Met my siblings here today. Although some members in our party were running late, the host set up a spot for our group and saved it until we all arrived so we were able to sit quickly. Our waitress (who was also the bartender) was super friendly and attentive. We got chips, salsa and hot tortillas immediately upon sitting. We ordered and everything was out in a timely manner. My salad with added grilled shrimp was delicious. I took one star off because the tortilla soup was a little too salty for my taste. I think each person in my group was satisfied. We all were able to split ticket with no issues or mistakes. All in all, a good decent, relaxing visit to Alamo Cafe! read more

Alamo Cafe - Soup and Salad Combo - Salad w/added grilled shrimp - Tex-Mex Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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So amazing food, the service, the tortillas with the butter take me back home to my grandma's handmade tortillas, this time I had the shrimp and spinach quesadillas and OMG, I just love coming here! read more

Alamo Cafe - I cannot wait to take the pic, I had to eat first lol - Tex-Mex Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Remember the Alamo, and forget the Alamo Cafe. Was in San Antonio for a wedding, and was looking for places to grab dinner. Did a quick Yelp search and this place looked decent. Oh Yelp, you joker you. Arriving at 7 on a Sunday, the place was somewhat empty. My party was seated and after a few minutes a server came by. So far so good. We were seated in a booth near the bar, and when asked for drink orders, I asked what beers they had on tap. Apparently I was the first person in history to ask this question, as I stumped my server. She turned and asked the bartender what beers they have on tap. The bartender replied that the taps were broken- so no beers on tap. Ok, that happens. Next I ask the server if they have Dos XX in bottles (they don't have a beer list at the table) Again I stumped the server, and she asked the bartender, who strangely was also stumped at this dynamic question. The bartender turned to an employee who was chilling at the bar, and asked him. Luckily it wasn't his first day and he knew what they had. After ordering our food it arrived. I had the fajitas, and when the food was brought I had no tortillas, side plate, or silverware. The server dropped off the meat and asked if I needed anything else. Uhhm, maybe the key ingredient to this dish? I mean- it's fifty percent of the dish. So weird. While we were eating we were pretty much abandoned. The server and her peers were very busy doing side work, and prepping for close in two hours. I couldn't help but think that while sidework must be done, the sidework doesn't tip- so maybe it would be wise to take care of the ONE table someone has. The food was decent, but the service was such a joke- this place was a nightmare. Cannot recommend it at all. Go to taco bell over this joint. read more

This place really makes me laugh because it's the only Mexican Restaurant in San Antonio without a Mexican in sight...hat is to say that the only people that seem to work there are Gringos lol...(not meant to insult anyone!) The service is great...I have eaten here several times and I've never had a bad experience with service. The Hostesses are friendly and even when they're crazy busy, you don't have to wait long at all (if you even have to wait). The servers are friendly and make great suggestions. The food is great and they have some of the best tortillas in town. They give you a bowl of butter to put butter on the tortillas but my favorite thing to do with the tortillas is to order a bowl of queso and dip the tortillas in the queso...so great! The tortilla soup is a little different than I've had before but the presentation is cool (they put a giant tortilla chip on top of the bowl and you have to break through it to get to the soup) and its good. I highly recommend the brisket quesadillas for those who've never had it...they are so good and you'll leave stuffed! Overall, a great restaurant with great service and food! read more

I've been to this Alamo cafe several times and have never been disappointed. The wait time is short and the service is great. Very friendly. The food is always great. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a great meal. I will definitely be coming back again. read more

Alamo Cafe - Street Taco Dinner - Tex-Mex Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I did take my visiting family members back a few weeks later to the actual restaurant and everything was delicious and arrived exactly as we ordered it. Still love Alamo Cafe' read more

I've met my mom for lunch at Alamo Cafe a handful of times and I gotta say, for pseudo-Mexican food, it's actually pretty delish. I usually order Green Enchiladas and it always comes out piping hot and yummy with just the right amount of tomatillo tang and none of that mystery chicken that a few joints throw in the mix. Their salsa is o.k. in the way that Pace salsa is o.k. (which is not really ok at all) and their tamales are forgettable at best. My favorite thing about Alamo Cafe? Fresh, soft and warm flour tortillas! These babies, while not fully authentic, are so so good and I find myself wishing I had just ordered a dozen to-go and shame-eating on the way home. But I haven't... yet. read more

