The Original Mexican Restaurant

Warmly greeted when arrived and then staff helped us moved to a different table, which I we right along the riverwalk. Staff is very friendly and outgoing. Our server was great. Helpful with suggestions and ordering and very outgoing and professional. I had the chicken burrito which was huge and very reasonably priced. Itt tasted fresh and absolutely delicious. The chips are not too salty and the homemade salsa is spot on. We also got the chicken fajitas which again the portion was huge and everything was so fresh and delicious. This place is an absolute MUST if on the riverwalk.

Got seated right away but after 30 mins we were about to leave and the server came so we ordered. Beer was not cold, and what kind of meat do they use for the fajitas. It came out right away, rice was dry on the plate and the beef fajita meat tastes so bad!! This is San Antonio how dare they. Just don’t. Texture, taste, awful sent back right away and left.

The service was slower and inattentive but I am giving grace as we had a large party. The food was messy, greasy, and over priced for the smaller portions. They charge for chips and salsa that I did not ask for. They brought the chips and salsa well before we ordered anything to drink. The nicest feature is being able to sit next to the riverwalk. There are several other options I’d recommend over this one.

Would come back. Drinks are very good. 32oz margaritas are a must. Beef tacos were some of the best I’ve ever had. Very spacious indoor and outdoor seating with great views of of river.

Honestly we were a little skeptical about stopping here due to other reviews, but the chips and salsa drew us in and I’m glad that it did!! We have a great waiter who was friendly and our food came out so fast. My husband and I were both very happy with our meals and I honestly had no complaints. Would recommend stopping!

This menu needs a refresher and potentially changing of the management. How can you serve Tostitos chips or similar instead of true restaurant style chips. The menu if lacking a lot of options. The chips and salsa are an upcharge of $1, which is fine but it’s not quality. The food items taste like the cheapest option they can purchase. Hopefully the owners read theses reviews and not only the managers because I would completely recommend a change. The servers are good people and deserve better. They could have a packed house with better quality foods and an improved menu. The location has so much potential, they can seriously do better.

The food was not authentic Mexican food at all. The nachos plate was 8 pieces of chips with beans pasted on them with weird large chunks of meat that didn’t taste fresh with some sort of velveta cheese thing melted on them. There was no flavor to the food at all! Don’t waste your money, get real Mexican food elsewhere please! 🙏 Try Maria Bonita if you’re outside the river walk.

We came from out of town and decided to eat here with the family and the service was fast and good. Food was good and hot. We got the fajita plate And tenders for my child. We did get a margarita and it was amazing. Def recommend. Paid about $68. If you want fast service maybe show up around 12 pm.

Service was fast and friendly, especially considering how busy it was. I ordered the combo plate with enchiladas and tacos. It was alright, but honestly it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I was expecting something that really popped with flavor, and instead it felt a bit more over-the-counter and less authentic than I had hoped for. That said, the experience itself was enjoyable. Sitting by the River Walk, watching people pass by, and soaking in the energy of the area definitely added to the visit. Even if the food didn't fully wow me, I can see why this spot stays so busy -- the location and vibe do a lot of the heavy lifting. I'd come back for the atmosphere and a drink by the water, but next time I might try something different on the menu or just enjoy the River Walk views.

The food was OK at BEST. I was very disappointed in the burrito plate I got. I just expected more coming to Texas and going to a Mexican restaurant. It kinda was like I went to Taco Bell almost. The service was terrible. Our waiter honestly didn't feel like you wanted to deal with us. He barely came back to the table. I don't think I ever got my drink refilled once. He didn't listen to anything he said about ordering food for the kids. He basically took our order just drop the food off and never came back until it was time to pay for the check. The ambience of the restaurant was good. I like the way they designed it and it was very nice. They could just work on the food and the service and everything else would be great.

NOTHING IS FRESH! Salsa tastes canned, Queso canned, meat sitting. Not great. So many good options on the river walk this was not it. To make matters worse the server was confused and frustrated when we asked for a cup with a lid for a toddler. Wish I would have let that 24oz cop of liquid and hyper 2yr old play out. The restaurant is in need of an overhaul it's dated and not great. But hey "coyote ugly" is right upstairs.

The only one star went to the location which was by the river. We came here on a Wednesday around 2pm which was not busy at all. We sat outside by the river. It took awhile for our server to come take our orders. He was not attentive at all. The Coconut frozen margaritas was a joke! We only tasted lime but not coconut at all. We didn't taste the alcohol either. It costed $19 for that?? Never come back!!

