Intimate setting. Super friendly and accommodating hosts. The food was great, the sangria's delicious and the Flamenco entertainment out of this world. Extremely convenient paid parking directly across the street from Carmens. $7 for four hours of parking. We'll go back! read more

Went for my mothers birthday and this downtown San Antonio experience was one of a kind and amazing! They read Frida Khalo's love letters and flamenco dancing was such a beautiful way to entertain on such a special night. The Tomatillo corn bread was soft and delicious! The paella was so damn good! Could have eaten that forever! The dessert was exquisite and overall a perfect evening! Will be going back for the food and the soft Hispanic boho vibes. read more

See all

This place truly is a gem! I'm so glad my friend took me here because it's her favorite spot in town and she wanted me to experience it. Now I can totally see why. I'm surprised they only have a few reviews here but I kinda secretively wish to keep it that way so we could keep this place all to ourselves. I think they were at a different location for a long time but recently moved to this spot b/c the owner wanted to be closer to downtown. It doesn't look much from the outside but the inside is another world. It instantly makes you feel that you have traveled beyond San Antonio or even the US. The ambiance is intimate yet fun. The clientele seemed much more interesting than you typical San Antonians. The owner Carmen always runs around serving food and making sure people have a good time. The food was all pretty decent. We shared four different dishes. My favorite was the steak and the potato tortillas. Very well made and delicious. The star of the night was without a doubt the flamenco dance performance. I had never seen such a show in my life. It was absolutely breath taking!! I was amazed by the moves of the dancers, the music, and the beautiful voice of the singer even though I could not understand a thing in spanish. You just have to see for yourself to understand the charm. It's contagious! I think they have different shows on different nights. For the night we went which was a Friday, they had two flamingo dance performances at 8pm and 10pm. The show costs $15 per person. It is totally worth it for this one of a kind amazing experience IMO. You can order food or just share a pitcher of sangria with your friends while enjoying the phenomenal show. It was a whole new experience for me. I loved it a lot and would gladly return. I'd say it is one of the best places to catch a late night show on a Friday night to relax and rewind or take out town friends to wow them. Don't tell anyone about it though. It's best to keep it as a hidden gem!! read more

See all

Holy Crap! This place is a real Yelper's dream - a hidden local gem in downtown San Antonio that offers some impressive jazz on Thursday nights. Somewhat reminiscent of a San Francisco art bar, this small, intimate hip club is a "must do" if you are in San Antonio on a Thursday evening (or any evening, really) and crave a smoke-free, adult experience with some great professional entertainment. Face it... at this point, you are probably sitting in your hotel room trying to figure out your next activity (and probably tired of the Riverwalk and all the corporate food there!), so either walk or drive a little bit to Carmens De La Calle. You will be leaving your fellow tourists way behind when you step through the door and its an easy walk from the Riverwalk. And when you do step through that door ($10 cover for the live music - a real bargain) you are transported to a quaint living room like environment with a wonderfully cute little bar. The spouse and I were very pleasantly surprised with the cool vibe of this place. We only had a few drinks, but they also serve "farm-to-market" style food which we will check-out on our next trip down. The jazz is first-rate. We saw the King William Jazz Collective Big Band, which was really a traditional jazz quintet that also featured occasional vocals from local jazz vocalist Joan Carroll. Local food, local ownership and local musicians - a Yelper's paradise I say. A lovely evening indeed! read more

Carmens De La Calle - The small bar is perfect for this intimate jewel of a club - Jazz & Blues Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Restaurant is cozy and the decorations are stylish but the price tag just didn't do it for me. I understand tapas are a "novelty" here in the States and may incur a higher price tag, but I didn't find $8+/2 empanada was worth it. They were good, but I can't say it's $4 great and I must have it again (and I'm willing to pay for good food). The fondido (?) queso was just a no go for me. It IS real melted cheese with starting-to-taste-stale chips (humidity?!) but that's about it that I was able to taste, I rather stop at Torchy's for their queso. All this made us not want to pay $20/person to stay for the Brazilian music performance ($15 a head if you like the restaurant on FB). Based on other reviews, maybe come right at the start of performance and pay cover and drinks because this little piggy was not going to be full! read more

Thoroughly enjoyed the flamenco music and dance! We came on a Saturday and they happened to have their live Flamenco show that evening which typically takes place on a Friday. We clearly lucked out. Cover is $15.50 per person if you come for the show. A bit pricey but well worth it given its uniqueness. Service was a bit on the slow side but the owner kept apologizing and informed us they were short staffed. They managed to cater to their evening crowd with three employees. I guess not bad! For dinner, we went with the empanadas, patatas bravas and pan fried Brussels. The chicken empanadas is a MUST have. Incredibly tasty!!! We topped off our apps with the red sangria. All together, a unique evening experience in North Flores. They clearly have regulars and I can see why. It's very much a comfortable, quirky setting. No glitz and glamour. Come for the show, you won't be disappointed. read more

Carmens De La Calle - Jazz & Blues Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Tapas and entertainment were Perfection! Wonderful way to spend an evening with a couple friends.

