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    Ritas Mexican Cocina

    3.6 (90 reviews)
    Closed 6:00 am - 2:30 pm

    Ritas Mexican Cocina Photos

    RITAS MEXICAN COCINA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Ritas Mexican Cocina

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    One of the 4 different seating areas.

    The food is your basic Mexican fare. I like how when you come in they know exactly what you want to drink and they bring it automatically to your table. Table spaces are pretty spacious and the ambience is a cross between Mexican street style and a traditional restaurant. The owner is very diligent on how everything is operated. They have great breakfast specials, but they expire at 10 AM. They have very good lunch specials also. They do close at 3 PM so no dinner option is available.

    Lunch special: cheese enchiladas with chicken fajitas and drink
    Robby L.

    I LOVE their lunch specials, great selection at an affordable price. They encourage you to pay cash so the costs of debit cards don't get passed on to the consumer as they currently don't charge a fee. Their enchiladas are great and you can get chicken fajita with them if you wish as one of he lunch options. There is plenty of seating area and staff is on point with service making it a perfect spot for people in the area using a lunch hour, if those who just wish to grab a quick lunch.

    Menudo

    Went for breakfast and we tried a few items. Mixed bacon and egg taco was a substantial amount. Bacon perfectly cooked. Barbacoa not too greasy and had great flavor. Star of the show was the Menudo. Some of the best I have had. Pancake and eggs were solid. Service here is also pretty stellar. Super friendly staff and helpful tips on ordering. Vibe was homey and you can tell they have a ton regulars. Great breakfast spot.

    Mini Menudo
    Melissa V.

    I love Rita's! I've been going there for over a decade! It is our Sunday breakfast spot. The food is always delicious, the service is outstanding your coffee is always topped off. The ambience is really nice it gets busy especially after church but you are never waiting. The servers do an incredible job. Rita's is a family staple and I'll continue to go there for years to come.

    Machacado a la Mexicana taco
    Ryan M.

    If I had a dime for every time I've passed a Tex-Mex joint on my way to work, I'd have $5,304.20.* My travels throughout the Alamo City have led me to innumerable Tex-Mex joints, some well known, some a little off the beaten path, and a few so obscure I wondered if I had unknowingly invited myself into a "casa de la abuela." Like most popular things, though, ubiquity often leads to complacency and mediocrity. As I pen this review, I struggle to count more than four outstanding Tex-Mex joints in the greater San Antonio area. Rita's Mexican Cocina is the very definition of run-of-the-mill Tex-Mex: heaping portions, cliched food, and several telltale signs of a kitchen cutting corners. Flour tortillas are a reliable litmus test for any Mexican restaurant. If the kitchen can execute a respectable tortilla -- one containing the holy quintet of ingredients, namely Sonoran wheat flour, warm water, lard, baking powder, and salt -- then dinner is off to a promising start. On my first visit to Rita's, my waitress assured me that the flour tortillas were made in house. Although undoubtedly homemade, the chalky, barely pliable frisbees that accompanied my Bandera Plate were a letdown. Their stiff texture pointed to an instant mix or all-purpose flour. No bueno! Guacamole is so inexpensive and easy to make from scratch that I wonder why so many restaurants rely on premade stuff. Perhaps someone behind the scenes at Rita's can explain, because the dollop of watery neon-green gloop served here is definitely not homemade. I might have been duped by its brightness (a squeeze of citrus can retard oxidation in fresh guacamole), but the unctuous, whipped texture was indicative of science-lab thickening agents such as guar gum or xantham gum. No bueno! The core components of my Bandera Plate -- namely one crispy beef taco, one beef puffy taco, and one beef enchilada -- were serviceable but average. Each component bore the same cumin-heavy, Tex-Mex-style picadillo meat (a plethora of picadillo...a picadillo profusion), but at least the beef/tomato/onion/cubed potato mixture was savory and satisfying. Several Yelpers have praised the refried beans that accompany every plate, but the allure of pasty, underseasoned mashed pintos eludes me. The most egregious offender at Rita's is unequivocally the taco norteno, an ironic celebration of the kitchen's worst offenders. A "toasted" (the kitchen's euphemistic parlance for "hard as a hockey puck") flour tortilla forms the base of a taco topped with a spoonful of gristly carne asada, a sprinkle of processed white cheese, and a dollop of the aforementioned glow-in-the-dark guacamole. I haven't a drop of Mexican blood in my body**, but I'm sure I could make a much better taco than this abomination. On a positive note, the servers are attentive and the restaurant appears to be clean. I considered adding an extra star for these reasons alone, but I just can't justify awarding Rita's Mexican Cocina a three-star "A-ok" rating. Sadly, by San Antonio's standards, Rita's is indeed "A-ok." The fact that I've dined here on three occasions proves that I'm part of the problem; I've eaten so much boring Tex-Mex over the years that I've become inured to its mediocrity. The time has come, however, for us to raise our expectations. A tourist on the Riverwalk might be content with a plate of greasy tacos or a side salad of wilted iceberg topped with store-bought guacamole, but we locals should demand better. ____________________________________________ *I arrived at that dollar amount by using this simple equation: Years worked X Days worked per year X Tex-Mex restaurants counted Neurodiversity comes in handy sometimes. ____________________________________________ **At the moment. I've already digested and expelled the blood from my most recent victim.

