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Ácenar
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
176 reviews for Ácenar
Review Highlights
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"This is hands down the best dining on the riverwalk." In 52 reviews -
"My boyfriend had the duck crepes, which he loved." In 10 reviews -
"2) Tres leches cake was so moist and tasty." In 5 reviews
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176 reviews in English
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Review from Charles F.
Seattle, WA
5/3/2012
I was in San Antonio on business. I searched the internet for San Antonio and Pibil and this was a result close to my hotel. I read the Yelp reviews and decided I should go.
The restaurant is in a great location right along the beautiful river walk. It had some very nice outdoor seating, but I sat inside. I would have eaten in the bar because I was by myself and did not want to take up a table, but the bar was like a noisy frat house that was not going to allow me to enjoy my meal, so I asked for a table.
The hostess was very nice about seating me at a table, but there were only four tops. I felt bad and apologized, making a comment about the bar and she immediately said she understood.
The table I was given was ok, but as the sun started to set, the sun was coming through this window that seemed to be focused on me and this table. I do not like to wear my sunglasses inside, but had no other choice.
When I sat, I waited a few minutes before anyone came to help me, but then the service was fine. They brought out complimentary chips and salsa. The salsa container was a like a decanter and very stylish and the chips came in a french fry cone.
I ordered a tuna margarita which is a margarita with cactus and pear juice. It was delicious.
I had the fried oyster appetizer, which was amazing. Each fried oyster came on yucca chips. It came with a light drizzle of some spicy/sweet mayo mix and the plate had a pattern of cilantro pesto smeared on it. It also had several small chunks of grilled pineapple. It was incredible. The combination of all of these flavors was a like a party.
One problem I had was that my entree came out before I had even finished half of my appetizer. That kind of sucked.
I ordered the cochinita pibil. It was good, but not great. It was like a finely pulled pork mixed together with an achiote sauce. It was a little dry and had very little citrus flavors to it that I usually associate with pibil dishes. It comes served on a banana leaf, but I am not so sure if it is actually cooked in a banana leave. It came with some Mexican style rice rather than cilantro rice which is what was on the menu. I was a little disappointed with that. The tortilla's were fresh and tasty. Overall, the dish was good.
I would go back if ever in San Antonio again. -
Review from Rachel S.
Georgetown, TX
4/8/2012
I ate here on a Saturday night with my two roommates and a friend for my roomie's bday. We made reservations, but got into town about half an hour earlier than expected. We checked in early and they were able to seat us with no problem at a table right at the edge of the balcony overlooking the water. My roommates harp on me constantly for being overly critical of service because I am a server, but even they thought the service we received was lacking. It was about five minutes before we were greeted with chips and salsa. I wasn't a fan of the chips-I could be wrong but they definitely did not taste homemade-but the birthday boy liked them because he likes thicker chips. The salsa was phenomenal, no complaints from anyone. Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and was able to field all of our questions about various drinks; however, it took about 8 minutes for us to get those drinks. About five minutes later we were asked if we were ready to order. We definitely were.
Now, for the food! We started with chicken nachos. They were gone approximately 1 minute 46 seconds after hitting the table. Superb! I had chicken tortilla soup. It was a tomato base and not chicken, which I don't really like, but that was my fault not theirs. Our other entrees ordered were crab tinga tacos, grilled shrimp tacos, and chicken chalupas. These all had rave reviews.
Now, for the drinks! I had a frozen house margarita. Simple enough, tasted great. Michael had a tuna margarita (no actual tuna involved), and liked it so much he needed seconds. Brooks had the blood orange mojita and enjoyed it, but then switched to a 10 cane mojito and said it was much better. Katy had two hand-shaken margaritas with some super new fancy tequila that our server advertised as better than patron. She loved it. Overall, the bar gets 5 stars.
Now, back to the service! When birthday boy ordered his chalupas, he asked if the beef was ground beef or fajita, and our server told him it was ground beef, so birthday boy joyously ordered them. However, those of you paying attention may remember that he ate chicken chalupas! Brooks's chalupas came out with fajita beef. After sevvverallll minutes, our server came back over and inquired as to how everything was. This conversation ensued:
Brooks: "I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood you; I thought you said these were ground beef."
