Barrio Barista

My favorite coffee spot in San Antonio Texas. I love the West side special and the Coco loco one of their signature drinks. I love how they have jazz music really relaxing. Father and son great service.

It's been a long while since I stopped by this place. A cute batista that's known for its coffee and fancy grill cheeses. The parking in the front is pretty interesting, so if you don't really like backing out into incoming traffic, I would suggest going on the side of the building to park your car. When you first go inside, you can immediately smell the coffee. You can see people studying and not noisy at all (nice place to go if you want to chill and relax). The ladies in the front were very nice and worked hard to help the people with orders. The menu was on the television screen, so I was able to see what I wanted to get. They took my order quick and was able to find a seat just as fast. They brought out the food first fairly quickly. I had ordered a grill cheese sandwich with barbacoa and avocado, which tasted great. So simple, and they gave a lot of meat so I didn't feel cheated. I had also ordered tomato soup on the side, which was absolutely the best. I dipped my sandwich in it and gave so much flavor (definitely recommend the soup to anyone). Just as I was about finished with my food, the lady brought out the coffees. I did find odd that the drinks took so long to come out, but there was only one person making coffee for everyone. She was so nice she even told me that if I didn't like my drink, I could come up and get something else free of charge. Lucky for her, the coffees tasted good to me. The caramel Frappuccino was good and sweet enough. I had also ordered a hot Mex Mocha (basically a coffee Mexican hot chocolate) and loved the cinnamon in it. Overall, I would recommend this place to anyone if you just want a quick stop and need a place to relax. Be aware though this place isn't open all day only in the mornings and part of the afternoon.

The service, the coffee and the ambiance. The owner great guy, greets everyone and will sit and carry on a conversation with you.

This is my new favorite place to study. The coffee was full of flavor, and it was not noisy at all! I loved that they were playing jazz as background music - definitely easier to focus when music doesn't have vocals. The girls were very attentive and friendly, and Gilbert was great to talk to. I hope they can open up more days a week, or stay open a little later some days! But either way, I'm definitely going to become a regular.

Amazing coffee. Great service maybe one day it will be open more days. The coffee house has a relaxing atmosphere and quite place for morning coffee

Next time, I'm getting that barbacoa. I dropped in for coffee with a friend - we were not disappointed. We both grabbed coffee and something to eat. Even though the gentleman at the counter told me he was the only one in the kitchen, the food was speedy and the salsa was great for my breakfast tacos. He was sure there was going to be an unsatisfactory wait. I had a horchata latte and I wish I had ordered more - it was delicious! I would like to see them rely less on disposable options, the baskets are lined with paper and foil, the cups are single-use plastic, and we were staying for a while. The bug zapper, while a San Antonio reality, is a little off-putting. However, not a mosquito in sight. The service was friendly and helpful, but be prepared for the staff to have a sense of humor. The person in front of me wasn't and it made things awkward.

Went there for the first time I love the service and ordered cold beverage, great ambiance I loved the inside decorations and it was so comfy I just feel kinda awkward when the owner tried to be funny with the cashier it's kinda unprofessional but I guess is how it works over there who I am to judge? lol anyways I was there to enjoy a nice coffee and I did I love it they also serve food I saw they had sandwiches they looked good so next time I'm gonna order some, they close at 1 pm and I arrived at wound 12:20 so I didn't had much time to stay around but next time definitely will be there with more time

I'll admit it's been some time since I've been here but my latest experience wasn't the greatest. I was next in line to order and as I approached the cashier told me "oh I'm supposed to be clocking out now" and proceeded to get the only other person working there to help me. It took longer for her to do that than to just take my order. The food was good but the order was wrong even after I asked and made sure to confirm they gave me what I ordered. I'm surprised they are open only three days out of the week and still be somehow manage to stay open altogether. I hope this place makes a comeback because I really enjoyed going here.

Love this place. I walked in and it's like a little oasis. Escape from the chaos of the outer world. A calm and bluesy feel. Such a unique spot. I had 2 bean and cheese tacos and an iced Horchata Latte. I really enjoyed the experience. Would love to go back and try some more. The Mazapán latte caught my eye! The service ladies were so kind and helpful. Answered my questions about the menu. The feel of the space is perfect for studying since it's right down the road from StMU. This place needs more attention!

Still the best coffee spot on the west side. The owner is an amazing person to meet and talk west side stories with. The coffee is great with plenty of choices: hot, iced, frappe, other drinks available too. Food choices are true west side specialties. They are open limited days right now, but hopefully full time very soon. The ambiance is perfectly chill for a coffee shop. Modern, yet has a very cool throwback feel. Go check it out. Mostly open Wednesday-Friday starting at 7:00 am. If you're a fan of grilling, cheese, and Barbacoa, then check out the menu for their specialty sandwiches.