    "Chorizo" and Potato

    Ordered 2 Carne Guisada (No cheese) and 2 Chorizo and potato. The order was $18. The chorizo and papa was mainly all potatoes

    Cheese enchilada and crispy taco
    Erica R.

    Lunch specials are a good deal. I would honestly just travel down the road to Henry's puffy taco. Food was good here. Tortillas and chips taste homemade! I would still come here for the price but I do like Henry's better. This place didn't have as much flavor I'd say, but it's still good!!

    2 cheese enchiladas and 1 chicken fajita
    Rachel E.

    I came here on a Saturday with my family for lunch. They don't have lunch specials at this time, but you can still order the combinations. I think I got the Lisa's special - 1 chicken fajita and 2 cheese enchiladas. Chicken fajita was good. Cheese enchiladas were nothing fancy, but also not overly greasy. Their guacamole was delicious!! Love it when they don't use all that filler tomatoes. I believe their tortillas are homemade so definitely try the corn too! Service is quick and friendly. Atmosphere is typical Mexican restaurant in SA with colorful walls, sombreros on the wall, and a few TVs here and there.

    Texas Taco

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    6 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Food is great the seri is good the staff is very friendly. This is one of go to restaurants.

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    4 years ago

    This is a great place for breakfast. Great omelets. You can't beat the service. Great coffee. Keep coming back here

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    6 years ago

    Delicious and inexpensive! What more could you want. Oh yeah great servic! Chips and tacos were crispy, salsa was tasty, beans were yummy.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Ritas Mexican Cocina

    How's the pozole?

    They don't offer pozole. Their menudo is good though. They have a mini size, if you wanna try a little first. Also you can ask them for a sample to taste.

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    Umberto's Italian Grill

    Umberto's Italian Grill

    4.5
    (915 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    Service was excellent. Food was excellent. Atmosphere is very mom and pop-ish. I had the caprese…read moresalad appetizer, the house salad with Italian dressing and farfelle creamy pasta. The also bring out bread and this loaded mini toast thing. I don't know the official name of it. The entree portions are huge so you'll get at least 2 meals out of it. Forgot to order dessert so can't review that. I only managed to snag one photo because I was too busy stuffing face.

    My son and I had planned to eat pho today, but the restaurant of choice was closed. Instead, we…read moredrove down the street to Umberto's. I had only been once before for a retiree luncheon. I'm not sure why I did not review it at that time. I don't remember anything about that visit, but I know I liked the food. Today, they had a sign outside the entrance listing three specials. The one that caught my eye was redfish topped with shrimp in a gorgonzola sauce with asparagus and a side of spaghetti. That definitely piqued my interest. The server took our drink orders and left us to look at the menu. I decided I wanted bruschetta for an appetizer. My son preferred the mussels, but I said one appetizer was enough. When the server brought our drinks, he also brought a plate with bruschetta. We gobbled it down and, even though it was delicious, we ordered the mussels in red sauce afterall. There were a few dozen of them on the platter drenched in the most delicious red sauce. We shamelessly used our wonderful bread rolls to sop up the sauce. It was wonderful and decadent in a homey kind of way. My son ordered the veal piccata. I went ahead with the redfish special. While we waited, we were served a really delicious bowl of creamed broccoli soup, which we slurped down like hungry puppies. It was as I already said- really delicious. The server freshened up our bread basket so we would have rolls for our entree. The veal piccata looked amazing. My son said it was the best he has ever had. When my entree came out, I was blown away. The shrimp were huge! There were at least 11, but I think I missed one when I counted. They were cooked perfectly. The redfish was also cooked perfectly- lightly breaded and most likely sauteed in butter. The asparagus was hiding underneath everything, and all of it was covered in the gorgonzola sauce. The heaping serving of thin spaghetti in butter was separate in a bowl. That sauce was super delicious. We both ate as much as we comfortably could, but came away with enough for a couple more meals. Mine literally filled up a to go box. I put the spaghetti on the bottom and piled the other leftovers on top. Then I poured all of the remaining sauce over it all. I will eat well again tomorrow., I loved everything about this restaurant. It was quiet, clean, and comfortable. Our server, Julian, was everything you could possibly want in a server: polite, friendly, and knowledgeable. The only down side is that we are still craving pho. Maybe next week it will be open on my son's day off.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Stuffed mushrooms appetizer
    Stuffed mushrooms appetizer
    Forgot to get a pic of the salad before eating. But the Italian dressing was so good, you can tell it's house made.