Server: "They should be. Oh, no you're right, that is fajita. Is that not what you wanted?"
WHAT!?
Overall, food was good, drinks were good, server was knowledgeable but very slow. I'm not sure if this is the standard of service here or if it was maybe just an off night for our server. I would definitely go back and give it another try though! -
Review from Jen L.
3/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
Ate in the bar & had a blood orange mojito & some crab tacos. Service was a bit odd but I was at the bar so OK. The mojito was very good not too tart and a good pour...and the bartender said I could have a go-cup if I was heading back to riverwalk...but not on the street. That seems odd but OK.
The taco plate was meh. The crab in the tacos was sort of blech (and the crab tacos were a highly recommended item) and the beans & rice had very little seasoning.
So I guess I round up to a 3 star. -
Review from Michelle M.
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA
5/21/2012
Great margaritas. Chicken fried oyster tacos were fantastic.
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Review from Vrangel R.
San Antonio, TX
5/18/2012
My wife and two of our friends enjoyed our dinner very much. The server was knowledgeable, friendly and prompt.
I continue to recommend Acenar to anyone who visits San Antonio for great food and atmosphere.
I have been back three times since April while entertaining family and business clients.
The service food and attention to detail are impeccable. -
Review from Sheila F.
San Antonio, TX
5/20/2012
Cool atmosphere. Great view of the river walk. Drinks were good. Definitely recommend the coconut margarita. However, the food was not good. Salsa was bad. The chef's appetizer was puny and mediocre. The meat platter for two was not worth the price. And the staff was awkward and slow. Overall, not worth the price. There are better places to eat on the river walk.
-
Review from Jennifer S.
Dallas, TX
4/28/2012
Great atmosphere a little off the beaten path of the busy Riverwalk. We had a group of 30 and they seated us on the patio. It was a beautiful night and the restaurant really took care of us. The preset menu was very nice...I selected the enchiladas and was quite happy! Great experience for a small or large group.
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Review from Mark O.
Highland, UT
3/9/2012
Boooo!
I went to Acenar based on other reviews and sadly did not have the same positive experience as others.
The restaurant was slow and the staff seemed to be checked out. They wouldn't seat me outside on the river because they didn't want to open the patio.
I sat for a very long time before I had a server come over.
I ordered and over the course of the next 15-20 minutes I was told three times that the table side guacamole cart would be coming by. Should you have to wait 25 min for guac when the place is almost empty?
The carnitas came out finally and I'm pretty sure they were leftovers from a prior day. Hard as a rock!
I tried to order two deserts and no luck. They were out of both.
In summary -Booooooo! -
Review from Debbie J.
4/22/2012
Went with a large group for dinner on the patio. Service was very prompt and the pork dish was spicy yet a bit tasteless. We had preset menu so maybe I selected the wrong option. I would definitely go back with a smaller group.
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Review from Audrey W.
Advance, NC
5/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
After walking in 2 huge circles around the Riverwalk, we decided to check out the "hotmex coolbar." it must be a pretty hopping place at night, it has a clubby feel. We sat on the patio which was great. I tried the Tuna margarita (don't know why it's called that). It was a lovely shade of pink and quite yummy. We started with the empanadas-different- the accompanying salsa had a nice flavor. I tried the carnitas per previous reviews. Big chunks of crispy, tender pork. I thought the menu was a tad pricy, but it is in a high tourist area.
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Review from Boon K.
4/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
I wasn't a fan of the blood orange mojito, it was just to tart for me and I wish it was a little sweeter. We tried all the apps and the ceviche was my favorite. The salsa was addicting and I loved my grill shrimp entree. That was delicious.
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Review from Valerie G.
Dallas, TX
4/21/2012
Went with a very large group for dinner last week. I had a dish with fajita chicken and grilled onions that was quite good. Service was quick and friendly! Great atmosphere.
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Review from Kim A.
4/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
I frequent Acenar for lunch more often than for dinner. I really love their patio in the springtime. There's not much better than overlooking the river with the sun on your shoulders while enjoying some really good mole enchiladas. Acenar also has a decent happy hour with drinks and apps for $5. This is one tex-mex restaurant that I actually recommend to out of town family dead set on eating dinner on the River Walk.
