first - lots of empty tables and yet we were still told there was a 45 minute wait unless we sat at the bar. Staff was generally unfriendly, one bartender asked my boyfriend to "step the fuck back" and then spit in his cocktail. The sesame chicken was pretty good aside from the fact that it tasted like chicken nuggets coated in ketchup - and the rice was crazily undercooked. i would not have fed this to a cat, i would not have fed this to a rat - i would not eat it again in a car, i would not eat it again if my route home is too far. -3/10 okay but fr, the food was kinda really gross don't go here if you have tastebuds they will permanently only be able to taste varying degrees of heinz ketchup. the best course of action for hot joy is only ordering alcohol and when you're drunk enough to not care about your digestive track, order some food. read more

Came on a busy night but got seated at one of the very cool booths. Was perfect for our group. We ordered several dishes and they were all family style sharing so we all got to enjoy the flavors. We also got a huge punch bowl drink that was shareable for us all. It packed quite the punch and wasn't too badly priced. Looking forward to coming back to try other dishes! read more

I really enjoy the atmosphere here, it's always popping with positive vibes. Never have I experienced "bad service" nor had a "bad attitude" from any staff member. ( and yes I have been here many times). What I can say is that I have always received great tasting food. Last night's visit was nice and enjoyable, the food was delicious, the plates were definitely full and plenty to go around for everyone to enjoy. My good friend Mel had never been here, so we ordered 3 dishes for her to try, ordered Chicken fried rice, Italian beef and a pork dish and all three was amazing! We had four drinks each, don't ask me what because I don't recall; but I absolutely remember they were all so very delicious! Thank you to the wonderful hoste$$ who made $ure we were seated within 10/15 minutes after arriving, $he knows how to do her job! I will revisit Hot Joy and continue to recommend this establishment! It's a great place. read more

Hot Joy - TEXAS SUN & ? - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Hot Joy is straight fire! We crushed the orange chicken, spam, fried rice, and twice fried wings. Everything tasted bomb and came out fast because our excellent server Kat. Shoutout to the tasty coconut mocktail too! Only complaint is they need to bring back that spicy pickle chicken - missed out on that one but it sounds amazing. PLEASE BRING IT BACK. Overall, Hot Joy smashes it on flavors, vibe, and service. A+ spot for next-level Asian munchies with fun twists. Get it in your belly ASAP! read more

We went for their ramen Monday's and each of us ordered a ramen. The first one came out and by the time he finished the ramen, we were still waiting on the other two. The second one came and we were still waiting even longer for the third bowl. Not only did the food come out far apart from each other, the ramen was very sad looking. It looked half full with not enough of anything. It needed more soup and definitely needed more toppings. The double miso ramen had like a few small chopped up shiitake mushrooms and two baby corn pieces dropped on top. It was basically just broth with some ramen noodles. I couldn't imagine paying the regular price for this as it was barely enough food for one. I am already thinking of food I am going to make after I get home as this was barely a meal. The most disappointing part was that the broth was actually pretty good! Just such a small portion with minimal toppings...don't waste your time or money here. Oh, also, there was a half dead cockroach squirming and a dead fly next to us. What great ambiance! read more

Hot Joy - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Love Hot Joy! Food is great, service is amazing and the drinks are to die for. Great Happy Hour drinks. I definitely recommend the "O Captain My Captain". They will not let you down. read more

Hot Joy - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Five years ago, you went to Hot Joy for the food. Now, you come for the drinks. I am a long time Hot Joy fan, but as of 2yrs ago, the food has gone downhill. Funny too, the prices have only gone uphill. At 8:30pm, the food on a Friday night tastes like mall food court food. Dry, salty, and overcooked. Hot Joy is not the place it used to be. We ordered the pupu platter and sesame chicken. The drinks, however, were phenomenal. Also glad that they got better, kinder bar staff. I've been hoping they'd turn things around for multiple years, but I'm starting to lose hope. Cool ambience and drinks, but skip the food. side note: Food came out cold. Come on!!!! read more