I really wanted to like this place! I arrived around 12:15 on my lunch break hoping to grab a couple of coffees for a coworker and I. Went to the front, there was a couple in front of me. We waited a good 3-4 minutes just to get our order taken. I could see the barista was working hard behind the bar, but the cashier had absolutely no sense of urgency. I ordered 2 coffees, one iced horchata latte and one hot dirty chai. I waited over 20 minutes for my coffees. The horchata latte just tasted like regular iced coffee, nothing in it screamer horchata besides the sprinkled cinnamon. The dirty chai was okay, kind of watered down. Based on my experience I probably won't be returning and wouldn't recommend if you're on a tight lunch schedule.

Same amount of stars for the same issue. The worker turned the iPad around asking for a tip. I asked if this goes to her or to the business. She said "to the business, we don't get the tips." Same issue, different year. I ordered two bean and cheese tacos. They used old beans and didn't soak them. Similar complaint with the wait: it took ten minutes for someone to take my order, one person ahead of me. Ambience is nice and quiet. Not busy at all. I won't be back.

This place is a nice find! Very rustic interior with a nice selection of food/drinks. It's pretty spacious inside with a lot of seating so that people can sit spaced out. Service for the drinks went pretty fast, but our to-go order for food took about 10mins. We ordered the Westside special which is a grilled cheese sandwich with barbacoa and tomato on the side. It was nice and melty. Soup was a small serving on the side, but it was satisfying. Tacos came with a bit of salsa on the side and we added avocados to our order. It's 50cents for half an avocado on the side. We almost freaked out that the tacos were tiny but realized it was the avocado wrapped. The tacos had a nice amount of meat, but it wasn't too flavorful. Definitely needed the salsa and avocado too add to it. The drinks we ordered were the mocha latte and the horchata latte (both iced). They were good and not very sweet. I wouldn't say there was a noticeable horchata flavor in mine, but it was still tasty coffee. Overall, I enjoy the place's ambiance and would potentially take someone here for a nice brunch. I feel like they have a lot to offer on their menu and it was pretty good quality. Nothing that I'd go out of my way to try again, but still a nice meal if you're in this part of town!

This place has grown to be a staple in our neighborhood the food is great and the coffee's are always hot

food is good but the wait times on coffee drinks is a bit much. Food will come out and your still waiting 10 minutes for your drin, have had this happen to me 3 times alread.

Loveeeee this place!!! I got a matcha latte with soy milk and the owner made it himself -- while having a memorable conversation about when I used to be a barista. My bf got the signature horchata latte and said it was the best he's ever had. There were tons of people casually in conversation with the owner here ordering delicious looking breakfast sandwiches and drinks. so you just know this is a local and loved coffee joint. 10/10 recommend!

First time here and I was really impressed! When we first went in I wasn't sure if you had to wait to be seated but by the way the other patrons were looking I figured it out quickly lol, you sit yourself. We chose the to sit at the bar, luckily the lady behind the bar was very attentive and told us we had to place our order first then they give us a number to place on the table. The avocado sandwich with brisket was delicious!!! We also had the grill avocado sandwich with barbacoa, I'm not a fan of barbacoa but I did try it and it was good as well. The staff was welcoming. I believe the gentlemen that kept talking to us was the owner but he was really funny, told an hilarious joke too. He was great. I'll definitely come back again.

This little spot is a giant bundle of joy! The atmosphere, the food, and the service is impeccable! A must stop if your around!

Great indoor and outdoor seating. They are still requiring masks and distancing. LOVED my hot horchata latte. Enjoyed the Mexican mocha. (Yes, I bought both for meeeeee) I had their croissant sandwich. It was nice. Just enough "run" to the egg. I'm going to ask for BACON the next time I visit bc there will DEFINITELY be a next time. Would love to sit outside and take a pic.

We really don't have words to describe how much we love it here. Gilbert, the owner is a sight to see and always has a joke in his pocket. The west side special is the best thing! Just go. You won't regret it.

This neat and amazing little spot is well worth the stop! Pulled up, it looked closed, but the gentleman inside let us in for coffee and told us a little about why he does what he does and then gave us our coffee! Most definitely will be going back! And the atmosphere on the inside is amazing!

Barrio Barista had a soft launch today offering thier famous Barbocoa Grilled Cheese! My boyfriend's mom and I were running errands around town and saw some cars parked out front. We ordered some coffee and split the sandwich. I don't like avocados so we asked for them on the side so she could have them. I liked the grilled cheese after not having it since last year! The horchata latte was pretty good as well, I had it iced. Hope to come back since it's so close to St. Mary's campus!