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Review from huong t.
2/2/2012
This place is Amazing! My only regret was i didnt go on the first day of my trip rather than the last night of my trip. i loved the pink,red and orange couches near the restrooms. the staff was very friendly they relentlessly offered some of their personal candy stash until I gave in.
If you sit at the bar i hope your server/bartender is Martine cuz he is Marvelous! I had him make me 2 drinks that he seldomly makes a Hot Toddy and Caipirinha. He tackled the task and succeeded beyond my expectations! I was impressed by how attentive he was with 1 of his regulars. He made sure his cup was never empty.
The food Omg the Duck Chalupas are ExtraOrdinary! If I could have this on late nights when Im hungover/drunk instead of the usual burger I would be one very Happy Girl.
Next time Im in San Antonio I know where Ill be going :) -
Review from Mike C.
3/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Was staying at the Sheraton Gunter for a couple of days and asked the manager about some places to eat that weren't on the riverwalk. He immediately suggested Ácenar and said he eats there at least once a week.
My fiance' and I thought we'd have no problems getting a table at 5:30pm on a Saturday, but ended up with a 20-30 minute wait, which we took at the bar. I tried the melon mojito, which was okay, but wasn't as appetizing as I thought it would be. Not the bartender's fault at all, so don't let that dissuade you.
We were finally seated in an area at the back of the restaurant that was pretty crammed with tables. More than once we had our extra chairs bumped into with the tableside guacamole cart because there wasn't a whole lot of room.
Our waiter finally showed up about the time we were going to grab someone else to ask where he/she was. We went ahead and started with the tableside guacamole, which ended up being made by someone other than our waiter (this will be important later). It was delicious and made to order (we cut down on the jalapenos and doubled-down on the tomatoes).
In other reviews, people had mentioned the tasty complimentary tortillas and some little flour tortilla things whose name escapes me at the moment, neither of which were offered nor showed up. But since we already had the guac and chips, we let it slide - but still would have liked the opportunity to taste.
I ordered the duck crepes and my fiance' ordered the achiote pulled pork. Our food was delivered by someone other than our waiter, who was now taking ten minutes to make 1 order of tableside guacamole for the table of 8 next to us and spending most of that time giving his culinary history rather than actually making the guacamole.
The crepes were outstanding and I highly recommend them. As for my fiance's pulled pork, it turned out to be quite a bit spicier than she expected. Since we hadn't seen our waiter since he finished reciting his resume' to the table next to us, we had to flag down someone else to get some sour cream, which helped smooth out the pork's flavor.
At this time, our glasses were empty and another waiter noticed and came back to refill them. Our waiter only showed up after we were almost done and to bring the check.
Don't let our service issue dissuade you, though. Ácenar is worth the time and trouble. -
Review from Kacie D.
Miami Beach, FL
4/17/2012
The service and scenery are excellent but the food isn't completely worth the price.
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Review from Chris M.
San Antonio, TX
Had a wonderful time here at Ácenar. The drinks were mouthwatering, top shelf I might add. The food was fabulous, everything cooked to perfection with an explosion of flavor. The staff was very helpful and made sure we were comfortable the entire time.
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Review from Naoko M.
12/29/2011
I was in town for Christmas break to spend the holidays with my soon-to-be brother-in-law's family. The day after Christmas, a bunch of us met up at the hotel we out of towners were staying at for drinks and to watch the games for the evening. Eventually, we decided to venture elsewhere for some more drinks and some food.
We ended up at Acenar, thanks to our hotel bartender's recommendation. The ambiance here is definitely on the swanky side up in the bar/lounge area. Our server was really nice and hustled to get us everything we ordered.
The complimentary chips and salsa here are great! Good chips and tasty roasted tomato salsa.
Since we had eaten Rudy's BBQ earlier in the day, I wasn't too hungry, especially after wolfing down the delicious chips and salsa. My brother and I decided to just split the Queso Flameado (Baked Cheese) to start and order more later if we needed to. This queso was awesome. Delicious cheese combined with chorizo, sauteed onions and pepper served with tortillas. My brother hadn't had queso like this before, only the melty nacho cheese kind. This was melted cheese that stayed relatively solid other than some stretchy gooey deliciousness.