$15 Velveeta?!? What would I improve?!? The answer is "Yes". The chips were stale, disgusting, and obviously a Sysco special. Not sure the margarita had any chemicals that correspond to the periodic table. The "queso" was literally a microwaved block of Velveeta that had been sitting out in the open it was cold and had formed a skin by the time it reached our table. The aforementioned stale disgusting chips came with an accompanying "salsa" I am pretty sure was Tostito's with so much cayenne pepper dumped into it my wife couldn't eat it. Calling itself the "Original" is like calling the statue of David the First Biker Gang Boss. You know it is fake and just yet of another "First of..." in the city. Rock solid 0 stars.

One of the worst experiences I've ever had. Server wasn't even care about the foods, I asked like 3 servers to get us water, asked for more napkins and didn't get it. Foods is packaged and chips wasn't fresh.

I should have known entering the place with the hostess it was probably going to be a poor experience because she was the most sour young lady I've ever experienced in the food service industry . This is probably the filthiest restaurant I've ever been in. The hallway leading to the bathroom is beyond gross. The bathrooms do not look like they've been cleaned in years the food was poor. I couldn't eat it and it was simply three crunchy tacos. The best thing about this place was the beer. Management needs to be overturned and the place needs to be shut down and cleaned.

*this review is only based on the michelada , corona and service ! The hostess gabby was great, gave us info on happy hour and let us know we are able to take our drinks to go and can drink them along the river walk which we didn't know we could do. We came inside to Taylor helping us out and getting to us super fast.

Service is terrible. Food is good but server is uber terrible. Servers should not work as servers if they hate their job. Asked for hot water (during a cold cold night) twice, and the server just ignored my request ‍.

Got sat fairly quickly but that was about the only positive. We then waited around 30 minutes to even see someone to get drinks ordered. And that only happened after we talked to the hostess twice. Once we got our food and drinks the only time we saw a waitress was when we hunted her down to get the ticket. Spoke to a manager but him and the owners son just basically blew us off as they are trying. Everyone in that place were drowning. One waiter even used the phrase that they were in panic mode. This is a place we have visited on most of our trips to San Antonio. It will take a lot before we ever go back again. The table next to us had got seated after us but put in their order before us and didn't get their food till well after us.

We were in town for a conference and decided to stop by. Unfortunately, we were very disappointed with everything we selected off the menu. We ordered the Chalupa's and they were soggy and more like tostadas, but enchilada's verdes tasted like canned chicken, the chicken quesadillas we're cold and dry. And the guesser is like guess out of a can definitely would not recommend it. The server however, was great and tried to do everything to accommodate our unhappiness.

Omg. Sunday evening here with family from out of town, was terrible. I assume the lack of menu choices is left over from Covid? Food wasn't terrible, but definitely not worth the price. If I had to put it on a continuum, it would be one notch below mediocre. My sister hardly touched her enchiladas, my nephew tried valiantly to soak up the grease on his quesadilla.... Service was business only, not very friendly. Seating was outside, just away from the river, but still felt cramped and the table was too small. We fought for space the whole time. Not good. Not good.

We stopped in here during one of our visits to the River Walk since Rita's was closed. The service here is horrible. Took 10 minutes to get drinks and our order. She never wrote anything down so of course she got the order wrong. I ordered chalupas and she brought me tostadas. She NEVER refilled our drinks/water despite us being there for over an hour. It took 30 minutes to get our check AFTER asking for it twice. The food is sub par, and the place is very run down on the inside so the ambiance is off.

I just gave this 1 star because the chicken enchiladas are pretty good. The queso is bland and $11. It says chile con queso but there is no chili. Our waitress was clearly not happy about being there and was rude. We were charged .99 for a chip basket- but you're not asked if you want the chips, they just give them to you. With all of the restaurants down here, they really need to step it up or close down!!

Great location being right on the river walk to have lunch with a view. The hostess appeared to be put off. I guess we were interrupting her cell phone time. When she asked how many in our party ( there were 5 of us) she asked rudely inside or outside. We said outside and rudly said I can't sit you on the river before I even spoke, which we didn't ask to sit on. I responded wherever you can sit 5 is fine in which she responded it will have to be on the patio. She tossed our menus and silverware on the table. Just absolutely rude. We watched her engage with all other tables with kindness and and professionalism, however ours ZERO ENGAGEMENT even though we were right next to her station, just as the others were. We waited quite a bit before anyone serviced out table with water, chips and salsa. Our actual waitress was kind and accommodating and our food was good. It takes a lot for me to comment negatively on a restaurant but when the first impression of your business is rude and unprofessional in such a busy location with tourists all I can say is do better!