Delicious 10 out of 10 Avocado Grilled Cheese SandwichTomato Basil Soup Must try this place

The food is spectacular. I love that other places don't have this item. This Barista is truly a gem to San Antonio.

The interior of this coffee shop has ALL the vibes. It gives moody, bluesy, low key, let's sit and read a book or stare into your lovers eyes in a booth over a Mexican Mocha. Definitely gives a weekly chisme with your bestie vibe. The Mexican mocha is my go to. Tried a egg Sammy which was HUGE I think I added avocado and they put like a whole half in there. Pleasantly surprised. I don't remember if they asked how I want my eggs cooked. My Sammy came with two fried eggs. Extremely gooey I will definitely be back to try their barbacoa grilled cheese. I will say that it is a bit unpredictable on the operating hours. I've gone a couple of times and it was closed on a day the door says it should be open. I Didn't take the time to research the reason it was closed. No biggie, I live nearby so it didn't inconvenience me at the time. However I will call ahead of time to make sure they are open in the future.

ItIt use to be our favorite but between the filth and roaches on our hot plate we will never return. So sad that they didn't care about cleanliness

It's always been a pleasant experience here! Love their orchata latte (iced is tastier than hot). Haven't tried much of the food besides the grilled cheese and barbacoa sandwich and it was delicious. Pastries are always fresh too. Oh and the girl at the front carries my food out to the car which I thought was super sweet!

Every time I go to Barrio Barrista I get the Coco Loco and their West side Special (A barbacoa grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup). Super delicious! Especially when you add some salsa to the sandwich. I have had their horchata latte hot and cold. I prefer it cold because it has more flavor. Staff is always kind and friendly which makes me enjoy my meal even more!

Amazing staff and service, amazing products. Pleasant environment and not overwhelming. Nice atmosphere.

Best word to describe this place is "home". Cozy space, soothing music, and a very hospitable owner that served me a cup of coffee himself- and it was on the house. This place has the potential to be a great spot for brunch, chilling, or studying, but it is not fully operational yet. Thank you Gilbert!

It was..... okay. Nothing really homemade which, to me, made it less than worth it. Service was nice, the owner came out and he was nice too, the ambiance was pleasant just wanted more homemade baked goods.

This quirky cafe serves up a variety of drinks and breakfast/brunch/lunch food options. I say quirky due to the interior decor which included a barber's chair (or dental... not sure), wood signs with homey sayings, local art, and TV's playing evangelical shows. Additionally, the women's bathroom has a door that you can lock, but there are two toilets in the private room with a curtain to draw in between... so that was interesting. The parking is limited up front (especially if people aren't cognizant of their spacing), but you can park along the side of the road that it's on (Roanoke St). There is plenty of seating inside and outside under a covered patio. The service was great all starting with the extremely helpful and fun guy at the register. He had some words of wisdom to pass along at 1000 AM on a Sunday. My husband and I were attracted to this place due to the pictures online of their Westside combo - barbacoa grilled cheese with tomato soup. We absolutely had to order it (husband added avocado) along with a couple of bean and cheese tacos (we came in around brunch and I love me some bean and cheese tacos) and an iced horchata latte and a iced cafe latte. Overall, the food and drinks were good, but not too crazy. Barrio Barista is a place we'd come back to, but not an "O-M-G brb" every weekend kind of place for us. Definitely would recommend trying though if you're curious!

Really really really liked this place. Only not giving it a 5 star because I'm weird and hated the taste of the cheese on my barbacoa grilled cheese sandwich. It tasted like that fake, wrapped-in-plastic, cheese. Blah. I hate that. Have hated it ever since I was a kid. It's a problem... BUT besides the cheese, this place knocked it out of the park. I got the Westside Special. This came with the barbacoa grilled cheese with avocado and a side of the tomato basil soup. The soup wasn't anything impressive, but I did like having it to accompany the sandwich. The barbacoa had amazing flavor!!! So tender, smokey, and nicely shredded. The avocado was a great touch as well. I also tried to horchata iced latte (recommended by the cashier). I wasn't sure what to expect. The lady behind the counter gave me a sample without me even asking! So kind. And I was sold!!! The latte is definitely sweet, but not overwhelmingly (tbh I like sugary drinks though...need that disclaimer). All in all, this is a fantastic establishment with good food and kind staff. Definitely worth going out of the way for. If I'm ever in San Antonio again, I'll be sure to go back!!! (Will just ask for no cheese on my grilled cheese heheh).

