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    Bar 1919

    4.4 (518 reviews)
    Open 4:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

    Bar 1919 Photos

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    BAR 1919 ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Classy
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Bar 1919

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    Espresso martini
    Danielle A.

    A hidden gem! You have to find your way to 1919 at Blue Star. I went twice in one week specifically for some of the best espresso martinis I've ever had. Explored the menu through curated suggestions from the highly educated bartenders. They asked questions to get to know my preferences and made recommendations from there. This bar is dim and quiet with an endless selection of spirits. Grab a cocktail and enjoy a cigar. I will definitely be back soon!

    Betty B.

    Came back for the second time Saturday and the drinks were yummy, friendly staff again and very lively this time, quiet or busy I like the vibes and will be returning.

    Dunkel Sandwich PB El Dorado, Banane Cane. Strawberry, Dunkelweiss in other words delicious!
    Rachel Macie H.

    Take me to the underground to a hidden place next to the river walk! It's a speakeasy so you shouldn't notice it right away but if your looking for it go to the back parking lot of where the address takes you close to the river walk look at the building that's right next to the parking lot a bit away from the road then look below and you'll see some tables and a door go down the stairs to get inside! They had a bunch of different cocktails inside lots of unique options and some not so much but where it was all about was the specials one in particular the Dunkle Sandwich as it tasted like Peanut butter and jelly like it was soo good up there with one of the best shots I've ever had soo flavorful and just good like this was by far my favorite thing I drank this night! Our other drinks were yummy too don't get me wrong as each of them has key components that made them taste amazing while I did forget the names just know that each one of them was yummy! On this particular night they had a mentalist wondering around doing magic he was fun and added to our evening here so that was a nice touch! Our bartender was awesome and quick to get us our drinks and I must say everything was mixed very well! Overall awesome spot for date night we both enjoyed our time here and hopefully we get to make it here again at some point because you can't go wrong with a chill speakeasy!

    Two other distilleries using heirloom corn for the bourbon mash bill
    Steve W.

    A bartender at the Esquire told us about this speakeasy, so we decided to embark on a 1 mile walk down the river walk. It was tricky to find, with 2 other locals helping us find the front door. We were hot, sweaty and thirsty, but it was totally worth it! It's a dimly lit room with a lit up wall of 1700 spirits. John was our master bartender. Bartender probably isn't the right term. He was an expert mixologist and also knew a lot about a large variety of spirits. He was impressive, professional, and fun. We thoroughly enjoyed cocktails and whiskey poured neat from a variety of different bottles. We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon at Bar 1919. John's last great move was a referral to a local Peruvian dinner spot where my wife and I had an amazing dinner experience. It was a perfect day in San Antonio!

    Refugio G.

    1919 has always had a special place in my heart. I first visited shortly after moving near downtown and it's always been consistent. Consistently dark. Consistently stocked. Consistently top tier service. Consistently educative with responding to questions. It's a place where I can go with friends and share an evening out. Or it's a place I can go alone to brood y pensar en los términos de mi rendición...

    Cheers
    Dori N.

    Found this gem on Yelp. It's a speakeasy so tricky to find. The bar is dim but beautiful. We had 2 rounds of amazing cocktails. The bar tender was helpful & skillful. They do offer a few happy hour cocktails. I would come again! Cheers.

    Don't Go Chasin' (Legacy Collection)
    Brittany W.

    GO DOWNSTAIRS! The doors are unmarked, black glass doors. The drinks are delicious and the vibe is very chill. We went at opening and the tables were pretty sticky, which made it obvious that they aren't refreshing their cleaning buckets frequently enough. Food is not offered here, but I don't think you'd want to eat there anyway since their inspection rating was a 51% Fail (didn't see the signs until we were walking out). Don't worry- there's plenty of food at all the restaurants in the shopping district. The drinks were well-crafted and delicious. That Wild Duck drink seriously tastes like the liquid version of poutine fries! It sounds crazy when you're reading the menu, but it definitely slaps.

    The Penicillin

    The Penicillin was the perfect drink for a rainy night!! Love this beautiful hidden gem!! Thanks Ethan and James!

    Sandra H.

