On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Loading...
How could I have forgotta about La Fogota?
"13 years it's been and yet..."
Our fine city has so many great places for Mexican food and some not so great so you really choose based upon your location when the desire strikes. Living so far out in the suburbs the chances of that desire striking while you are in the neighborhood of Vance Jackson and I-10 is not very likely. Today, however, returning from Florida and not having any time to eat along the way, we had to have Mexican food and we had to have it now! By the way there is a reason this country is filled with all levels of Mexican restaurants in the most remote places you would least expect a Mexican restaurant, because our food is good! I say this because South Florida is filled with Cuban restaurants and that movement remains regional and the reason for that is. Well you get the picture.
La Fogata is a San Antonio institution and that's why it has managed to thrive in this area that would not expect people to go out of their way to visit. Today we had one lunch special and one mixed enchilada plate.
The special was a combination plate of grilled chicken fajita strips served with sauteed onions, cilantro, fresh green onions, avocado slices, fresh tomato slices and pico de gallo. More than enough for two tacos and delicious. Accompanying it were three jumbo ancho glazed fried shrimp which were sweet, spicy, tender and perfect. A cup of their chicken caldo completed the deal and the server could barely put the plate down before my wife had attacked the caldo. Oh, and I had ordered the lunch special. The enchiladas came with one green smothered in a tart tomatillo sauce, one beef with a well seasoned filling and rich chile con carne, and one cheese filled with a great Oaxacan typed melting cheese and another delicious gravy atop of it.
It is so great to be home!!!
Mariachi Band, Delicious Food, and Entertaining Atmosphere make up La Fogata Restaurant in San Antonio. Walking into the restaurant you got through a courtyard setting with water fountains, lights, and great outdoor seating.
Inside, hear the sounds of mariachis coming up to your table to play for you. If your birthday they will sing a special birthday song for you, and what is nice, is that they are not asking for tip money for them to sing.
Need to use the restroom? Head through the kitchen to see the workings of the chefs! Extremely nice staff who give you suggestions on food.
The food is absolutely delicious! Start off with chips and salsa, then move into your entree. The portions are big but every bite is worth it. The enchiladas are dynamite and come with rice and beans. I am craving the food as I write this review...maybe I should go back! Margaritas are tasty too!
Not right by the River or a tourist area is the restaurant so you might need to take a taxi if visiting San Antonio, but it is worth it 110%!
I simply cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. It's definitely one of my favorite places to get Mexican food in San Antonio. The scenery at this restaurant is so different.... most of the seating takes place outdoors under covered patios, which I LOVE. During the summer it can be a little bit uncomfortable but in winter they have heaters outside that really warm you up.
Whenever I go, I always start off with a "Twin Tower" margarita. This margarita definitely has a BIG KICK to it that will start your night off right. I've never been able to drink more than two of them while there..... I'm thinking that it's probably impossible.
ALL of the food that I've had at La Fogata is simply amazing.... I can safely say that I've never been disappointed with their food. One of my favorites here is the cheese enchilada dinner. They definitely have some of the best enchiladas in town.
I can almost guarantee that you'll love La Fogata if you decide to eat here. They have tons of parking (side and back) and even offer Valet service if that's something you'd like. Be sure to get there early.... there is quite a long wait most nights if you end up getting there too late. If that happens, you can always rely on the bar to hold you over until you're seated.
Who would ever guess that something as lovely as La Fogata could be on a nondescript stretch of Vance Jackson between I-10 and Loop 410? The landscaping is beautiful: my lunch companion and I were seated in one of the many arbor-covered outdoor seating areas, ours with a fountain in the center. Service was fantastic - chips, salsa and drinks were refilled as quickly as we could consume them. Prices were about 30 percent more than I usually pay at comparable restaurants, and the food - while good - wasn't exceptional. We went at off-peak hours, and parking was no problem - but I can easily see how it might be an issue at a busier time of the day. My overall impression was very good, and - despite the fact I think it's slightly overpriced - I will be back!
32 reviews doesn't shock me... this place was packed. They easily accommodated our large party and every need. This was one of my visits with the future in-laws including his sisters new boyfriend from Iowa. The food was fantastic and everyone was impressed with the mariachi. This is a great place to bring family from out of town or anyone looking for a great "taste" of San Antonio!!! Best Margarita in town!
I've been going to this place for years.
My family stops in here every 5-10 years when we're around.