**True Rating: 3.5 stars** BOSSA NOVA BRUNCH is every first Sunday, featuring live music by the Gabriel Santiago trio from Brazil and a $25 prix fixe menu which includes bloody mary eye opener shot, a fruit salad, and 4 main course options. Entree choices included house paella, Benedict Espanola with prosciutto, salad with seared tuna, and gaucho steak with potatoes. --Fruit salad: 5/5 Absolutely delicious and refreshing with generous variety of fresh fruits. Mangos are luckily in season and included on the plate to my pleasant surprise, it was without a doubt my favorite fruit. Other fruits served included peaches, red grapes, pineapple with basil (delicious combination), and green apples topped with a delightful cinnamon jam. The portion of fruits was pretty generous and by the end of it I was already pretty full. --Paella: 3.5/5 A beloved Spanish staple that pairs so perfectly with sangria. The house paella here includes chicken, seafood (mussels and shrimp), and sausage chorizo. Paella is kind of difficult to execute perfectly, so I would say the flavors here a definitely pretty solid. The only other time I have eaten paella in San Antonio was at Bella on the River, which I think was slightly more comparable to the ones I had in Spain. My roommate ordered this dish and thought it primarily consisted of chicken, with significantly less seafood and rice unfortunately. --Gaucho steak and potatoes: 2/5 Aged steak topped with chimichurri and a side of potatoes. The potatoes were crispy and flavorful, and the chimichurri was some of the best I have had, BUT I really did not enjoy the steak at all. The coffee rub on the steak was a great concept in theory, and I've enjoyed this subtle flavor in the past; however, it is way overdone here to where the burnt coffee taste overpowers the entire dish and the flavors of the meat itself. I asked for medium rare, and initially the steak was entirely overcooked and dry. On second try, it was more rare but unevenly cooked. I tried to scrape off as much of the coffee rub on top as I could, but I eventually gave up and stopped eating because it just wasn't very appetizing in the end. While I wasn't completely blown away by the food, the service was really great and accommodating. The owner, Carmen, is absolutely delightful, friendly, and very helpful, while the rest of the staff is also on top of their game. The restaurant itself is very cozy and intimate and I can definitely see it as being a great date night spot. read more

See all

TRUE RATING: 3.80/5.0 WHAT I'M REVIEWING: Bossa Nova Brunch ---- this is offered every first Sunday of the month which includes live music from Gabriel Santiago Trio and a $25 prix fixe menu which includes: eye opener bloody mary shot, fresh and fruit breakfast salad, and a choice of entree from the following: Nicoise Salad with Seared Tuna (salad comes with spinach, artichoke hearts, olives, pickled snap peas, and hard boiled egg), Benedict Espanola with Spinach and Prosciutto, Carmen's House Paella, and Guacho Steak and Potatoes FOOD: --BLOOD MARY SHOT: I'm not a fan of bloody mary so I can't really review this fairly. I'm sure it's great for any blood mary fan BUT damn, the olives on top of our shots were delicious!! --FRUIT SALAD (5/5): Omg this was the most refreshing bowls of fruit I've ever had at a restaurant. It was nothing like I expected and came as a beautiful arrangement and variety of fresh fruits. The fruits included mangoes, peaches, a slice of orange, red grapes, pineapple and basil, and green apples topped with a cinnamon fruit jam. The mangoes, peaches, and pineapple and basil were so refreshing. --PAELLA (3.5/5.0): This dish is probably one of my favorite things to eat because of three reasons - contains two of my favorite ingredients (rice and seafood), hard to find, and hard to perfect. The paella here contains chicken, mussels, shrimp, and sausage chorizo. I understand paella is a very hard thing to make so I commend them for getting the flavors right and there was a good portion as well. However, my criticism would be that the paella was a little more dry than usual and while I was eating, I found an overwhelming amount of chicken that even superseded the rice. --STEAK AND POTATOES: My two friends ordered this dish and actually had to return their steak since it was cooked well instead of the medium rare they asked for. Once the steaks were returned, it was more on the rare side than medium rare. Also there was a coffee rub on the steaks that sounds like a unique idea but was rather overwhelming and turned the steak into a slightly sweet piece of meat. But major props to the potatoes - they were incredible delicious! SERVICE (5/5): The owner of the place is Carmen and she was such a delight. Super friendly and attentive to all of her customers, she definitely prides in her restaurant. The whole staff was incredibly friendly and accommodated so well to my friends' request in sending back their steaks. Regardless, I really appreciate the uniqueness Carmen's restaurant is bringing to SA's culinary scene! read more

