Acenar Mexican Restaurant

Disappointing Experience at Acenar We visited Acenar at the River Walk and were very disappointed. The service was horrible. Our waiter had an attitude and seemed uninterested in serving or answering questions. After taking our order, he never came back. We had no silverware or water for a long time. We had to ask for silverware after serving food. Same with water. We were seated near the bar area, which had a lousy atmosphere and was noisy. Bartender was helpful and trying to serve us whenever he got few seconds free time from bar. The food was okay, but the poor service ruined the experience. Not worth the price or the hype. Two stars only for the food.

We came across this place while taking a stroll around the Riverwalk. It looked very busy but, we were seated inside quickly. Our server took the time in pointing out the best things to try out and made sure that the kitchen knows about our allergies. While the food took a while to come out (quite natural during rush hour over the weekend) it was absolutely fantastic, we are from Amarillo and we had high expectations about the cuisine down here in San Antonio and this restaurant, did not disappoint.

Love it; great Tex Mex food. The Crispy Carnitas were phenomianal. The menu has many great options. Food came out hot and quick. The Mixology behind the bar deserves calling out - best margaritas - very good time!

My first night in San Antonio and was referred to this restaurant. The atmosphere was so inviting and filled with so many guests having a great time together. I ordered the house margarita which was a perfect accompaniment to the Chipotle Chicken served with house made black beans, roasted corn white rice and sauteed spinach smothered with cheese which was underneath the grilled chicken breast. The Chipotle Sauce topped the chicken and spinach. The Chipotle Sauce was creamy and left a nice hint of the Chipotle at the back of my mouth that was absolutely delicious. This is a must go to restaurant that you need to experienced. My waiter Johnny was friendly and made sure to ask how my meal was. Promptly serving my drink and entree. Excellent location on the Riverwalk with both indoor and outdoor seating.

In a city with many other phenomenal Mexican restaurants, I would strongly recommend avoiding this one. Service was abhorrent, and we waiting way too long for drinks—one of our guests waited upwards of 20-30 minutes for their first one. The food felt reheated and really mediocre, and the tortillas tasted anything but fresh. Chips had no flavor and glistened with oil—I could see my reflection in them. The house margarita tasted like it had some sort of sour mix or way too much sugar. It was really quite bad.

I seriously cannot wait to come back here. Everything my husband and I ate was absolutely delicious and the staff is sooo friendly. Also, we sat outside at night and the vibe was amazing. 10/10 recommend and would try again. I wish I remembered the name of the server, he was great.

Food was great! They have a good selection for picky and adventurous diners. All at very reasonable prices. Waitstaff was excellent with our large group. They were out of certain drinks when we were there which is the only reason I’m rating it 4 stars. Otherwise we loved everything!

You definitely get your money's worth at this establishment. I got the Pequito for one, and you will not walk away hungry with this one. The Tres Leche Cake was ok.

Good location oversea the river. Love the outdoor seating. There are lots of birds singing. Would be perfect for dinner with friends. Service is great. Food came quickly. I would skip the ceviche. Shrimp taco was flavorful with very light shell.

