When you step inside this place, its like you are transported to another place in time. This place…read morehas good bones, solid wood and over all fun style to make your continually scan to find something new. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable as we had some questions about the menu. My friend ordered a flight and was pleasantly surprised by what she thought she would like and what she did really enjoy. I tried a few cocktails and both we equally delicious. We picked up some merch too - what a fun little break from the heat and something to really raise the bar off the beaten path.

Stopped in to Devil's River after a disappointing visit to The Library Cocktail Lounge. This was my…read moresecond visit to Devil's River but first time getting a drink. There was a musician playing on the stage in front of the distillery which is a nice touch for those who want to sit outside. We ordered old fashioned cocktails. I loved that they were made with block ice and even embossed the ice with the Devils River logo. The mixologist explained they don't do smoked old fashions due to fire hazard and location in a historic building. But he still made an engaging presentation in creating our cocktails. There was no food offered but they let us bring in voodoo donuts. The two gentlemen at the bar were very friendly and attentive and made our late night visit a special treat. I'd like to learn on my next visit to see if they do distillery tours. I'm sure you'll enjoy a trip to Devil's River.

Great place. Dark, cool and quiet and excellent drinks. Not easy to find, as it's a speakeasy, but…read morejust go down the stairs.

This is my go-to spot for an after-dinner nightcap or a relaxed place to meet for drinks and…read moreconversation. The service has consistently been exceptional, and I particularly appreciate their impressive bourbon and whiskey selection. Over the years, I've visited for everything from informal business discussions to evenings spent with close friends. The intimate lighting, softly glowing candlelight, and thoughtfully curated ambiance create a warm and sophisticated atmosphere. Combined with a moderate noise level that allows for comfortable conversation, it's an ideal setting for both meaningful catch-ups and professional engagements.

My husband and I enjoyed our couple hours we spent at the bar thanks to Daniel, our bartender who…read morewas extremely knowledgeable and entertaining! We will be back!

Update to first review below, rating updated from a 3 to a 5 star (drinks & bartender would get 10+…read morestars if we could rate that high): Saturday night: Went back for after dinner drinks at the Downstairs (a "speakeasy" throwback, look up the history of the place to see why). Drinks were AMAZING! Bartender Rob made the best Negroni I've ever had. I asked him to use whatever gin he thought best--result was an artistic smooooooth full-bodied drink. Told him when I was done I'd lick the glass if it wasn't considered so uncouth for a 'mature' lady like myself to do so Hubby's Buffalo Trace bourbon old fashioned was also outstanding. Rob was the bartender last night who did such a great job, and his work was even better tonight. We highly recommend The EsquireTavern for excellent cocktails. We love the long wood bar and high copper ceiling upstairs, but love the intimate speakeasy atmosphere downstairs even more. We'll definitely be back every time we're in San Antonio! First review, Friday night: Drinks were great (Manhattan and Bourbon Old Fashioned). REAL drinks, no complaints at all about those. And the bartenders were very friendly and helpful. Those aspects of the Esquire get 5+ stars from us. But the appetizers were not good, close to inedible. It was about 8:30pm or so, so maybe they were getting ready to close out the kitchen but the chalupitas with chicken tasted like rubber, and no flavor at all. The seafood platter had something in it that was breading with shell inside, but no meat of any kind. We couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be. The shrimp was good and the fish was good but those other things... We'll always love the drinks, the long wooden bar, and the ambiance at the Esquire Tavern, but we'll eat somewhere else and come here for before or after dinner drinks. (See update above to this review for when we returned the next night for after dinner drinks.)

Went on a group tour this weekend with four others (group reservations allow up to six people), and…read moreit was an incredible experience. I would absolutely recommend it! What really stood out was how they went above and beyond for the birthday girl in our group. She was able to choose a different tour drink than the rest of us, and they wrote "Happy Birthday" on both her whiskey flight paddle and the bag holding her whiskey glasses, personalized with her name. They truly made her feel special and celebrated. The staff was friendly, welcoming, and extremely knowledgeable. I enjoyed learning about the history behind the name, the Mavericks, and the location itself. The Old Fashioned was excellent, and the whiskey flight was a great way to sample their offerings. The tour lasted about an hour, and afterward we were able to relax and spend some time at the bar. Overall, a fantastic experience from start to finish. Highly recommend!