Met up with some friends today to hide out from the Fiesta crowd. This place is much different during the week--for one, there's a place to sit! Unfortunately the box of avocados arrived after we ordered our barbacoa grilled cheese sandwiches, but the food was, as always, delicious. If coffee isn't your thing, they also have these fruit chillers perfect for a hot day. The owner also cares about your comfort. He asked everyone how they felt about the temperature of the establishment and lowered the temperature. Barrio Barista continues to serve up tasty brews and food with a smile.

Great place to have a fresh cup of Frappuccino. They know what they doing. Good place and great vibe.

Breakfast with my mom at this Coffee Shop Barrio Barista that we saw on the news last night so we were checking to see where it was at and decided to stop lol Omg not your ordinary coffee shop it's amazing and I highly recommend it My mom had to the traditional coffee and bean n cheese tacos and a Mexican strawberry pastry she said were so delicious and I had the Horchata iced latte with the West side special a Babacoa grilled cheese with a tomato soup ummm amazing double bomb .com luckily I'm not counting calories today ‍‍ I got to bring my sis and family soon Owner Gilbert and staff are great and make you feel at home and welcomed

Showed up early on a Saturday morning not knowing they were closed after finding out the doors were locked we became a bit disappointed. However, a man from the inside signaled us to the side of the building to the back entrance. He shared a heart felt story and served us wonderfully and tasteful latte's, although they were closed. This not only made a wonderful memory, but a great start to a Saturday. He ended up being the owner and his story is beautiful. Great service and spectacular coffee! Must stop, we will be coming back.

This is one of my favorite spots and I will travel across town for this place. Only problem is they have somewhat strange hours and can be shut down for a week at a time on certain holidays. I sure miss their horchata latte and barbacoa grilled cheese. I have also tried their cold brew and enjoyed that as well on a hot day. Also, the people who work here are very friendly and make you feel like family. When I have gone on weekends there usually is a wait, so be prepared cause the line sometimes wraps around the building. But they are worth the wait.

This is a place I have been dying to try for so long. All my friends have been bragging! The restaurant itself is bigger than expected. Very roomie. There's plenty of seats inside and outside. I was pleasantly surprised at the noise level. Which wasn't loud at all. The menu is short sweet and to the point. Which I personally love. Helps cut down the time I have to stand there trying to decide. The food was phenomenal! Mouth watering as I type just thinking about it. We had the grilled cheese w/ avocado. Horchata latte and the Mexican Chocolate Latte. (Salsa was surprisingly spicy! Delicious!) Customer service was nice they bring you your food and even when I asked to take it they insisted on bringing it themselves. They we great about cleaning up after customers as soon as they leave. Over all 10 stars if I could! Can't wait to go back!

I came here yesterday with a friend and we had a good time. Inside is kinda of crowded, even if there weren't a lot of people there, so we decided to eat outside. I ordered the caramel macchiato and it was good but it wasn't great. I felt as though it was too sweet and the syrup wasn't mixed at all. I would order coffee from here again, but like only if I had to. Now, the chicken salad sandwich was DELICIOUS. When we got there, there was only one left. We thought, let's just share it just in case we don't like it anyway.... I WISH THEY HAD 2 MORE!! It was honestly so delicious. Beautiful texture, beautiful flavor, and perfect size. I would come back just for this!

I love this place. I got a Mexican mocha and my mom got a horchata latte. Both were great. The ambiance is amazing. Like a cross between Ray's Drive Inn and a classic diner. And the owners and staff are so friendly and welcoming. It was mother's day and the owner came and introduced himself and brought my mom and I a free pastry. He also gave my mom a peppermint plant. If I lived in San Antonio, I would go here all the time. We were there at like 1pm on a Sunday and it was super quiet. I would imagine this is a great place for studying or reading or just relaxing. There's an outdoor patio as well. I love this place.

I love the brisket grille cheese so much, if you looking for a sweet coffee I really recommend the Mex mocha soooo good My husband love the barbacoa grill cheese Love this place