Turns out the chips/salsa and queso were enough to make me full. I did have a bite of the rice and beans that came with my sister's Tacos al Parrilla (she got it with pork), and those were good too. She really liked her tacos. Our friends also liked their crab tinga tacos and ceviche salad.
Drinks: the blood orange mojito was awesome!
All in all, this place is infinitely better than Rio Rio and at lower prices. I would highly recommend Acenar to anyone looking for a nice cocktail and good food. -
Review from Kyle O.
Denver, CO
2/15/2012
Throw a twist into tex-mex and try Acenar! This place has a modern twist to tex-mex and they made a cozy/modern atmosphere to go along with it.
The mole sauce was rich and delicious with the chicken enchilada. I tried the Pesto Lime rice which was a pretty good alternative to the standard mexican rice. The waitress also offered me ranchero beans instead of refried beans which I found to be a great alternative as well. I would say it's only slightly pricier than Rosario's which is one of my all time favorite mexican restaurants but the atmosphere is great for those heading out to the riverwalk and want to stay nearby or hearing to a show/play/musical that is right next door. Also tried the mojito and it wasn't the greastest but I'd give them another try. -
Review from James D.
Karnes City, TX
2/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great place. I go as much as I can and the margaritas are awesome. If you like margaritas this is the place.
Try the Shrimp Tacos, excellent!!! -
Review from Kate K.
San Antonio, TX
12/11/2011
I've been going to Acenar for years now and have always enjoyed it. The food is unique and not the typical greasy, tasteless tex-mex you might find at other restaurants on the Riverwalk. (However, they do have dishes such as cheese enchiladas and chalupas which could please the typical tex-mex lover like my fiance).
The drinks are also very unique...cane sugar mojitos, tuna (cactus fruit) margaritas, coconut margaritas, etc.
Also, for the Riverwalk, the prices are great for the value.
Ask for the special corn and other flavored tortillas for your table, also. They are delicious! -
Review from Dennis B.
Richmond, TX
4/30/2012 Seated via OpenTable
This is the second time my wife and I ate here. Both of us enjoyed the experience. Guacamole made at our table was fabulous. We split carnitas. Good portions and flavor. Will definately come back next time we are in town.
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Review from Rich E.
Burbank, CA
2/24/2012
Decent "modern" Mexican influenced fare with a garish interior design and uncomfortable looking tables on the inside. The patio, however, is spacious and comfortable with a good view overlooking the river. Had the fried oysters (ok) , pozole (good) and crab salad (mediocre). After walking down by the riverwalk, I would have chosen Mexico Manhattan in retrospect. It looked better, at least for ambiance.
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Review from Paul H.
10/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Decor: 4/5
-Right next to Riverwalk, the weather was perfect. Not too humid, hot or cold.
Service: 3.5/5
-Acenar made the mistake of giving up our reserved table to a late party.
Food was great.
-Our server was wonderful. She was attentive and refilled our drinks without asking. The main entrees did take a while to come out (for a party of 9).
Food: 3.5/5
-Table side guac was good but not as great as Pappacito's
-Our table was on the patio. The weather was gorgeous. Not hot, humid or cold.
-The hand shaken margarita tasted great.
-Nachos with cheese and beans was a good appetizer to start with.
-Duck crepes came with two crepes. The duck was tender and flavorful. The sauce made it a bit salty.
-The crispy tip pork came with a large portion. So large we had to take home the left overs which fed two people.
-While yelpers loved the tres leches, I fell in love with the chocolate mousse due to the dense, rich texture. I highly recommend this over the tres leches. -
Review from Pito G.
San Antonio, TX
1/12/2012
This is one of my favorite restaurants in San Antonio. Its at the end of the River Walk on Houston Street and it has 2 levels along with an outside patio overlooking the water. The atmosphere of the restaurant itself has a chic-retro feel to it and the menu contains personal contributions from the chefs themselves. If your looking for traditional Mexican food, this is not the place. The Chefs like to take their own play on Mexican food, and with their ideas, create a fusion menu that just...well..works.