See all

As a tourist, this is not just a Yelpers hidden gem but a truly amazing, classy, tasty, fun place and a MUST visit for locals and visitors alike. Enjoy an array of tapas bathed in flavors and served with a genuine passion and top notch presentation. The owner was so much fun to chat with and the team of employees genuinely seemed to care about the meal from start to finish. GREAT selection for that "off the beaten path" options. read more

See all

I'm reviewing this spot from my experience of watching a flamenco performance and partaking in some of the menu options. This was a great date night! We arrived a little early, I guess, because there was only one table occupied when arrived and we took a romantic corner table. Don't be fooled! It will fill up. We ordered a bloody mary and a sangrarita on the rocks. Both were delicious! I'm not a fan of bloody marys in general but I loved the spiciness of theirs. And the spicy salt on the margarita was a perfect touch to complement the subtle sweetness. The flamenco performance was great. (Be warned that it is a small venue so the stomping on the wood stage can be a bit loud for some patrons.) I just wish the audience could be a little more respectful towards the performers and other patrons. For example, there was a lady who decided to record a dancer who was doing fast footwork and the flashlight from her phone was very distracting. Overall, it was a wonderful experience. Highly recommend. read more

Carmens De La Calle - Jazz & Blues Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

CAN YOU SAY: RIP-OFF?????????????????????? First off, these cheap fools hit you up for a $15 gratuity "entertainment" fee right as you enter the doorway, which consisted of some wannabe guitar players, singers, and dancers running around the really small performance area in high heels snapping their fingers while trying not to slip on the floor (their performance floor area just takes about 2 or 3 steps to walk across) for- I KID YOU NOT- a 45 minute set, and then the "performers" go and hide out somewhere in the back (probably because they felt guilty about showing their faces for being con-artists: but wait it gets better:) Second, the schmucks served BURNED, not crispy mind you, but BURNED pepperoni slices, a few low-grade olives, some cheese they probably got from the discount section at HEB, and then proceeded to screw us for about $9.00 for this little plate with "appetizers". OMG. Yes, the drinks were overpriced too. Since when does XX cost more than $3.50???? Third, I politely asked the hostess for a straw; the straw dispenser was right behind her on the bar, and she completely forgot about it!! This wannabe supermodel was too busy looking at her caked-on makeup in the reflection of her tip jar or something. P.S. Vanity Fair and Maxim will not be calling anytime soon, so don't quit your dayjob. Fourth, at least one of our waitresses had the guts to honestly call what we were served as "crap" as she came by to pick up our utensils and plates once we were done "eating". Fifth, these fools then proceeded to tell us and other guests that if we were going to stick around and watch the second "performance" of these wannabe Riverdance / flamenco / whatever they were supposed to be, it would cost the guests ANOTHER $15 dollars! So, if you value your money, please stay away from this dump and let it go mercifully out of business. read more

What a hidden gem downtown. Small, intimate venue with really cool decorations. Makes you feel like you are in someone's living room. Food is excellent and service is quick. We will be back for sure!!! read more

My boyfriend and I take turns each Saturday planning a date with each other, and we especially enjoy discovering local places/experiences we haven't tried before. This week was my Saturday to plan, so I did my research and booked Carmens. And now I will forever hold the title of the best Saturday date planner ever. It's truly a hidden gem! If you like intimate, unique, authentic without the typical pretension then you will love it here. An excellent place to go on a date! It's romantic, dimly lit and sexy.. Tapas + bossa nova + sangria (and incredible service of course)... what else could anyone ask for? I'm so happy to finally find a place in San Antonio like this Without a doubt this is my new favorite place in town. I'm already excited to go back again soon, hopefully to see the Friday evening show. Thank you Carmens for a fantastic evening! We loved everything about it!! read more