The big gateway and garden area are really sweet looking. And the neon pink adds that perfect amount of kitch.
Their margaritas are always tasty, and they have the best appetizer in the world:
Rajas con Queso.
Roasted poblanos and onions in a creamy cheese sauce served with flour tortillas.
El Chile and Chuy's have both tried to produce this dish in the past and failed miserably. My father and I have tried reproducing it for years, and it just never works.
This dish is FTW.
I had their Molé enchiladas last time, and really liked them. Not the best molé I've had, but...I'm picky, so I like to taste other peoples' versions of the recipe, having tasted it myself.
So, go sit in the patio by a fountain with a margarita and have some rajas con queso. I think I remember their tres leches being pretty darn delish as well. You might just forget that you're in a big city.
HORRIBLE SERVICE!!! I couldn't believe it after all the hype that I've heard about this place. But thats what happens to a waiter who is seated with two 10 tops at the same time, poor management. Drinks were great . Place was beautiful. I thought my food was mediocre (chile relleno) but my husband loved his food (pollo loco). I think we're going to have to do a re-do in the near future. Next time I think I'll try some of their more authentic dishes.
I was in San Antonio last night to see a concert. A friend who lives in S.A. suggested this place. I'm glad he did! Wanting to try a little of everything, I got the Plato de Todo. It rocked! The flauta and the fajita were especially good. Chalupa and a fried cheese filled tortilla thing were also really good.
Their salsa is really good too. I'm not a big fan of those thick-cut chips they use, but they were still pretty darned good.
Margaritas were tasty and just strong enough....not too strong and not a rip-off like they serve at the AT&T Center, but that's another story.
Arrived at the airport and did a little research on Chowhound and came across this place. Was hoping it'd be more authentic Mexican rather than tex-mex, but it seemed more like the later, at least from what I got, per the waiter's recommendation. This place actually looked quite nice vs. the somewhat shady neighborhood it's in. The clientele seemed to be mostly American families with kids, which makes me think Olive Garden or Red Lobster, perhaps a domesticated version of a Mexican restaurant?
Anyway, I got their signature sampler, Un Poquito De Todo and it was decent, though nothing really stood out as great. Thought the grilled meat in the fajita was tasty, I may have liked one of their grilled specialties more than the usual tex-mex fare. Had the Tres Leches cake for dessert - also OK, though it bordered more on soggy than moist, was overpriced at $5.99. Prices seemed a bit on the high side, maybe to cover the little extras, like the security guard in the parking lot.
A follow-up, all the locals I mentioned this place to, said it's a tourist trap. If you don't mind that, thought the food was passable.
On a recent excursion to San Antonio, I found myself at the famed La Fogata restaurant. My curiosity had been peaked by years of hearing rave reviews. "Authentic" or "real" or "interior" Mexican food is how I've heard it described -- and I love me some interior Mexican food.
My dining companions and I ordered the guacamole. If you ever go to La Fogata, you must also order the guacamole, for the waiter will prepare it before your eyes. I mean, he pitted and scooped out the avocado, mashed it up, and mixed it with tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and lime juice. I'm still reeling at how fast he was able to pull this off. Oh, and the guacamole was DELICIOUS!!!
I would also characterize the margaritas as delicious. This is saying something because I'm not really a margarita person. Their "award winning" margarita was blended so artfully that neither the lime nor the tequila nor the Grand Marnier (or whatever else they used) dominated the flavor.
I ordered the mole enchiladas. The mole sauce tasted homemade -- not from a jar. I thought they tasted delicious, and I could tell by the look of "I regret I did not order this" on my dining companions' faces when they tasted it that they thought the same.
The look of La Fogata is special, too. When you walk through their doors, you are likely to feel as if you've stepped into colonial Mexico. There is an abundance of Talavera tile, water fountains, foliage, outdoor patio seating, and charming birds.
Next time I'm in San Antonio, I'll definitely skip the low rent or big chain Tex Mex places and go back to La Fogata.
Been there several times. My family thinks that it is THE PLACE to go for Mexican food. Their drinks are fantastic. The food is okay. I've never been disappointed, but I've had better, too.
Let's face it: Humphrey Bogart would bring his Casablanca dates to La Fogata if he was still around. I can't speak for the food, but I can speak for their ROCKIN margaritas.
The place is just gorgeous. Flowers and foliage and all sorts of cobblestones to trip over in your heels on your way to the bathroom adorn the many patios. And you know you're at a great place when they strongly suggest ordering the margs on the rocks (as if there was any other way to drink them!). And order on the rocks we did.
