Shrimp was cooked perfectly in the shrimp Rancheros. Whole fried fish was seasoned and fries well. Service was quick as well! Plan on returning! read more

El Bucanero - Shrimp Rancheros - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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My son and I went to the San Antonio Zoo so I could take pictures of the gorillas and other animals. It was a long day of walking around every area. By the time we were back to my truck, we were exhausted and hungry. Since we had always meant to try El Bucanero, we decided to head over and eat there. It turned out to be a very good decision. The venue itself is really festive. The music was really nice. It just felt like we were at some kind of a fiesta in Mexico. The menu was EXTENSIVE. There were hundreds of different ways to eat seafood in different combinations. It was a bit daunting. We had to look some words up and translate them. The server also helped us with our selections. For example we said we wanted ceviche. He recommended his favorite. It was extra spicy and delicious. My son ordered one of those huge schooners full of mixed seafood in a spicy sauce. He liked it a lot. I had pulpo a la Veracruzana. It was super delicious. I liked that it used vegetables that were slightly pickled. We will definitely go back there. Now that we know a place that has delicious fresh seafood, we have a lot of things to try. read more

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Went to El Bucanero tonight and decided to try the fajita skillet... and yeah, it was not it. First off, the skillet didn't even come out sizzling, and the meat definitely wasn't fajitas Super disappointing. If that's their version of fajitas, it might be a supplier issue. Lesson learned --next time I'm sticking to my usual there: the mini tacos. On another note, the ambiance and customer service is great. read more

El Bucanero - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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El Bucanero was recommended to me by an associate who loves seafood. My husband and I stopped by El Bocanero for a recovery meal after a long run at Hardberger Park. When we arrived, we thought the restaurant was not yet open, but to our surprise we found the restaurant was filled with people happily chatting and eating. What a good sign for a tasty meal. :) We were quickly greeted and escorted to our table. We are offered menus with an extensive list of food and drink options. I love soup so I ordered the Seafood Soup. It was loaded with seafood (fish, shrimp, squid, etc). It was pipping hot, just the way I like soup and so delicious. My husband ordered the Quesadilla Nortena. He really enjoyed it but it was so large that he had to take half of it home. While the service was very good and our meals were tasty we were seated close to the bar pick up area so it was a little bit distracting. Also, we noticed an outdoor patio in the back but nobody sat outside except for the staff taking their breaks. It may be due to the cooler weather. It's not a fancy place but we will definitely come back to check out their other seafood dishes. read more

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We was stop by the restaurant, we were greeting by the nice host. The food was great, the drinks was very tasty. The waiter is super nice with big smile. I will come back here next time if I'm in town. read more

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I don't think I've shared a review for this restaurant yet. I've dined here a couple of times, and if I recall correctly, my first visit didn't quite meet expectations--though it's worth noting the place was fairly new to the San Antonio scene at the time. Each visit has offered a different experience, but one thing that's remained consistent is the restaurant's vibrant atmosphere. I had completely forgotten--there was a live Mariachi band playing as we walked in, which added so much energy to the place. We were seated immediately at a booth, with no wait at all. The booth itself was really unique, featuring artwork that made it feel like we were underwater. The menu is heavily seafood-focused, but I opted for the mini tacos, which came with toppings and pinto beans. They were absolutely delicious! I also treated myself to a high-end cucumber beverage that paired perfectly with the tacos. All in all, it was a great visit. We enjoyed the food, the ambiance, and the service. read more

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Good variety of Mexican seafoods.huge portions great service. Absolutely worth to try. I love the ambiance. read more

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The server, Jorge, was excellent. Friendly and helpful with a great attitude. Food was great and price was fair. Restaurant was relaxed and smelled amazing! read more

El Bucanero - Kids Mini Tacos - camarones al natural - fried Shrimp and Fries - Molcajete Mar y Tierra - Mojarra Chicharrn - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Wish the dishes were more consistent. Ordered the aguachiles verde last week and it was absolutely delicious this week it was lacking a bit of flavor. Fried fish could have been less salty. Overall, could use with a bit more consistency throughout and staff could be a bit more polite. But nonetheless, ceviche and aguachiles are delicious. read more

El Bucanero - Oysters in half shell, green aguachiles, and fried fish - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Authentic seafood Mexican restaurant. There's always a wait and for a good reason! Be sure to book in advance or give them a call at least. One time I had to wait over 45 minutes after we had a reservation but the food for me made it worth it. They are usually super busy and I love the mariachi's that play here. Birthday celebrations are so nice and the piña colada is amazing. read more

LOVE this restaurant! We have come twice when in town for soccer tournaments. They are always so welcoming and handle our big party with ease! Food is amazing, service is flawless and the atmosphere is so fun! Busy place & we love it!! read more

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Christian the manager rude. Just keep saying those are the prices. I ordered a kids plate 12.99 for kids quesadilla! I ordered a Caldo de pescado and not fish in the dam bowl just vegetable. I informed the waiter and told the manager. All he could say the portion are set already. I get more fish from a dam tuna can. The server Jorge was great hands down to him. He was great. I came all the way from Houston to get this services. Do not recommend it. Go elsewhere trust me. Unless you just want vegetable. I don't even wanna give 1 star. read more