Love Carmen's for its unique authenticity. The food is delicious and the sangria is an absolute must-have. Flamenco nights are $15 pp/per show but is definitely worth the money. Highly recommend getting on eventbrite.com to reserve a seat and receive a complimentary glass of sangria upon arrival. $25 for the whole night. The owner is so friendly, efficient, and truly values how her restaurant is run. The service is great, but it is encouraged for you to get up and interact with staff by ordering your food and drinks when needing more. I love this place and will definitely be coming back. read more

This is a very romantic, under the radar, downtown spot. I took my date on a Thursday night. There was a $10 cover for a live jazz quartet that we both enjoyed very much. The menu was very diverse. we had the Paella, brussels sprouts (to die for), Queso flamedo (tasted like homemade enchiladas - yummy) carrot cake, Italian ice. Oops and the prosciutto wrapped dates and olives. Everything was amazing and came out at a stead pace that we had enough time to finish each course before moving on to the next item. The service was excellent however it was a slow night so I'm not sure how they would hold up under pressure with a large crowd. There are a couple of spots for a group of 6 or so to hang out but for the most part this is a couples spot with about a dozen candlelit tables for 2 scattered throughout the establishment Bathrooms were clean, and parking was easy to find. Ambiance was a 10+ read more

Very rude staff. Asked questions about the menu and the cashier rushed me to order something.

HORRIBLE service!!!!! Food is good and entertainment is wonderful, but you really can't enjoy either of them when you are constantly having to go up and ask where your drinks and food are. Literally took 25 minutes to get a Coke! Their ordering system is ridiculously slow and discombobulated. Nobody seems to know what is going on. I would have to say you should avoid this place if you want a relaxing stress free evening. read more

Went to eat dinner at 6:55pm. The place was empty. Was told if we were still eating dinner at 730, we'd be charged $10 cover charge for band that was setting up. We left... Never heard of this policy...oh well good luck. read more

I ordered two spinach and feta empanadas and the patatas bravas. All of the food was very delicious and I also really liked the sangria. We saw Flamencura perform and they were excellent. The ability for the dancers to move their bodies was truly mesmerizing. The guitar and the singing were also amazing. I invited several friends and they all agreed they would definitely be returning soon. read more

Loved the flamingo dancers here on a Friday night, $15 cover, should get you a server, maybe on point food, maybe a steak in less than an hour. You must also stand in line to order your drinks, read more

Jeff K is an idiot. Giving one star to a place he was too cheap to enjoy is such poor form. Carmen's consistently has the tastiest food down town and by far the best acts. Pork Milanesa was incredible on a recent visit and the empanadas have no peers in this town. read more

The place is small but cozy. We came for Saturday night jazz music. The cover was $15 pp which i think a little too much. Food was absolutely amazing. My husband had European meat dish yummyyyyy and i had rice with three types of meat. I was shocked how good it was . Sangria was delicious ! band played so professional ! And you can talk to them during their break. Parking is free after 6 on the weekend across the street which is super convenient. By looking at the place from outside i would never think it would be so good. We will be back for more for sure. Recommend. read more

Carmens De La Calle - Jazz & Blues Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

DO NOT GO HERE. Portion size is microscopic - over $12 for a meat and cheese tray that had literal slivers of cheese and a few small pieces of prosciutto. The entrees are about the same. Employees are RUDE - we arrived at 6 pm for dinner and were leaving shortly after the music started at 8. We were charged full price cover for each person in the group. What a scam - Carmen's that is not how you treat clientele. As for us, NEVER eating here again. read more

This is a wonderful place with great live flamenco music and dance. The staff was friendly. The only problem we had was the two female costumers who were next to us. They were annoying and disrespectful. And annoying. But everything else inside the place was wonderful. read more

This was the highlight of our San Antonio trip-- so glad a friend recommended it to us! The intimate setting, and performers were a true authentic flamenco experience, I will definitely be back again with more friends! read more

I go for the shows it's absolutely a gem of a venue. Parking is a bit pricey in the parking lots nearby but after 6 pm Saturday the metered on street spots are free. The staff are super sweet . The tapas are in the smallish side if you're starving get a burger first then share an order of empanadas with your drink. read more

Amazing find! The food was so good! And the Sangria! So good! Then there was the show - Flamenco music and dancing! It was just around the corner from our hotel too! read more

Carmens De La Calle - Jazz & Blues Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Try the Hippy Dip! Pair with a house sangria and enjoy the artistic atmosphere. Y'all welcome!