Cool spot We had a function here…read more Was upstairs. Good ol fashion Food is alright not much to choose from Decent amount of seating

Spent a very hot day in San Antonio at the hotel pool…read more Claudia the bartender was the bomb.com. She helped us directions and recommendations. So courteous and helpful. Beautiful pool

I'm well overdue in providing an opinion about this particular bar. Let me start with the negative…read moreand get that out of the way. Whether any of you who are reading this know about the history of the Menger Bar and it's role in Teddy Roosevelt's assemblage of the Roughriders in this particular establishment or not the drink which he had was a mint julep. When I ask for that drink for which The past president was known to imbibe in they did not have the ingredients. That was a disappointment. Beyond my disappointment was the reality of a service establishment that had great personnel that is bartenders who were quite service oriented and given the activity in the bar where quite efficient. I mentioned this to suggest that the ingredients for a drink are as much, a managers, responsibly, bartender, and so in fairness to what I think was exemplary service I certainly did not want my personal disappointment to reflect on how good these bartenders were. The ambience is also wonderful. It is the period appropriate or appears to be appropriate and hence gives you the comfort of being able to visualize Teddy drawing together a group that eventually went on to Victory over the Spanish in Cuba. It is romantic and comfortable. The bartenders explained that the round table at which Roosevelt sat has been moved somewhere within the hotel. This is an experience not to be missed. Nacho just for the historical content of such a visit, but simply for the contemporary service and ambience.

Onion rings here are the biggest I've ever seen.. Literally could put my lower arm through them so…read moreshould be called "onion bracelets" lol. They were overly breaded and not the tastiest I've had. The frozen Irish coffee was good but also not top notch. So why 5 stars? The live music talent on the night we went was incredible. Fiancee and I just exited a metal concert and wanted a couple drinks. The acoustic guitarist here had a very good voice, played so many nostalgic 90s songs, and masterfully transitioned from song to song while weaving them together seamlessly with similar bars. Kudos to this guy's vocals and to Waxy's for having the vision to invite a talented musician to play here, and as a result elevated our entire experience.

This is probably the 6th or 7th time I've come here over the past 12 years. I come here once a year…read morefor work. So depending on meetings and company I may or may not come in. They have a great selection of whisky's and usually make a really good black and tan. Today I sat at the bar, I was greeted right away and got a beer in 20 secs. I've had the fish and chips here which were good. Bangers and mash I've had and enjoyed, Shepard pie is pretty good. Today I went with the BBQ burger. Food came out in about 10 mins from placing my order. Not bad, not great. My rating on the bbq burger. They did not ask me how I wanted it prepared, it was pretty much well done. The bun was a little hard, almost stale. There was not much bbq sauce on the bbq burger. With all the toppings, I'd give the burger 5 of 10. The hard bread took away from it for sure. I always like to try just the patty without anything on it to see how restaurants prepare their patties. It was about what I expected for a well done burger. Not much flavor, it tasted like well cooked ground round. I'd give it a 3.5. The fries were so so, I like fries more on the crispy side. These were more like thick steak fries, soft and limp. They were seasoned with salt and pepper. Not bad, not great. The beer I had... had an odd smell. It tasted ok, but I think the glass itself may have not been the cleanest. Hoping I don't get sick from a dirty glass. The bartender was nice enough to let me try their frozen Irish coffee. It was surprisingly delicious, like a boozy ice cream. It just seemed like a full glass would be too much. So I got a black and tan, which was good. If I was eating just this visit, I'd probably be between a 2-3, food was meh, and the dirty glass didn't help. If I include all my other visits I'm at 3-4, since this most recent experience I had to say I'm closer to a 3 than a 4.