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    Forgot to get a pic of the salad before eating. But the Italian dressing was so good, you can tell it's house made.
    Antinoz Cafe

    Antinoz Cafe

    4.2
    (65 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    If I hadn't experienced it myself, I wouldn't believe that a place this extraordinary exists tucked…read moreinto a strip center at the corner of Babcock and Huebner, right by the Medical Center in San Antonio. Antinoz Cafe is, without question, a hidden treasure. My son attends The Winston School San Antonio just around the corner, which is how I first discovered it--but what truly brought me in was a referral from an incredibly talented local chef. With that kind of recommendation, I knew it would be good. I just didn't realize how exceptional it would be. From the moment you walk in, the space transports you. The décor is lively, layered, and beautifully executed, with intimate pockets perfect for everything from a quiet lunch for two to a lively gathering--or even a full buyout event. But what truly sets this place apart is the service. The staff is extraordinary--warm, inviting, and deeply professional in a way that feels distinctly European. This isn't just a job to them; it's a craft. We settled into a cozy corner and ended up lingering over a three-hour lunch that felt effortless and indulgent in the best way. The food? Beyond words. Every sauce is made from scratch--nothing prepackaged, nothing reheated. You can taste the care, the intention, and the quality in every bite. The ingredients are top-tier, the execution flawless. The cappuccinos are exceptional, the wine list is thoughtfully curated, approachable, and smartly priced. I had the opportunity to meet the chef, and it only deepened my appreciation. He is humble, kind, and clearly invested in every single dish that leaves the kitchen. And then there is Christella. Our lead waitress, Christella, was simply extraordinary. She is the kind of person who could elevate any restaurant--but what makes her truly special is how deeply she believes in this one. She knows the menu inside and out, understands her guests, remembers her customers, and creates an experience that feels both personal and seamless. Her warmth, confidence, and intuition are rare--and she is a big part of why you will want to come back again and again. I visited once... and then immediately returned the following week. I already have another reservation and am bringing friends. That should tell you everything. This isn't just a "great spot in the Medical Center." This is a destination restaurant--one worth driving across the city for. Having trained at Le Cordon Bleu, I don't say this lightly: this place is special. I'm also told they're opening a gelato concept next door--done in a signature Tiffany blue. If it reflects the same level of quality and detail, it will be something truly extraordinary. Don't walk here--run. And if you go, tell them Dana sent you. Not because you need better service--they already deliver that effortlessly--but because places like this deserve to be known, celebrated, and supported. For a moment, you'll forget you're in San Antonio... and feel like you've been transported straight to Positano. Perfect for lunch. Even better for date night. Trust me--you will thank me.

    We were excited to try this new place after reading about it and seeing the glowing reviews. Sadly,…read morethis was not our experience. The place was busy as it was a weekend so after a small wait , the 4 of us were seated and greeted warmly. Food: 2:5 / we ordered a total of 6 items (2 appetizers and 4 entrees). The chicken piccata was basically a deep fried chicken breast served with pasta tossed in a lemon butter caper sauce. The chicken while tender was dry as was the pasta. I expect piccata to be a thinly pounded chicken breast that's pan fried so this was a complete surprise? My wife ordered the pasta with meat sauce (Surprise, no meat in the sauce - yes she looked for it). Our friend ordered the Diablo(sp?) chicken (Gorgonzola sauce). A little on the salty side but she finished her meal. Her husband ordered another chicken dish (with gnocchi or similar small pasta). Was supposed to come with chicken but he had to ask for it so was fired in the kitchen but arrived in time to be placed into the leftover Togo container. For appetizer we were told the calamari was their signature item so we ordered that with an order of meatballs served on a bed of meat sauce? The calamari was tasty but not appealing to look at (more like onion rings) and the meatballs appetizer came out with the other entrees(maybe forgot?). Regardless, the meatballs and sauce were cold. Service: 3:5 / while friendly, once the room got busier, we didn't see our server much (understandably). Ambience: 3:5 / smaller dining rooms with intimate setting so fairly noisy (not necessarily a bad thing) but it was obvious they wanted us to eat and leave so we didn't and took our conversation to the parking lot (plenty of parking). Overall, I'd recommend they revisit the menu and tweak it (example: instead of giving me 2 breast pieces, 1 could have been pounded into 2 and pan fried. Saves money too). As for me, we will wait to see how the place settles into a groove before we go back

    Photos
    Antinoz Cafe
    Burrata pesto caprese
    Burrata pesto caprese
    Chicken Alfredo

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    Chicken Alfredo
    Bella Vita Italian Restaurant & Pizza

    Bella Vita Italian Restaurant & Pizza

    4.3
    (31 reviews)
    1.7 mi

    It was surprisingly good! They had huge portions and was hot and fresh. They have some…read morecomplimentary garlic bread which was really yummy and nice to eat with the pasta. The calamari wasn't my favorite but I enjoyed the pasta trio! The service was quick and there is plenty of seating. There wasn't anyone at the front at first so we had to walk to the back to see if they were open but I think we went right as they opened so they weren't prepared but came out quick.