Carmens de la Calle is a great option for live music in San Antonio. The music and ambiance is super unique and fun. There is a tiny stage where all the performers stay. The reason Carmens did not get a four or even a three was because of the service. There are great options for food and they were all delish. The menu changes every week, so the only menu is in the front of the bar that is not visible from anywhere else in the restaurant. We were instructed to take a photo of the single menu and look at it at our seat. The other thing that was troublesome at Carmens was that to order food or drinks, you had to stand in a loooooong line (nearly out the door) to order. This line lasted anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes and blocked other patrons in the back of the bar. Lastly, after waiting in the line for 30 minutes, getting our drinks took anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes, if they came out at all. Carmens is a cute place with lots of potential, but needs some serious rethinking to do if they want to label themselves as a bar. read more

Carmens De La Calle - Jazz & Blues Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

This is a small venue featuring live entertainment and tapas. We were greeted at the door, advised that the cover was $15 and we could seat ourselves at any unreserved table. The advertised cover was $10. The menu changes frequently so it is presented on a chalkboard; we were advised to take a photo of it with our cell phones. All ordering is done at a counter which causes a rather slow line blocking the entrance and view of the menu for seated guests. There were probably 30-35 people in the place at mostly reserved tables. Service was incredibly slow (20+ min for drinks and longer for food) and did not seem organized. The drinks were good, and the food was solid (although the potatoes in our tortilla were undercooked) and the music was excellent. I think this place has good potential and needs to relook at their service model. read more

We had such a fun night at Carmen's! This was me and my husbands first time in San Antonio, and I was so excited about going to my first Flamenco show. Carmen's is perfect- small, intimate venue, cozy, and beautiful. We didn't try the food (will do next time!) but the drinks were great and so was the staff. The show was absolutely amazing and gave me goosebumps. We will definitely be coming back every time we visit San Antonio! read more

This is an amazing gem in San Antonio! I am thankful for the entire experience every time I come.

I really enjoyed the flamenco show, but their service is too slow. It's also a hassle to order food and check out. I would definitely visit once if you're in the area and want to see a nice show, but I wouldn't return. read more

This place is amazing!! If you're the type who is looking for something off the beaten path check this place out! Food was amazing and the entertainment was phenomenal! Loved the Flamenco! It was the perfect date night! Cozy and intimate! Love love love! We paid a $15/person cover charge to get in but it was totally worth it! The experience was one of a kind! I'll definitely be back! read more

A perfect place for a bohemian romantic night or a ladies night out with friends. Beautiful red wines, cabernets, tempranillos and delicious tapas. Love this place. read more

You HAVE to go..bring cash for cover charge, but WORTH it! I was shocked the place wasn't packed with a wait. We got there around 8pm on Saturday and were told there were going to be flamenco (I had to look that word up lest I spell it "flamingo"). So the cover was $15, we got a table up front. The food was AWESOME, make sure to try the queso fundido and a pitcher of sangria. We will go again when in town! read more

Food is fantastic, music is even better! What a downtown gem. Get the specialty of the house, the steak chimichurri. Bursting with flavor, super tender. Great balance between sauce and meat. we went for a songwriter night and loved it. read more

When I convinced my boyfriend that this would be an amazing night watching sexy flamenco dancers show us how it was done, I imagined that we would be in a large venue with an expansive stage for the performance. Instead what I discovered is that Carmens De La Calle is located in a bit of a dive with a tiny stage and tiny tables. Now granted, I'm not complaining. The performances of the three ladies was impressive and unexpectedly authentic. What was disappointing was the food, which was small in quantity and high in price. The previous reviews made such a clamor about the sangria, which I found to be mediocre and watery (thanks but no thanks), however, Carmens does have three cocktails that are incredible. I would skip the sangria and go for the cocktails. Also, while the food is rather delicious, it ruins anyone's appetite when your boyfriend gets a toothpick to get something out of his tooth and exclaims in horror when he pulls a full nail clipping from his tooth!!!! I lost my appetite along with him. While we didn't mention it to the staff, I'm pretty much no longer interested in Carmens De La Calle. The flamenco was awesome, the food experience however was the most horrific I've had. Unfortunately, I don't know that I will be back. read more

While driving through downtown with my sister, I heard her scream! Of course, I ducked, but it was a scream of delight that she'd found it again. CARMEN'S!! So we parked across the street and went in the door. Carmen met us at the door and she was friendly and welcoming. It was such a nice vibe, we ordered a pitcher of sangria, and something to gnosh on. Got the best table in the house, cause we were early, and we ate and drank until the flamenco guitar began to play. I LOVE flamenco and they were wonderful. The dancers were great and that guitarist rocked the house! I waited to post this review because I really don't want the lines to get too long, but Carmen's deserves her accolades. Brava!! This is a must NOT miss!! read more