Saw this location from a TikTok and thought why not? When we get there, it was pretty busy, but they were moving the line pretty fast. We got a Taiyaki Cone, a Taiyaki Upside Down Cone, and a Taiyaki with Pepperoni and Mozzarella Filling. They were all delicious! We got the vanilla and matcha mix for the ice cream. The cones were soft and crunchy and was delicious with the ice cream! Also the fish is a really cool design for them. The filled Taiyaki was really scrumptious snack on the side from the sweets! It's also next to a Japanese grocery store which I recommend visiting after eating. Honorary mention: The staff was very helpful and nice! Was asked by 2 staff how we enjoyed our meal. read more

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Such a beautiful space that they took on. I would like that the staff be a little more engaging or friendly. You can tell they work a lot and don't really greet or look people in the eye. I find that they get caught up in small details with customers being difficult instead of just making sure that everyone else isn't being held up by a Karen. Definitely a young staff or at least young employees. Not a lot of management going on. The last time I was there it was a bunch of young kids two of which were busy talking to a customer about a confused order because the customer made a mistake not the employee. But all three employees were paying attention instead of me getting the other half of my order 10 minutes later. I still like this place I'll still continue to give it more opportunities. Because there's dozens of menu items that I haven't tried yet. I primarily go here for the spam musubi. I would argue that it's better than the one that I try to make it home. And the taiyaki matcha mix with the chocolate straw and sprinkles Is My Jam. But I am completely turned on by the butterfly tea lemonade that I had this day, worth the 15 minute wait. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Spam Musubi - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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The Musubi and Savory were delicious. The butterfly lemonade was quite refreshing. It will be a new stop every time we visit the Japanese grocery store next door. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - The Saviory and Butterfly Lemonade were beautiful and delicious. - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I found this place by accident, and I love it! the taiyaki is adorable, and the flavors are good. I also love the matcha lattes. The shop itself is cute and has pretty decor. The staff is helpful and very friendly. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Mom and I shared 2 Pepperoni Taiyaki, a Cream Cheese Taiyaki, and a Red Bean Taiyaki, and I got a Ramune to drink. They were so good! The pastry was like a thick waffle and worked with both the savory and sweet flavors. It was very busy when we got there, but the service was still quick and quality. The decor was on the minimal side but they make it work well. Will definitely be going again. read more

Love this place. The service was great and the ice cream was amazing. A most go to if you are in SA.

Decided to stop here after lunch for dessert on a Tuesday afternoon and it was pretty empty. I ordered the vanilla ice cream with taiyaki and it tasted okay! I think that the ice cream contained a little bit too much milk than my preference but nonetheless, a good spot to stop by for some dessert if you're nearby. The building and restroom was also clean! read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Vanilla Ice Cream with Taiyaki - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Overall really nice place impressed by the food and it was very clean. The lady taking our order was very kind, I took some of my students who are still learning English and she was very patient with them. The restaurant itself could be improved with decoration and better seating. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Takoyaki - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Kids love this place. Great atmosphere amazing food and desserts. Have gone on several occasions will be back soon.

I had been wanting some Taiyaki since I had at it once in New York, and although it doesn't compare it is pretty good for San Antonio. The service was great even though my friend and I went 5 minutes before closing time! The cafe is a great place to relax and talk maybe even study. Overall the taiyaki is good and decently priced. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Oreo Taiyaki - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Ambiance was good, food and drink not so much. Ube Almond Milk Tea was okay, just a little watered down. My fam ordered 2 of the Oolong milk tea, they were disappointed because it was too watered down. Taiyaki was undercooked too. They were kind enough to change it but no difference on the drinks. They don't have much selection of the ice cream, only two. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Ube Almond Milk Tea and 2 Oolong Milk Tea. - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Sushi was great, plenty selection to choose from. The fact that when we went, there was a dragon Ball Z promotion going on through this place over the top for me, as I am a huge fan. The negatives, are that even though the menu shows, tons of various items to eat, the actual electronic menu is limited. I'm assuming based on what they have prepped for that day. There were a couple of dessert items we were looking forward to trying, that we could not choose from. My kids loved that there was a robot that served our drinks, when requested, and we were able to pay at our sushi kiosk, without having to wait on a waiter. read more

