Lorena has high amazing energy!!! This place was 10/10. Great atmosphere, great food and drinks!! read more

MalaFama Social Cantina - Latin American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Dirty nasty and overcrowded. Could not get near the bar. My friends margarita tasted like diluted lemon water. So loud it was impossible to talk, even on the outdoor patio. Riding by on the boat it looks like a fun place. It's not. read more

MalaFama Social Cantina - Latin American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

What a dump. The floors were sticky, holes in the furniture and cigarettes on the patio not cleaned up. At least one of the couches looked to have piss stains. And the bathroom... no toilet paper holders. Cocktail napkins put out as the hand towels, and muddy footprints on the seat. Read the health infractions. read more

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Anything at the river walk area will be a tourist trap, so proceed with caution. We enjoyed ourselves here as we only ordered a small appetizer and a few drinks each. We didn't stay long. I did enjoy taking pics of the decor. read more

Parking garage across the street falsely advertising for $5 parking. This is entering from the street. QR code to pay. Once in there, it didn't let you select the amount of time and wanted to charge over $20! Until I left it for 30min, I believe. Then it was $5 and change. Dumb. Didn't realize until walking into this place that was the old Polyesters! Nostalgic. Scene was cool, they were playing Latin music when we walked in. Walked to the bar and ordered a Tito's & cran. Heavy pour of juice, it was all cran! Walked upstairs and decided to chill there... until, the music turned off and they rearranged the couches up there onto the dance floor and turned on the fight!! WTH!? They could've warned us that was about to go down at the door! IJS. I put down my cranberry juice and headed for the door and off to a club that was actually playing music. Would maybe come back if someone wanted to go out downtown. read more

I honestly don't understand the hype around Mala Fama Bar & Night Club on the Riverwalk. The entire place felt dead the whole night. The DJs were just standing around like they didn't even want to be there, and the energy never picked up. No one was dancing--people were literally just glued to their phones, which says everything about the atmosphere. To make things worse, the floor was wet and slippery, and multiple people were falling throughout the night. At one point, a girl fell pretty hard and left crying, which was honestly concerning and completely killed whatever vibe the place was supposed to have. There were also girls walking around in thongs with everything hanging out, but they weren't actually doing anything--no clear role, no service, just standing there awkwardly. It felt confusing and unprofessional rather than entertaining. Overall, it was boring, disorganized, and not a fun place to be. Definitely not somewhere I'd go back to or recommend. read more

If I could give this place a 0 star or lower I would. I'm not going to lie the music is lit okay very good mix of reggie and cumbias but what ties a good place is the drinks. The liquor has to be diluted and they don't count there shots here. They make palomas with deep eddys vodka which is enough said. As a bartender and maybe i expect more because I'm from HOU but literally if the drinks are legit trash not worth wasting a dollar or mix drinks come drink a beer from there only two selections michelob and miller ._. . To be a top spot and touristy spot at least have a variety and have someone check there sketchy drinks or liquor licenses read more

I was so excited to try this place. Looking at the website it made it seem so nice and yummy. I was extremely let down. Don't ever go an hour before close because you will get terrible service. The waitress was unbelievably rude, basically mad that we came in for food instead of just drinks. I ordered the Birria tacos (on the menu stated it comes with consume) and didn't receive the consume. When I asked the waitress about it she rolled her eyes and responded with, "yeah we don't have that." Well that should have been stated to me... I have never received birria tacos without consume. I would've understood if it wasn't stated on the menu but it was. Other than that, the actual meat on the taco was cold like it's just been sitting out, so that was just overall frustrating. I ordered the drink with empress gin, after waiting for it they finally came and told me they were out of the empress gin. The diet coke was gross. The street taco outside across the street was 1000000 times better and way cheaper. don't waste your money. I will say the shrimp quesadilla was really good. The lady downstairs (with red hair) that was trying to get people in, was the nicest part out of the whole experience. She should teach the servers how to treat people with respect. read more

MalaFama Social Cantina - Street taco ACROSS the street 4 for $10 - Latin American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I was in San Antonio for a quick weekend trip and was looking for a happy hour spot along the Riverwalk. A lot of places were either not doing specials or already setting up for dinner or didn't have spots overlooking the river. Mala Fama it seemed like had recently opened and there was staff down by the river asking people to come in. I decided to give it a shot when the staff member told me there were $5 margs, tacos, a good balcony spot overlooking the river and other snacks! It is upstairs so you do have to take the elevator or stairs up. Inside, the decor is actually super cool, very Day of the Dead themed and super trendy vibes. The bathroom was also super clean and BIG. We chose to sit on the balcony so we could overlook the river and it was actually a great view up and away from the crowd! Unexpectedly, the best part was that after sunset, bats came out and we were actually able to see them nearly at eye level swarming above the river! My friend and I ordered a couple margs (we tried both the prickly pear and mango) as well as the choriqueso. It is a super tiny menu and this place seemed to be more of a bar rather than a restaurant. The margs were pretty good (our second round definitely was heavy on the alcohol!). The queso was alright, it wasn't queso blanco which I prefer and it wasn't the creamiest texture but it hit the spot and I did LOVE the veggies mixed in. Overall, pretty cool spot for a drink and snacks on the Riverwalk! read more

