The Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio

I graduated from this campus in August 2025 and people deserve to know what they’re really signing up for. It’s not a hands on education, lacks standards, impractical unless you want to be a banquet cook, and for lack of a better word a complete scam. Having done a semester in New York, the Texas campus is having 4 people for what would be a 1 person task in New York. Faculty to student ratio is also out of hand. I witnessed an instructor getting drunk while in class, he was later fired but the students suffered because they had an unqualified instructor who also cut our class time down. But the school will gladly do classes for non students if someone is paying them. The saddest part about it all was the complete lack of transparency about our education we paid for on administrations part. The dean never even had a conversation with us until we as students forced him 10 days later. It’s sad for a so called “Nonprofit” school. The chefs pick favorites at this campus and tolerate students getting high in the bathrooms and quite clearly under the influence. It’s so dangerous, especially for a novice cook. I worked at one of the chef instructors wife’s restaurant for about a week and left because I was grabbed by the butt by one of the managers and instead of being the chef understanding a serious problem, he would give me easy tasks and micromanage me to the point I was not growing at all. I went to him about it and he was completely dismissive. Some of the chefs resumes are not up to par with New York as well and I get the impression that they’re scared of the real world. If it had not been for the GI Bill that covered my entire tuition I would’ve dropped out. I brought these issues to the dean’s attention as well but I’ve heard it’s still the same from current students, who the majority will also attest to the lack of education. I’m also willing to bet my life savings that nobody at any extension will pick up the phone. My advice to anyone looking into this school is to not do it. If you want to go to the best Culinary School in San Antonio go to St. Phillips College and you’ll save money. I worked with two gentleman who were great chefs and speak highly of their program. If you really want to go to The Culinary Institute of America, go get the most out of your investment and go to New York campus. You’ll learn quadruple from competent and professional chef’s.

This school gets almost $100,000 out of each student, across multiple locations, state and COUNTRIES. The least they can do is make sure they are doing their very best to give their students the best graduation experience possible. TWO TICKETS per students? i was told "if we give you one ticket we have to get everyone an extra ticket"....Our class is HALF the size it was at the start of this program and we were still denied ANY extra tickets. Obvisouly this isn't a "capacity" issue, they just flat out don't want to support their students' graduation and like they're just trying to save a buck on graduation expenses for their students. Very, very disappointed that my family will not be able to see me graduate OR attend the reception! I would do research on how other schools treat students especially as they're nearing the end of their program. Obviously I would have and am willing to change my opinion if the school treated students better in this regard, but I've heard the same thing from other students who were flat out told NO.

My experience was great! Alot of things to look at and enjoy along with great food. It was interesting to see all of the various classes and unique food options. Definitely recommend stopping by!

Are you seriously kidding me? CIA San Antonio is extreme FIRE ON STEROIDS...always have 1000% faith in CIA

We were told about this by a friend from Houston, it really is an excellent venue. The food was as brilliantly prepared as you would expect from a culinary school, but it went beyond... the depth of flavour in the stocks and sauces was testament to some first-class teaching. Our waiter was very new, we later heard, but did his job faultlessly (even though we inadvertently asked some difficult questions). The wine pairings option (we chose the premium pairing) were creative and of great quality. Overall, a find to be celebrated, but I suspect you will need to book weeks in advance of your visit, as we did!

Enjoyed it very much. Ceviche, Duck Flautas and Tres Letche was awesome!

The food was good but the service was terrible. I informed the order taker that I have gluten allergy; she was the only one who knew that meant the rest of the staff should change gloves. That made me hesitant but after explaining the reason for the process, the rest of the staff realized that I also could not eat the tortillas since they were all cooked on the same surface. The experience, however, went downhill from there. Though my order, without tortillas was prepared immediately, my partner's was lost in the shuffle. We waited patiently while others received their orders. After about 5-10 minutes we inquired about his order. We were told to wait. After waiting a little longer we inquired again and explained that we had waited some time while others, who ordered after us, received their orders. The staff scolded my partner, telling him that he should have waited loser to the delivery area - exactly where we had been waiting. My partner offers constructive criticism as the staff were all students, however, they got angry with him and told him he was being inappropriate.