First of all, I'm not usually very critical of restaurants and staff because I know they have a stressful job and have to deal with a lot of idiots in their profession. We decided to have dinner at this restaurant based on the recommendation of one of the employees of the hotel we were staying in, in downtown San Antonio. We were promptly seated when we walked in and there were at least 8 to 10 wait staff and what appeared to be a few people running things all over the restaurant so there were plenty of employees. It took at least five or six minutes for somebody to even realize that we were sitting there, and when somebody finally did come over, they said there was some confusion as to who was taking care of our area. We finally got a waitress who came over and took our order for drinks and ask if we wanted some chips and queso, which we of course said yes. Once we got our waitress, we were taken care of pretty quickly. She brought our drinks, chips and queso, and our dinner arrived probably within 20-25 minutes. My wife got the pork Carnitas and while the food was OK it could've used a little more seasoning, we had to ask for salt. I got the chile rellano which was really good, but the rice was undercooked and crunchy. I will say while the food was OK, I probably won't be back. It wasn't anything that stood out to me at least. While there were a few waiters that seemed to know who they were taking care of and what they were doing, there were many that were running around, seemingly unsure of what tables they were taking care of, and there were several times when food came out, and they were unsure of which table the food went to. I literally watched the gentleman that brought our food out go to two different tables until finally someone came over and pointed at our table and he brought the food over to us. Our waitress seemed to disappear for three and four minutes at a time and it would take quite a while to get her attention to bring the salt over or refill our drinks. Once we were finished eating, our plates were cleared and we waited another five minutes until our waitress finally came back out front and gave us our receipt so we could pay our bill. All in all, it's not the worst place I've ever eaten at and their Mexican food does seem to be authentic. However, the staff seemed a little hectic the night we were there, and several of them seemed to be unsure of what station they were supposed to be taking care of. Just seemed like a lot of confusion.

I enjoyed my experience here during my weekend in San Antonio! I was craving chalupas and they did not disappoint here. They were loaded with all the works. I also ordered the watermelon mojito and the prickly pear margarita. The watermelon mojito was more candy flavored but the prickly pear margarita was perfect! It was so good that I came back two days later with my friends and to our surprise it was happy hour! This time I tried out the cucumber jalapeño marg and it was perfect for a spicy cocktail lover like myself. Would definitely recommend! There was also outdoor seating with heat lamps and a view of the river!

The food and service were great. Meal sizes were pretty good. The restaurant was located right off the River Walk.

Wow! Was in San Antonio for business and was looking for a new place to try. After looking at Yelp and talking with local's Ácenar was our choice. My colleagues and I arrived around 5:45 on a Monday, we were greeted and seated immediately. The atmosphere was very welcoming and inviting. Once we were seated our server (Freddy) greeted us and ask if we had ever dined with them before. He made several recommendations from drinks, to appetizers and entrée. Needless to say he knocked it out of the park! Everything was delicious and the service was excellent. If you're in the area stop by, great TexMex!

We ate dinner here on New Year's Eve in 2018 and when we returned to San Antonio for New Year's Eve 2025, we decided to go again because we enjoyed it so much the first time. Acenar and our waiter, Jason, did not disappoint. We sat on the patio overlooking the Riverwalk, enjoyed the Tres Enchiladas (queso, verde, and mole) with rice and refried beans immensely, as well as the Mousse de Chocolate Mexicano for dessert. We were so pleased to discover upon our return visit after six years, Acenar is still serving up delicious food in a lovely atmosphere by wonderful waitstaff. This is definitely one of our favorite San Antonio restaurants.

If you have to eat on the River Walk, this is a good choice. It's visually interesting, it's not a chain, the food is good, and the service is efficient. I had the Entomatadas, which were kind of like a flauta but with sauce on top. These had chicken and sweet potatoes inside and they were delicious. I also had the cucumber jalapeño margarita and it was the best non-sweet margarita I've ever enjoyed. Even with a cocktail, my bill, pre-tip, was about $30. For a downtown place this nice, that's a good deal. My only complaint was the noise level, as it got rather crowded while we were there.

Acenar Mexican Restaurant - Love it; great Tex Mex food. The Crispy Carnitas were phenomianal. The menu has many great options. Food came out hot and quick. The Mixology behind the bar deserves calling out - best margaritas - very good time! We came back the next afternoon for a table of 10 and they quickly accomodated us. Everything was great!

Love this location right on the river walk. Ambiance was wonderful. Food was delicious. Oyster tacos was the bomb!

The food was amazing, the ambiance and the weather was excellent for dining in the patio but most importantly our server Jay was so attentive and friendly!!! Highly recommend this place!!! We had the table side guacamole, chicken poblano mole, carnitas for two, and the chipotle chicken so scrumptious!