    I came here to have an experience and I did. Asked for a new cocktail with the flavors and ingredients I was looking for and I got just that. The mixologists here are true professionals, they take their time and like to craft new cocktails. The ambiance is extraordinary, very intimate and out of the ordinary. I would love to come back to this place another time. It's one of those places that you add to a list to recommend and be back for more.

    Madeleine H.

    This bar almost feels like a speakeasy with how hidden and unassuming it is from the outside. I would never have suspected a bar as cool as this was on the inside of this building! The entrance is on the basement level of a shopping center so you have to take the stairs down. Once you're inside, there is a long cocktail bar with various seating to the right and left in addition to the bar seating. The cocktails are so delicious and they can make anything you'd like! Such a wonderful bar experience

    Caryn K.

    The perfect ambiance for your next night out. Whether you are looking to hang out with friends or grab a drink with a date, Bar 1919 is a great choice. I can by with friends before first Friday, visiting just before Happy Hour ended, and we enjoyed one round of drinks inside. They have some outdoor seating, but the ambiance isn't quite the same during the summer months. The interior is cool and cozy. They had booth, bar and hightop seating available. They have an intimidating assortment of spirits, for those who opt to skip the cocktails and go for straight liquor. The cocktails we ordered were well crafted and strong. I am quite happy with our decision to stick by Bar 1919 and I will certainly be back.

    Andy D.

    Amazing Speakeasy! Went here with my friend and her husband, and it was filled with great vibes, friendly service, and delicious drinks. Bar 1919 has a very unique setup. Great place for hanging out with friends, socializing, dates, or just having a drink. Give them a try!

    Stone Cold Still Austin!
    TJ D.

    Unfortunately not near as good as last year. They don't dress the part anymore. The atmosphere was still great & period good music for a speakeasy. The bar tenders chose to make the drinks down in front of some much younger giggling girls. Totally understand, but, we probably would tip more if we could ask questions and watch the drink making process. Anyway, I'm not used to making bad reviews, but highly advise, get back to the total feel of a speakeasy or you're just a local bar at this point. Not sure if we'll return and we've bragged about this place to a lot of people!

    Lychee'n in

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    1 year ago

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    James M.

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    9 months ago

    Busy bar but regardless, still had a bartender who personalized my experience taking the time to craft amazing drinks for my wife and I.

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    1 year ago

    A bourbons lover's dream. Awesome spot for date night, but make sure you get there a little earlier, so you can snag a good spot.

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    2 years ago

    Best Old Fashioned in town... Oh and ask to challenge the owner with a Thanksgiving Bomb... You won't be disappointed!

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    1 year ago

    Went to Bar 1919 with my sister last night. The atmosphere is inviting and friendly. And the staff is amazing!

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    Page 2 of 13

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    Ask the Community - Bar 1919

    Does this place not serve vodka?

    They serve vodka.

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    The Esquire Tavern - Pimm's Pimm's Cup

    The Esquire Tavern

    4.1(3.6k reviews)
    1.1 miDowntown
    $$

    My husband and I enjoyed our couple hours we spent at the bar thanks to Daniel, our bartender who…read morewas extremely knowledgeable and entertaining! We will be back!

    Update to first review below, rating updated from a 3 to a 5 star (drinks & bartender would get 10+…read morestars if we could rate that high): Saturday night: Went back for after dinner drinks at the Downstairs (a "speakeasy" throwback, look up the history of the place to see why). Drinks were AMAZING! Bartender Rob made the best Negroni I've ever had. I asked him to use whatever gin he thought best--result was an artistic smooooooth full-bodied drink. Told him when I was done I'd lick the glass if it wasn't considered so uncouth for a 'mature' lady like myself to do so Hubby's Buffalo Trace bourbon old fashioned was also outstanding. Rob was the bartender last night who did such a great job, and his work was even better tonight. We highly recommend The EsquireTavern for excellent cocktails. We love the long wood bar and high copper ceiling upstairs, but love the intimate speakeasy atmosphere downstairs even more. We'll definitely be back every time we're in San Antonio! First review, Friday night: Drinks were great (Manhattan and Bourbon Old Fashioned). REAL drinks, no complaints at all about those. And the bartenders were very friendly and helpful. Those aspects of the Esquire get 5+ stars from us. But the appetizers were not good, close to inedible. It was about 8:30pm or so, so maybe they were getting ready to close out the kitchen but the chalupitas with chicken tasted like rubber, and no flavor at all. The seafood platter had something in it that was breading with shell inside, but no meat of any kind. We couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be. The shrimp was good and the fish was good but those other things... We'll always love the drinks, the long wooden bar, and the ambiance at the Esquire Tavern, but we'll eat somewhere else and come here for before or after dinner drinks. (See update above to this review for when we returned the next night for after dinner drinks.)