Un festín para los sentidos. La comida no solo se saborea, se celebra: cada plato tiene alma y un toque de magia. Además de porciones gigantes y con mucha sazón... El servicio es tan cálido que uno se siente invitado, no atendido. Y el ambiente... una burbuja de buena energía, una vibra como caribeña y detalles que te sacan de la rutina de la ciudad... Un lugar al que se llega con hambre y se sale con el corazón lleno. read more

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Ordered the mango aguachiles and was okay. Went in for lunch and I feel I was overcharged but was already running late to even review and call someone back to let them know. Definitely not a 37$ meal. However I'd still go back and try some of the other dishes. read more

El Bucanero - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Super delicious food the service is amazing. I will continue to come here for many years.

Wow! What fun this place is? I had the sea bass and it was well prepared and absolutely tasty. The service was excellent and I even learned a little Spanish. But my favorite part was the mariachi players. They were on point and LOUD! Loved it!! Can't wait to come back...SOON!! read more

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Food is so good and fresh. It will not disappoint. The churro truck is also awesome and delicious. read more

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We came here on 02.18.24 for the first time - I had been wanting to come here for years after being told about it by a friend. This location (one of three) is in a nice Hill Country setting, dirt parking lot and oak trees included. On a Sunday, we found a crowd. Benches are all along the covered porch, in anticipation of lines. We walked into an enormous dining area packed to the gills with people. I mean, PACKED. The place was hopping! After intense review of the insanely populated menu, our amazing and super friendly server took our order of fried calamari and two large seafood cocktails. The fried calamari was good but a little dry. It came with a delicious house-made hot sauce and seasoned cucumbers and tomatoes. My date had the large shrimp cocktail and I had the large shrimp and octopus cocktail. You definitely get what you pay for with these. They were enormous and packed full of seafood, as well as pico de gallo and a tasty cocktail sauce. We barely could finish these - actually, I finished mine and there was plenty left of the other cocktail. Every dish we saw coming out of the kitchen looked amazing, and that the place was as crowded as it was with locals, that said a lot. For the food, that there was so much that sounded good, and for the five-star service, we are definitely wanting more visits in the future. read more

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I had not had Mariscos in quite a long time. "Mariscos" is the Spanish word for seafood btw :) Since moving here to SATX, I have been on a quest for the best/most authentic restaurants for all of my favorite foods! El Bucanero took me back to my childhood and some of the seafood places I visited as a kid, since my Dad loves Mariscos. So it is safe to say El Bucanero definitely exceeded my expectations! Warning: their menu has over 100 items! Extensive menu is an understatement! I was torn on what to get and so was my husband. When we finally decided, I ordered the "AKA" shrimp tostada which is essentially "shrimp ceviche" and they already have home made tostadas and crackers at the table when you arrive. My husband ordered a "Molcajete" which is just a serving style bowl symbolic for an actual molcajete (mortar or pestle). They have a few variations of the dish. The one my husband ordered had chicken, beef, slices of cheese, cooked cactus (nopales) and bacon wrapped shrimp all served in a delicious sauce. It's served with a side of beans, rice and tortillas. Service is above par despite how busy they get! Very clean restaurant! Ambiance is lively with traditional Mexican music playing and friendly staff/servers! Overall wonderful experience! I love that I felt "home" as soon as I walked in! Can't wait to return! read more

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Lunch at the El buc restaurant was a disappointment. The quality was bad. The tortillas for the fish tacos were not good. The tortillas were bad and the rice was old Maybe recycled from previous week The food was mediocre warm . read more

Visited for an early dinner before catching a flight home. The food and drinks were nothing special but the pricing was appropriate. The bar area was loud and the sound extended into the entire dining. That is somewhat expected with the sports bar feel. read more

El Bucanero - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Places crowded service is good. Food was just bland. Second time I've been. I went back to try it again after the first time we ordered their dressed oysters, which were so so. We ordered the shrimp cocktail with the octopus and calamari in it. There was some dime size pieces of octopus, but the shrimp and calamari was just minced into mix and nothing overall is very watery and lacked flavor. Thank goodness for the Valentina at the table. The bacon wrapped shrimp was decent. Nothing right home about I admit I'm intrigued. I don't understand how they draw such big crowds with quality of food they have. That being said everybody's super polite service is good manager stopped by to check on everything. read more

Way overpriced! Food was not tasty. Big hype for a big disappointment. Don't waste your time and money.