I was practically starving when we came across this restaurant, and it ended up being such a great find. We were seated in about 15 minutes, and the place had a really nice atmosphere. Once we ordered, I got the cheese enchiladas and queso, my mom got the beef fajitas, and Emery got the short rib tacos. We all really liked our food--the flavors were great, and the beans and rice were super good. My mom especially enjoyed the beef fajitas, and the spicy sauce on my enchiladas was amazing. The only thing I didn't love was that the enchiladas themselves were a bit too firm; I had to put a lot of pressure on my fork just to cut into them. Other than that, everything tasted great. It did take a little while for our food to come out, and our waiter disappeared here and there, but overall, it was still a really good experience. I'd definitely come back.

We went here for dinner on a Tuesday night. It was close to the hotel and we did not feel like driving anywhere, so we walked a few minutes and found this place on the Riverwalk. Yelp reviews were good so we felt confident in our decision. The menu is pretty big but as Mexican food experts we knew what to focus on. We started with drinks and my Mexican martini was very good. The orice was reasonable, $13.50, so I had two. For food, I had the tres enchiladas with mole and verde sauce. The mole was excellent and the verde even better. Both had deep, developed flavor. The pulled chicken was good quality. I would get that dish again and would recommend. The wife had Chile relleno which is deep fried. It was good but not great. Our server was very attentive at the beginning but as the patio filled up he obviously had his attention divided. Overall, service was fine. The ambience on the patio is very nice, overlooking the river.

Maybe the worst restaurant I have ever been to. Started with a mango margarita and table side guac. Marg just wasn't good, and the guac was flavorless, no other notes other than avocado. Chips brought were stale and had no salt. Put order for food in for a table of four, waited 30 min before waiter came back and asked about another drink. 20 more minutes pass and wrong drink was brought. Waiter than asked if we wanted food, realizing after our answer that we ordered an hour previous. Waiter never put it in! Staff and manager did nothing to remedy the situation and tried denying drink brought was right one. Saw manager arguing with other customers, food brought to other guests also seemed to take forever and portions were small. Avoid this place at all costs

This place was recommended by our hotel so we headed here, it was a nice day so we ate outside, there is signage not to feed the birds but they come anyway and find food. The area was large and even had an upstairs patio section outside. You enter at street level and that is the bar and waiting area, you walk downstairs to the host stand and they seat you. Our host was friendly and fast, also I wish I still had our waiter's name the guy was easily the best one we had the whole trip, friendly, took time to explain things, checked up on us without being overbearing and was fantastic. We ordered chips and salsa and he brought an extra bowl of Salsa to make sure we had enough! I got a fajita meal that I have never seen an option for before, it had two kinds of meat, chicken, sausage, and shrimp. It was a amazing mix and all of it was good, the chicken being the weakest which is a surprise as I usually prefer chicken in fajita's. The only weak part was it was one shrimp and one part/piece of Sausage so if you want to mix and match your meats that could work and I may if we return but if you wanted to try a shrimp fajita you were out of luck. A minor issue. The tortilla's (flour for me) were plentiful even for one and I was full after. Shana got crab tacos, she was branching out and trying something she had not before. She loved them and the sides were all pretty good. The rice may have been the weakest but still good. The drinks were solid and as the restaurant wasn't busy when we arrived we enjoyed a slow lunch and the view overlooked the Riverwalk. There really isn't much bad to say which I am happy to report. I do want to add we did return for dessert and a drink, my wife has Raynaud's which they of course don't know but we wanted to sit outside due to that as the inside was very cold which normally would be great but causes pain and flare ups. They said for dessert and drinks we had to sit at the bar and as we didn't want to cause a scene we just left and went somewhere less cold or that would let us sit outside. Again a minor issue but it did sour my thoughts on the place a bit. Still the food, service, drinks, and bird entertainment was otherwise all excellent.

