Chuck M.'s Profile

Awesome food, awesome desserts, awesome coffee...beer and wine available if you want it, generous portions...I find very little to dislike at Niko Niko's except that due to the food being so good, it's popular and it can get crowded.  But even if your order takes a bit, hang in there, it will be worth it.  Gyros are great as are the pork chops.  Everything on the menu looks awesome, actually, but those are the two main things I have tried.  It is a "fast casual" atmosphere in that you order at the counter and pick up your food later.  If you prefer a traditional watier/waittress when you are getting your Greek food fix, I recommend Theo's which is nearby on Westheimer and also very good.

This place - I have mixed feelings about it.  I feel like generally the quality of the massage has been good, but it also feels rather "corporate" in that they try to push as many people through as they can in one day.  For example, the standard 1-hour massage at most places here is just 50 minutes.  As it was explained to me, this allows for 5 minutes of consultation/getting ready for the massage at the start of the hour followed by 5 minutes at the end of the hour to get dressed and go over how things went with your therapist.  

They do have a monthly membership, which I signed up for after my first visit there, as I was very impressed with my first massage and their prices.  The monthly fee entitles you to one (50 minute) massage per month and additional massages at a discounted rate.  Also, if you skip a month for whatever reason, the massage from that month stays on your account - you can either use it yourself or transfer it to someone else.  

While I am not a total massage nut, I have been getting them on and off for about twenty years, and I am definitely not a therapist myself, but I have taken a couple of hour-long workshops in the basics of massage.  So, I think I have a decent knowledge of how a good massage is supposed to feel.  

Most of the therapy I have received here has been deep tissue - they do not have any shiatsu practitioners that I am aware of, although I could be wrong.  The facility is clean and has a nice relaxed atmosphere, and the beds are comfortable, can be heated, and adjust up and down electrically.  The music they play is relaxing.  There's nothing super special about the facility, but it does have a good "massage atmosphere" in my opinion.

I have had several different therapists here, and most all were very skilled - I would say on a scale of 1 to 5, I had a couple 4's, a couple 5's, and only one 3.  I have never had anyone that had trouble understanding English like another reviewer complained about.  All but one have been very capable of doing a deep, firm massage, which is what I prefer.  A couple of them have seemed to have trouble understanding that I want a full-body massage including my arms.  If that means spending a bit less time on my back, I don't mind.

The last time, I pointed this out at the end of my massage (the therapist hadn't worked on my arms at all) and he said I had been 10 minutes late.  In fact, I was 5 minutes late but the therapist didn't appear in the lobby until 10 minutes after my "hour" was supposed to begin.  Anyhow, I could understand if he had to spend a few minutes less on my back or whatever in order to get my arms done but he skipped them completely.  

Also, I know I should have been there on time, but I feel like they are unable to change their routine at all for unexpected events - and I would have been happy to reschedule my massage as well, but they do not allow you to do that with less than 24 hours notice.  (You can of course reschedule within 24 hours of your massage, but you get charged for it.)  I don't know if they have any exceptions to this rule or not.

Actually, I would have been satisfied with the massage I received, as he was quite good, had he had only LISTENED to me and FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS that I gave him before the massage began.  I guess that's the "corporate" part of the place that I don't like - no flexibility if things come up, or you're running late due to Houston traffic or whatever - too bad.  

To be fair, I did ask to talk to the manager afterwards, and he was very understanding and offered a complimentary treatment for my next visit, which I accepted.  He also took the time to explain their policies in detail.  Still, whenever I leave a massage studio more tense than when I first walked into it - this isn't a good thing.  

So, my advice is:  plan on arriving a bit early to ensure you get the maximum massage time you pay for, plan on only getting 50 minutes of massage if you schedule a one-hour block, and don't plan on rescheduling at the last minute.  I hope to be able to offer an update down the road that raises this establishment's rating.

Sadly, I must update this review to report that The Tavern is now CLOSED.  I liked their original location better but I'll still miss them.

I love the theater, the remodel looks awesome and they did a really nice job - you almost don't recognize that it used to be the old Angelika.  The food and beer selection looks great as well.  I am a fan of film and I'm delighted to have a cinema downtown again.  That being said...while it is a premium cinema in terms of decor, food, drink availability, etc., they also charge premium prices.  Now, they do pay for parking if you park in the underground garage near the cinema.   I got a beer before the movie - the one I got was a semi-reasonable $6 but they were selling some larger bottles for over $20, depending upon the brand, and I have never seen beer for sale at those prices - and I often go to craft beer pubs to drink beer.  Now, I know what you're saying - well, you don't HAVE to buy beer or food to see the movie - and this is true.  However, my ticket to the movie was $15.50 - I did see a 3D movie so I don't know if they cost more but this is more than most theaters currently charge that I've been to with the exception of IMAX shows.  The theater adds a service charge onto each ticket no matter where you buy it.  All in all spending a bit more for this theater, I think it's worth it, but I also feel like people wanting to take their family to the movies should be aware that this location will cost more than going to your generic multiplex will.  I'll definitely be back, and I hope the theater does well.  I probably won't be ordering any of the $20 beers though.

