El Bucanero - Blanco

I don’t think I’ve shared a review for this restaurant yet. I’ve dined here a couple of times, and if I recall correctly, my first visit didn’t quite meet expectations—though it’s worth noting the place was fairly new to the San Antonio scene at the time. Each visit has offered a different experience, but one thing that’s remained consistent is the restaurant’s vibrant atmosphere. I had completely forgotten—there was a live Mariachi band playing as we walked in, which added so much energy to the place. We were seated immediately at a booth, with no wait at all. The booth itself was really unique, featuring artwork that made it feel like we were underwater. The menu is heavily seafood-focused, but I opted for the mini tacos, which came with toppings and pinto beans. They were absolutely delicious! I also treated myself to a high-end cucumber beverage that paired perfectly with the tacos. All in all, it was a great visit. We enjoyed the food, the ambiance, and the service.

Hadn't been at this Bucanero location and I like it better than the one off 281 and Bitters. The food is very delicious . The atmosphere was great with good music and staff very attentive polite and respectful. I relay like that the kids plates included fries with every entree. Makes it easier than having to order fries on the side. My kids loved it. Definitely recommend 5/5

One of the best Mexican seafood restaurants in the state of Texas! My wife and I make the trip from Austin to San Antonio several times a year to enjoy this wonderful seafood! You won’t be disappointed. The portion sizes are enormous & the drinks are amazing too. Great experience every time! Love love love this place!

Shoutout to Edwin! He was super helpful from the very beginning. We were a group of 8 and all of our first time. He explained everything and we all had amazing food. Speedy service and great crowd overall. Will definitely come back when in San Antonio! Price point is decent and drinks are great ✨

Mexican seafood! Top rate stuff. Seviche that's so good you don't mind the spice. I also had mixed seafood enchiladas, with octopus, shrimp, and fish. It's a family style place, and on Sunday the place was packed, but the servers are very helpful, and the food is worth the crowd.

Really truly excellent Mexican seafood. Have had the Cameron de la Diablo and the Cameron Veracruzana. They were both excellent. The service was superb. The atmosphere was clean and orderly. The food arrived quickly, and the service was impeccable.

If you are looking for seafood with a Mexican flair this is the place for you. We ordered Molcajete El Patron. This has a variety of different seafoods and a bit expensive but definitely enough for two. Everything was super delicious. Service was great and the restaurant even though it was busy, it was great dining experience. You can order in English or Spanish and they had good Spanish music playing in the background. Seating is available inside and outside.

We didn’t know what to expect, to our surprise Excellent food and the Best drink selection menu I haven’t seen in a long time. Great atmosphere-we did not sit on the patio but it looked like something I would want to do next time- parking was free with a Charro food truck outside, I will be back to try that as well the food and drinks reasonable price, the waiter, I wish I knew his name but very good service

Un festín para los sentidos. La comida no solo se saborea, se celebra: cada plato tiene alma y un toque de magia. Además de porciones gigantes y con mucha sazón... El servicio es tan cálido que uno se siente invitado, no atendido. Y el ambiente... una burbuja de buena energía, una vibra como caribeña y detalles que te sacan de la rutina de la ciudad... Un lugar al que se llega con hambre y se sale con el corazón lleno.

I don't think I've shared a review for this restaurant yet. I've dined here a couple of times, and if I recall correctly, my first visit didn't quite meet expectations--though it's worth noting the place was fairly new to the San Antonio scene at the time. Each visit has offered a different experience, but one thing that's remained consistent is the restaurant's vibrant atmosphere. I had completely forgotten--there was a live Mariachi band playing as we walked in, which added so much energy to the place. We were seated immediately at a booth, with no wait at all. The booth itself was really unique, featuring artwork that made it feel like we were underwater. The menu is heavily seafood-focused, but I opted for the mini tacos, which came with toppings and pinto beans. They were absolutely delicious! I also treated myself to a high-end cucumber beverage that paired perfectly with the tacos. All in all, it was a great visit. We enjoyed the food, the ambiance, and the service.

Ordered the mango aguachiles and was okay. Went in for lunch and I feel I was overcharged but was already running late to even review and call someone back to let them know. Definitely not a 37$ meal. However I'd still go back and try some of the other dishes.

