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The Buckhorn Saloon & Museum
Category: Restaurants American (Traditional) American (Traditional) [Edit]
318 E Houston StSan Antonio, TX 78205
(210) 247-4000
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10 am - 6 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Touristy, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
20 reviews for The Buckhorn Saloon & Museum
20 reviews in English
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Review from Rina C.
Burbank, CA
12/17/2011
I like this museum.
lots of fun things inside to take pictures with.
it's bigger than I expected.
many different sections.
don't have high expectations though. it's more for entertainment.
you can easily find coupons with $2 off!
don't pay full price! -
Review from Sara B.
2/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
What a collection of the weirdest things!
Stuffed animals at every door. Food, condiments, lip gloss, key chains, t-shirts, jewelry.
Entertaining to waste some time....I wouldn't purchase anything here. -
Review from Will K.
San Antonio, TX
3/11/2012
The food was ok. I had the ribs and brisket plate. Nothing special. I did like the atmosphere. One improvement the owners could do is if they made the place feel "more alive.". Maybe if they put up a few dead animals or something.
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Review from Augie R.
9/5/2011
Buckhorn is a fine enough place to stop for lunch, but it doesn't quite live up to its promise. Supposedly one of the oldest, continually operating bars in Texas, it instead feels exactly like what it is--a touristy spot opened in 1991 (which is when the Buckhorn moved into the current building.) While the back bar is an attractive antique and the dozens of mounted heads (including a giraffe!) give it the appropriate Texas ambiance, the Buckhorn still feels more like a unique family restaurant than the true old-fashioned Texas saloon it purports to be.
You can get into the Saloon for lunch without paying for the museum (which costs a relatively steep $15.99.) The illusion this is an old west saloon is pretty much destroyed right from the start when you stand in line to order at a counter with the menu displayed on flat panel TVs. (Is that how Teddy Roosevelt ordered his food when he supposedly visited the bar? I think not!)
When we visited, the place was only half full but it still took over 25 minutes to get our meal. The wait wasn't annoying since there is a lot to gawk at and the beer is cold and delicious.
My wife's burger was good. The fries were quite tasty. But my brisket sandwich was poor. The brisket was supposed to be "piled high" according to the menu, but I received a couple meager slices--I doubt I had more than three or four ounces of meat on my roll. Half of the sandwich tasted fine, but the other half was tough and chewy. I'd highly recommend something other than the brisket.
The food's only okay, but that's probably not why you visit a place like this. Buckhorn is an interesting spot for families--come for the stuffed animals, beer, and employees dressed like cowboys. But if you're an adult looking for a good lunch, look elsewhere! -
Review from Katherine H.
Washington, DC
7/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is a self-proclaimed tourist trap. And it lives up to its name quite nicely. Covered in gaudy, kitschy western and country items, most notable the wide variety of horns and animals mounted all over the walls, it's a taxidermist heaven! Boasting 5 museums in one (horns, feathers, I forgot the rest, I actually didn't go to the museums), this saloon rivals Ripley's in effect, only you half-expect Walker, Texas Ranger to sidle on up to the bar next to you.
But, it's beers are fairly serious and straightforward. My colleague and I rolled in hot and left pleased. They served Real Ale brand (we had the red--it was awesome) in frozen glass chalices--awesome. And these 20 oz glasses in all their glory were only $6 a pop. The bartenders were awesome, chatting us up just enough but leaving us alone, knowing when to ask us if we wanted refills and keeping my water glass full.
This is not a place I'd come to eat, but if I were a San Antonio local, I'd definitely bring visitors as an excuse to have another chalice of red and chat with the staff. Other folks mentioned early close-out, it was open past 5pm, but we left around then, so I'm not sure when it closed. -
Review from Jenny C.
10/21/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Worked a party here for some out of town guest. The museum was really cool! How often is there a bar and a museum together? Beer and Guns, yes please! lol This place is huge inside! Two stories of museum.. Lots of mounted animals and some cool shooting games. I would really like to go back and take my time and look at everything!
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Review from C G.
Round Rock, TX
12/23/2011
Should be called the Suckhorn Saloon. Beware: Tourist trap. Trap.
The $9.00 burger was EXACTLY the same size as the 4 kids burgers we bought. Even the kids burgers weren't cheap. I complained to the manager with evidence in hand and he was unapologetic but promised me the beef was "higher quality and a few more ounces on the adult burger'. I call BS.