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    Maverick Distilling - Stop by for a taste of true Texas Whiskey. Enjoy it straight or featured in one of our craft cocktails, like this refreshing Gold Rush.

    Maverick Distilling

    4.3(175 reviews)
    1.3 miDowntown

    Tonight's experience branched outside of the typical tour and tasting. Myself and one other *lone…read morestar* attended Whiskey Wednesday with Mike, where we spent most of the evening learning about proofing, bitters, and cocktail craftsmanship while enjoying several samples and an old fashioned along the way. Maverick Distillery is housed in the old Lockwood National Bank, the first bank in Texas to allow women to open accounts without a man's permission. Their money was stored inside barrels in the bank vault. Today the bank vault has been repurposed into a small rick house, where barrels hold a different kind of currency. (The rest of their barrels are offsite in a more traditional rick house.) Once we were done upstairs in the private bar, we made our way down to that vault where we thieved directly from a barrel. Maverick is one of several distilleries along the Riverwalk, but the others don't appear to have mid-week experiences, which is a shame. In this triple digit heat, the most effective sunscreen is sitting in a bar.

    Went on a group tour this weekend with four others (group reservations allow up to six people), and…read moreit was an incredible experience. I would absolutely recommend it! What really stood out was how they went above and beyond for the birthday girl in our group. She was able to choose a different tour drink than the rest of us, and they wrote "Happy Birthday" on both her whiskey flight paddle and the bag holding her whiskey glasses, personalized with her name. They truly made her feel special and celebrated. The staff was friendly, welcoming, and extremely knowledgeable. I enjoyed learning about the history behind the name, the Mavericks, and the location itself. The Old Fashioned was excellent, and the whiskey flight was a great way to sample their offerings. The tour lasted about an hour, and afterward we were able to relax and spend some time at the bar. Overall, a fantastic experience from start to finish. Highly recommend!

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    Menger Bar - Entrance to bar

    Menger Bar

    4.0(259 reviews)
    1.2 miDowntown
    $$

    Spent a very hot day in San Antonio at the hotel pool…read more Claudia the bartender was the bomb.com. She helped us directions and recommendations. So courteous and helpful. Beautiful pool

    I'm well overdue in providing an opinion about this particular bar. Let me start with the negative…read moreand get that out of the way. Whether any of you who are reading this know about the history of the Menger Bar and it's role in Teddy Roosevelt's assemblage of the Roughriders in this particular establishment or not the drink which he had was a mint julep. When I ask for that drink for which The past president was known to imbibe in they did not have the ingredients. That was a disappointment. Beyond my disappointment was the reality of a service establishment that had great personnel that is bartenders who were quite service oriented and given the activity in the bar where quite efficient. I mentioned this to suggest that the ingredients for a drink are as much, a managers, responsibly, bartender, and so in fairness to what I think was exemplary service I certainly did not want my personal disappointment to reflect on how good these bartenders were. The ambience is also wonderful. It is the period appropriate or appears to be appropriate and hence gives you the comfort of being able to visualize Teddy drawing together a group that eventually went on to Victory over the Spanish in Cuba. It is romantic and comfortable. The bartenders explained that the round table at which Roosevelt sat has been moved somewhere within the hotel. This is an experience not to be missed. Nacho just for the historical content of such a visit, but simply for the contemporary service and ambience.