There were 6 of us that ate there yesterday. The restaurant was practically empty when we got there, around 5:45 p.m., and we were the only ones in the restaurant. Our wine, water, and drinks were served promptly. However, once we ordered it took, what we considered an inordinate amount of time for our meals to arrive. My wife, who ordered a steak, had to send it back, because it was cold. A friend, who ordered the same dish found it too fatty, and not that good. Our other friends, who took the advice of the waiter, found their dishes lacking as well. I ordered the steamed shrimp, mussels, sausage, and fried potatoes. The shrimp were very well prepared. The mussels were "gritty, and chewy." The sausage was very good, but the best thing about this dish was the sauce....but there was very little of it. It was almost like a bouillabaisse, only there was no bread, in which to dip it. Were it not for the high prices, we'd likely have given it at least, 1/2 more star.

Fab experience. Simple inside but the experience is great! Menu changes each semester. Open kitchen so you can see the action. Our service was great. Sorry missing the name but thin blond male. Very knowledgeable and made great suggestions. Lovely wine list. Full bar. 3 and 4 course available.

Sorry to see some of the reviews below but our experience was amazing. Quit a few of the staff were graduating the week and everyone was friendly and knowledgeable. The bar took a bit to get our drinks right, but instructor stepped in to help and all good. The food came out hot and well prepared. Presentation was excellent and service was on point. The instructor in charge was extremely helpful and spent and extra half hour just talking about food and wine and similar experiences. I think some people forget this a school and why they are getting such a great meal at a cheap price. Its $55 for three courses and $61 for four. We ate at the French restaurant around the corner the night before and was not nearly as good and significantly more expensive. We will definitely be back and bringing our friends next time!

I have wanted to try this place for a couple of years. I've eaten at many great places in San Antonio. This was not one of them. The disappointment in our experience only grows as I reflect on it the next day. We chose 4 courses with the (non premium) wine pairing. The price point is equivalent to many fine dining restaurants in SA. (Biga and Maverick to name 2). I understand that it is a teaching restaurant. There are also places where you can get your hair cut by students. You take your chances and get what you pay for- paying a lower price and maybe getting a less than salon perfection. At Savor , you are paying a premium price for sub par product, preparation, service and presentation. First course for me was an inexplicable ugly dish that was described as Lobster. For all the lobster that was in the dish, I feel as if a few teaspoons of lobster were all they had on hand, for the night, for the entire restaurant.There were a few microscopic dots of what I guess was lobster? It was amuse Bouche size. The majority of the dish was brown, dollop of beans (brown and log shaped). ( see picture) The addition of a fried grasshopper was inexplicable. Maybe meant to be shocking or noteworthy? Honestly maybe what intrigued me to try it? The lack of lobster is what I noted. The soup with duck was tasting of only black pepper. The soup could be described as black pepper soup, as that was the overwhelming "taste". The braised cabbage was also ordered at our table of 4. It was probably the best dish of the night. Next , everyone had the risotto. While the flavor was ok, it was runny- and barely warm. And then the theme of the night crystallized. Which was luke warm food, slow to come out. (Warm/hot plates would help this 'restaurant' a lot) . "Hot plate" is not a phrase that is probably ever said here. The next course was octopus(cooked well) with a too sweet mole'. The other 2 of us had hanger steak with some truly unforgivable potatoes. Pavé ? Not even warm let alone crisp or edible. The worst thing about all 4 of our dishes was it was COLD. Not hot , not warm, cold. Dessert- We used to love chocolate until we had the "I love chocolate" dessert. Dried, barely tasting of chocolate. Many confusions with the menu. The third course in the printed menu were substituted with lesser or confusing things. Hanger steak for wagu? The soft shell crab for cod, but then we tried to order it and we're told it was for course 1 . Confusing. I think the quality of the product - overall was low . Our server was nice but nervous. Front of the house was very sorry - and we should have complained for every course- but we kept thinking it was going to get better. It did not.

San Antonio, count your blessings and shout HALLELULIAH!!! We are so lucky to have the CIA in our city. The restaurant aside, I have taken weekend classes at the CIA numerous times and it never disappoints. The Chef's who lead the classes are wonderful and truly want you to leave with knowledge that will impress your friends and family. A few weekends ago, my latest class was to experience and cook Indian dishes. It was AMAZING! This was the one class I was a little on the fence about but, as it was a birthday gift, I attended with no expectations. Boy was I wrong!! The food was amazing. Many of my classmates were Indian food aficionados and they attested to the quality of the food we produced. (After all dishes are prepared, the class enjoys each others food buffet style.) I highly recommend. Although I have only taken the classes by myself, there are many couples and groups of friends who attend.