Food was fresh and delicious and staff was nice and attentive. Alot of room and parking for guest. The Bahama mama was also good.

Late lunch, don't take long for them dot sit us. Cocktail is great...salsas are hot, but delicious. The Milanese is so good; a must try!!!

The food was great! And the service was even better. Appreciate the hospitality of the owners. Will definitely return!

We came here on 02.18.24 for the first time - I had been wanting to come here for years after being told about it by a friend. This location (one of three) is in a nice Hill Country setting, dirt parking lot and oak trees included. On a Sunday, we found a crowd. Benches are all along the covered porch, in anticipation of lines. We walked into an enormous dining area packed to the gills with people. I mean, PACKED. The place was hopping! After intense review of the insanely populated menu, our amazing and super friendly server took our order of fried calamari and two large seafood cocktails. The fried calamari was good but a little dry. It came with a delicious house-made hot sauce and seasoned cucumbers and tomatoes. My date had the large shrimp cocktail and I had the large shrimp and octopus cocktail. You definitely get what you pay for with these. They were enormous and packed full of seafood, as well as pico de gallo and a tasty cocktail sauce. We barely could finish these - actually, I finished mine and there was plenty left of the other cocktail. Every dish we saw coming out of the kitchen looked amazing, and that the place was as crowded as it was with locals, that said a lot. For the food, that there was so much that sounded good, and for the five-star service, we are definitely wanting more visits in the future.

I had not had Mariscos in quite a long time. "Mariscos" is the Spanish word for seafood btw :) Since moving here to SATX, I have been on a quest for the best/most authentic restaurants for all of my favorite foods! El Bucanero took me back to my childhood and some of the seafood places I visited as a kid, since my Dad loves Mariscos. So it is safe to say El Bucanero definitely exceeded my expectations! Warning: their menu has over 100 items! Extensive menu is an understatement! I was torn on what to get and so was my husband. When we finally decided, I ordered the "AKA" shrimp tostada which is essentially "shrimp ceviche" and they already have home made tostadas and crackers at the table when you arrive. My husband ordered a "Molcajete" which is just a serving style bowl symbolic for an actual molcajete (mortar or pestle). They have a few variations of the dish. The one my husband ordered had chicken, beef, slices of cheese, cooked cactus (nopales) and bacon wrapped shrimp all served in a delicious sauce. It's served with a side of beans, rice and tortillas. Service is above par despite how busy they get! Very clean restaurant! Ambiance is lively with traditional Mexican music playing and friendly staff/servers! Overall wonderful experience! I love that I felt "home" as soon as I walked in! Can't wait to return!

Great food and drinks . Friendly customers service. Drinks and food came out fast . The Molcajete was amazing delicious and the mango ceviche was the best I have had.

Visited for an early dinner before catching a flight home. The food and drinks were nothing special but the pricing was appropriate. The bar area was loud and the sound extended into the entire dining. That is somewhat expected with the sports bar feel.

My family and I decided to give this restaurant a second chance. As an appetizer we got the calamari. It was chewy but it was served with slices of tomato, cucumbers, and a home made sauce. I was looking for something small and thought the shrimp salad would fit the bill. But it was huge! I took three quarters of it home. It was yummy though. I probably won't order it again unless someone will split it with me. My other family members ordered the fish and shrimp plate. It looked delicious and I will be getting that next time. The place was nicely decorated and the staff were friendly. I will say there was a language barrier it we worked through it.

Wow! What fun this place is? I had the sea bass and it was well prepared and absolutely tasty. The service was excellent and I even learned a little Spanish. But my favorite part was the mariachi players. They were on point and LOUD! Loved it!! Can't wait to come back...SOON!!

Ordered online and picked up at a to go parking spot. Didn't have to leave the car. Excellent food and service!

Best ceviche ever that I ever laid my eyes on. The sauce was saucing that night. If you ever come across this place be careful because it is addicting.