My favorite dish here are the Entomatadas-(Chicken Flautas with a red tomatillo sauce and topped with crispy fried julienne sweet potatoes). Their Rotisserie Chicken is also a big hit.
They also have excellent bartenders, I never seem to be able to leave this place without having atleast 2-3 Margaritas. -
Review from Sherri S.
11/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is an upscale sportsbar/ Tex-Mex Restaurant.
The patio sits on the riverwalk and is a wonderful atmosphere for a date or lunch with the 'rents.
The interior is plush, yet casual and a great transition from the outer area to the upper bar.
The bar sports big screen TV's with "flavor of the day" sports paying. The bartender was quick, on all counts - witty and a pro drink-slinger.
The menu is traditional Tex-Mex and not super unique.
The cocktail menu was also heavy on the margs, but also housed tasty mojitos, and whimsical versions of your favorite maragarita.
I enjoyed the atmoshpere - it was a nice change from the Dicks on the other side of the riverwalk. -
Review from Shaun L.
San Jose, CA
3/6/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I made a reservation for a party of nine recently, and overall I thought the staff did a good job accommodating everyone. We had two small children with us, which sometimes creates some challenges at a busy restaurant but the waitstaff were attentive and helpful. As for the food, I ordered the crab tacos but it was a little too greasy for me. The appetizers we ordered however, such as the guacamole and queso, were excellent. Since a portion of this restaurant sits along the River Walk, I would recommend outdoor seating down on the patio when the weather is cooperative - it makes for a nice dining experience. If you are going with more than four people, I would definitely make a reservation ahead of time since this place fills up pretty fast for dinner.
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Review from Andrea W.
Austin, TX
9/14/2011
We had a group of 7 here for my sister's bachelorette party, and it was not as special as I would have liked, though the food was good.
1) Outdoor seating (indoor was lounge like, looked kind of cool)
Ambiance, great. No music playing, I like to hear salsa while I eat salsa, it completes the experience. Plus, we were going to go dancing next, and instead of being motivated to shake it in our chairs, the dull chatter of the restaurant made us all feel tired and bored.
2) Food!
Ceviche was really excellent and fresh, however, they need to eliminate the popcorn element?
Crab tacos: lots of crab, very small tacos, corn torts, quantity: 3. Still fresh and good with sweet potato stringy... crunchy things.. on top.
Chips and salsa: salsa is more like crushed tomato, could have been fresher tasting. Chips, too thick for my liking (fan of el milagro chips).
Tortillas: supposed to be cilantro infused, but really just taste kind of like biscuits? And the cilantro is probably powdered and poured in the dough, cannot taste it.
Finally, mole: Slightly too sweet for my taste, too much like chocolate. Not enough of a savory, spice element. Have had better.
3) Service
Waiter was not very receptive to our needs, but was overall extremely nice and never had a 'tude with us. -
Review from Kendall C.
Gaithersburg, MD
4/14/2012
For Tex Mex style with a little creative flair, this is the place. It should get better reviews than it does, especially in comparison to other restaurants on the riverwalk. Everyone in our party was very pleased! Tacos are yummy and who doesn't love tableside guacamole with house made chips?
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Review from Claire A.
9/29/2011
Acenar was a tasty little jewel on the Riverwalk. Nice patio on the more low-key stretch of the river, excellent drinks, and good food.
The pork tenderloin was tasty and the margaritas were some of the best I had during my trip. -
Review from Morgan H.
One of the best restaurants I have ever eaten at. I could eat here everyday as we go as much as we can. The atmosphere is awesome and the food is incredible!
Here are some dishes to try:
1. Table Side Guacamole
2. Empanadas
3. Posole soup
4. Carnitas
You cant go wrong at Acenar and to top it all off, their cocktails are great and you will be back for more very soon! I have recommended this place to locals who haven't heard of it and to those who come for business and are looking for a local place to eat. If I was playing professional baseball, I would be batting 1000% with Acenar!