Chicken Fried Steak.... These are the only words you will need to speak during your visit to this San Antonio staple. Alamo Cafe hasn't changed much, and the salsa is still waiting for you at the table. Upon being seated warm tortilla chips are placed in front of you to enjoy their homemade salsa. It's not a hot salsa, but if you're sensitive to spices you may want to wait until your drink arrives prior to tasting. Fresh pressed tortillas will also arrive at your table with soft butter ready to spread - you can see the tortillas being pressed as you come in the front door too. This is all a warm up for the outrageousness on a plate to follow. The chicken fried steak is cooked to perfection with just the right amount of batter you don't feel like you're sawing through while cutting it. It comes with green beans and french fries [mashed potatoes available for an extra charge], but lets spend a few more words with the steak. I like to request the gravy come on the side so I can control the amount on each bite, and pair it with a dash or two of ketchup. The crunch of the batter gives way to the hamburger steak inside, fried to perfection... they paid the gods of frying things handsomely. Unfortunately the service isn't as good as the chicken fried steak, and the servers' large sections can leave you thirstier than a horse crossing the desert. If you manage to waive them down, they'll return quickly and provide whatever it is you requested. The parking is ample even during the busy times as there are lots of spaces in front and just to the side of the building. Others may say there are better chicken fried steaks in San Antonio, but this has to be in the conversation. read more

Had a nice lunch with some of my old friends today. I wanted to keep it light, so I ordered a small bowl of chicken tortilla soup. It just didn't taste like tortilla soup to me. I would not recommend. My friends seemed to enjoy their enchiladas, but I think I enjoyed the company more than the food. Will try again and maybe order something different. read more

Omg, so I'm not the ONLY one who doesn't like the Alamo Cafe???!? *ducks* It's overrated and I just didn't think it was possible to have refried beans that were so runny and yet so dry all at the same time...?? read more

Best day of my year, maybe. Best meal, definitely. Good thing I don't live in San Antonio or I would be one GIANT tortilla dough ball. We sit down and are immediately greeted with fresh, homemade, hot tortillas. I wanted to order 1000 more and roll around in them on the floor. Wait, what? Then we ordered queso and dipped about 234390 tortillas into the perfectly concocted cheese until I realized I wasn't sure if I could even stand up. Oh yeah, then our food arrived. The few bites we could stuff down were awesome but were even better the next day as left-overs. If you're driving through here, stop, you can do it. Just make sure you have someone else to drive the rest of the way. read more

Waited over an hour for 4 kid tacos and soup and salad. The waitress was rude and looked like she hated being there. I was uncomfortable and my soup came out luke warm very disappointed won't be going back read more

Absolutely the worst food ever! I usually like to try a place more than once but this place it not worth it. The food is so bland and just over all disgusting. read more

I currently live in Albuquerque and my family is from Texas and when I visit I need a taste of home. My previous visit to Alamo Cafe about a year and a half ago was amazing, but my last visit a week ago was sooo disappointing. I always want to have a chicken fried steak before heading back to NM. And since my last visit was amazing I wanted a repeat... The place could do with an attitude adjustment. The waitstaff was so friendly last time. What happened? Now the food... Had the queso since it was suppose to be the best of 2014. Ummm unless you like cheese flavored water then yea it's the best. My aunt had the fajita puff tacos and my cousin and her husband had the stuffed relleno and the shrimp quesadilla. I tried everything and the quick run down... Fajita meat tasted steamed (reheated?) Chicken fry (crust was burnt which dried out the meat) Quesadilla - imbalance I couldn't really. Complain because my flight was leaving soon. And with the attitude the staff had the response probably would have been "ok so" I will not be back unless this place has an adjustment in staff/food standards and I would caution those that do. It may have been an off day but if the kitchen doesn't know they are cooking with overused oil then what else are they missing? Such a shame. read more

I went in yesterday with the date that I thought was okay but it turned out bad.. service was okay that he was really good the soda was good the enchiladas were great for a small restaurant and the location is right off the freeway. Kind of pricey for the food because chicken and cheese is high in price here in Texas vs Missouri along with tomatoes and bread read more