This restaurant NEVER DISAPPOINTS! The food is always so good! I'm not gonna lie, it's always hard to make a choice about the menu, because it's so extensive! But I do love they have so many pictures in the menu, so you can see what you are going to get. This time we got Torre el Rey and Camarones a la Veracruzana, both very very good. Both plates have enough food to feed 2 people each. The only reason I didn't give a 5 star review is because this place need a renovation, it looks the same as it looks when it opened years and years ago, it definitely needs some love and the bathrooms need some work too, only two stalls and very and in need of some work. Staff is friendly and they know their menu which helps.

Food quality and quantity has degraded to a point that we will not return. The server tried hard to give proper service but he had several tables. The carne asada was ground meat over cooked and tasteless! The fish was so small we had to order another order of the same plate. Unfortunately there a manager was not available. The only good item was the green hot sauce. The ceviche was grounded mesh of fish I hope , poor quality and not worth the price or taste. Hope they read this and turn this place otherwise close it.

Seafood always tastes fresh with soo many options of dishes for everyone! The wait staff is always friendly!

The Cerviche is 5 stars alone! I stoped here with the family on our way to the River Walk and this place did not disappoint, the food was delicious and reasonable priced. The service fast and friendly and the restaurant was clean and spacious. If you are ever in the area check them out!

Terrible service and no accountability. We ordered 1 large green ceviche and 1 medium black ceviche. They gave us 10 tostadas total for both of the orders. We also asked for salsa green and orange and they didn't give us any orange salsa and only 2 green salsas. Restaurant was already closed by the time I got home and discovered order was wrong. When I went back the next day to get what I had ordered the staff and manager Jennifer were being difficult and did not want to accept responsibility for the mistake even blaming us for not calling them after the place was already closed. Could've been a simple resolution by just giving us the tostadas and salsas we had paid for and asked for but instead she wanted to be rude and say it was our fault for not calling after their closed. Definitely need some customer service trainings or something and some management coaching.

It has some of the best ceviche in town. We also tried the steak quesadilla and fried fish/shrimp. The steak quesadilla was extremely hot and fresh. Fried fish/shrimp was also pretty good. The service is efficient and welcoming. Ambiance is chill depending on what time you go. It is very busy on the weekends.

The food was excellent! It was my first time going there, and I definitely will be back! The ambiance was great! Services were quick and prompt!

My last review of this restaurant was pretty brutal, mostly because the restaurant was so grimy. NOT TODAY! This location was clean, uncrowded (Wednesday afternoon) and the food was delicious. Actually, all we ate was the Seafood Tortilla Soup. The price seemed a little high until I realized how tasty the soup base was and how much seafood was in that bowl! Generous portion. Scrumptious.

El Bucanero is a staple in San Antonio! last night we dined at the blanco location as the embassy location was closed and I have to say, the experience was outstanding in many ways. The service was exceptional from start to finish- attentive, friendly, and quick without being too overbearing. What really stood out, though, was how wonderfully they treated our babygirl. The manager went above and beyond to make her feel welcome, offering her a variety of food to try, which was such a thoughtful touch. (beans, tortillas, and avocado) At the end of the meal, we were pleasantly surprised to find that none of the food they had provided for her was actually on our bill. It was a lovely gesture, and it made our experience even more special. The food itself was delicious as always, but the service and kindness made this visit memorable. Highly recommend this place for anyone looking for great food and even better hospitality! Been going here with my family for 10+ years, my sister use to work here, and our guests request "El Buc" as soon as we pick them up from the airport!! We will always make the drive for our favorite.

So many amazing options. Great service and excellent food. Every time I go it's hard to make a decision because everything looks so delicious.

The food itself is good but honestly this place is absolutely insanely over priced, I ordered fish tacos that came with nothing not even rice. The waiter was very kind and I loved his personality but sadly he sucked at his job, I asked for things and never got them (not even refills). The ambiance? Well there wasn't much of one, it was packed and all you could hear was people yelling over each other and children crying... no music, just tv's on mute. The tables are so close together that people sitting behind you had to squeeze in or stand up altogether just to let you get across, going to the bathroom was a nightmare because of this. It seems as though they just want to pack the house no matter the cost (i.e. clients' comfort). Don't believe the hype, there are so many other restaurants that are better (in all aspects). I get times are though but this place is taking advantage of the hype wave they're on.