We also held my wife's graduation party there as well and it was an awesome time. We had several friends and family members who had never been. They were blown away by the food and all said they would be back for more!
We just ate there on a business dinner this week and can't wait to go back!Listed in: 5 top restaurant's to visit in…
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Review from Bacon B.
7/30/2011
So like all good tourist, our first excursion in San Antonio was the Riverwalk. Along the walk, Ric and I saw some ducks and I told him it would be fun to catch one and eat it that night. He thought duck was too greasy. And then we saw Acenar and decided we both were hungry. Huge space with somewhat odd set rooms, Acenar has a nice selection on their menu. The empanadas were to live for and the duck chalupa was fantastic. Yes, I actually talked about dressing a duck from the river and ate duck in the same evening. We asked our server and he assured us the duck did not come from the river. Bummer.
Oh, the sitting area outside the washrooms is wild. -
Review from Tracy J.
San Antonio, TX
12/11/2011
I decided to try Acenar out tonight because it was near Majestic. It is an upscale mexican restaurant that has patio sitting overlooking the riverwalk. It is trendy and modern, lots of reds. The food is good, no wow factor and pricey. The service is mixed...you have to catch the waitress to get some tea refilled once your meal has been served, for the next time you see her it with your bill.
Chips and salsa are complimentary, the salsa has no heat or kick. For apps we ordered the fried oysters...it was bland, needed more sauce to give it flavor, yucca chips were gummy and the cerviche which was good but can do without the popcorn kennels and lettuce.
For the main course we ordered the fish tacos, pork carnitas and beef tacos. The fish taco was tasty thanks to the slaw, the pork carnitas was crispy and seasoned well, the beef tacos had a good seared on the beef. The refried beans was bland and the salsa was served in a little paper cup.
For an upscale place I was disappointed that the silverware was mismatched, cheap punchout forks and that the salsa was served in paper cups. So basically it could be better but it's just average. -
Review from Shawna B.
Spring, TX
8/1/2011
It was 9pm before we finally made our way out for dinner. We stayed in the Museum Reach of the Riverwalk and Acenar is one of the closer places to eat. It is far enough away from the Riverwalk that it is more laid back and feels less touristy than the chaotic riverwalk restaurants. Their balcony seating that overlooks the riverwalk is amazing and a must for evening dining.
Their salsa has great roasted flavor and is perfectly spicy. The hubs has always wanted to try "authentic" mole, and it seems everything we have sampled has been chocolate sauce and yuck on top of cheese. The Mole Enchiladas here are AMAZING! The chocolate flavor is more of a spice than an over arching base sauce. It is delicate and spicy at the same time. Delicious.
I had the Mushroom and Calabacita Tacos. At first I though, "I could probably make these better at home." But then I tried it...and there is no way I could make them at home as good as they make them here! Sooo tasty!
There were only 3 things I didn't like about our evening, and prevent me from giving our experience a full 5 stars: (1) the tortilla chips were stale. This I can kind of overlook as it was 9pm when we got there. (2) my "hand shaken" margarita was WAY to sweet to taste the part. (3) Our table cloth was sticky plastic. This is also semi-forgivable as we sat outside...but yuck it was old and crackly! -
Review from Cameron K.
Houston, TX
9/22/2011
Good dining experience on the San Antonio Riverwalk
Had a good experience at Acenar. I cannot speak to the complaints from other reviewers primarily because we dined here on a Sunday evening, well outside of peak times on the Riverwalk. We also only had two dishes. Both were VERY good in our opinion.
We started out with the Guacamole appetizer. This is neat because they prepare the guacamole at your table. They bring out a large cart, with the canola oil, tomatoes, serrano peppers, onions and cilatro already cut up and put into large attractive bowls. The waiter also has a large bowl of whole avocados. They cut up the avocados tableside along with the other ingredients. In short, the guacamole was EXCELLENT.
For our main course, we had the crab tacos. We had no complaints about this dish.
Finally, we finished with a chocolate mousse. This was very good as well. It is a bit pricey, then again, you are dining on the riverwalk. Everything is pricey on the riverwalk. -
Review from Carley P.
Austin, TX
8/24/2011
Love it.