I don't normally leave 5 star reviews but this place is amazing! Reasonably priced high quality seafood with fun twists! The drinks are novel and quite good. A beer that doubles as an hors d'oeuvres (Michelada with shrimp and cucumber garnish). The oysters are fresh, and the peel and eat shrimp are wonderful and plentiful! You have to try it. read more

El Bucanero - Drink menu - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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My family and I decided to give this restaurant a second chance. As an appetizer we got the calamari. It was chewy but it was served with slices of tomato, cucumbers, and a home made sauce. I was looking for something small and thought the shrimp salad would fit the bill. But it was huge! I took three quarters of it home. It was yummy though. I probably won't order it again unless someone will split it with me. My other family members ordered the fish and shrimp plate. It looked delicious and I will be getting that next time. The place was nicely decorated and the staff were friendly. I will say there was a language barrier it we worked through it. read more

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Late lunch, don't take long for them dot sit us. Cocktail is great...salsas are hot, but delicious. The Milanese is so good; a must try!!! read more

El Bucanero - Milanese El Sinaloa. Sooooo goood!!!! - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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This restaurant NEVER DISAPPOINTS! The food is always so good! I'm not gonna lie, it's always hard to make a choice about the menu, because it's so extensive! But I do love they have so many pictures in the menu, so you can see what you are going to get. This time we got Torre el Rey and Camarones a la Veracruzana, both very very good. Both plates have enough food to feed 2 people each. The only reason I didn't give a 5 star review is because this place need a renovation, it looks the same as it looks when it opened years and years ago, it definitely needs some love and the bathrooms need some work too, only two stalls and very and in need of some work. Staff is friendly and they know their menu which helps. read more

El Bucanero - Torre El Rey - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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CUSTOMER SERVICE !!! Everyone is so incredibly nice and always greets with a smile!! Food so so great and never leave hungry! 10 stars read more

El Bucanero - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

The food and service was great. Our family had catfish, Shrimp empanadas and ceviche. read more

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I hate to give an establishment a bad review, but I have to be 100% honest. Although the food was pretty good and fresh, our service was extremely slow. The waiter was nice but honestly took forever with everything from the moment we sat down (5:50pm) until we received the check (8ishpm). It took 15 minutes for our waiter to acknowledge us and bring waters to our table. The women's bathroom was not clean and smelled bad. Overall, the experience wasn't good. I think for how high they price their meals, it should've been way better. If it weren't for those two reasons, I would've given it a 5 star. Left disappointed. read more

El Bucanero - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Great food and drinks . Friendly customers service. Drinks and food came out fast . The Molcajete was amazing delicious and the mango ceviche was the best I have had. read more

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The Cerviche is 5 stars alone! I stoped here with the family on our way to the River Walk and this place did not disappoint, the food was delicious and reasonable priced. The service fast and friendly and the restaurant was clean and spacious. If you are ever in the area check them out! read more

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Food quality and quantity has degraded to a point that we will not return. The server tried hard to give proper service but he had several tables. The carne asada was ground meat over cooked and tasteless! The fish was so small we had to order another order of the same plate. Unfortunately there a manager was not available. The only good item was the green hot sauce. The ceviche was grounded mesh of fish I hope , poor quality and not worth the price or taste. Hope they read this and turn this place otherwise close it. read more

El Bucanero - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

El Bucanero is still a good place for seafood. However, I have to say that today was a bit disappointing. They increased their prices while affecting their quality. We had the grilled fish plate. The amount of fish was much less than before and it was not well cooked. Service was excellent as always. Our server was very attentive. There was a festive atmosphere in the restaurant. Fiesta San Antonio was in the air! read more

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We had lunch and everything was great. Service , food and drinks. Waiter was friendly and attentive. Hostess was friendly too. For us food is important. But customer service is everything! read more

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El Bucanero consistently has the freshest shrimp on the face of the planet, in my opinion. Just recently we had ceviche. The 8oz x3. One is mango, one is jalapeno and if I remember correctly the third one is chipotle. The ceviche is so fresh and so yummy. Shrimp and fish. Our only mistake was that we should have shared the order!! read more

El Bucanero is a staple in San Antonio! last night we dined at the blanco location as the embassy location was closed and I have to say, the experience was outstanding in many ways. The service was exceptional from start to finish- attentive, friendly, and quick without being too overbearing. What really stood out, though, was how wonderfully they treated our babygirl. The manager went above and beyond to make her feel welcome, offering her a variety of food to try, which was such a thoughtful touch. (beans, tortillas, and avocado) At the end of the meal, we were pleasantly surprised to find that none of the food they had provided for her was actually on our bill. It was a lovely gesture, and it made our experience even more special. The food itself was delicious as always, but the service and kindness made this visit memorable. Highly recommend this place for anyone looking for great food and even better hospitality! Been going here with my family for 10+ years, my sister use to work here, and our guests request "El Buc" as soon as we pick them up from the airport!! We will always make the drive for our favorite. read more

Based on family recommendation we paid this seafood restaurant a visit. We were sat right away. The waiter was prompt with taking drink orders. Our food came out nicely decorated and hot! The food was authentic and savory. We ordered ceviche, seafood tortilla soup, molcajete. I would definitely recommend this place the molcajete had fish, shrimp and chicken. The shrimp was split in half cooked to perfection. Ceviche was tasty added flavor with cucumber and tajin. read more

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The Waite line gets long but moves quickly. The menu is massive so stick to what you came for and you should be good otherwise you may get overwhelmed. With the supper cool over the top drinks things can add up quick. It's definitely a celebration place. read more

Ordered online and picked up at a to go parking spot. Didn't have to leave the car. Excellent food and service! read more