I Love Mariscos and nothing beats el Bucanero . Awesome servers every time we come. Good service , good music , good food , and sometimes they even got mariachi. Cant beat that. Would highly recommend if you like seafood.

El Bucanero is still a good place for seafood. However, I have to say that today was a bit disappointing. They increased their prices while affecting their quality. We had the grilled fish plate. The amount of fish was much less than before and it was not well cooked. Service was excellent as always. Our server was very attentive. There was a festive atmosphere in the restaurant. Fiesta San Antonio was in the air!

The Waite line gets long but moves quickly. The menu is massive so stick to what you came for and you should be good otherwise you may get overwhelmed. With the supper cool over the top drinks things can add up quick. It's definitely a celebration place.

Great lunch today with great friends. Food came out really quick which was nice since it wasn't too busy. We were seated right away. Everything was really great. I didn't get a picture of the drink we ordered but it was really tasty with shrimp and Sol beer. The only thing that was okay was the steak de asada(alittle to dry) but other wise the seafood dishes had amazing flavor. Music wasn't to high so we were able to talk and have great conversations. Thinking I'll try something different next time!! They do have a huge menu which can be alittle overwhelming but there wasn't a problem with the server helping explain when we had questions. I do enjoy the green creamy salsa and tostadas ... yummmy

Great time and great service To top it off they had a sweet treat truck outside of it worth trying out

La comida está muy rica y sabrosa los camarones tienen un sabor muy rico y únicos!! Los meseros/a son muy amables y serviciales siempre tienen buena actitud como primera vez! Me encantó me veré viniendo seguido!

If you want amazing Mexican style seafood there's no better place than El Bucanero. The flight of ceviches was amazing. I have been to 2 different locations- marbach and embassy and all of the food is delicious!

Came here to celebrate my birthday! We were a small crowd, however got Saturday surprisingly no wait. The restaurant lively with music, and other customers. Drinks were amazing as usual! Seafood cooked to perfection. Party of 5 everyone was happy with their meals. Fresh fish, freshly fried oysters & crispy perfectly seasoned French fries. Our waitress consisted checked on our party, refilled our drinks, & ensured our table had what we needed. The only thing that was disappointing, no mariachis.

Coming from California I have high expectations for seafood coming into El Bucanero has really changed the outlook of what a real traditional Mexican seafood restaurant looks like in San Antonio ! This place is packed with Good vibes, Good environment and you can tell its quality is 100%. Service is great !

A favorite of my family. Five stars! El Bucanero offers an extensive variety of seafood including some seldom offered at most seafood restaurants, such as octopus and callos-de-hacha, a scallop unique to the sea of Cortez and more flavorful and tender than Atlantic and Pacific varieties. Most items can feed several "tragones." FTG

Based on family recommendation we paid this seafood restaurant a visit. We were sat right away. The waiter was prompt with taking drink orders. Our food came out nicely decorated and hot! The food was authentic and savory. We ordered ceviche, seafood tortilla soup, molcajete. I would definitely recommend this place the molcajete had fish, shrimp and chicken. The shrimp was split in half cooked to perfection. Ceviche was tasty added flavor with cucumber and tajin.

I hate to give an establishment a bad review, but I have to be 100% honest. Although the food was pretty good and fresh, our service was extremely slow. The waiter was nice but honestly took forever with everything from the moment we sat down (5:50pm) until we received the check (8ishpm). It took 15 minutes for our waiter to acknowledge us and bring waters to our table. The women's bathroom was not clean and smelled bad. Overall, the experience wasn't good. I think for how high they price their meals, it should've been way better. If it weren't for those two reasons, I would've given it a 5 star. Left disappointed.

I can't remember what this was but it was well worth the price ! Had a little of everything and the flavor was AMAZING ! Will definitely go back !!

Cada vez que tengo antojo de mariscos, este es el primer lugar que me viene a la mente. Siempre voy allí para pedir uno de los molcajetes del menú o un pescado frito. No olvides probar su buena selección de cervezas, que va muy bien con sus opciones de mariscos como el pachanguero y los shots de ostión. Estoy deseando volver pronto, ya que es el lugar favorito de mi dama para comer mariscos.