    I saw this place when I drove by a week ago on the way to another retirement luncheon. My wife and…read moreI decided to try it out today. I have been praying for a decent Italian restaurant to open up close to us. My prayers have been answered. This location used to be a pizza sports bar kind of place that closed a few months ago. Now it is a very nice full-menued Italian restaurant. A lot of my favorite dishes are on the menu. Today, I tried the cannelloni in marinara sauce. My wife tried the cannelloni in Al Fredo. We were served a nice cold and crisp salad along with a basket of bread knots. That bread was soft and delicious, especially when dipped in the bowl of olive oil they provided with it. Both of our entrees were very good. They were served piping hot straight out of the oven in oval dishes. I tasted the Al Fredo and it was delicious. It is way too rich for me, hence my ordering the marinara, which was amazing. Since they gave us two huge bread knots each, I used my second one to sop up the sauce like an ill-mannered peasant. Talk about good! We each chose one of their delicious desserts to take home. My wife opted for chocolate cheesecake. I am not a fan of that at all, but she said it was really good. I had the Italian Cream Cake. It was moist and delicious with lots of awesome icing. Our server, Rose, was very welcoming and helpful. She seemed well-versed on the menu and assisted us in making our choices. The manager was very friendly and talked to us a bit. The music was relaxing. All in all, I liked everything about this place and hope they do a great business. I truly expect to become a regular here.

    Photos
    Bella Vita Italian Restaurant & Pizza
    Bella Vita Italian Restaurant & Pizza
    Cannelloni in marinara

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    Cannelloni in marinara
    Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

    Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

    2.9
    (212 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    We have been here several times since it opened and the atmosphere and decor are very nice. The…read moreservice is always excellent and the food is always on point. Recommend going for lunch because the prices are right and you get plenty of food

    Disappointing Experience - Poor Cleanliness, Service, and Hygiene Concerns at Olive Garden Ingram:…read more I decided to give the Olive Garden on Ingram Road a second chance today by taking my daughters for a meal, but unfortunately, the visit was deeply unsatisfactory and left me concerned about the establishment's hygiene and service standards. From the start, basic cleanliness was lacking: I was served utensils that were visibly dirty, and my tea cup had clear residue and grime on the inside (not just the outside, as the waitress initially claimed when I pointed it out). After I insisted and clarified the issue, she eventually provided a replacement--but it took about 15 minutes for fresh tea to arrive, during which time she seemed overwhelmed and inattentive. Worse, while reaching across the table, the waitress's dangling charm bracelet brushed directly against our salad--creating a clear contamination risk from whatever was on her bracelet. She never checked on refills, offered additional service, or seemed aware of our needs overall. When the bill arrived, it incorrectly included a charge for the all-you-can-eat salad (which should have been included with the meal). I brought this to the attention of the manager, John, who removed the charge and admitted the waitress was unaware of a recent policy change. I suggested better staff training on charges, communication, and customer service to prevent such issues. Hygiene problems extended beyond the table: The restroom soap dispenser dispensed only watery, diluted soap, and the facilities appeared poorly maintained. Combined with the dirty utensils, unclean cup, and improper food handling (bracelet contact), these issues raise serious questions about overall sanitation standards in both the front-of-house and kitchen areas--potentially violating health code requirements for clean equipment, proper handwashing facilities, and safe food service practices. This location has let me down twice now with subpar service, inattentive staff, and clear lapses in cleanliness that could pose health risks. I won't be returning and would advise others to consider these concerns carefully before visiting.

    Photos
    Fettuccine Alfredo: Our signature alfredo made fresh in-house every day, served over fettuccine.
    Fettuccine Alfredo: Our signature alfredo made fresh in-house every day, served over fettuccine.
    Minestrone: Fresh vegetables, beans and pasta in a light tomato broth.
    Minestrone: Fresh vegetables, beans and pasta in a light tomato broth.
    Five Cheese Ziti al Forno: Oven baked blend of Italian cheeses, pasta and our signature homemade five cheese marinara.

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    Five Cheese Ziti al Forno: Oven baked blend of Italian cheeses, pasta and our signature homemade five cheese marinara.

    Ritas Mexican Cocina - mexican - Updated June 2026

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