Scheduled an Open Table reservation two weeks in advance, as that's the only time they had available in addition to my wife and my limited time off. Scheduled and pre-paid night child care, excited about a date night and received a call that they had a 'glitch' in their Open Table app and they cancelled our reservation. My wife and I hardly have time getting out being dual military and this lack of professional behavior is frustrating and cost me over $100 in child care.

Never again! Horrible experience and to top it off while we were there an employee or student yelled at my wife for touching one of their vegetables that they grow outside the building. She said we didn't know how to read the sign. A sign that clearly says don't "pick" the plants not don't "touch" the plants. My wife is a gardener and a cook. She knows what she's doing. She wasn't harming the plants in any way. If you don't want anyone touching your plants don't leave them in an area where hundreds of people walk past them every day. And YOU should learn to read since the sign clearly says not to "pick" the plants. Learn to cook and learn to read people!

We had a 10 star dinner and service. Menu selection was fabulous, since I don't eat red meat, and extremely creative. Waitstaff was wonderful and attentive. Atmosphere was nice and upscale. Would have liked maybe classical music back drop. Overall. Yes I would go back

The Institute had a food booth at The Pearl during Farmers Market hours selling tacos. Off course we had to taste test. $9 for one chicken and one barbacoa. We had ordered beef fajita, not chicken but we rolled with it. Ordinary tasting tacos at high prices. Seasoning was missing in action. Definitely not getting foolish again with next visit to The Pearl.

As a professional food writer, I covered the first Latin American cuisine symposium at the new CIA San Antonio branch last October. The CIA brand is the most esteemed cooking school in America--as such, this event commanded the top names in Latin American cuisine not just around America (Maricel Presilla [Zafra, Cucharamama], Rick Bayless [Topolobampo], Roberto Santibanez [Truly Mexican]), but also around the world (Pedro Miguel Schiaffino [Malabar]). Of course, its regular staff members are legends in their own right, such as Iliana de la Vega, the Alice Waters of Oaxacan cuisine. The school was created to examine and elevate Latin cuisines in the United States. If you want to know about the next big thing in this next big thing of cuisines, this is the place to visit or call. The campus, in San Antonio's revitalized Pearl Brewery, is gorgeous, complete with quaint student restaurant Texas Farm to Table.

While I'm a big fan of the CIA, I was super bummed to find out there wasn't a campus store to browse and purchase items from. Since this location focuses on latin cuisine, you'd think they'd allow you to purchase specialty items and ingredients that you can use and experiment with at home. If there is one - i'm even more bummed we missed it. We walked around the campus, asked locals in the area and no one thought they had one so I'm pretty sure this was the case. Unlike the St. Helena CIA, tastings and restaurants were also not on premise.

Wow! I'd like to welcome the CIA to SA! I went there today for the grand opening celebration, and this place is simply amazing. Amazing. AMAZING! Did I say that it was amazing?! I can't believe that we've gone this long as a city without this place. San Antonio LOVES to eat, and they've moved into the right place. The master chefs were out showing off their food- really awesome stuff. They showed off their skills, and lemme tell ya- these guys have skills. After reading some of the other reviews though, I'm a bit disappointed that we don't have a gift shop/campus store. We do have that Mexican Cookware shop in the same complex, so that more than makes up for their lacking a store. The chefs here are absolute professionals. I made sure I came loaded with a bunch of my culinary questions, and they were on the ball knowing way more than I would have expected. They helped my cooking tremendously, and I haven't even attended a single class. Oh yeah, this place is amazing.

I love that the CIA is a part of Pearl. It's always fun to come down and watch the students hone their skills through the windows. That's not creepy at all, is it? I mean isn't that why they have floor to ceiling windows? Anyway, if you ever see a short Asian gal noshing on a delectable alfajore from the CIA bakery, nose pressed to the glass, wishing she could be on the other side, that's probably me. Don't be afraid to say hello and ogle alongside me.

Attended a conference titled Latin Flavors, American Kitchens- Actually the 4th one I have been to - This review is more about the CIA than the event that brought me there. The campus is very modern, and well air-conditioned, which in San Antonio is very important. It's a bummer there is no Campus store yet. Their coffee shop sells a few souvenirs, but its slim pickens. You would think they could come up with some clever things to say on Tee shirts being that it's a Culinary School dedicated the study of the Foods of Latin America. I love this campus, and hope to come back many more times.