Hot Joy - Sesame Chicken - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Hot Joy is a hot mess! The ambiance is awesome, but the food and tiki drinks meh. The pineapple chicken had a weird taste and the painkiller could have been a little stronger. This is one place I wish the menu would have had a few more entrees. Service was ok: they were constantly dropping glasses and shattering them and a waitress spilled a bucket of mop soap that splashed on my leg. read more

Came here for a dinner date with my boyfriend. We're both from NYC and found a place that looked pretty cool from online pics. When we arrived we were greeted by the hostess who informed us that there would be a 30min wait and that their menu would change from "dinner" to "small bites" by the time we would be seated. We decided to stay being that the items we wanted from the dinner menu were on the small bites menu anyway. After about 5mins wait we were informed our table was ready. **Keep in mind we were the last party to be seated** As we walked into the dining area we saw the place wasn't busy at all. We were seated near the door where it was a bit chilly so we asked the hostess would she change us to a middle booth away from the door. She told us there was a party already seated there which was a bold face lie. We could clearly see the table was vacant. As we waited for our server roughly about 4mins we witnessed the hostess seat a couple in the same booth she told us was not available! At this point I'm pissed. We were the last to be seated it wasn't as if someone reserved that booth. Terrible customer service!! The hostess never came back to even inform us the table was available she just sat someone else there. I immediately asked for the manager who was nice and seated us at another booth that became available. He offered us a complimentary app. Nice gesture however I don't mind paying for food would just like some hospitality when spending my money. The drinks were amazing! My boyfriend and I shared the Return of Saturn, the presentation was super cool 10/10. The food mediocre. We had the twice fried wings which were decent 7/10 flavor was there, wings were just too large causing a slight "game" taste. The Lemmon pepper curry wings were inedible for me, not a good combo 2/10. The spam fried rice was mushy 4/10. Lastly we had the Dan Dan noodles. Honestly it was spaghetti and meat sauce with sesame oil and scallions topped Mexican cheese 3/10. read more

Hot Joy - Twice Fried Wings Lemon Pepper Curry Wings - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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I'm not sure what they put in my drink but I felt as if there was a flock of singing toucans and parrots serenading my wife as we dined on the unique cuisine at this charming spot. Cheers! read more

I love the tofu tacos we also got the Twice fried wings in spam fried rice . Definitely coming back to try other stuff menu. Customer service was the best. read more

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I'm coming to find that first impressions are often REALLY wrong when it comes to restaurants. The first time I came It was with a large party for a birthday, and it was all a hot mess. All the times I've been back have been enjoyable. I love their unique cocktails, their wings and other delectable appetizers. This is a hot spot on the weekends, so don't anticipate getting a seat without a sizable wait. read more

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I stumbled onto this place while trying to find a place to eat with a family member who was visiting from out of town. Turns out, it is very hard to find a restaurant open in San Antonio on a Monday. Hot Joy seemed to be the only restaurant open in Southtown & we saw that it advertised itself as having a good happy hour so we decided to give it a shot. We arrived during happy hour (M-Th 4-6pm, Fri-Sun 12-6pm) & were surprised to find that we may have actually needed a reservation (keep this in mind if you decide to go, better safe than hungry). Luckily for us, they had a no-show so we were able to slip in with less than a 5 minute wait. *Side note: we may not have needed a reservation to sit at the bar as it was mostly empty but, we did not ask since we were seated so promptly* Once seated, it took a bit for a server to appear but when she did, we learned that she was in training. No worries from us! We learned that Monday is their Ramen night ($9.99 for a bowl of ramen) so we both chose a different Ramen to try. I had the Tonkotsu & my aunt had the Tokyo Pork. They were both delicious! The Tonkotsu was surprisingly spicer than I anticipated but it had good flavor. The Tokyo Pork was slightly creamier & sweeter. When I return, I'd like to order the Tokyo Pork myself. We also split a pupu platter & every single thing on it was tasty but my personal favorites were the BBQ Pork Skewers & the Sticky Black Bean Ribs. Now, during happy hour, most entrees are 50% off but, the pupu platter is excluded. We didn't mind though, it was plenty of food for the price. The ambiance inside the restaurant itself is very cool. We sat in a round booth that had plenty of room (bring all the friends!). We ordered drinks from the happy hour menu as well. My aunt had a red wine, she wasn't super impressed with it. She said it had a slight vinegar taste. However, I had a strawberry daiquiri and a chi chi (vodka, pineapple, coconut). Both drinks were well made and tasted great! As we were finishing up, we smelled the most delightful cinnamon-y smell. If you've ever walked by the cinnamon roasted almond stand at the mall, it smelled just like that. We asked our server if he knew where that was coming from. He informed us that if someone orders a bowl from the drink menu (large shareable portions for between 2-6 people), they light a cinnamon stick on fire on top of it. So, if you do decide to come (with your reservation) & bring all your friends (see above about the booth), order one of the bowls to share as a drink. I can't vouch for the taste but the smell was heavenly! Our experience was overall very good. I am looking forward to returning with more friends & trying more of their food & drink items. read more