I had been meaning to go to this restaurant for some time, as I had a coupon for the place, and I finally made it out tonight as I only had a  couple days left before the coupon expired.  Wow, I am glad I made it.  That was some yummy 'cue there.  

Since I had the aforementioned coupon with me, I splurged and got a three-meat combo plate.  I chose beef (brisket), link sausage, and smoked sausage.  The brisket was awesome - everything you want good brisket to be, moist and flavorful without being too fatty.  Seriously, you could cut it with a fork.  The link sausage was excellent as well.  The smoked sausage was decent, but the weakest of the bunch I thought.  I tend to like my sausage a little spicier.  It was still pretty good though.  

After several bites of the meat without sauce I went ahead and poured on some sauce to see if that improved things any.  Unfortunately, the sauce was only decent and it didn't really add to the flavor of the meat.  Your mileage may vary but I felt like there was a bit too much of a vinegar flavor in the sauce for me.  Once again, I tend to like it a bit spicier than what I had here.  It wasn't bad but didn't really top off the meal like I feel a great BBQ sauce should.

For sides I chose dirty rice and green beans - both decent, but not awesome.  The green beans were nicely spicy but I felt a bit undercooked (I tend to like my green beans well-done.)  The dirty rice was pretty good but tasted a bit too salty for me - like someone had added too much bullion to the rice while it was cooking.  

However, the #1 reason I went here was for the barbecued meats, and I was not disappointed at all in this area.  I will definitely be back sometime for more brisket and link sausage.  If you are a fan of those items, I highly recommend checking this place out.  I would probably plan on ordering to go if you arrive at a busy time, though, as the interior of the restaurant is pretty tiny - it only has about four tables available.

Nice hotel, kind of sprawling so finding your room the first time can be a bit tricky, but very nice.  I wanted a hotel on the riverwalk with a balcony and this was the best value I found by far - very nice suite with two flat screen TVs, and a nice view of San Antonio, including a view of the river.  The pools were nice as well - one indoor, one outdoor, and they had a gym near the outdoor pool also.  The evening happy hour was nice although the food appeared mainly aimed at kids - still, free nachos are always tasty.  The free breakfast was very good with lots of options - a lot better than your typical hotel breakfast fare.  I do wish it had bacon instead of sausage but the sausage was tasty - there were also scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and pancakes.  There is no actual restaurant or bar in the hotel, but you're on the riverwalk, so multiple options are within easy walking distance.  All in all, a fun place to stay in San Antonio, whether you're by yourself, travelling with your significant other, or with your whole family.  Something for everyone.

This is a very good hotel restaurant.  If you work in or near downtown, it has the added advantage of being open on the weekends and at night.  Prices are kind of high - I understand it is a hotel restaurant, but I have to take away one star for their prices (dinner entree items are the most expensive - sandwiches are high but not too bad.)  Food quality is very good though.  Their Angus burger is great - sweet potato fries are an option - and I also like their club sandwiches.  I haven't tried it, but during the week they have lunch buffets for about $14, enabling you to have a nice meal quickly.  If you like pasta I recommend their blackened chicken & penne pasta (I believe that one is a lunch only dish but it's very tasty.)  I have never had breakfast here but I am told it's good also.  I usually order food to go from here and it is always extremely well packaged with the appropriate condiments included along with plasticware and napkins - other restaurants could learn from their example.

Not the absolute best barbecue I've ever had, but pretty darn good.  I like the restaurant atmosphere as well.  The requistite fixins bar of onions, pickles, etc. is well stocked and fresh.  I love their jalepeno sausage, it's some of the best BBQ sausage I've ever had.  The brisket is above average.  They are always good about honoring special requests (extra sauce on the side, etc.)  I've had dessert once also (pecan pie) and it was good.  Least appetizing thing on the menu I've had were their french fries, so if you're getting a sandwich, I would advise trying some other kind of side.

A great old-fashioned independent bookstore with a well thought out selection.  If you're looking for a bookstore like the ones that existed back before Barnes & Noble took over the market, look no further.  Sign up for their mailing list and get notices about author readings and book signings.  This place might not have the latest bestseller at 40% off...but they probably can direct you to a book that you'll like even better here.

Before I review this establishment, let me admit one thing - I have only ever ordered one dish from here:  spicy chicken fried rice.  Now, you may say that it's because I'm a cheapskate, since they offer a goodly portion of chicken fried rice for $3.99, but I say it's because I love chicken fried rice as well as spicy food, and they make their chicken fried rice here as spicy as you want it.  (For those wanting to try it, they offer the spiciness on a scale of 1 to 5, and I advise you not to go over 3 on your first time trying it out unless you grew up eating spicy food like I did.)  Anyhow, this dish always is fresh, hot, and delicious, and I often call it in and pick it up on my way to work.  A tasty lunch for under $5 is hard to beat.  All their other food looks good too, and I really need to try it someday...eh, I'll get around to it whenever I'm tired of eating their spicy chicken fried rice, so it will probably be a while.