Back in San Antonio and first stop, Tokyo Cowboy and dinner was served!…read moreAfter settling into our Airbnb, Tokyo Cowboy came up highly recommend. I'm glad they had room for us but, it's still safe to make reservations. We did not know they are a tapas style restaurant, but that didn't deter us. And we were pleasantly surprised at the size of their "tapas". What we ordered was enough for two people to share. Dumplings - 9/10 Gulf Shrimp & Noodles - 10/10 Blistered Green Beans - 10/10 Ramen - 9/10 Service was great. It's a casual atmosphere, but perfect for an intimate date night.

We came here for a late dinner and had:…read more Yuzurita: good citrus margarita Kota tea: it was okay, it was strong on the alcohol but weak on the tea Krab and crab roll :. A bit messy to eat but I would get this again. Udon noodle with pork belly: noodles were kind of irregular in lengths. I really liked the sauce with it but it felt like it was missing something. Light dish. Tc double cheese burger: very strong flavors, somewhat sweet. Dense/heavy dish . Our waiter was quick and friendly. The restaurant lighting was dimmed and gave a more intimate /bar environment. I think the ac was broken here because it was very warm and they had fans going on around the room. I think this place would be good for someone who is prefers an American fusion cuisine that leans heavily on the western style dishes. The fusion elements were cute but I still left unsatisfied but still full. We did not park. We walked here right from the river walk. Not a bad place to go if you arrive in town after 9 pm.

Wow, what an amazing experience. If you are looking for an elevated night out in town this is the…read moreplace. I must start off mentioning the amazing service. These people are on point! Everyone was kind and friendly (except for the hostess downstairs who was rather dismissive). Sat upstairs for dinner on a Sunday in the beautiful front sunroom. The entire second floor is gorgeous and feels elevated compared to the first floor. To start off they serve you bread with a pickled jalapeno cream cheese dip which was the chef (owner?) mother's recipe. So good. I had the lamb chops which were devine. The scalloped potatoes, mashed potatoes, macaroni & cheese, and creamed spinach are all musts. Cocktails and wine all top notch! GO!

It was our 28th wedding anniversary and I wanted to treat my wife to a nice dinner. We normally go…read moreto Ruth Chris, but I wanted to try a different steakhouse this year. Once we arrive at the restaurant we were greeted like VIPs. We were asked a few times if we were there for a special occasion and I mentioned we were there for our anniversary. We were congratulated and that was it. No other "special" treatment or offers because it was our anniversary. The service, the food, and the overall atmosphere were great. No complaints at all. My only issue was this, as we were preparing to pay the bill, a couple (white couple) was seated next to us and they were asked if they were there to celebrate a special occasion, and she said, "it's our anniversary" and the waiter then offered them a complimentary bottle (or glasses) of champagne! Wait, what??? I thought to myself, nobody offered us (a black couple) any complimentary champagne. A different person came to the table to take my credit card and I asked him about it. He did apologize and offered to bring us a couple of glasses of champagne but it was too late. We were done eating/celebrating and it was time to go home. I was 3 weeks from recovering from heart surgery and this was my first time out in the public to eat since my surgery and I didn't want to let not getting a bottle or glass of champagne ruin my evening with my Queen. This incident it want led me to giving 4 stars instead of 5. How can one couple be offered complimentary champagne and another couple not offered any at all???

Bartender Hector makes the Bloody Mary mix fresh daily and it is delicious! No tabisco sauce…read moreneeded. It already comes with a lil kick. All fresh ingredients. Oh, and ask him for the cinco sandia, watermelon with vodka...also fresh and awesome! Cork Bar is also in an awesome hotel. Enjoy your stay and have a drink and a meal. Also right on the river walk.

While the decor is nice and the service is great. The drinks were not. I had the Texas Sunset which…read morecompared to my husbands Cork Bar Punch (yuck) it was tolerable. I like sweet rum drinks and neither one of these were sweet. The drinks were also on the small side.

Went there there after my run club and the spurs game to celebrate with karaoke. Such an amazing…read moregroup went and sang their hearts out, everyone was so welcoming and friendly. Manly people were singing nonstop and just enjoying the night. Definitely going to start coming more often.

** Absolute gem! The space is stunning--chic, cozy, and…read morestylish! Great lighting, and a welcoming vibe. Would definitely be interested in hosting special events here like a birthday party maybe