MalaFama Social Cantina - Choriqueso - Latin American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Do not get fooled this place is a nightclub ... it's not a restaurant. I gave one star for trying. For the price your food comes out in plastic baskets... service is slow... and $5 margarita is just gross! The ambiance is that of a sports bar/ night club. read more

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We waited 20+ minutes. There where 3 bartenders. One just leaned on the register, the other 2 made drinks. They saw me waiting, I was told to hang on. That's fine, I can understand. It got to a point there was nobody ordering and they just grouped up and spoke with each other with me right in front of them. I kept saying excuse me, but I just got a finger in my face to wait. Horrible service, especially for the price. Try Howl at the Moon directly across the river from Mala Fama, excellent service, better environment, people actually looking like they are having fun. I'll never go to Mala Fama again. read more

Sarah was awesome tonight! The calamari and the guac apps were AW-MAZ-ING. The drinks were as expected for MalaFama. I think next time I'm come up Tuesdays for 2$ wells!!! read more

Visited on Thursday early evening (7:30pm). There is a tip bucket at the entry door which security mentions as you walk in. I ordered their "Mala Fama" margarita which I assume is their signature drink. The drink was extremely sweet (thick & syrupy) and didn't taste like alcohol. I told my waiter about it & asked if they could remake it less sweet. She returned quickly with what looked like the same drink and it tasted worse. They appeared to have poured a ton of concentrated lemon juice into it. It was completely undrinkable. Waiter never returned. I took 2 tiny sips of my drink during my stay. My friend who also had a different drink from their menu didn't like hers either. The place has a nice view (we sat in their rooftop patio) but that was the only thing great about it. read more

Stopped in while on a work trip and had the best Vegas bomb I've had in a long time. Our bartender JuJu was amazing. She was very energetic and made some really good drinks five dollar margaritas sign me up! read more

Let's start with the good. The service was awesome and the restaurant is huge. I think it doubles as a club. The food however had no flavor and was bland. Drinks were watered down and over priced. read more

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The margaritas were very syrup full. Couldn't even finish them...they were HH prices, so maybe that what you get...anyway the only response we got when we brought it to our attendant's attention, was "Oh. Hmm". Saddened. read more

MalaFama Social Cantina - Latin American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Came here for happy hour after getting recruited walking by. The drinks were $5 I believe; they were strong and delicious. The bartender was very hospitable and friendly, very attentive. The restaurant was cute and I definitely had some of the best nachos in a while. Would recommend for happy hour ! read more

MalaFama Social Cantina - Hangover matador - Latin American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Best happy hour specials on the Riverwalk! 5.00 ritas, bloody mary's, micheladas. Can't beat the specials or the atmosphere. Great music too. read more

MalaFama Social Cantina - Margarita - Latin American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Good food, good music, great vibes. I really appreciated the welcoming staff. Will come back again! read more

Horrible place, way too loud even for a club. How are the neighbors not calling the cops? The drinks sometimes taste metallic or like pills but that could be because I'm female. I've been uncomfortable with the men that work there as well as club goers. The service was horrible because every item came with an uncomfortable comment on my appearance. If you're a woman please save yourself from this place, denvers so big find another club that doesn't misogynize our community. read more

Service is nice. The water they stinks. Beef fajitas are not it, disappointed as a Mexican restaurant how can you mess up fajitas.... Also don't come on a Sunday night, it's dead, not even any music was being played throughout our whole dinner. read more

MalaFama Social Cantina - Beef and shrimp fajitas. Only the shrimp was good. - Latin American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Great food! Great vibe! Whenever I'm in SA and on the riverwalk I'll be sure to swing by!