We were treated to a work dinner. It's a great restaurant with a beautiful view of the River if seated outdoors. We were seated indoors on 1st floor. It's a pretty large restaurant. From the outside, it doesn't appear as big. My favorite part was walking in and being greeted by the bartender, as the bar is the first approach!! Loved it!! You can also enter from the River Walk which is very cool. It was a work dinner and it was fabulous. The service and food were amazing! We weee a group of 16 .We were definitely the waiter's priority. He was right on it. My main entrée was the fresh gulf fish with cilantro rice. It was delicious!! I ate the entire dish. Music was great. I had wish I could have heard it downstairs. Had a great time! I would recommend this business.

The shrimp tacos and short rib tacos were delicious! The chips and salsa were great. Staff was friendly. Got right in. Convenient location on the river walk. Highly recommend!!

A group of 10 made reservations here prior to a show we had downtown. This restaurant is in a great location for multiple attractions downtown. I'd love to sit outside next time. The patio looks beautiful. All of our drinks and food were delicious and the team was very accommodating.

New Yorker 1st time in SA, checking the TexMex - Margaritas: dope, Guac: dope, cheese: so dope. Good tasty food and hard working staff! I recommend !

I arrived with a party of 8 people, and we were seated right away even though the restaurant was quite full. The restaurant had a lively, bright, and colorful atmosphere. Our server was amazing. He took our orders and explained the menu items expertly. We had some chips and salsa and guacamole. The tortilla chips were nice with a roasted salsa that was mild but flavorful. The guacamole is made fresh by the server on a cart right by our table. It was so delicious! Our orders came around the same time. I had the grilled fish tacos. The fish was fresh and the slaw with pickled onions paired perfectly with the fish. Even the black beans were flavorful. The rest of my party enjoyed their entrees, too.

Go for Happy Hour specials, stay for the excellent food. Had the blood orange margarita and the queso for starters then the spare rib tacos for my entree. Service was top notch! David, our server was very attentive and had a fun sense of humor. The vibe was upscale but welcoming.

We had some of the street tacos (brisket, shrimp, and steak). Everyone loved them, including me, even though one of mine was mostly fat.

A stop at a Tex-Mex restaurant was on our itinerary and this one didn't disappoint. The Appetizer Sampler to Share was a good portion and definitely worth trying. All the entrees we got--the Ácenar Combo, the Pechuga de Pollo, the Entomatadas, and the Cabrito--were all well balanced and had tender pieces of meat. Recommend stopping by!

Right on the Riverwalk. Great food, good service, outdoor seating with Riverwalk view. Ordered the fajitas for two, good portion, chicken was a bit flavorless. Other than that good place. Would return next time we are in town.

For the fish lovers, they have dishes with snapper, mahi mahi and tilapia. I usually avoid catfish, tilapia or swai. Tried their snapper, rice and vegetables dish. Really good and hit the spot. No complimentary chips and salsa were served here. Service and ambiance were good.

The entrance makes more sense if you are coming in from the riverwalk as the host stand is on the lower floor. If you enter from the street. You would think it's just a bar! I had the pork tenderloins and a coconut margarita. It was a tasty meal and service was as expected.

Service is great. Happy Hour in the bar only. Tortillas were a let down. We went for late night happy hour. Fast service. HH: $8.50 for certain apps Beef Alambres - 100% Queso de la Casa - Great Queso, not enough chips & could be better Jicama Shrimp Tacos - Love the shrimp & slaw - tortillas were meh $7.50 Margarita - did the job Main: $20 Short Rib Tacos This was highly recommended. A little too watery. Only 1 corn tortilla for each taco and should have been cooked longer.

Filthy dirty bar and you get to share your drink with a fruit fly or 2. Food menu seems limited - in a town that has more Mexican joints than Mexico you expect better and deserve better.