Not very many options late night on the river walk, we did come across this place which had a larger crowd. Very small menu options I got the tacos Al carbon thought it was weird they do theres on corn tortillas (used to flour) but hey went with it. But to no surprise they fell apart instantly as corn doesn't hold up too well with oiled corn tortillas.

I was there at lunch time and was the only person seated outside, so I had the whole river view to myself - along with some very fearless pigeons. The prices were reasonable and the food was good, though the menu was more limited than I'd hoped. The service was prompt and friendly, and all things considered, it was a very nice way to pass some time sitting by the river on a summer afternoon. The 14 Oz margaritas was $9 and the San Antonio Fiesta platter was $15.99

Rudest employees ever...was wrong outside and a very rude waitress pushed me and said "I'm trying to work here"...so I left , worst customer service I have ever ever seen in my life

Food and margaritas were average. Its on the river walk so it does have an allure. San Antonio has better offerings.

This rating is generous. Food was bland, and 'meh' according to my date. Tables stayed dirty for too long and no one seemed to care. Needs more, if it wasn't for the Riverwalk this place would die. Sorry to be so candid but, I will not return. Server was attentive so there's that.

Left hungry and unsatisfied. I had high hopes as it was recommended from a local. I should have looked at the reviews first. Then my friend who lives there, that locals like to send people there because they know it's not good. Which is sad. I ordered chalupas and got tostadas. My michilada was a fish bowl of juice. No spice at all. I ate some of one tostada because I was starving and left. One of the worst dining experiences I've had in a while.

To be honest randomly giving this place a chance, I'm glad I went. The food was very delicious. The service was good the Ambiance it was a little overdue for a restoration for me. I stated before the bathrooms were do for a major remodel.

Very mid to low quality food. Chicken fajitas were so dry. They clearly were not made to order. Chips and salsa were good. Beef fajita was okay. Service was friendly. I'd skip this one.

We were visiting from out of state, so I can't tell you if they had authentic San Antonio flavors but nonetheless, it was very good! The salsa was very spicy, I could feel it burning but it was so good that I couldn't stop eating it! It paired perfectly with the cheese dip. I got the chicken fajitas and the chicken pieces were MASSIVE. They were some of the juiciest pieces of chicken I've ever had. So good and I loved the flavor. However, the rest of the plate was okay. The beans weren't good. I was expecting refried but they were whole and the flavor was weird. The fajitas only came with beans, rice, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and pico. No lettuce. Overall, food tasted good but it was definitely a bit pricey. I wanted to their famous cheesecake but I didn't have room.

My husband and I came to the river walk looking for a place to eat dinner on a friday night at 630pm with no reservation... that was a mistake! Every restaurant we tried to go to had a 1 hour or more wait. We walked around for an hour before deciding to eat at this mexican restaurant. The reviews were ok, but we were starving. We got the tacos, enchiladas, and a frozen marg. The marg was good, but our dishes were decent. Overall it was just "ok."

We took our friends here for lunch while visiting the Riverwalk. I ate at many Mexican restaurants here and this one is no different than other average restaurants I have tried. The service was outstanding. What you don't see much anymore is that they still bring out salsa and chips at no cost. Many Mexican restaurants stopped this special service. We don't eat at the ones that charge you for something that was always complimentary.

Server was nice & pleasant. Restaurant needs a whole makeover including the food. $60.00 worth of trash. Rice was cold & hard. Ground beef was unseasoned. Restroom was filthy.

If you want some plain, straight Mexican food then this place is good for you. Its not too over gltzy as some of the other places on the riverwalk. Price was decent for the location.

Nothing authentic about this place. Guac isn't real avocados. Chips aren't good. Salsa was good. Margarita was too sweet. Keep walking

My Man Crush and I spent a weekend in December on the Riverwalk. Needless to say, the restaurants were crowded and/or had long waits. We were able to get seated quickly at The Original Mexican Restaurant & Bar. The server was friendly and we were promptly served chips and salsa which were good. We had alcoholic drinks earlier in the evening so weren't in a drinking mood but the margaritas sounded good. The menu wasn't very extensive. I ordered the cheese enchiladas with a crunchy beef taco and my Man Crush ordered chicken enchiladas. Both were tasty dishes. We ordered a cheesecake to go with strawberry and caramel sauces and it was very yummy.