My friend raved about the food here and we had to go try it while visitng San Antonio. The restaurant was enormous and very buys, fun music and we got greeted right away since we were there early. We ordered a few drinks and had some ceviche, everything was delicious, fresh and big portions. The service was good and attentive. We enjoyed the food and the atmosphere, its a must try if you are in the area.

I have barely scratched the surface of this massive menu thus far, but I look forward to future exploration. Can definitely vouch for the various ceviches. Not so much the michelada unfortunately. But that's a small matter with so many other promising drink options available. Cheers to you, Bucanero. Estos si son mariscos! No chingaderas!

Bucanero is by far the best seafood restaurant in San Antonio. They have try sinaloense style seafood . The aguachile verde is bomb and the ceviche hawaiano even better. Must try if in San Antonio.

We got there right before it closed about 30 minutes. (We weren't aware of the time it closed) We sat down and ordered our food. We asked to keep the drink menu. After we got our food. We went to order a drink (9:10) and we were told no food or drinks were available because it was closing time. Which a warning would have been nice usually waitresses will let you know about last call. To top it off we decided to leave and wrap everything up since it was 10 minutes passed closing time. There were several other tables still there but, we wanted a drink anyway. We asked for a bit more soup to go just the soup part and we were told everything was thrown away... that's super fast clean up for 10 minutes passed and customers still inside! The food quality was good. Nothing that made me say this is delicious I have to go back. The drinks did look really good on other peoples tables so I'll definitely give them another try when I'm in town for the drinks and post an update!

We found a winner of a meal for Dad @elbucanerosanantoniotx and churros with @lamejicobakery after. Dad loves oysters so we had a dozen for a value deal of $15! We got a medium plate of ceviche en salsa de mango which was plenty for 3 of us. My Dad had the pina agua fresca, my husband had the Blueberry mojito and I had the Bahama Mama. They do not skimp on the alcohol! Dad and I shared the fish and fries, which was very fresh. My husband had the tacos de pescado and shrimp empanada. Lots of tasty treats and extra food to take home. Conveniently in the parking lot is @lamejicobakery. Dad couldn't pass up churros so we bought 6 of them and had the chocolate, strawberry and cajeta sauces! Yum! We'll sure be back again!

This place can get super busy but come on look at this food! From the portions to the flavor, Amazing! Always make a wonderful date night when we are on that side of town. Ceviche from here is hands down the best. Such a variety of drinks and food. There's something for everyone.

My family dined here tonight and paid well over $200, after being over charged for a drink that was made incorrectly and was returned. Our server explained that they don't usually like to remove alcohol from tabs. We asked for it to be removed and he moved the drink to a separate check. We paid for the drink, only to be rudely rushed to leave a while before 10pm ever hit. I understand wanting to close up and get home themselves, but the employees didn't even want to let us use the restroom because the floors were already mopped - again, before 10pm. We looked forward to a nice meal to end our busy week, but unfortunately it doesn't look like we will be returning.

El bucanero she that B! This place is absolutely delicious for ceviche! Seafood in all types of way, raw or cooked! The prices are in the higher side but you get what you pay for, the portions are big! Great to share if your not that hungry, low key it's too good to share LOL. If you go during the week there is not much wait or no wait at all. The weekend is another animal, it's packed and be ready to wait. Is it worth the wait yes but if you hungry hungry your best bet is to wait to try it during the week when it's not as packed. The service is always good as well and the ambiance is chill and good music is played. During the weekend it's noisy and loud but they do have mariachis.

Vine con mi mamá para tratarla para el día de la madre. Un amigo nos había hablado de este restaurante. La comida es tan fresca deliciosa. Mi madre y yo realmente disfrutamos de mariscos frescos y si estabas buscando algunos a un excelente precio. El ambiente es acogedor y muy colorido. El serive fue increíble, nuestra camarera fue muy amable y nos ayudó a mí y a mi madre a elegir un plato. ¡Recomiendo El Bucanero 100%!

During the week is the time to go to this place otherwise Friday, Saturday and Sunday is too full of people. But there is a good reason that is so popular, anything is fresh and delicious Mexican style. Service is fast and efficient, place is clean and I will never get tired to go there, just the best mariscos in San Antonio