Some exchange of dialogue occurred between a gentleman at the table and our waiter. I only caught the phrases "extra tequila" and "shot of grand mariner," but the result was a loaded glass of salt-rimmed excellence decorated with a magenta orchid. After a few sips, life was good...until the check revealed a hefty $15 fee per marg.
Not that I felt like complaining by then...
Order the Poblano Tampiqueña - I drive from Austin every few months just to get it. Talk about a fix you just can't shake.
Enjoyed a terrific late Sunday lunch at La Fogata today. I'd never been so when my friend called and asked about getting together and suggested Mexican food, I asked about this place.
The restaurant is very lovely. Fountains, flowers and plants - it's like walking into a garden. Even though it was hot, we decided to sit out on the patio. It was was shaded and they did have ceiling fans so the heat wasn't too bad.
We ordered the mango frozen margarita's and they were really delicious. I've ordered flavored marg's before and had them be horrendous so this was a very welcome surprise! I loved the orchids that they put in the drinks too.
I had a taco plate that I really couldn't tell you the name of it. It was 2 lightly fried corn tortillas with fajita steak, avocado, cheese and cilantro. It was really delicious! My friend had a pork dish but I didn't try it. She did mention that it could've used more pieces of pork.
We ordered dessert and shared the mango and cream cheese empnanda w/mango ice cream and a tres leches. While both were good the tres leches was fantastic!
La Fogata is a great place to take a date and would also be a wonderful spot to take visiting relatives or friends.
Oh and as for price, yes the margaritas are about $9 but our entrees were only $11.99 which I think is reasonable for this type of restaurant.
Food was good, not amazing...but I ordered something that i would not normally get....and I wont order it again....the other people in my party all LOVED theirs.
San Antonio, and frankly all of Texas is laid out very odd....everything is s-p-r-e-a-d out and not necessarily easy to find. Freeway signs for "loops" and exits are not clearly marked and shopping "centers" seem to just now become more frequent... I guess that is what makes finding these non-chain restaurants, in the middle of neighborhoods more interesting.
Anyhow, this place was beautiful! From the HUGE fountain in the back end of the patio to the amazing grounds full of plants, flowers, trees and more fountains (la fogata was not out yet, as it was May) (ls fogata is a fire pit) it was like walking back into old Mexico! Singing birds, butterflys, etc...which was great to enteratain my 19 month old.
I could totally see hosting a private party here, there was a lowered dining area that I could totally envision as a dance floor. But the restaurant dining options were limitless...indoors, outdoors, under trees, near the bar :), etc...
Apparently this place used to be a hot spot for celebrities, as there were many old photos of them dining there....and believe it or not this HUGE gorgeous place started as a road side taco stand...which still remains as a work space for the staff!
Restrooms were clean, drinks were great..... I would definitely go back....it was like I was in Guanajuato Mexico again :)
LOVE IT.
So, here's the thing...
I'm really surprised La Fogata is getting so many lackluster reviews. While in SA visiting family friends we were looking for a rocking Mexican Restaurant, I used my handy dandy Yelp App via my iPhone, after reading the reviews we punched La Fogata into the GPS and arrived happily to the beautiful patio area within minutes.
The restaurant itself is absolutely beautiful, I ordered a can of Tecate and shared chips and salsa with the family. Their salsa verde is wonderful, I added a little salt and a wedge of lime and it was perfect.
I ordered a gordita, vegetarian style with chipolte, guacamole, sour cream, white Mexican cheese and tons of cabbage and lettuce. I added some tomato and salsa verde upon its arrival, and absolutely killed it with my knife and fork.
The menu boasted all kinds of Mexican treats for the expert and novice alike. The parking was ample and we were allowed to smoke on the patio, for my money it was a perfect afternoon lunch in the sun.
Authentic, romantic, fun, and tasty. No complaints. This is the restaurant where my friends and I go for birthday parties or to celebrate.
Parking is annoying and it gets crowded on the weekends, but otherwise this play is a treat.
I recently went here with a large group of friends. We were seated immediately, although we roasted outside on the garden patio (avoid the patio in summer, if you can). Their authentic salsa starts your meal off on the right note. Shrimp tacos made for a light and fresh, yet filling, meal. Even my husband, who usually can't stand Mexican food, was happy with his meal. The only sour note (besides the heat, which they really couldn't control) is that parking for the restaurant is a major pain.