I love Hot Joy! It's the perfect late night spot with an equally perfect late night happy hour menu. The eccentric vibe comes to life through the awesome decor, food, and drink menus! Eating here is just a super fun experience! Try that spam fried rice and those crab fat wings!! You won't regret it. It can be pretty sticky and gross sometimes, so i usually only go when nothing else is open, but never regret it!l read more

Fun place. Funky food. Drinks come close to authentic tiki drinks but only a tiki-file would know that. Fun decor. Just don't go during busy hours or the staff might not give you the full experience. read more

This was my first time coming here, and also will be my last time coming here. I came here for a small get-together with some friends, I'd first like to say the ambiance and decor transports you to another world. The wait staff is super kind and amicable. The drinks are a great deal at Happy Hour, and the food is either hit or miss, just know some portions are served family-style portions. I will vouch that the char siu tacos I had were amazing, and I would seriously have given this place a 5-star rating... However, as much as I had a good time with friends and joking with some of the staff, something strange occurred when I went to pay my tab. All I can say is that it was a bizarre event that has left me feeling uncomfortable for having even visited there. read more

Went here for a birthday and it was delicious. I highly recommend going on Mondays because they have a Ramen menu. That was so so good. The waiters always recommend great stuff. I really enjoy the mo fo tofu and both their wings are awesome. I have even ordered delivery and I don't live very close. The ambience is awesome. It's such a great environment. Super colorful, and the waiters were great. I definitely recommend trying some of their mixed drinks. A lot of them are fun. There's even crazy drinks. You can order to share with someone but I haven't been that daring. read more

Waiter rushed through everything and was condescending. Food needed more love put into it. Ordered a bowl drink first, and it came out after our meal. Was super excited to try this place but it was lackluster. Decent for insta photos, but that's about it. read more

Hot Joy - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

This place is amazing. Fairly nondescript from the street, I've passed it 100 times until tonight. It's a 1950's Tiki Bar crossed with Asian-fusion cuisine that is even better than the menu descriptions. This is a new entry to our frequent favorites list! Drinker, be warned, though- these sweet tiki drinks go down smooth and pack a delayed punch. read more

From the moment I walked in, the restaurant had such a unique and vibrant vibe! Majority of the food is meant to be served family style which is a great option for all first timers. Service was efficient. Will definitely be coming back in the near future. read more

We had a really fun night out here recently. The service was great! Our drinks were really good and the food was phenomenal! My only issue was that the food came out very randomly. Our waitress warned us beforehand, but it just didn't make sense. We got one entree at a time and then our 2 appetizers came out afterwards, also randomly one at a time. I don't know if the timing issue was a one night only type of thing, or if they always operate like that. The fact that they warned us beforehand makes me think it's an all the time issue that others have complained about. If they could get the kitchen timing down, it would be 5 stars and we'd be having dinner there on the regular. read more

Hot Joy - Bone-in Pork Katsu - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Hot joy has really fallen off. The food is good, but the wait is terrible- when we order for delivery sometimes no one comes to greet you at the door. Several times I've had to find someone to help me. It's just too bad because I want to love them, but they continually disappoint read more

A little on the pricey side, but well worth it. Was just passing by and saw a few places to check out, so I pulled over and this was the first that caught my eye. You walk into this almost east Asian welcome room and get sat by the house. I sat at the bar and the bartender was excellent. Well versed in drinks, the food, and the rum. They have a couple walls of rum. He recommended the Crab Fat Wings or the spicy pork wraps. I went with the wraps. It took a few minutes to come out and it is an appetizer for more than one person. It's a meal for two. I'll be back to try the wings. Great job read more