I'd been searching for this restaurant for a while. It was one of those we stumbled upon while staying on the Riverwalk years back, and I just couldn't remember the name. I'm so glad I found it after a recent stay in the city. I wanted to seafood enchiladas. They are so hard to find and I remember this place having really good ones, so you already know what I ordered. They are filled with both shrimp and crab, and they didn't disappoint this go around either. I was told the sauce is house made, and it's perfect on top of these enchiladas. Rice and Beans were good as well. I don't know how I missed getting a photo... blame my hunger (and greed)! My only gripe is you have to pay for chips and salsa (Huge BOO), but they were good. Overall prices are good compared to other restaurants in the area and yeah, I'll be back.

Tried this place in a Saturday night. We were seated near the riverwalk in less time it took to order a drink at the bar. Probably the best chili relleno I have ever eaten. And the Amigos reposado old fashion was killer.

We were in town for a work conference and veered further down the river to hit up dives. But everywhere we wanted to eat was closed or the wait was long. And most of the spots on the main area were all to touristy. I don't know much about Tex mex but living in the mission and San Diego has me spoiled. So I was surprised by how decent the food was. I've had better salsa and can make some pretty legit dishes but they put some passion into this. The gauc was fresh and plenty. The chips house made are great. The tres enchilada dish was a lot of food. But the mole was decent. The chicken verde was really good. Service and atmosphere was very fun too.

Everything started well with quick service for drinks at the bar. I paid and left a big tip. Then, we decide to get nachos... they were delicious. When I went to pay that bill it was a lot more than I expected. On closer inspection, three other items had been added which more than doubled the cost. When I told the bartender that I had not ordered the other items, he didn't even have to look, he just handed me the correct bill. Since there was only one other couple sitting at the bar at time, our conclusion was that it could only have been an attempt to rip off inattentive tourists.

This visit wasn't the same as others.... Food was only so so...I ordered a crab tinga, which surprisingly tasted the way I thought it would... it just didn't impress me that crab and tinga should go together. Presentation of the tacos was pretty clean though. We arrived and were seated immediately. I don't know if it would be the same on a day when there is a show next door at the Majestic or during a big river parade, but... we were seated and our server brought us water and took our drink order. Liz stuck with her traditional and favorite chicken mole, and it was good. I think I should have stuck with what I know there too... they used to make a good pork carnitas dish, for instance. I also enjoyed a spicy margarita, it was made well, and has always been a constant with Acenar. They make good drinks. Anthony was an awesome server and took care of every need or concern. If you're going to dine in, you can sit on the veranda overlooking the river, or inside (on a hot day) in the AC. If you're just going to drink the lounge/bar upstairs has a few TVs with sports on. The lounge has a couple of couches that sit across from a bar with bar stools. I would come again, and I probably would try something new... but this time I didn't, and I was left wanting. I'm sure we will come back.

I sat at the bar which is right in the front, but the establishment had plenty of tables. It has a trendy feel, and looked clean. I just missed happy hour, ending at 5:30. I decided to just order a beer and their guacamole for two. Well they weren't kidding, I by myself could not finish it. The guacamole was good, but the chips held a bit more greasy than I care for. The service was great though, both bartenders continuously checked on me and made sure I was satisfied.

First, I find it absurd that you have to pay for chips and salsa, especially because their chips and salsa are not good! Then we had one of those waiters who likes to try and remember your order without writing it down and got two of our orders completely wrong. Oh, and the drinks were not good either! Giving two stars because at least once the correct food came my kids did like theirs.

First time in San Antonio from the SF Bay Area. Skipped the Bbq for Mex. This place was great. Food, service, and ambiance. It's right on the Riverwalk, so it was a beautiful walk from the hotel. The pork tenderloin was really tender and flavorful. Gotta get the fried oysters on a bed of fresh fried potato chips with mango pesto salsa. My wife got the vegetarian tacos and it was super rich in flavor. Price was surprisingly low. High value. Definitely coming back next time in San Antonio.