If I haven't mentioned it before, I don't dig Tex-Mex much. Although the dip for the chips was just the way I prefer it: hot!
The atmosphere seems to stay busy and sometimes a little too busy for its own good. It just seemed as though they had a lot more customers than they knew what to do with.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed my food at La Fogata. When we got to the restaurant, we were seated outside which was nice and luckily, we only got a few sprinkles on the head before the sun came back out.
The margaritas received lukewarm reviews by my meal mates, but they were cute with a little orchid on the top. Me, I was just happy to have my Dr. Pepper refilled so often and without me asking.
The chips and salsa were standard fare with nothing to write home about. The queso we got was pretty good, though it could've been made from a box. We also got the queso flameado which was surprisingly low key when they lit it on fire. Perhaps they do it so often that they don't feel that it deserves fanfare. However, if we had kids at our table, I would've made a big show of how "cool" it is to have fire on the food. What I really regret is not ordering the guacamole. They make it table side and with a shot of tequila. Now, I've had my share a guac, but never with tequila and now I'm itching to make some at home to see how it tastes. Evidently, it smooths out the chunks and helps with the flavor.
I ended up with the shrimp quesadilla which was very cheap at under $6. When the plate arrived, I was dismayed to see the tiny portion, but when I finished it, I was stuffed, so it worked out well. The shrimp was very, very fresh and even though I found a bit of shell still on one of them, I couldn't get over how good it was. The major downfall was the rice. It was inedible. I'm not really sure how you screw up the flavors, but with that kind of incompetence, I should've been happy that it was fully cooked!
We skipped dessert, but I was happy to say that everyone seemed very content with their meals. The lack of two stars really comes from the fact that if you can't cook rice properly, you should probably get out of the kitchen. The other issues with the place lies in the lack of parking, the slow service (except when it came to refills!), and the seemingly high prices of all the other entrees.
I must say that this place gets an extra star for sentimentality - my husband and I went here on our first grown-up date together AND it's where he proposed to me several years later.
The margaritas are darn near perfection (and served up with a lovely flower swimming at the top)
The food is average at its worst, and the place is just fun.
One suggestion - always sit outside, regardless of the weather. The atmosphere is completely different than the "just another mexican restaurant" feel inside.
Part 1- My experience at the restaurant
Three girl friends and I went to celebrate a birthday with margaritas on the huge (and covered so warm) patio of La Fogata. We were in San Antonio because that is where the birthday girl lives, and we thought it would be nice to visit her there. Anyways, the atmosphere of the restaurant was really cool, even the mariachi band who almost made us all deaf when it played near us. The strawberry swirl margarita was very good (I don't normally enjoy drinks this sweet but it was a nice change), as were the delicious Sols that followed. As for food, we had some delicious queso, and for my meal I had the taco nortenos. These were awesome and I can't believe I've never had them before. Fajita meat, cabbage, beans, queso fresco, cilantro and avocado in a lightly fried tortilla- awesome. I want it right now.
Ok, Part 2- My experience a few days after once I discovered they charged me twice....
I've contacted the manager, John, and he said he would look into this and call me back. He was very nice on the phone, so hopefully I'll get a call saying "the charges have been reversed, sorry for the inconvenience". I don't need anything free, I just want this taken care of with little pain on my part. For now, we wait.
2 hours have passed, still waiting...
Another hour later, and after the lunch rush, so I call back. John says it looks like I was charged twice, but needs to wait for the GM to come look at the system to confirm.... Hmm.
Ok, so I FINALLY got the refund on 11/18. Yeah, it took that long plus tons of phone calls and confusions and pain. Which I didn't want. But I did get my money back in the end.....
I went here on business during a 3 day trip to San Antonio. I looked forward to having Southwestern "Tex-Mex" and I got as much as I could handle at La Fogata.
I had the chicken enchiladas after two or three (or four?) margaritas, followed by more margaritas.
The food was good, chips were great, salsa was HOT -- they use habaneros -- but the margaritas were pretty weak (not a lot of alcohol but was told by a co-worker that they used Patron as the tequilla so it could have just been that they were abnormally smooth); either way, I drank like a sailor and wasn't drunk.
They have some cool memorabilia scattered around the restaurant like pictures of some of their more famous guests -- Bill Clinton being one of them. The patio seating is nice and very thick with atmosphere. There's a little fountain in the middle of one of the patios which is kind of awkward to walk around because the ground around it is shaped rod iron that looks like it may break if enough people stand on it.