Hot Joy - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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I've been following Hot Joy's Instagram for a while now and finally had the opportunity to try the restaurant out last night. The location is in a trendy area in Southtown. The aesthetic and decor were in great taste but the food not so much. Me and my party were extremely disappointed. I was really optimistic about the Mexican Asian infused foods on the menu. We ordered several dishes including: Pozole Verde Ramen, Mole Fried Rice, Green Curry Aquachilles, and Pork Cumin Empanadas. These dishes were not good at all. Especially the aquachilles. They were very disgusting. The dish consisted of large pieces of shrimp (raw or cooked I do not know because of how repulsive it was) mixed with slices of cucumbers and avocado in a thin want to be curry sauce. I honestly couldn't eat more than the first bite of that dish. Our waitress was nice enough to remove the plate from our ticket because of how displeased we were. Our experience here was an extreme let down. And I honestly don't understand how anyone enjoys the food. We will not be returning. read more

Had a wonderful time. Awesome staff and the best Sesame Chicken and the drinks are on point. Beautiful inside. Love it

I've been hearing about Hot Joy for a few years and finally made it here. The menu items I kept hearing about are no longer on the menu, as they change their menu every few months. I went during happy hour with a buddy so we were able to share some appetizers. We had ordered the bao and chicken wings. The bao tasted alright, but took WAY TOO LONG to come out. It ended up coming out after our entree. The chicken wings were REALLY flavorful and crispy. I'm glad our waitress suggested it. For an entree, I got the "noodz" which I found to be way too salty and did not have a lot of noodles. I wouldn't come back for a while (until the menu changes), but I'd give it another shot. read more

Place has definitely gone downhill from where it started years ago when it was new on the scene. Food leaves a lot to be desired and is not very imaginative. Two stars for location and decent drinks. read more

It's just the atmosphere that is so dope but it's overpriced 22 dollars for orange chicken the food isn't anything you can't get at a fast food chain read more

TERRIBLE SERVICE!! Came for a friends bday with a party of 10. Server came to our table once and argued when our food came out 45 minutes apart. No apologies. 20% gratuity was included so no wonder he didn't try at all. Will never come back here. read more

After looking online for a nice place to have dinner, we decided on Hot Joy. Some reviews were favorable and others not so much, but we had to see for ourselves. We stopped by on a Thursday evening and it was surprisingly buzzing with people. We were greeted immediately but were told to wait a sec to make sure they had a table ready. Our server was very nice and was happy to recommend a strong drink for me off of their menu, which btw did not disappoint. Now, we had read about their steam buns from previous reviews, and we were hoping that they were offering them this night, but no luck. After all, the menu is rotating. For our meal, we went with their Loaded Potato Bing (8.99) for an appetizer. Honestly we could have had 3 orders of those puppies and called it a night, they were so good!!! And the sauce was delicious and complimented it perfectly. For my entree, I chose the Bibimbap (12.99) with tofu (3.99 add. charge) and the s.o ordered the Morcilla and Kimchi fried rice topped with chicharrons (14.99). Which didn't sound very appetizing at first but it ended up being very tasty. Our food arrived hot and in a timely manner. And we were pleased that our server was attentive and helpful. Our total price for the meal was a bit pricey but we enjoyed the meal and our drinks. Of course if we nixed the drinks it could have been cheaper but that ain't gonna happen lol Overall we enjoyed our visit here! The decor is very cute and different. It leans toward the hipster side but without all the Edison lights. They had loud indie music playing, which was a good mix, but at times it was hard to tell if you were eating at a restaurant or eating at a dive bar. But I liked the music so I didn't mind. Aside from that, I see this place being a good pick for a date. We will stop by again when we're in the city. read more

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The vibes at Hot Joy are second to NONE! Most frequently I come in for the lovingly + artfully crafted cocktails - Adrian is the BEST bartender - & when I am feeling food accompaniments, I am never let down. I recommend this spot to everyone - strangers & friends alike. read more