I love coming here for a small bite to eat and to grab a drink. I really enjoy the sweet filled tayaki over the savory filled. I suggest the custard or Nutella if you are new to tayaki. I got their strawberry matcha and it was delicious. The service was fast and the restaurant was clean. The best part is checking out the Japanese market that's next door before or after getting a quick bite from here. read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Strawberry matcha latte, strawberry latte - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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We weren't really huge fans of Hanamaru Cafe, but I think it's because we're biased after having Taiyaki many times in NYC. The cafe is located in a nondescript strip mall off of Fredericksburg Rd, just before the 410 interchange. The interior of the cafe looks overly industrial. Not "aesthetic industrial," but more like, "We're still working on it," industrial. They have a smattering of neon signage for "IG pics," but that seems to be the bulk of the effort put into the interior design. The staff weren't impolite, but also weren't very engaging. They have the set up where you go to the counter, place your order, they spin around a tablet requesting a tip, and you're going to go back up to get your order. Just a heads up. They have savory food like spam musubi, takoyaki, and bulgogi, but we went for the taiyaki- fish shaped soft cake cones filled with soft serve ice cream. They have a variety of fillings and toppings for the taiyaki and different ways they're served: filled, upside down, and in a cup. The filled taiyaki (filled with sweet or savory items like red bean paste, nutella, custard, cheese, ham, etc.) have a separate cost than the ice cream filled which starts at $4.75 (for just the vanilla ice cream in a cup). The price includes two "toppings" which we found to be skimpy. Flavorwise, the ice cream was run-of-the-mill. Nothing to write home about. Many of the toppings, like the syrups, were thin and runny Hershey's syrup from the bottle. Oreo "dust" just irritated my soul. Why not do chunks of oreos for the price? The taiyaki itself didn't have the depth of flavor we come to expect from our experiences in other major cities. All in all, we can say we went, but I don't think we'll return. It wasn't worth the price and drive. read more

Friendly service! The strawberry jam lemonade was very sweet and refreshing. The taiyaki was a good chewy but overall was ok! read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Strawberry Jam Lemonade - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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I had the curry chicken, flavor ok but do not go to this place hungry because the portions are too small. The popular yogurt served is $8.65 in a cone, too small to warrant the price. They offer several Teas but the large is 4.75. When ask if they offer refills for the Tea, owner lady responds nooo refill! Her cost maybe 20 cents. Finally the tables in use with comfortable chairs were taken, the stools in the center are for children not adults. They have holes in the top that force you to a-just to make them bearable. The meal was served in a Togo container. The small knives and forks are the ones so cheap they break with some food. 22.70 later, I had a nice appetizer and I'm ready to go eat. read more

The taiyaki are great but the speed of service is abysmal and the reason I'm writing this review and only giving 2 stars. Even when it's not busy, it takes *forever* to get an order out, including one as simple as 3 taiyaki. Something about the kitchen here is not efficient and it just doesn't work. I hope management sees this and takes a moment to consider adjusting their processes as there's no reason for a straightforward, minimal order of glorified waffles to take 25+ minutes to come out when there are barely any customers. read more

The food was pretty good, for what it is. Ergo, I couldn't be too mad about the quality. The service is really good, and the cashier was very accommodating. The ambiance was pretty, and it has a sort of college date vibe. Overall, a decent pick. read more

I love a good Taiyaki pancake with icecream. I didn't try anything else as it is on the pricier side. The hot fresh pancake with the ice cold ice cream was to die for though! read more