I had the very best pork chop ever; the food and drinks were delicious. Great service and atmosphere. Will definitely visit again; this place will not disappoint. read more

Food was very good and the atmosphere was was positive. The waitress Stevie was amazing. The food was very good. We had the chicken fajitas and they had grape flavor to them. We sat on the patio with a great view of then Rieverwalk. We would definitely recommend this place.. read more

MalaFama Social Cantina - Riverwalk View - Latin American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Mala Fama opened this past Friday, and I made reservations for Saturday night thinking it would be packed. I was wrong. The restaurant was mostly empty. The hostess was distracted looking at the Riverwalk and made us wait around 5 minutes before noticing we were standing there. She was apologetic and very nice. She recommended the Queso Fundido with Tequila caramelized onions, and I will say the onions were the best thing we tasted all night. We ordered the Con Calma and Como La Flor drinks, and both were very small servings but extremely strong. Como La Flor had an overpowering grapefruit taste. I ordered the Octopus Tacos de Canasta, which were flavorful but dry. We also ordered the Birria tacos that were dry and lacked flavor... highly unusual for birria. I was very disappointed with my experience but I am willing to give them another chance. The ambiance is great, the music was also good, food presentation was on point and the staff was attentive. I understand in the Riverwalk everything is tourist focused, but considering this is a Mexican restaurant in San Antonio, they need to do better with their flavor profiles. read more

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5 stars for the vibe, the bartender is great. She is very patient and kind. The food is great quality: we had the calamari with jalapenos but what driver their crunchy savory dish appetizer ahead was the unique sauce. Evie was our bartender a true SAN ANTONIAN so if you need to know where the spots are . Also we had the carne asada quesadillas I truly enjoyed them. But the best part is the fact it's a mix of lounge, bar, restaurant seating everything in one with great picture spots up above. read more

Food was very good, $5 Margs tasted very good and the customer service was great, everyone was so fun! read more

MalaFama Social Cantina - Latin American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

So unprofessional. The bartender was either too drunk to read a California ID or didn't think I looked like the picture on my ID so decided to give MY ID to a drunk lady at the bar to see if I looked like my picture. This drunk then asks ME if I knew my OWN address. Like what the heck??! I've never had this happen before. I felt so disrespected and had to leave. Never coming to this place again. read more

The setting and the restaurant itself is very nice. I can tell that they are new as it seemed a little unorganized which is to be expected when first opening. My only complaints are the small portions, my entree was basically an appetizer size, very small menu and the prices were a little steep for really small tacos. All of that aside I think this place has great potential and I hope they succeed! read more

Food was expensive for small amount. Had chicken fajitas with cold charro beans. About 2 pieces of grilled onions, some red & green peppers. Corn tortillas were cold and hard. Mom's baked potato was hot and large. She shared with us. One other group in restaurant and our order took 30 minutes. Probably won't go back here. read more

A friend recommended this spot and did not disappoint the cocktails were great, the atmosphere was lively, the service from our bartender Miriam was great and the view of the Christmas lights made it feel like the holiday spirits. read more

I know why this place is called Malafama. Food is terrible and bland. Their chicken fajitas is two tortillas with cheese and chicken for $18, their guacamole isn't even 3 ounces of guacamole for $15. Their esquite (Mexican corn) was BLAND. Very sorry I came here and wasted money. read more

Amazing live music and ambiance. There's also a club right above it so 2 experiences in one! Bottle service and DJ was great. We will definitely be back! read more

Good view good tacos. Fun place. I enjoyed being right on the river and the service was good.

Great food/drinks, best place for authentic Mexican food on the riverwalk, amazing service; a must-visit downtown

We were pulled in while walking the riverwalk with promises of good food and cocktails only to get food poisoning after they served spoiled meat. When we told our waitress the food tasted "off" she went back and smelled it and wouldn't even try it herself. She later admitted the chef left it out and it was spoiled. So, very disappointing all the way around. We still had to pay the tab with only one meal removed. Do not go here! read more

The food was cold and nasty. Menu stated gratuity for party's 8 or more and was charged 22% gratuity for a party of 7.

Great service. Their chips and queso are super delicious. Love the atmosphere. Definitely becoming my downtown spot. Staff is super friendly. read more

We tried MalaFama for dinner tonight and were happy to be seated quickly. The service staff were awesome about brining chilled water quickly and brought bottles of extra water to keep our glasses filled. The concept of the restaurant's menu seems on level with other places around that are seeking that "trendy" vibe. After ordering, it was a long time before the food arrived. My half pound of chicken fajitas ($30) was the equivalent of 1.5 chicken tenders, possibly less, grilled to absolute dryness and with zero seasoning. The tortillas were corn and very doughy (not fully cooked, it seemed). They tasted fresh, though, which I appreciated. The plate came with rice and black beans. The beans had a sour aftertaste, but were cooked well. The rice was VERY heavy on the salt and comino (cumin) but lacked other seasoning. I couldn't really eat much of the food, so after laboring through a few pieces of chicken and a couple of tortillas, I just had to stop. I'm sad to post a poor review-I had high hopes for the place, which had a very cool vibe with patio seating and couches as well. Hopefully my experience caught them on an off night. read more