Hot Joy - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Though I love this place I do have to say it's pretty expensive and the food menu is pretty short. The one thing that always keep me coming back are the twice fried crab wings. Staff is usually a hit or miss with attentiveness to your table. Drinks are good but expensive. However the overall ambience of the restaurant is borderline magical. read more

Why is no one talking about how the twice fried wings smell like literal dog food?! service sucked! Would not recommend Edit to shout out to the blue hair hostess who couldn't even be bothered to look up from her phone! read more

One of my favorite restaurants. I'm so happy that they are doing curbside and delivery now after the closures. I don't know how but the food got even better. The twice fried wings are great and the mystery wings I got were some sweet chili mix that was amazing. The egg foo young fried rice was a huge portion and great. The gravy, pork chop on it and fried rice was all made very well. Even the egg rolls were on point. Overall so happy. read more

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Food is excellent. Service was great. Love the ambience!! Booths are the best! A little dark, but we loved it!

The food was terrible!! I was on a first date so he picked the place. The drinks at the bar were great waited an hour for table, which is fine Saturday evening typical. Our waiter talked soooo fast and the music was way to loud to hear him. So we had never been there before so we went safe orange chicken which was fried and so crunchy not burned but not enjoyable either. And the white rice was cold, dry, and stale like it had sat out all day. I know how can you mess up white rice?! Also had shrimp dumplings major spicy we clearly told the waiter nothing too spicy. Also shared the fried wings which were really good but like 5 baby wings to an order. So not worth the price. I definitely will not be back, there's way too many great spots in Southtown to settle for this place. read more

The food is unique, sweet, savory, complex and DELICIOUS. The drinks are always great. We preferred max the Texas Sun. We had the wok fried green beans, the twice fried chicken wings and the pork belly tacos. The green beans though, are at a new level. Get them! read more

Hot Joy - Texas Sun & Rhubarbara Streisand - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Disclaimer: This place isn't for everyone. The food selection is really eclectic and the restaurant has the odd mix of Southtown meets Asian fusion meets tiki bar. But we love it. We have been avid HJ patrons for years and seen several waves of menu changes and special offerings. We went late on a Saturday night with our friends (mostly to drink) and decided to splurge on the Oye Pono Que Paso shared party bowl. It came to our table in flames (true story!!) with four large straws for consumption. If you want something for the 'Gram, this is the drink to get. We also enjoyed the Navy Grogs and Frozen Night Walkers- all tiki based, really delicious, boozy beverages. We haven't eaten too much from the new menu but did try the loaded potato bing, which I could have eaten five plates of. Next time, we will be more adventurous and try more food. If anyone from Hot Joy sees this, we are dreaming of the day when the tater tot chaat comes back on the menu! read more

Hot Joy - Oye Pono Que Paso, Share-a-bowl drink for 4. Comes on fire and full of tiki flavor. - Asian Fusion Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Super fun experience! As soon as you walk in, you're really mesmerized by the decor. It really feels like you're having dinner in another world. My friends and I made reservations for my birthday and we ran late. Staff was super understanding and accommodating. We sat at a booth and it was super private we loved it! Our server Zeke was TOP TIER. The sweetest and so helpful when we asked for recommendations. You MUST order the Twice Fried Wings! Our food was delicious. I was so skeptical after reading some reviews but so glad we tried it out. We ordered the shareable drink. The fire show that comes with it was SO fun! The drink however was not our favorite. I'm not sure if it was the alcohol mixture of mezcal with pineapple? Or the smokey taste the fire show left? It really wasn't a big deal though! Definitely wouldn't order again. read more

When we left the masquerade ball starving there was only one thing that could satisfy two vegans and our sidekick. Ramen. Luckily we found it before closing at Hot Joy, the Asian fusion spot that serves up craft cocktails alongside good eats in a trendy setting. Did I order a guava mule? Yep. And I would have ordered another if time had allowed. It was quite tasty. The vegan ramen was also pretty damn good, with fire roasted corn, mushrooms and crispy tofu. I didn't have the highest expectations for ramen in this town, but Hot Joy delivered on the quality and for vegans in Texas that's a tall order. read more

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