I'm usually hesitant to go out for Mexican/Tex-Mex, because if you are not a big meat eater it inevitably ends up being a giant clump of cheese with a few bits of pepper and onion and some tortillas. Maybe a bean or some mushrooms if you're lucky. Not the case at Acenar.
Note: We got there ~10 minutes before they closed the kitchen at 11:00 pm, and still got great service and food. I want to add an extra star just for this reason.
The whole menu sounded great, it was hard to decide what to order. The ceviche was delectable - they add jicama, which gives an awesome crispness. My boyfriend had the duck crepes, which he loved. The mushroom crepes (appetizer) were flavorful and perfectly cooked, not all chewy. The citrus salad was also tasty - simple but good flavors and very fresh, a perfect complement to the heavier crepes. Their salsa was delicious and unique, and actually a little spicy (was not even aware this occurred)! Portions were not immense and overwhelming.
As for drinks...
--the house margarita was a tad sweet for my taste, but I'm a big fan of super citrusy/strong margaritas (Am I the only one who wants to taste the tequila?)
--the prickly pear margarita was way too sweet for me - definitely a "girly drink", but pretty tasty if you like your cocktails sweet/fruity
Considering this place is just a little ways from all the clubs/chain restaurants/tourist-bonanza, I was very impressed by the quality, selection, and service. This is my recommendation for dinner on the riverwalk! -
Review from Sarita N.
Amarillo, TX
2/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Food was ok. The salsa was a roasted kind - good, but no kick. Went there for lunch and portion sizes are really small. We aren't real big eaters, but we're left unsatisfied. The main reason for the 3 stars: My husband ordered a mojito and our server came back and told us they ran out of mint...and this sort of thing never happens. He recommended another drink to us which we ordered (coconut margarita) Our server came back with BOTH drinks, as the bartender found some mint! At the end we were charged for BOTH drinks! Another thing, even though they weren't that busy, service was not very good. We were kept waiting for a long time between ordering drinks then lunch etc. It's not cheap to eat here either. For 2 entrees, 2 alcoholic drinks, our bill came to $50, for lunch.
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Review from Leroy A.
San Antonio, TX
11/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Acenar is a good place to go if you want the Riverwalk atmosphere and upscale but casual dining.
Taken a few different groups there since they opened and the food is always good - not great - but good. -
Review from Jared J.
San Antonio, TX
2/15/2012
Had family in town who wanted to experience the Riverwalk's finest. Acenar did not disappoint. Even the non-adventurous eaters among us enjoyed the mole enchiladas while I enjoyed some amazing crab tacos with avocado. The service was efficient and friendly and they accommodated our special requests for our 5-year old daughter without missing a beat. The charo beans lacked a little seasoning but were a good lighter alternative to the refried beans.
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Review from Jessica S.
Austin, TX
8/28/2011
I came here with my fiance and another couple hoping to have a pleasant late dinner on the Riverwalk around 9pm. The first red flag should have been that while the rest of the restaurants were packed, this place had lots of empty tables.
You would think empty tables = faster seating right? There were 4-5 tables out on the patio that were empty when we arrived. 40 minutes later, they were still empty and we were seated at one of them. This was after 40 min spent at the bar upstairs with our seating beeper, starving, then finally eating the nastiest baked cheese (Queso Flameado) we had ever seen. This stuff was floating in unidentifiable grease (more grease than cheese) and had to be cut with a knife and fork because it was tough as leather.
I ordered the tortilla soup and house salad for dinner. The tortilla soup was like drinking a bowl of salt and the house salad was absolutely soaked with dressing that was far too sweet. It was like the chef spilled a bottle of sno cone syrup. To top it all off, a roach ran across my foot and across my purse. My friend wasn't feeling well and this situation and the food certainly did not help. The couple left to go lie down back at the hotel mid dinner.
This all made for a very frustrating night. The hostesses and servers were smiling and pleasant, but we felt very misled about the wait and the food let us down.
The wait [- 1 star]
Nasty cheese [- 1 star]
Dinner [- 1 star, should be more because the rest of my party thought their food was mediocre for the price but I can't give zero ratings here]
Roach [- 1 star]