Only place that I know of to get the stuffed fish waffles. It's clean, very spartan ... it can get crowded but the bathrooms have always been clean when I went. My kids love it I think my middle child griped once that the Nutella stuffed waffle had all the filling to one side... but that's natural so I didn't ding them for it. Value is ok. I'll definitely come back and I'm comfortable bringing friends and coworkers here. I think I've been 3 times and I've brought family friends here as well. There's a Japanese grocery store in the same plaza so it's for sure a go to spot for any Japanese / anime lovers. I guess what would grab that last star for me is if they could get their fillings perfectly centered / even throughout the waffle. That's probably more trouble than it's worth though as far as rigging a contraption or freezing filling in molds ... or massive training. TL:DR - great food, fair value, great location, clean bathrooms! read more

The staff is friendly and professional. They provide a warm and fun environment. I tried the Pride-edition Taiyaki, iced coffee and shared a few other items with my family. I have to just say, wow! The food is delicious. They have vegan options too, if you ask. The whole place has this cool vibe. I will go back time and again! read more

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The Hanamaru cafe is located right next to the Japanese grocery store on Callaghan and Fredricksburg Rd. They have ice cream cones shaped like fish. You can choose to fill them with the green matcha ice cream, vanilla, or a mix. Matcha tastes like tea so it's a very refreshing flavor in this summertime heat. Next time I might get my ice cream in a cup with the fish upside down instead. My fish shaped cone was dripping and a little messy to eat. This restaurant was featured on Elder Eats so I was tempted to try it out. They also make Taiyaki filled pastries. You can choose either sweet or savory options. For sweet they have custard, ube, Nutella and condensed milk. The savory options were mozzarella, turkey and cheese, pepperoni and cheese and more. Think hot pockets (shaped like a cute little fish). I sampled the mozzarella taiyaki and a Nutella taiyaki. Both were very scrumptious little snacks! Make sure to take a selfie at their photo wall and check out the Japanese market next door! The clerks dress in traditional Japanese garb and will gladly help you pick out something as well as translate the packaging for you! read more

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We ventured to try out the newly trending dessert at Hanamaru Cafe. Looking at the options of cone, upside down and cup, I knew that Dad and I would need the upside down ones. My husband had the mixed taiyaki cone with rainbow sprinkles and mochi and quickly had to eat it after I took a picture. He did say that the soft serve made the waffle soggy pretty quickly. Dad had the vanilla taiyaki upside down cone with chocolate syrup and fresh strawberries. He was full from dinner and only ate a few bites. I had the mixed taiyaki upside down cone with rainbow sprinkles and fresh strawberries. I liked the crunchy waffle with the soft serve. The pros here include Instagram-worthy photos whether you get the cone or upside down one and crunchy waffle if you get the upside down cone. The con is that the soft serve melts so fast that you really have to eat fast. Difficult to savor each bite. We didn't try the savory ones but maybe next time. My husband said that he prefers Premium Matcha Cafe Maiko because the waffle cones don't get soggy. Also, their dessert options doesn't seem as pricey as Hanamaru's. Worth a stop, at least to try with the AAPI Heritage Month Passport discount and get a stamp! read more

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If your looking for a cute date this place is great! They have both food and dessert options. I loved the taiyaki. I tried the ham and cheese and the pepperoni and mozzarella. Delicious! Finished it off with some matcha ice cream and I was satisfied. Then headed next door to browse around Minano Japanese Market. It's definitely a vibe and a great weekend outting :) read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Ham & Cheddar Cheese Taiyaki - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Really great dessert and drinks here!! There was a long wait to get our order, but we went next door to the grocery store to get some snacks and look around until our number was called. read more

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We enjoyed the matcha ice cream with taiyaki. It was not too sweet and the delicious. Perfect after having dinner and you are craving something sweet! Also very cute! read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Matcha Ice Cream with taiyaki - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I got plain Taiyaki with no ice cream because it was late, but they were cooked very well and filling was delicious read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Ube Taiyaki and Strawberry Jam Lemonade - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Came for my birthday! The food was so good! Way better service than the first time. Food was done fast. The aesthetic was cute read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Chicken Curry with Rice and Lemonade. - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Tried bother the matcha with taiyaki and the spam musubi both were delicious. It was pretty empty for a saturday they have good seating and service read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Matcha Ice Cream - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