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Went here with my mom prettymuch as a last resort. We were visiting San Antonio (we live in the Austin area and have been to San Antonio countless times, it's not like we're midwest tourists or something) for her birthday and had planned to go to a different restaurant with much better reviews, but then the weather was bad and my mother didn't feel like venturing very far away from the hotel. So this is where we ended up. First we couldn't tell how to get in the restaurant because it was so huge ... we ended up wandering out on the patio and trying doors that were locked, before finally walking all the way around the building to where the front door actually was. Maybe a directional sign would be nice? The place was packed but we were seated right away. There were many raucous groups that appeared to be enjoying their experience, so we took that as a good sign. Well .... Food was pretty bad. The tortilla chips were greasy and old-seeming. My chicken enchiladas suizas were the grossest ones I've ever had, as they seemed to be smothered in cream gravy rather than the expected light tangy sour cream sauce. I like cream gravy, and I like enchiladas, but now I know I don't like them together. The only things that actually tasted good were the flour tortillas, that's why this place gets two stars rather than one. Other than that, whatever wasn't totally bland had a taste that was "off" ... so to sum up, not a good birthday dinner for my mom. Service wasn't great either ... our server was apparently friends with people at a nearby table, because he kept sitting down with them rather than, you know, being a server. My stomach was totally messed up the next day, and since this was the only unfamiliar food I had, I'm thinking it was probably Alamo Cafe's fault. The search for decent Mexican food in San Antonio (which I haven't yelped about yet because I'm really new to yelp) will have to continue .... read more

Food was very bland Rice tasted and looked like rice a roni Refried beans had no flavor what so ever and fajitas were also very bland Not very good quality food only thing that was good was flour tortillas but I didn't think $50 was worth the food at all Definitely not spending money here again read more

So disappointing, not like 281 location. Took forever to be greeted after being seated. Chips were stale. Ordered queso -had skin on top when it came out. Had to ask for a plate, then had to ask for a CLEAN plate. Ordered Panchos, came out cold and cheese not melted. Fixed it but was totally over this place by the. Offered drink refill when meal was over. This used to be such a great place read more

I am spoiled. I have been eating some of the best Mexican food for about the entirety of my life, so i know whats good (for me), and i know what to look for in good Mexican food (again, for myself). The balance of ingredients, and tastes of traditional Mexican that is transferred to Tex-Mex is almost completely lost. Alamo is not the place for me. The Food, in general, is bad. An overbearing taste of salt blankets ALL of the food. It is "white" food disguised as Mexican food. No Mex, mostly Tex. And Salt. I'll put it simply: if you do not want to stray too far away from your cheeseburger ingesting, french fry consuming, hot dog devouring haven of flavorless white food (haha i know, i'm rough), then Alamo Cafe is the way to go. If you're used to white food, and you want a very soft introduction to the way Mexican food looks like, go here. But by no means come here expecting food to the caliber of Tex Mex is supposed to be. read more

The bad reviews don't seem to be keeping the customers away! I recently had my first visit to Alamo Cafe on a Wednesday afternoon and the place was packed with a 10 min wait for a table. Their queso is delicious, the brisket quesadilla was amazing, and the waitress was very friendly. No complaints here! read more

Tortillas are awesome Service is good The chips and and salsa is tasty Food is ok doesn't really have to much flavor, like something is missing. read more

Solid tex-mex. Nothing spectacular. They make their own tortillas and they are quite taste with some butter and dipped in queso. I tried the chicken chipotle enchiladas and they were good, but again, not remarkable. My gf got the tortilla soup, which I did not much care for. Dinky but tasty margaritas. read more

I love Alamo Cafe. Fast service if you order from door dash. Usual wait if you dine in 15-30 mins for your food. Wonderful fun drinks. The best queso "the Bob- the layered one" around. I recommend the brisket quesadilla, chicken quesadilla, & chicken fried chicken. The crust is awesome. Worth the visit! read more

I've been going to Alamo Cafe for probably 10 or more years now. Definately a place we take out of towners and family members coming back during the holidays, if for no other reason than the free flour tortillas and excellent queso! In fact, I judge all other chile con queso in San Antonio against Alamo Cafe's as my standard for perfection. Creamy, not overwhelmingly spicy, but yet has a certain amount of kick to it to keep you coming back for more. There appear to be a lot of negative comments on the quality, or lack thereof, of their main courses. Well, my reason for continually returning is consistency. You know everytime you go there, if you order the same thing again, it will taste exactly as you remember. This is not a place for adventure seekers or those with highly evolved palates. It is Tex-Mex for beginners, very plain, very simple, unspicy, consistent food. It's comfort food and good to eat when you just want to be full, but not upset your stomach by going overboard with the spice. I do think for proportion size, the prices are a bit high, especially when you can find tacos for under $1.99 or less at almost any taqueria. I find it's always best to split plates or get a couple appetizers for your party to share. I really like their chicken quesadillas because they mix yellow and white cheese into it, which is so yummy. The chicken fajitas are great, but yes, keep in mind, they aren't seasoned. Same goes for the ground beef that is put in tacos or on the "Panchos" (bean and cheese nachos with ground beef and guacamole). You can get the Panchos with ground or seasoned beef, shredded or fajita chicken as well. The guacamole is nothing special, looks like smashed avocado with the consistency of baby food, nothing else added in it. The salsa is ok. Not chunky, seems pretty simplistic, but probably the only hot thing in the restaurant. Enchiladas can be greasy at times. And yes, I'm aware that I said this place was consistent in the first paragraph, but heck, nothing is exact all the time, I meant in general most of the time it's 90% consistent! ;) Service is generally really good, even when it's super busy. I think the service at the I-10 location is better than the service off the 281 location. There seems to be a lot greater turn-over of the staff there. The waitstaff is very accomodating and willing to bring you new chips or more tortillas when needed. The smaller size of the I-10 location makes it easier for the staff to be prompt. The 281 location does have better atmosphere, an outdoor seating area, and a large room for big parties. I think it seats 100-200 people. I-10 location would only have room for about a party of 50 in their back room. I think in general it's worth going here at least once to munch out on the tortillas if nothing else. A nice place to take a picky eater or someone that doesn't like a lot of spice/flavor. Have some free tortillas, enjoy the queso, and sip on a Margarita. I never underestimate the power of free stuff since I'm kinda tight fisted with where my money goes. read more

