I had an amazing experience at this restaurant! We let the chef choose the menu and wine and both were awesome! The miniature pbj sandwich with foie gras was to die for. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough and it is definitely worth the trip! read more

I took my wife here for her birthday and it was the best meal we have had in San Antonio. The food was exquisite with so many wonderful flavors and the service was great! We had the Angus Beef Tenderloin with mashed sweet potatoes and the mushroom cannelloni. The Cannelloni was just amazing! Highly recommend this place and we will be back for sure. read more

Executive chef John Herdman has crafted a creative menu with amazing ingredients and innovative techniques. The service from start to finish was impeccable. I highly recommend for a lovely dinner experience and the brunch buffet is extensive and well appointed. A gem of a place. read more

went back for more tamale tarts and ceviche. yummmm. i was very happy to see a nice crowd on a wednesday and even more pleased to see our fav fabulous server rene. this place is getiing better and better. the new fall/winter menu is coming in a acouple of days. run, dont walk to see what chef pyles brings to san antonio next! read more

I heard good things about Sustenio from some foodies in Dallas so I made reservations for my Formula 1 weekend in San Antonio. After an amazing day at the Circuit of Americas I thought my day couldn't get any better, but I was wrong. Friday night's dinner began with an assortment of extremely fresh ceviche. This seafood is so fresh my guest that doesn't enjoy raw fish now understands why so many people do (the shrimp/popcorn a must try, trust me). The entrees were nicely executed and extremely filling. A little French press coffee and fresh sorbet to finish the night. Without a doubt the best restaurant I have been to in a long time. Before the bill came reservations were made for Saturday night. Chef Gilbert is doing great things here and I look forward to everything he has to offer now and in the future. read more

I stopped by Sustenio last night with some friends for a drink and ended up not only having drinks but also dinner. I must say that we were truly WOW'd by the entire experience. The restaurant and bar were beautiful, the food was great, and the service was amazing. Our server Alexis did a great job of making us feel welcome and while the restaurant was busy she made us feel like we were the most important people there. We tried a number of thing on the menu including the shrimp and grits, beef tenderloin, and the catch of the day and they were all fantastic. After dinner we sat outside in a corner section and enjoyed an after dinner drink and a great cigar. We will be back soon and often. Keep up the great work and thanks again Alexis for a great experience. You get it!!! read more

Went to Sustenio for a couple of after dinner drinks after we ate at Piatta downstairs. Waitress was a blonde that was busy telling her bar customers that she was getting her degree in "mixology". She took our drink orders, and asked for my driver's license to hold the tab. Had a couple of drinks....ok, nothing special, paid and left. 5 days later while making a purchase at the Rim, realized that my DL had not been returned. Called Sustenio, they said they'd check with the bar and security and call me back. Crickets.... Went there and they said they couldn't find it but would contact the server. Waited two days...crickets. Called back on 6 January, the person that answered the phone said that the server denied asking for my license and denied ever telling anyone anything about "Mixology"--I suppose that's just a story I made up, right? So, now I get to report a stolen ID, go sit in an hours long line at the DMV, and get another license. Never once did anyone apologize. The service was fair, the drinks are overpriced, and the staff will lie to you. If that's your idea of a top notch establishment, by all means, help yourself. read more

I have been a fan of Sustenio since day one! Constantly growing and evolving to find their nitch, I believe they have found it in Chef John Herdman and General Manager Arthur Beck! I recently enjoyed a well balanced dinner provided by Stephan Pyles and Chef Herdman, and I must say... I was blown away! From the wine selections of Trevor To the service provided by Nancy and Teresa, I couldn't have asked for a better evening! Perfect experience! read more

THIS IS THE restaurant in San Antonio! It is a truly wonderful experience......if you haven't been there yet..well...you certainly are missing out. With Chef David Gilbert securely at the helm (this man can seriously cook), Sustenio sails straight into the annals of being San Antonio's most sophisticated and progressive dining experience ever. Call ahead and ask for the Tasting Bar......you will sit right up front across from the glass paneled kitchen and watch al the magic takes place right in front of you.......At the Tasting Bar, one can, also, simply do a ceviche tasting or experience one of the house made pizzas from a stone oven...but my favorite is the Tasting menu where Chef David cooks his magic just for you in front of you....with dishes that were inspired by China, Thailand, Charleston, LA, the Caribbean and Vemeer (the two star Michelin restaurant where David received his post culinary training )..all former residences of this amazing chef who has travelled the world to be able to bring us a cacophony of flavors, aromas and tastes from all around the world. If you haven't been...I would encourage you to treat yourself.....and join the with the accolades of San Antonio's newest culinary treasure! gg read more