11 of us were severely disappointed with the portions at this place. I've gotten a better value at Six Flags. The chicken for the chicken sandwich was straight out of a Sam's Warehouse frozen food bag and my son left hungry. One bright spot was the handcut fries. They were delicious.
I've been to the Suckhorn for a parties and the food was decent but not phenomenal. I ate here a little over a year ago and they had a full menu and the food was actually good. Not sure what happened to this place but I'd say it's a quick trip downhill.
The museum was amazing and I'm not including a rating of the museum in this review. The museum is 5/5. I'm only rating the restaurant. -
Review from Rex L.
1/17/2011
We came for lunch as I had a http://rest.com coupon for $10. We had their meatloaf special. It was good and came with mashed potatoes and a side of beans. We had to be somewhere so we couldn't stay and see the 'museum". I did notice their tap beer selection and made a mental note that if we were back in time, to stop in for happy hour. Their draft rootbeer tasted a little soapy, not sure if it was the glass or the rootbeer.
As luck would have it, we were back around 4:30. We stopped back in and I was able to try their coffee porter which was outstanding. the only problem was they close at 5:00...how crazy is that. With such a nice bar, you would think they would stay open longer. I was able to down 2 large drafts and a bowl of their complimentary spicy peanuts. -
Review from Love Garrity T.
Austin, TX
1/3/2011
This rating is for the Saloon only. I made the mistake of stopping here for a late lunch because my boyfriend and I were in San Antonio for the day and were having a hard time choosing someplace to eat. It smelled like urine right outside the doors- how appetizing. When I looked at the menu I turned around and went back outside to go elsewhere. Then I realized I was starving and didn't want to continue searching for a restaurant. We gave in and got a couple of drinks, an avocado burger, a bbq sandwich of some kind, and a piece of pie. The burger was repulsive. The green slimy substance that slid right off my burger was definitely not avocado. I couldn't figure out what it tasted like. The bbq sandwhich was ok. The piece of pie was pretty good, but not enough to save the meal.
Overall, gross and way overpriced for what it is. -
Review from Tom R.
Richardson, TX
3/17/2011
Great place to stop and have A beer. Food is snack bar fare at best. The museum is way overpriced. I've seen it several times in the past and was looking forward to showing my kids, but they have jacked the price up like we were going to Six Flags or something. It's cool, but it ain't that cool...
They have enough mounted animals out in the saloon area to gawk at over a beer, then it's time to move on before the kids want some crap out of the souvenir shop. It's a tourist trap, but still fun to stop by and have a quick drink. -
Review from Philippe M.
Georgetown, TX
9/9/2010 1 Check-in Here
Guns. Taxidermy. That's definitely the best way to sum the place up. The collection is quite impressive but definitely overpriced. They don't post the pricing when you walk in, so once you ask for the tickets, there's a bit of a shock to the system. They say that the ticket can be used two days in a row -- but honestly there's NOT enough here to GO two days in a row, so why bother.
Adults are $17.99 + tax, Children (3-11) are $13.99 + tax. If you eat at the saloon first, you get a $1 off each admission. If you get the tickets first, you get 10% off of your saloon food bill. I wouldn't, however, eat here unless you're really hungry. The food is very very average. -
Review from Dana B.
Somerville, MA
7/22/2007
If taxadermy is your thing, then look no further! When my friend came to visit me in San Antonio I took her to all the places that I didnt want to go to by myself. This is one of the most fascinating places I have ever been to. They have an uncomfortably large collection of "stuffed" animals. When I walked in I thought of that scene from the second Ace Ventura movie: "What a lovely room of death you have."
That pretty much sums it up, but its fairly cheap, its never crowded and its right down town. So if you're staying downtown and looking for something to do that is within walking distance, avoid The Alamos and hit up the Buckhorn. -
Review from melinda f.
San Antonio, TX
10/31/2009
Um, AMAZING! I love how the Buckhorn is a Museum AND a Saloon. That kind of paints a picture, doesn't it? You can get yourself a drink and then walk through the different rooms. There is a horn area, a bird area, a fish area, and a wax museum. There is also food served here, but I have never eaten anything so I can't speak for the quality or taste.
There is some really cool stuff in here, the two-headed calf was so weird looking, I couldn't look away. I guess it's that whole trainwreck thing. There's just so much to see, animal heads everywhere. Pretty neat, though, and definitely off the beaten path. -
Review from Mike H.