Barrio Barista is officially my favorite coffee shop in San Antonio. Legit. Look, I'm a PhD student who goes to coffee shops to work. I usually spend several hours so it has to have a few basic things, and I'm not too picky. Barrio Barista's in the deep West Side down the street from St. Marys. I think it's one of the few locally owned coffee shops on this side of town and it's very much appreciated. It's right off Culebra so you can't really miss it. The parking is somewhat limited but you can easily park in the neighborhood, I suspect, without much problem. The inside of the coffee shop is SPACIOUS. Like for real. There are a mix of chairs, tables, bar stools, and a nice outdoor patio area so you can chill, talk, work to your heart's content. One of the biggest things I look for in coffee shops is SPACE. I can't stand small coffee shops with little thought to seating. You don't really have to worry about that here. It reminds me of Spiderhouse in Austin from back in the day before it became much more of a beer garden. In short, exactly the type of space the students at St Mary's are lucky to have so close to them. I got an Americano & a muffin for like $4.00 or something. That's fantastic. Had this been anywhere else, I'd easily pay that for just the coffee. So, like everyone else has said, the prices are super cheap. I thought the Americano was good. I'm not a coffee connoisseur so you'll have to judge the quality of the coffee on your own. Taking it on it's own terms, I thought it was alright. Next to space, the next thing I look for in a coffee shop is wifi. HOLY CRAP. This place easily beats any of the other places I've been to around town. 60Mbps for those that want to know. Now, I'll prolly never need that much but it's great that it's offered. Some places around town are still rocking 1.5Mbps. That's just ridiculous. So, yeah, if need wifi access to work--Barrio Barista has the bandwidth available and then some. I didn't order any real food so I can't comment on that side of the business. It did take a few minutes for them to bring out my coffee & muffin but nothing unreasonable from my perspective. If you're coming here for lunch/brunch, and there's a significant wait time like other reviewers noted, that might matter more to you. The baristas were super friendly. They upsold me on a pastry that I didn't really think I wanted but I'm glad I got it. It's nothing out of the ordinary. Just a blueberry muffin that tastes alright. But, like I intimated earlier, I don't really come to coffee shops for food. The ambiance is chill too. Currently they have some jazz playing softly over the loudspeakers and it's at just the right volume: White noise. There are tvs galore but most are either not on or have the volume turned down. The *only* downsides that I can think of and this is really a pet peeve I have with coffee shops is OUTLETS! Many of the tables in the middle of the shops are not near any outlets so if you had to sit there and work, you might be out of luck if your battery dies. The booths and tables along the walls have some access but not nearly enough. Also, the hours are limited as they close at 3pm. :( (They do have a sign that says there's an open mic for poetry on Weds from 7-10pm so maybe they have special hours for certain events? I don't know) ****My suggestion to the owner or anyone reading this is to run some extension cords along the wall molding with some power strips for easy access. It wouldn't cost a whole lot but would provide a HUGE quality of life difference for customers.*** If you've made it this far, just go. It's easily one of the best coffee shops in SA right now. It's my favorite and I'm sure I'll be spending a lot more time here in the near future, especially if they fix the outlet issue.

This little coffee shop is SO CUTE! I've been here a few times and I've absolutely loved it every time! I usually always get a cappuccino and a breakfast croissant. Those are always my go-to brunch choices. Barrio Barista has an incredibly friendly and helpful staff so I always have a pleasant experience whenever I go. The interior decor and atmosphere is very trendy. The business itself is very clean and they always have someone coming around cleaning tables, which makes it much easier for the customers. The food here is always outstanding and so is there service. I'd recommend this to anyone who's in the area, very worth the price.

Love it here definitely a little hole in the wall kinda place. I wish there hours were more flexible for dinner but it's a great breakfast/brunch place

Great atmosphere, even better food. The barbacoa grilled cheese is a must have. Hearty and delicious. The tomato basil soup is the perfect compliment. We also had the barbacoa tacos. They don't carry any fixings, but will serve them with half an avocado if you'd like. The barbacoa is perfect. The salsa is tasty and HOT. My son had the bean and cheese tacos and ate them both. We will definitely be coming back.

When in San Antonio go here. For a few reasons.. . 1. Really friendly and laid-back staff/owner. 2. Mexican mochas and orchata lattes. 3. That barbacoa grilled cheese is liiiiife. Really the place is just a quirky, well-done little Cafe with a simple menu and good vibe. But those three items mentioned above make it totally worth the little drive away from the tourist things to do downtown. And if you happen to be a local, I mean just go and have the grilled cheese and you'll see it's like the perfect Ameri-Mex combo. And then take a sweet orchata latte to go. It's drinks like a caffeine-filled dessert. If you like my review please vote for it and if you love pics of delicious food, check out my Insta: seasonedfoodie

Best coffee shop hidden in the west side of san antonio! Coffee and food are awesome! I wish they had longer business hours!

Awesome coffee house. Location is great and the people there are fantastic. Coffee is delicious

I wandered in a few minutes after they closed, not knowing their hours. The owner saw my scrubs and gave me a cold brew on the house. One of the better cold brews I've had, to boot Thanks!