I visited Sustenio shorted after it opened. After several years working in Dallas, and enjoying Stephan Pyles for lunch, I figured visiting Sustenio would take me back to those days and the great food his chefs served up in Dallas. The interior of the place is pretty cool, but the food itself just didn't live up to the great food Pyles has in Dallas. Maybe because the place was new and still getting into the groove. However, I would go back and give it another shot. It wasn't bad by any means...it was a little below my expectations. read more

came here for a birthday celebration and $150 here got us a slab of meat tougher than a leather shoe (literally couldn't be cut by a steak knife). the service was almost nonexistent. first of all, out of all the open seating at the restaurant (there were only 2-3 other parties there), we were seated at this awkward table in the middle of a walkway area, next to a table of loud, drunk people. after we were seated, it took 20 min for someone to come by to take our order/get us some water. then our food took another 40 min to come, with appetizers and entrees arriving all at the same time. some of the food was cold so it was obvious that it had been sitting out. the server apologized for "everything" and said dessert would be on the house, but we had already given him a certificate good for 2 desserts upon arriving... one of the desserts came out and it said "happy anniversary" on the plate in the worst handwriting ever. it looked like a 3 year old had written it. the server apologized for the sloppiness as he set the plate down and said it usually looked better. guess they didn't bother to double-check that the reservation had noted "birthday celebration" and not "anniversary." after a pretty terrible meal (out of 2 appetizers and 2 entrees, nothing was good!) we were hoping the dessert would make up for it. nope. i am a dessert fanatic and this was one of the few times in my life that i couldn't even finish a dessert because it was so bad. it made those freezer aisle boxed desserts sound absolutely gourmet. never have i regretted a meal so much, especially at such a pricey place. definitely won't be back. read more

TERRIBLE!! I cannot think of one good thing to say about this restaurant. They ran out of bread that morning. We were there for dinner and asked if there was anything to serve in place of bread...maybe even the croutons on the salad. Our server said they would have to charge us for croutons. This was after he had already told us that the kitchen had told him to not accommodate the request of any substitutions on the menu. At that point we were becoming somewhat frustrated by lack of hospitality. I asked if there was a manager we could ask about a bread replacement. Well, things got much worse when the extremely disrespectful manager came to our table. He assured us that we would be charged for croutons. Someone in our group said, "but you ran out of bread, so can you please accommodate us with something?" His reply was "save your glare." I have never in my life experienced such rude behavior from a manager at what is supposed to be a fairly nice establishment. He did end up sending out croutons, but we already had a bad taste from the poor customer service. Additionally, medium rare filets were cooked well-done and the gritty bok choy had obviously not been washed. We still had great company and a wonderful time, but it was NOT thanks to this awful restaurant! read more

I would really love to give Sustenio five stars, but our service was just not up to snuff for the price of our meal. The food was quite good, some absolutely stellar bites to be sure. The tamale tart was perfection, the pork belly a close second in the appetizer department. The caesar salad is amazing if you have every component on your fork - the greens alone are a touch bland. The snapper tamale was outstanding, but it is a bit heavy - dig the fish out and you might be able keep your waistband where it needs to be. The rib-eye was ordered medium rare, but came out uneven - some bites were MR, some barely had any pink left - you decide how you feel for $45. The flavor of the steak was fantastic. We went on a Friday night, so it was busy, but not crazy. The service should have been spot-on, especially when it was adequately staffed. We had to pour our own wine, which is okay if the bottle is on the table, but when the bubbly is chilling on ice about six feet away and you have to go and get it, there's a problem. I tend to be pretty forgiving, especially for a fairly new place, but I will not go back due to the service. My companion was told multiple times to eat all of his food, when we don't believe in cleaning a plate if you are having four courses and pacing yourself. While I understand saying something once, in jest, is kind of cute or funny, by the time we've heard it five times, it just becomes annoying. If I order a wine and you've only been open for six weeks, I really expect you to have that wine in stock - particularly on the 16th of the month - no excuse for that one. Furthermore, if you do not have what I ordered, please do not bring me a substitute that isn't even close to what I tried to get and is priced about double what I wanted. I was able to decline the pricier upgrade due to my knowledge, but Joe Tourist may not have as much going on. I also have difficulty with glass breakage at the table. I know it happens, but I really don't like it, and I do expect a profuse apology - I didn't get one and I'm really glad I wasn't wearing sandals, since the shards went all over my feet, not that anyone bothered to check. Therefore, I will say I'm glad I tried Sustenio, but I will stick to my local independents when I go drop $300 on a meal for two again. read more