Came to an Antonio for a "boot camp" for 2 days. What an incredible experience. Chef was patient and knowledgeable. No matter what question was asked,she had the answer. Kathy the receptionist is a bright smile as you walk through the door. She clearly loves CIA and her job ! The full time students were so friendly and willing to answer questions about their experience. I would highly recommend this experience. In fact I'm taking another class tomorrow ‍

BBQ Bootcamp: Large class with 18 students to one instructor, with one volunteer. Too many students to get much interaction from instructor. There were errors in some of the recipes provided, and some of the recipes just weren't very good. So many recipes, many of them side dishes and not barbecue, were assigned, you end up focused on your own dishes to meet the serving deadline. Very little time was spent on actual pit management, techniques for maintaining temperature, and observation of the pits - too busy getting those side dishes ready! A few technique demonstrations were given during class. Overall thought it was way overpriced for the instruction received.

Took the holiday feast cooking class for $250 and was thoroughly disappointed. It was supposed to be from 9-2, but in fact was 10-12:30. There were 16 people divided into 4 stations with only one instructor unable to give us all feedback. Essentially we were given a recipe and told to cook. We weren't taught any technique and had almost zero supervision. The list of stuff we were told we would learn to cook was false advertisement because you end up working on only 1-3 dishes at most and have no idea what is going on at other stations. If you are looking for a team building activity there are cheaper ways to find it but if you actually want professional culinary instruction, this is no the place I'd waste your time or money on. The only positive was that at the end we all got to eat each others food.

Took a Vegetarian cooking class, which was a gift from my in-laws. I would have never paid for this. Large group of people, not too much instruction. I was stuck in a group that made a soup (and definitely not a complex soup). The worst part was this soup recipe included TUNA! That's not vegetarian... I was bored before the day was over. When we shared a meal, the food was not good, many people had oversalted, so I hardly ate. It showed lack of oversight on the instructor's part. I would not recommend this.

Just ate at Savor...so good! Loved the experience. True professionals. I enjoyed the whole evening.

Took a cooking class here Saturday and though not as hectic as Hell's Kitchen was certainly challenging enough to teach me a few things. Will probably do another next year.

Sad to hear this place is closing next week; while the coffee was ok, the homemade pastries were fantastic!! Loved the savory scones and will miss them sorely...

My heart (and stomach) are crying. What happened to you, dear CIA at San Antonio? I've been you '# 1 fan', I invited dozens of my friends and visitors of San Antonio from Europe, Asia, other states to try 'delicious food and wonderful European pastries'. But recently (actually a few months now) the quality of food turn to be not attractive and not tasty at all; breakfast: toast for poached eggs was smoothed with the OLD melted butter (the bitter aftertaste stayed in my mouth even after a large cappuccino and a glass of iced water); last weekend (04/13/2013) I had a plate of eggs and noticed that the toast was SO thin that I could easily see through it, the eggs were overcooked (seriously, the housewife would prepare them better), the portion of cheese on the plate was in 2 (or even 3 times!) smaller that usually. Earlier this month for the lunch I ordered the mushroom soup and was surprised that it wasn't served with at least of dollop of sour cream (if you don't use a cream). Now instead of a slice of fresh, tasty bread for soup, customers are getting a couple of cheap crackers (ohhh...). Pressed sandwich with ham and cheese was dull and cold inside (had like that twice already!), even cheese was not melted and stayed hard. Cesar salad came with 3 tiny peaces of chicken and barely was drizzle with the dressing, instead of croutons there were 2 (TWO!!!) peaces of dry (not toasted but old dry) bread. I'm very upset because there are only three of CIA in such a big country and this one is no longer on my Top List :-(. The desserts are staying on the same high level, can not say a word. I promised myself that I won't order any 'serious' food from CIA @ San Antonio any more but a pastry and a cup coffee only. P.S. I hope that someone from the CIA will read this review and will help our local campus get back their great reputation! I love you, guys!

A pretty unfortunate experience. Had higher expectations based upon CIA's reputation in New Hyde Park NY. We made a reservation way in advance for a group of 10. On the plus side, the empanada for starters was flavorful. They planned a price fixe dinner with two entrees, one of which was supposed to be a braised beef. Turns out that they did not like what their supplier had sent them, so they substituted a broiled strip steak, which was the choice of half of our party. They were all tough, chewy, and the student chef could not get the doneness correct for several of us. One of us had to send the steak back twice, and it was still not right...they did the right thing and prepared another steak that was just ok. Not sure what the problem was with overseeing the student chef. Maybe just a bad night, but the place was far from crowded. Not sure if I'd go out of my way for a second visit.