Elmwood Park, IL
8/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place was so cool with all the animal heads decorating the walls of the saloon. The museum part was really neat but definitely not worth the price...even with a coupon. The museum features animals from all over the world.
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Review from cha cha v.
Austin, TX
11/29/2009 13 photos
There is nothing else on earth like this place.
Queasiness is a bit of a handicap, however. The Buckhorn has more corpses than you can shake a stick at. They boast the World's Largest Collection of Horns and Antlers.. and I think its probably true. Most of the animals in the collection have been dead since before I was born, with some exceptions...
Start at the bar. Happy hour usually gets you a nice machine-made flavored margarita in a large beer mug, and some days they are stronger than others. You CAN take your drinks into the museums, and they do encourage it. In fact, because the texas ranger museum doubles back through the ticket counter (next to the bar), they will offer you another round before you hit the other museum(s).
The Texas Ranger Museum has plenty of weapons, blood-stained memories, and Texas history, as well as a completely fake Bonnie and Clyde death car (with continuously running footage from the REAL ambush). There is also a little western town, complete with jail, dead body in a coffin, and a mini Buckhorn saloon.
The first diorama in the main museum is an over-stuffed moment in taxidermy hilarity, as it reminds one of that scene in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure when he is out in the middle of nowhere and he turns on the headlight glasses momentarily - more animals per square inch than anywhere in reality.
There is a pretty vast collection of animals from all walks of life, horns, feathers, fins, etc...
However, the more interesting things in the museum are ...
The Toepperwein exhibit, a tribute to Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Toepperwein, the greatest marksman husband and wife team ever.. to quote the handbook of Texas online "Using three 1903 model Winchester .22 automatics, he fired at a total of 72,500 wood blocks and missed only 9 during sixty-eight and one-half hours of target shooting. He used up all of the ammunition for sale in the city."
The section of oddities, including a feejee mermaid (and other classic taxidermy creations), a two-headed calf (only lived 5 days, but amazing), and real, actual, human shrunken heads, as well as a pair of extinct Passenger Pigeons...
On top of that, you also get, at no extra charge, the History of Texas Wax Museum, direct from Hemisfair 68! Step back in time, in order to step even further back in time!
After the museums, one should go back to the bar for another margarita, hit the gift shop for a coonskin cap, and then put a dollar in the shooting gallery....
This is tourist trap fun that is a dying breed, and in spite of the price that may make you feel like the guy getting scalped in the wax museum, its well worth it for this piece of Americana. -
Review from Tina B.
Killeen, TX
12/31/2011
The museums are nice and my kids ages 11, 8, and 6 really enjoyed them. I do not however recommend the cafe. The food is way overpriced and the the wait for your food after you order is ridiculous.
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Review from Mike D.
Valley Springs, CA
3/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
We thoroughly enjoyed the museum and bar. Just don't try to eat here! We placed an order for two and waited 45 minutes for a cheeseburger and a BLT. burger bun was hard a's a rock and BLT was made from crumbled bacon bits. Complained to the manager who was no help at all. Drinks and bar service were great.
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Review from Jade H.
6/6/2010
I was not enthralled by taxadermy and guns. It was ok. It is exactly what you ask for. You must have an interest in either stuffed animals or a lot of gun paraphenalia. You MUST buy a drink at the bar to fully enjoy this place. Afterall, how many places do you get to walk around the exhibition halls with an alcoholic drink in your hand and no dinner jacket or fancy har har har being discussed all around. (no cheese plate here.)
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Review from Jai J.
11/18/2008
Oh the things you'll find at the Buckhorn... interesting, factual and just downright TEXAN. In the museum you'll see all kinds of strange things - a two-headed sheep? - and of course more of the same in the lobby and saloon area... stuffed animal after stuffed animal. The cafe serves up typical American fare (burgers, tots, fries, etc). During the summer when every tourist or visiting family member is in town, the wait in the cafe can be daunting. Nothing extravagant or to rave about as far as tastes go and the prices are average.
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Review from A R.
Ontario, CA
10/18/2009
a stuffed what? a two headed what? guns, guns and more guns.... yes, this is what you will see at this place.... oh and a few shrunken heads... I'm not kidding. Overall, an interesting place... glad I went in.... had lunch at the cafe...it wasn't busy when we were there so there was not much of a wait. When you buy your tickets they tell you... right off... "the bar is right there......would you like to buy a beer and take it with you while you see the museum?" hahahaha... I can see how alcohol can make this experience better....