Has so much potential but the menu is not extensive and in every case, I find the protein in the entree is good but the vegetables are mush. Some sort of cauliflower puree which was cold by the time the plate hit the table. A SOB hash (asked the waiter what that was and he wasn't sure) served with the excellent fillet was too rich, and spread out all over the plate which looked terrible. Next time I will ask to sub a simple potato and asparagus. Rib Eye was good but served with a plate full of pinto beans running all over and making a mess. People want well cooked delicious food and this place tries too hard and misses the mark. Service has been great every time. Wish they'd ditch the flavored ice tea too. Desert was good. Bar is good but the bartenders will pour you another drink when you didn't ask for one so be ready to say No Thank you. Bar area can be loud but dining room is usually calm but right next to bar so you can ask to sit further back - but too far back and you have the kitchen noise and view . read more

My wife and I along with another couple went their to celebrate our anniversaries, their teenage daughter and 92 years young grandmother accompanied us. Chef David Glibert came out to the table and took time to explain the menu and where the items came from. He specifically spent time talking to the daughter to see what it is she would like for dinner, Chef David went out of his way to make a special meal for the daughter. As for the dinner, it was excellent, everything from appetizers to dessert, as well as the special plate of appetizers David sent out, which was pork liver medalion with yellow beans, fava beans, cilantro, etc. very very good. I would definitely recommend this to friends and family, and we will be back in the very near future to try some more of Chef Davids creations. I would also like to add that the service was also excellent, everyone from the host, waiter, matre'd were all very attentive. read more

My wife, her sister, and I dined at the Chef's Table. What a night. It started with Chef David Gilbert greeting us as we sat down. He asked about any food allergies and then instructed us to sit back, enjoy, and let him and his staff take care of everything else. They did that and more! The food was outstanding, with depth of flavor and creativity that is unmatched in San Antonio. The wine pairings were flawless. Most of what we ate was off the menu, Chef David's creation for the night. The highlight of the meal was the interaction between Chef David, Philippe Place and us. We felt like the only diners in the restaurant. They filmed us eating a new creation from Chef David using a unique presentation method. It is better if I don't say anything more! The final dish of the night, foie gras ice cream made tableside by both Chef David and Philippe, accompanied by ribbons of flexi chocolate and cruchy goodness from homemade "trail mix". Enough said. We can't wait to go back. Maybe next time we will get some friends together and reserve the communal dining table and eat Chef David's creations family style. read more

We visited to celebrate our anniversary. Despite knowing we are very particular in our food taste we were willing to try it and I truly wish and want to to give a good review about the food. The restaurant is beautiful, but unfortunately the food left MUCH to be desired. I tried hard to like it! First I ordered the stuffed green pepper. The description included a black bean puree and and orange, pepper sauce with vegetables etc. When it arrived was awful, dry, no black bean purred, no sauce, just dry carrots and zucchini stuffed in a dry over baked pepper. After looking hard for the black bean puree I guess it was the smear that was burnt onto the plate- it was bad. After politely questioning the dish (since it was not at all like the menu description) I ordered the snapper, with fried green tomatoes, green beans. It was okay, just "okay". The fish was dry, overdone. My husband ordered a steak with brussel sprouts that were literally charred. I ordered a farmhouse green salad. it was just a 'hunk' of a green lettuce with a drizzle of dressing, that's it. It seemed as if lthey had not finished making the salad and accidentally served it. Unfortunately it was purposeful. All of the dishes left much to be desired. The waiter was trying hard to do "damage control" and offered us a dessert on the house- the banana pudding encased in chocolate something or other - that was okay.... just okay. We had high expectations and I tried hard to like it but I was a total disappointment. I will probably not frequent this particular restaurant again.... Maybe the main chef was off that night, or the ovens were not working properly???.... Let's just say, I'm trying really hard to give the benefit of the doubt.... read more