The beef in the tacos taste like fake meat. My wife sent her food back and ordered chicken tacos. Those tasted expired with horrible spices. We left our plates. Service was not good. It took 15 minutes to get refill to wash down the aftertaste of the fake enchiladas and tacos. The outdoor sitting is nice. Don't sit by the check in, unless you want strangers waiting for a table up against you while eating. We noticed many plates on tables with food left on them. We won't be back.

So taking a walk around downtown on the Riverwalk, we build up an appetite and eventually found this place. The outside of the restaurant looked nice but we decided to eat inside instead. Inside the restaurant could have been better cleaned such as some tables need to be wiped up and sweeping up food on the floor. We sat at a table with someone dropping a bunch of chips by and was never swept up. The waiter we had was nice, and there was another waiter that was pretty funny and had good energy. We first received chip and salsa, which was actually pretty good. I liked how each person at the table had their own salsa and it was nice and spicy. However, the food itself wasn't good as expected. I ordered enchiladas verdes and I didnt mind the rice and beans, but the enchiladas weren't really that great. My plate was hot though unlike the chicken fajitas. They were more like room temperature as if just sitting there on the counter. The chicken tenders were ok for the kids, and the fries could have used some salt. None of us really finished the food. I think this place is more for drinking than really eating but didn't try any the drinks to speak on that. Overall, I was expecting more. I will have to really think about if I would come back or not in the future.

Absolutely Terrible Experience - Never Again This was hands-down one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had at a Mexican restaurant. First red flag: they charged us for chips and salsa. Really? That's usually complimentary at any decent place. One person in our group got the completely wrong order, and when we brought it up, the waiter just shrugged and said, "That's what's in the iPad." No apology, no effort to fix it. I ordered chicken and had to get up and find someone just to ask for ketchup and ranch. The ketchup came eventually. The ranch? Never showed up. But at the end of the meal, the waiter finally showed his face and casually asked, "Did you want ranch? Oh... we don't have any." Seriously? My wife's beans tasted like they were straight out of a can of generic refried beans. The rice? Just bland, sad-colored rice--no flavor, nothing authentic about it. Worst part? We never saw the waiter again until we were completely done eating. No drink refills, no check-ins, nothing. Save your money and your appetite. There are plenty of Mexican restaurants that actually care about food and service--this isn't one of them.

If I could rate less than one star I would. The riverwalk was not crowded on a Monday evening. We were seated outside where pigeons were landing on every table and crapping. We ordered drinks - never refilled even though wait staff said he'd be right back with them. Waited for the food - it was cold. Wait staff was more interested in playing on his phone than taking care of customers. One bit of 2 cold entrees, paid for our drinks and left. Bathrooms and interior of restaurant were filthy.

The Original Mexican Cafe has always been a wonderful place, usually 5 stars. Tonight, however, it was not the best. The hostess sat us and after 10 minutes, no server. She came and checked on us and asked if the server had been by. The server had not. About 5 minutes later he did come. Got our drink order and our dinner order. Food came out fast. Burrito was good, filling and hubby could not eat all of it. The enchiladas were good, juicy even though I got no sauce (due to allergy). The refried beans were not very flavorful and it seemed they were leftover beans. They did not seem fresh. The rice had no flavor. So, removed a star for the food. Service was a bit slow, he was very sweet and got the order perfect (with my no sauce order due to allergy)!! This is a place where you come for a relaxing meal, good food and watching the river. I believe the server had split seating outside and our table inside. You do have a choice to dine inside or outside. There is a full bar available. Mariachi groups were here tonight, two different ones! Beautiful voices. We also got a beautiful picture as a keepsake. We never got a check in by a manager. I believe he was busy with assisting staff with work assignments.

If I could give this place zero stars, I absolutely would. From the moment we walked in, it was clear that this was going to be a frustrating experience. The service was painfully slow--despite the fact that it wasn't peak season or particularly busy. We waited nearly an hour just to get our food, with no explanation - the server did apologize at the end. When the food finally arrived, I wished it hadn't. It was, simply put, terrible. Bland, uninspired, and completely lacking in any authentic flavor. I've had better Mexican food at a Taco Bell drive-thru at midnight. I ordered beef quesadillas and the tortillas were extremely greasy, the meat was nasty, and the salsa tasted like it came from a jar at a discount grocery store. To make matters worse, the overall atmosphere of the restaurant was just as uninviting as the food. The staff seemed indifferent at best, and by the time we left, I was more than happy to never return. If you're looking for real Mexican cuisine, do yourself a favor and go literally anywhere else.