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this place is bad... Many people I met when I first moved here a few years ago raved about it...mostly business associates. The place is constantly packed, so I figured it had to be doing something right. Well, I was wrong. If you're looking for Tex-mex, or well, something edible period, you're better off going half a block and just going to Mama Margies. The service here was slow, prices were too expensive for what they offer, and the food was mediocre. read more

So several months ago, I suffered through an experience at this restaurant that completely shocked me. It's usually a great place. When I posted my remark, I heard from friends who told me of similar experiences. I also received a call from the owner, pretty much in shock. I was very grateful for that call. I have been here 5 times since, with friends and alone. All I have to say is that my experiences have been wonderful. From the greeting at the door to the table service and the quality of the food, my experience has been more than vindicated!! I'm sure you'll get the same quality! read more

This is NOT a regular cafe, meaning, no breakfast. My fault for not reading the menu before. Having said that, the food was FANTASTIC!!! Loved it all! Server was outstanding, very personable, took great care of my family. Will definitely be back! read more

I've eaten here several times over the last few years, the best I can really say is the service has consistently been very good - the waitstaff is always really friendly and attentive. The tortillas and tortilla soup are both good but everything else is fairly ordinary. The prices are consistent with most sit-down Mexican restaurants, if not somewhat higher (generally $8-10 per plate). They have a glassed-in tortilla assembly line right by the waiting area that gives the restaurant a touristy feel. Quality-wise, you're better off going down the road a little ways to mama margies; it's about the same and the prices are generally a couple bucks cheaper. read more

I came here on a Friday night with my husband, and everything was above par. I ordered the chimichangas and he had one of the enchilada combos, with queso and tortillas for an appetizer. Our server, Cat, was friendly and knowledgeable. The food was cooked correctly and came out quickly, especially for a Friday night. We had one small complaint (that didn't affect the deliciousness of dinner) that we voiced to the manager, Greg, and we watched him go to another part of the restaurant to investigate and correct the issue. Overall, everything was wonderful and we enjoyed our experience immensely. We will definitely be back! read more

Alamo Cafe ranks, for me, at the top of the pack for local Tex-Mex. The service is always prompt and this keeps wait times down even during peak hours. I'll start from the top of the meal. The best iced tea in San Antonio! Brewed strong and poured over lots of ice in real Southern style. You have to sweeten it yourself, but I don't mind at all. Their margaritas are tasty with a nice limey infusion, not too sweet like many others in the city. My husband loves the sangria. The chips are light and crisp and pair perfectly with the well-blended, not-too-chunky, hot-but-doesn't-leave-you-fanning-your-face hot sauce. The complimentary flour tortillas are made in-house and with real authentic texture and taste. Appetizers we enjoy are the ponchos (nachos with meat) as well as the queso as it's very creamy and flavorful. Main courses that we fancy include the tamale plate, the enchilada plate (cheese/beef enchiladas), puffy tacos, and the chicken fried steak. You heard that last one right. It's actually the best chicken fried stead I've had in San Antonio. Stay away from anything with the sour cream sauce - it isn't like other Tex-Mex varieties. Instead, it's sweeter than necessary and has gelatinous thickness that doesn't sit well with me. *Note - this sauce is include on one of the grilled chicken dishes, so be forewarned it's similar even though it isn't described as the same on the menu. We've only tried the sopapillas for dessert and we like them - light and fluffy as they should be and served dusted with powdered sugar and with honey on the side. Overall a good Tex-Mex meal that I wouldn't consider too "sloppy" as compared to competitors like Blanco Cafe. read more