My favorite place to get delicious Taiyaki and Matcha ice cream close to the med center! Love coming here

Have been here a few times and its pretty good. Its a nice space that they setup and has a good atmosphere. It's right next to a Japanese store so its also interesting to take a look around there for some items to take home. The ice cream and the items on the menu are pretty good especially if you want to go for some nice Japanese's style ice cream. The fish waffles that come with the teriyaki ice cream is very good and I'll be sure to come back here again in the future. read more

Yummy to my hubby's tummy! The matcha and vanilla upside down takoyaki is the very cure for the summertime blues, if summer's not your thing. But if so, it's a great treat for your ice cream appetite! We are foodies and we are always on the lookout for places to satisfy our taste buds. Since I didn't have an ice cream that day, I decided to try the Orange ramune soda. That was my first time trying that flavor and it definitely hit the spot. So if you're looking for A1 soft serve with the matcha twist, come here! Also you can try other authentic snacks. I'll definitely be back. read more

OK. I decided to try this place. first impression, not a really cute place for a sweet dessert. But it's okay, not a big deal. Still comfortable enough to hang out with friends. I ordered the cute taiyaki mixed ice cream matcha and vanilla with oreo crumble and mochi. It takes a while to be ready even though they're not busy. To be honest, the taiyaki and the ice cream taste so-so. Can't taste the flavor at all. And it's very easy to melt so hurry up and finish it after taking a picture. And my husband ordered a matcha latte drink. Can't tell this is MATCHA LATTE. Can't taste or smell the matcha, can't taste the milk, very watery ice drink, you can see my picture. Very disappointed with this matcha latte. This is my honest review. Hopefully this place can do better in the future :) read more

I had the vanilla cup with Strawberry sauce and fresh strawberries. The soft serve was ordinary and the Strawberry sauce was reliable. But the fresh Strawberry was not fresh but frozen defrosted Strawberry half. So that's not cool, you can't serve up frozen fruit and call it fresh. My wife had the butterfly tea lemonade and it wasn't fresh lemonade either, probably came from a powder. Overall the food was a let down. The ambience had a positive vibe although the music was a bit loud for a Saturday afternoon. I hope to go back and try their fish shaped waffle, although the prices seem steep. I wanted to love this place but they need to improve a few things. read more

I love there ice cream it pretty good. I have order jamin green tea with cheese foam. It so different from California. It nothing like green tea. Taste like black tea more. read more

If you are looking for a spot for a fun, different ice cream experience this is a great option! Right next to a Japanese grocery store this place had plenty of room to hang out. The ice cream options are limited with only three to choose from but the fish cones make it worth it! The staff was nice and helpful but I ordered the cone and was charged for a cup, which is more money and not as cute looking. But still delicious! Definitely worth trying! read more

Hanamaru Cafe - Cup of vanilla matcha swirl with mochi and strawberry sauce. - Japanese Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

We got the Halloween-themed Taiyaki with ice cream a few months back. It was delicious and the portions were HUGE. The young lady at the register was helpful while we were making our choices and kept us updated on the status of our order. We will definitely be back! read more

Cute little place. Enter with patience because the lines and wait time for food can be awhile. Nice little seating area to enjoy food or desserts. I ordered the upside down Taiyaki with vanilla ice cream, strawberry syrup and one strawberry which was very good! Also tried the Oreo Taiyaki and it was soooo delicious! Definitely would be back for the filled Taiyaki! read more

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Arrived around 2pm on a Saturday. They had a line which wasn't to bad but it was worth the wait. I ordered the matcha ice cream with mochi and strawberry. ( wish the strawberry was diced up) but it was yummy. Had a spam musubi while I waited for my ice cream. It was about a 10min wait. A great place to grab a treat and go check the Japanese grocery store next door. read more

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Everything was good and staff was really friendly. They were out of the matcha ice cream when we went but that was ok.