Food was $25 for all of what's in the pic.... The beef chalupa wasn't seasoned at all... Very bland, overpriced, and service was shotty. Sat outside and the birds were very aggressive. ... Wouldn't recommend.

Ship this place. So many better options. Very mediocre food. Really you don't have to eat Mexican food on the river walk. Too many better options

Decided to try Original Mexican food by the river walk. The service was not that great because we had to wait a while to even get our food ordered. Menu is small, ordered the chicken chalupas and queso con chile. Chicken chalupas 3/5, didn't expect chalupas to be tostadas other than that it was a good plate. Queso con chile 1/5, doesn't taste like real queso, texture felt like a powder cheese packet. Other than that you can sit inside or sit right next to the river walk to get that experience.

We were able to catch a nice table outside next to the river and really just wanted drinks but we also ordered the Double Dip (chips with a side of queso and a side of guac) as well. Our waitress was cheerful as ever despite us not ordering food, but I think we ended up ordering three big margaritas so the bill was decent. Food was fine, prices were okay for a touristy spot. The next night, I came by just to get a slice of Kangaroo Court cheesecake with the chocolate sauce to go. The waitress was great as she told me specifically to heat up the sauce in another container, not the plastic one it was in, in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, before pouring it onto the cheesecake. It was great!

Quick service and awesome fajitas! Eat outside along the Riverwalk and enjoy their fresh fajitas, best I've had in a long time! Beautiful scenery!

El servicio y la comida más nasty que se puedan comer Estuvimos más de media hora para poder ordenar agua y las bebidas. Una vez ordenamos aperitivos y comida, el aperitivo nunca llegó, la comida Tienen 4 babosas sentando la gente pero una vez sentados, no los atienden. NO RECOMENDADO

Absolutely the worst Mexican restaurant service and food I have had since coming to Texas in 50 years. strongly suggest trying another restaurant. there are many good ones. This is not one.

Really yummy food, great service, and decor! Had a great time with the fam. Food was delicious.

Margaritas, chips and salsa were excellent! Fun atmosphere and our servers were all very pleasant. The food arrived reasonably quickly as well. Our party felt the main courses were fairly average in quality, though the portions were big. The flavors were ok, but not fantastic. However, it is not a bad option for a quick bite, and has a great view of the river.

The location of this restaurant is great and if you can get a table outside on a nice day you have a great view of the river. However as nice as the location is, if everything else misses the mark, then you have to ask yourself what's the point of going? I will state that I got a frozen prickly pear margarita and it was delicious - I also like that you can order a drink and walk the river walk with it (however you can not order a drink from the stand and bring it to the restaurant). We started with an appetizer - chips, guacamole and queso. The chips lacked seasoning, like they needed to be hit with some salt. The guacamole was okay and the queso was cold (there was a skin on the cheese). We actually asked our server to reheat it and when it came back to the table it was warm at best. We also asked for some salsa, however if spicy isn't your thing, skip it! We ordered the burrito, which was large and could have been shared, and two quesadillas - one chicken the other fajita. They came with beans, rice, guacamole and sour cream. Sadly, the rice and beans were cold, like stick your finger in the middle and there wasn't a hint of warmth, almost like they played it while the quesadilla was cooking. The fajita tasted more like brisket and when we talked to the manager, she reassured us that it's fajita but the way they cut it, it may look like brisket. Either way she was kind enough to remove it from the bill. Can't say I'm running back any time soon but I'd pick up a drink and walk the river at best.

Service was extremely slow and food wasn't that great. Portion sizes were huge and servers were very nice when you could get a hold of them. I got the vegetarian burrito and it was tasty but nothing special and not very flavorful. Still for the price on the river walk it wasn't too bad! Getting to sit outside was nice.

The food was amazing. I think it just ruined my favorite place at home in Utah now. The only thing I would say bad about this place is that the cocktail the Blue Hawaiian was a bit too sweet, that's it. Will definitely be coming every time I come visit

Food was decent...We started off with chips and salsa .....I had the cheese enchilada...rice (a bit bland) beans were ok my friend had fajita fries...that she felt tasted like pork ...my other friend had chicken enchiladas with guacamole, sour cream.....and enjoyed them very much ...Service .....for as busy as they were was OK...a bit pricey but it was on the River walk ...restaurant was open concept but under a roof ...hungry pigeons everywhere looking for crumbs of food under the table by my feet so I was not feeling the atmosphere ...