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    Waxy O'Connor's - Potato skins

    Waxy O'Connor's

    3.4(557 reviews)
    1.1 miDowntown
    $$

    Onion rings here are the biggest I've ever seen.. Literally could put my lower arm through them so…read moreshould be called "onion bracelets" lol. They were overly breaded and not the tastiest I've had. The frozen Irish coffee was good but also not top notch. So why 5 stars? The live music talent on the night we went was incredible. Fiancee and I just exited a metal concert and wanted a couple drinks. The acoustic guitarist here had a very good voice, played so many nostalgic 90s songs, and masterfully transitioned from song to song while weaving them together seamlessly with similar bars. Kudos to this guy's vocals and to Waxy's for having the vision to invite a talented musician to play here, and as a result elevated our entire experience.

    This is probably the 6th or 7th time I've come here over the past 12 years. I come here once a year…read morefor work. So depending on meetings and company I may or may not come in. They have a great selection of whisky's and usually make a really good black and tan. Today I sat at the bar, I was greeted right away and got a beer in 20 secs. I've had the fish and chips here which were good. Bangers and mash I've had and enjoyed, Shepard pie is pretty good. Today I went with the BBQ burger. Food came out in about 10 mins from placing my order. Not bad, not great. My rating on the bbq burger. They did not ask me how I wanted it prepared, it was pretty much well done. The bun was a little hard, almost stale. There was not much bbq sauce on the bbq burger. With all the toppings, I'd give the burger 5 of 10. The hard bread took away from it for sure. I always like to try just the patty without anything on it to see how restaurants prepare their patties. It was about what I expected for a well done burger. Not much flavor, it tasted like well cooked ground round. I'd give it a 3.5. The fries were so so, I like fries more on the crispy side. These were more like thick steak fries, soft and limp. They were seasoned with salt and pepper. Not bad, not great. The beer I had... had an odd smell. It tasted ok, but I think the glass itself may have not been the cleanest. Hoping I don't get sick from a dirty glass. The bartender was nice enough to let me try their frozen Irish coffee. It was surprisingly delicious, like a boozy ice cream. It just seemed like a full glass would be too much. So I got a black and tan, which was good. If I was eating just this visit, I'd probably be between a 2-3, food was meh, and the dirty glass didn't help. If I include all my other visits I'm at 3-4, since this most recent experience I had to say I'm closer to a 3 than a 4.

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    Bohanan's - Filet and Lobster Dinner at Bohanan's

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    4.3(1.3k reviews)
    1.2 miDowntown
    $$$$

    Wow, what an amazing experience. If you are looking for an elevated night out in town this is the…read moreplace. I must start off mentioning the amazing service. These people are on point! Everyone was kind and friendly (except for the hostess downstairs who was rather dismissive). Sat upstairs for dinner on a Sunday in the beautiful front sunroom. The entire second floor is gorgeous and feels elevated compared to the first floor. To start off they serve you bread with a pickled jalapeno cream cheese dip which was the chef (owner?) mother's recipe. So good. I had the lamb chops which were devine. The scalloped potatoes, mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese, and creamed spinach are all musts. Cocktails and wine all top notch! GO!

    It was our 28th wedding anniversary and I wanted to treat my wife to a nice dinner. We normally go…read moreto Ruth Chris, but I wanted to try a different steakhouse this year. Once we arrive at the restaurant we were greeted like VIPs. We were asked a few times if we were there for a special occasion and I mentioned we were there for our anniversary. We were congratulated and that was it. No other "special" treatment or offers because it was our anniversary. The service, the food, and the overall atmosphere were great. No complaints at all. My only issue was this, as we were preparing to pay the bill, a couple (white couple) was seated next to us and they were asked if they were there to celebrate a special occasion, and she said, "it's our anniversary" and the waiter then offered them a complimentary bottle (or glasses) of champagne! Wait, what??? I thought to myself, nobody offered us (a black couple) any complimentary champagne. A different person came to the table to take my credit card and I asked him about it. He did apologize and offered to bring us a couple of glasses of champagne but it was too late. We were done eating/celebrating and it was time to go home. I was 3 weeks from recovering from heart surgery and this was my first time out in the public to eat since my surgery and I didn't want to let not getting a bottle or glass of champagne ruin my evening with my Queen. This incident it want led me to giving 4 stars instead of 5. How can one couple be offered complimentary champagne and another couple not offered any at all???

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    Bar 1919 - lounges - Updated September 2026

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