I moved from Texas a year ago and have been dying for the food. This was the best place for me to get my food fix! I had an amazing margarita and the best tamales. The chips, guacamole, and queso was everything I needed to satisfy my intense craving for Tex-Mex food. I love their homemade tortillas! It was the best place for me to bring my friend who has never had high quality Mexican food to understand what I was talk about by experiencing it for himself. LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! read more

This place is definitely not vegetarian/vegan friendly. I would not be complaining but we did look at the menu to see if I had options (vegetable fajitas, vegetable enchiladas without cheese - check) and we also called ahead to see if the sides used any animal products (meat, dairy, egg, etc). The employee on the phone told us that the rice did not use any animal products and only the borracho beans involved meat. So off we went. The vegetable fajitas were good and had a nice char on them (the flour tortillas are not vegan friendly so I went with corn), and the chips and salsa were nice, but unfortunately the beans were not vegetarian at all and I'm not sure if the rice was safe either. The black beans had pieces of meat in them and had a strange flavor to them (I tasted them before I realized they had meat). I'm not sure about the rice, but I do know a lot of yellow Spanish rices use chicken broth, so I fear they may also be off-limits. The food I did have was good, and the service was good, but I am still disappointed in the sides and the fact that the employee on the phone gave us the wrong information. That is offensive to me that she did not take my question seriously enough to find out the truth. What if someone had a deadly food allergy - would they bother more then? I don't hold it against a company for having animal products in their food, but it would be nice for both the employees to be fully aware so they can answer questions accurately - and for the menu to reflect that. I think it's a little deceptive to list a vegetable main (literally just a bunch of grilled vegetables alongside pico and guacamole) with black beans that have meat in them, and without any sort of note that this is the case. I enjoyed this restaurant before I was a vegan and I don't recall ever getting bad service before, so if you are just looking for some Tex-Mex, then this is a good option. But if you are seeking a vegetarian or vegan option when out with omnivore family or friends, you might want to look elsewhere or else you need to be extremely diligent about finding out what is safe. A bunch of fajita veggies with pico, guacamole, chips, salsa, and corn tortillas should be safe, though. read more

The tortillas for the table were so tasty and addictive! Our waitress Mari was extremely helpful as a first time guest and helped myself and my friends find some great choices. However, she went above and beyond as we were tourists and gave us suggestions of places to go here in San Antonio and Austin. I haven't had such a helpful server in such a long time! read more

I consider Alamo some of the best Tex Mex around. Not like real authentic Mexican Food, but it's a great choice for tourists and locals alike. The chips, salsa, quest, and homemade tortillas are worth the trip by themselves. It gets busy here, but the service is speedy. read more

Went here with my friend Jenny from Austin. She recommended this tex mex cantina. Very nice choice. I had the steak fajitas, which were very juicy and well favored. They make their own tortillas. Very fresh The ambiance is Mexican themed. Friendly staff I recommend the Alamo Cafe. read more

The food is pretty good and consistent. The service is okay, but the queso is amazing!

Another great meal and great service by Samantha Always a pleasure to dine here Love the tortillas read more

I'd say this place is the Applebee's of Mexican food. No wait, LUBY's. Yes, the Luby's of Mexican food. It's decent fast food at a sit-down table with a cult following--like Luby's, right? The ambiance is alright, the food is cheap, the tortillas are DELICIOUS. Don't go expecting a great meal, and you'll be fine. read more

I used to really dislike this place as a kid. A late night food quest changed my mind about this place and I have come to appreciate 2 things-- the queso and the warm homemade tortillas (echoing Sara T.). These are not the best tortillas I ever had by any means, but they are still quite good and a good size. Plus they're free with your meals. The best part is the bowl of waxed paper covered pats of butter to spead on those warm flour rounds of goodness... Man, those are dangerous enough to make you leave rolling out of a place that you walked into. Other than that, everything else is just okay--not offensive and not the best that you'll find in town by any means. They do have an interesting seafood flautas dish that is neat for a different kind of thing than you might find at other restaurants. read more

The only thing I will eat here is the tortillas and queso. I absolutely refuse to order anything else. I have come here numerous times. I have hated everything I have eaten from here. The enchilada sauce is terrible. The chicken fajita meat is dry and tasteless. The salsa is a disgusting mess. The service is good; no one has ever been unfriendly or unattentive. But the service is not enough to convince me to come back. Its just plain awful. Too expensive. Not appetizing. I've given this place more than enough chances to redeem itself but that has yet to pay off for me. read more