Overall, the food was great, the atmosphere was friendly and fast but on the real, California Mexican food woops Texas Mexican food's ass any day of the week if this place is any representation of what "good" Tex-Mex is.
Downgrade: La Fogata in San Antonio was horrible on my last visit. Weird - borderline creepy - waiter, enchiladas campesinas with fajita meat (instead of the dried beef listed on the menu), crappy frozen margaritas from a mix, and nachos that would make Taco Bell look good. Disappointing. Down one star.
I visited La Fogata on the recommendation of a friend and fellow San Antonio-based Yelper while… Read more »
Great food, great atmosphere, great margaritas. Parking is horrendous and at times it gets pretty crowded. I think the prices are very reasonable, especially in san antonio. I would say go. It's one of the most famous Mexican restaurants in the city for a reason.
UM....LOVE IT!!!! come on the patio is awesome unless its summer. the guacamole is to die for. and the bean and cheese tacos are my fav. you really need to go if you haven't been before.
While the atmosphere on the patio is really nice, especially during holiday season, I found the food overpriced and not that tasty! I had Sangria Margarita that was $9! Had better Mexican food in San Antonio at much better price!
I regular stop when I am in SA. The patio is a great place to hang out if it isn't too hot outside. I recommend the tacos norteno for something different that you don't find at every other mexican restaurant.
Great drinks, great outdoor seating, above average food. Highly recommended.
The atmosphere is fantastic, it's like taking a mini vacation to mexico. Get place to go if you want to unwind, be sure to try the chip con queso con carne (awesome stuff)
This large, cheerful restaurant sits on a commercial strip on Vance Jackson near other Mexican establishments (another restaurant, a bakery, and offers a lively atmosphere. It offers both indoor and al fresco seating, and features pretty good service.
The food is the standard mexican fare -- encihladas, chile rellenos, and so on. There were some interesting entrees, many of which I was unable to try because I am vegetarian. I did sample the cebolla de carbon -- grilled green onions. They were innovative to my taste buds, but too stringy to be eaten easily.
For me, this restaurant's problem was its unfriendliness to vegetarians: many of its entrees, and its mexican rice, and its refried beans, are made with chicken broth or pork or some other kind of meat. This is true even of the sauce that covers the chile relleno, or that used for the mole enchiladas.
The cheese enchiladas with a ranchero sauce were a tasty exception, but the watery black beans that can be substituted for the pork-saturated refried beans are tasteless. The chips and salsa are pretty good, though.
Overall, a reasonable but not great place for vegetarians, but a plus for ambience.
Cute and fancy. Expensive and boring.
Don't waste your time. Mojitos are okay.
Amazing!! For me to get drunk off one margarita, you know they are NOT messing around. Of course, the second one was even better. :) I don't remember the food (thanks to the awesome margaritas) but I'm sure that was great, too. A little pricey but well worth the money.
I liked this place. It could be I live in Hawaii and the mexican food is not the best here, or it could be the company I was with was good, but I had a good time here. It's mostly tex-mex, and it was packed on a Thursday night, which is a good sign. While we waited for a table, we each had a maragrita which was quite strong, and good. The food was pretty good -- I had un poquito de todo -- kind of a sampler. I would defintely go back.
The food is quite good but the service keeps me from returning too often. The flavor their beef fajitas has lends them to be some of the best I've had in town, and their margaritas will kick your ass - two is the perfect amount. The salsa is pretty spicy but lacking much real flavor, ask for some salsa verde but be warned that most of the waiters are incompetent and will try and charge you for it. Other than that, they'll try and argue with you about free / not free refills, the temperature at which food should be served, and other things which should not be of the concern of a patron. This is a fairly touristy place, and is priced as such given the food you get, but it's the only tourist joint off the Riverwalk so they bus people in from a couple hotels down there. Parking sucks and prepare to wait a while if it's a nice evening as their outdoor seating is about twice as large as the dining area inside.
San Antonio, TX
Category: Mexican
San Antonio, TX
Category: American (Traditional)
San Antonio, TX
Category: Mexican
San Antonio, TX
Category: Mexican
San Antonio, TX
Category: Mexican
Some of my favorite dining destinations all over…
My #1 favorite type of food. Here is a breakdown…
Somehow we end up in San Antonio quite a bit.…
