busy when we arrived we enjoyed a slow lunch and the view overlooked the Riverwalk. There really isn't much bad to say which I am happy to report. I do want to add we did return for dessert and a drink, my wife has Raynaud's which they of course don't know but we wanted to sit outside due to that as the inside was very cold which normally would be great but causes pain and flare ups. They said for dessert and drinks we had to sit at the bar and as we didn't want to cause a scene we just left and went somewhere less cold or that would let us sit outside. Again a minor issue but it did sour my thoughts on the place a bit. Still the food, service, drinks, and bird entertainment was otherwise all excellent.

    Easy to find street level entrance.
    Drew G.

    Acenar Mexican Restaurant - Love it; great Tex Mex food. The Crispy Carnitas were phenomianal. The menu has many great options. Food came out hot and quick. The Mixology behind the bar deserves calling out - best margaritas - very good time! We came back the next afternoon for a table of 10 and they quickly accomodated us. Everything was great!

    Delicious fresh gulf fish with cilantro rice!!

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    Bartenders were friendly, drinks okay, food okay. Fine for a quick meal but nothing really special.

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    Page 1 of 42

    Ask the Community - Acenar Mexican Restaurant

    Do they give complimentary chips and salsa?

    Yes

    Are there any vegan options?

    There are several Vegetarian options, like the Vegetarian Relleno, Vegetarian Enchiladas, & the Mushroom and Calabacita Tacos but most do have cheese.

    When is the happy hours?

    Happy Hour is available at the bar from Sunday through Thursday, 2 pm to 5:30 pm, and Friday through Saturday, 9 pm to 11 pm!

    Is it dog friendly?

    Didn't see any. They might on the outside Riverwalk section if it's not too busy. Would call tho.

    How do you feel about the grill shrimp tacos?

    They are excellent

    Have you tried it yet? You should?

    Acenar is a great place. Food is great and the service is amazing. I took a work group of 26 there and everything was exactly as expected and more. I would return there in a hot minute. Try it and enjoy!!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Domingo

    Domingo

    4.0
    (907 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Food, Service, and Ambiance ALL excellent!!!…read more Our server Venetta was terrific, it was an excellent evening!

    The restaurant is on the river walk, and right under a hotel, so it's very accessible. The…read morerestaurant itself leans more towards a modern experience. Electronic dance music pulsed quietly in the background. The toilets were all individual unisex stalls that were classy, mine had run out of hand towels. Also, the entire restaurant is very dimly lit. I had to use the flashlight on my phone to read the menu, but I have poor eyesight so there's that, but it might explain the quality of the photos I took. The Paloma drink was amazing. It had a great spicy zing in the back of the throat after every sip. Queso was... kinda plain. It might have been better with the add chorizo option. It was very thick. Shrimp cocktail was big, but we started fighting over the shrimp pieces. There was plenty of onion and tomato left over after the batttle. Pollo Asado was a great flavor and the chicken was juicy. Grilled squash that was on the side was good. Chicken enchiladas were good and had freshly sliced jalapeños, which is always a welcome detail. I wasn't able to taste the quesadilla but my daoughter said it was "really good". Fried Chicken sandwich had a great flavor and the bacon was actually pork belly if I'm not mistaken. Sadly there was more batter than chicken. The seasoned fries were delicious and crispy.

    Photos
    Ceviche dish
 
 Photo by Amanda Spencer
    Ceviche dish Photo by Amanda Spencer
    Views of the River Walk 
 
 Photo by Amanda Spencer
    Views of the River Walk Photo by Amanda Spencer
    Tequila Soda
 
 Photo by Amanda Spencer

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    Tequila Soda Photo by Amanda Spencer
    Panfila Cantina And Restaurant

    Panfila Cantina And Restaurant

    3.8
    (300 reviews)
    15.9 mi
    $$

    Surprised the wife with a trip to Pan Fila for her favorite hot chocolate and concha. We started…read morewith the Pan Fila Conchota combo that is a combination of the two that is 1/2 gallon of hot chocolate made using a base of Abuelitas with additional cinnamon, and cocoa along with something special. It was delicious! The concha was soft, buttery and flaky, with just the right sweetness. We took home the majority of it and it stayed nice and soft instead of turning hard like so many others. We decided to try several appetizers to go along with our concha to get a wider taste of their food than we would by just ordering a couple entrees. Let me tell you, this was a great idea! We ordered the Tosti-Ceviche Verde, Panela Asado, Mexican Street Corn, and their Spicy Bean Dip. The Ceviche Verde was excellent, the freshness of the fish and shrimp was wonderful with the chipotle mayo and avocado. We chose to have it on the salsa Verde Tostitos and it was all great combination. The Panelo Asado was a completely new dish for us and was extremely good with a savory flavor from the salsa Tlaquepaque that mixed well with the Panela cheese. Their tortillas though not made in house, are made for them and taste like mom made them. The Mexican Street Corn was great and had the perfect bit of char taste from the corn. It was creamy and flavorful, we did think it could use just a tad more lime juice though. The Spicy Bean Dip was very good. You can't go wrong with Oaxaca, Chorizo, and pieces of pork mixed with some mildly spicy beans. Our server was fantastic. She had great recommendations for us, and was quick with checking on our drinks and generally helping us throughout our dinner. The food was prepared quickly, was hot, tasteful and refreshing. We definitely will be going back, and recommend Pan Fila to all of you.

    This rather unassuming and unique cantina, was certainly a diamond in the rough. They split the…read moreplace with an Italian restaurant. Not sure if the Italian side and the cantina side share the same kitchen, but we will remember to come back and try that side as well. If the Italian menu and preparation is as unique as the cantina's, it will be a worthy adventure. For our appetizer we got the cheese dish pictured. I can not recall the name, but the cheese is a cool light cheese served in a warm tomato-based sauce, topped with slices of fresh avocados and chicharones and was served with flour and corn tortillas. Very delicious! As mentioned in the opening...the menu, preparation, and presentation at Panfila is unique. For our entrees my wife got the chile Relleno and I got the Milanese con Mole. The chile Relleno was served in a bowl with just an absolutely fabulous sauce and stuffed and covered with nicely melted cheese. The Milanese con Mole was absolutely decadent! The tender pork was lightly fried and covered in the most delicious mole that I have ever eaten. The chocolate was a little more prominent in the flavor profile than I am used to; and I wouldn't think that I would like that, but it was perfect! I enjoyed every bite and used the extra tortillas from our appetizer to finish off the mole. Highly recommend anything on the menu that incorporates that mole!! Fantastic place!

    Photos
    Panfila Cantina And Restaurant
    Chicken Milanesa torta
    Chicken Milanesa torta
    Chips and salsa

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    Chips and salsa

    Acenar Mexican Restaurant - mexican - Updated June 2026

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