Great service and friendly, hostess and bartender. Very welcoming. Tables on the patio with a view of the river are very nice, but beware of the birds. The fried oysters on chips (nacho like) were incredibly delicious. Highly recommend them. I also highly recommend the queso de La Casa. It was honestly the best queso I have ever had. Very flavorful with a very minor kick. Homemade chips accompany. The seafood enchiladas got rave reviews. I thought the Carnita fajitas were OK. They were pretty dry quite honestly. I was so looking forward to them from the last time, but they weren't at the same level. The stuffed chili relleno was good as well. Going with five stars because the only downside were the Carnitas and they were so good the last time.

this place is GOOD LOVE THAT they have vegan options Also, the outdoor patio is nice My company does lots of business meetings here too for out of towners Solid choice for Mex food on river walk PSA I really don't like most river walk restaurants, but this is a winner.

Service was so slow a group of us left, out of a table of 15. Now I know big groups are hard to work with but even then it took 15 minutes to get bottled beer. Family friendly. Looked like good food but I wouldn't know.

On god I'd let these empanadas be the mother of my children. Good vibe. Chill server.

The food was great and the prices were good. I had a fish tacos and they were delicious. Ambiance was nice and service was fast, I would recommend this place.

Best Mexican & Latin Food EVER I really enjoyed management a Great customer service. Ambiance was refreshing out door patio with view of the historic River Walk.

So good we can't wait to visit again in May. They handle large parties well and the food is delicious. Service was quick and attentive. The patio overlooking the river was lively with plenty to see.

Had the tortilla soup here after a show at the Majestic. It was hot, thick and completely delicious. Friendly service along the Riverwalk.

Amazing ambiance and great pricing for being on river walk. I am from SA and tend to stay away from the tourist areas but the food and drinks were great. Muy try the sangria!

The chicken mole was great! The service was excellent. A great place to eat prior to going to Tge Majestic Theater.

We went here twice because it was near our hotel. The guacamole is really good! Get that for the table. The three enchiladas with the different sauces is really good. I enjoyed it with a Topo Chico. The churritos is celebratory and feels like such a treat. Bread pudding is good, and very buttery. Patio seating is the best. Service is super friendly. Gilbert is a great waiter- super friendly and fun.

I am mexican Visiting San Antonio and I stop for lunch , I ask if it was authentic Mexican restaurant they said yes Orde tortilla soup and shrimp tacos ( comes with Mexican rice and black beans ) the broth yellow bouillon call slaty I have to scoop the few pcs of chicken tortilla chips and avocado The black beans on a small cotainer have white stuff on top I ask what that was the general manager said I do know I am not Mexican !!! She is a white Lady the worst not Mexican not Tex mex restaurant I ever being unfortunate is not a -star to port so I ahve to give them a1 star

Was here for a large group gathering for work. Good eats and great service. We had a smaller menu to choose from and everyone enjoyed what they ordered.

My husband and I came in for an early dinner on New Year's Eve. We were happy they did not have a set menu, like many of the reservations in downtown by the riverwalk for NYE, because these often do not have vegetarian items. We were seated promptly inside but still by a window to see the river walk. Chips and Salsa are not complimentary like most Tex Mex restaurants but we wanted them anyway. The fire roasted salsa did taste good but it wasn't amazing and the chips did not taste fresh but we appreciated the unique presentation. The food on the other hand was amazing! I will come back if not just for the vegetarian relleno!! The sauce was so flavorful and the jullianed vegetables were perfectly cooked but still had a bite. The white rice was perfectly cooked and the beans were tasty (both without lard, chicken stock, or bacon). My husband liked the mushroom and squash fajitas and he got full pretty quickly. We also enjoyed the chocolate mousse cake with the sides of fruit. The waiter was attentive and kind and even asked us about our visit. We were celebrating our 1 month wedding anniversary so we really appreciated the service and the food! Previously we had a stance to never eat at restaurants on the riverwalk, due to past experiences, but we will absolutely come back to Acenar.