?cenar

I've enjoyed visiting Acenar many times since it opened, both for lunch and dinner; in small and large groups. Service has been excellent, and prices quite reasonable for a nice riverwalk dining experience. The food is great too, of course- Alambres and fried oysters for appetizers, mole enchiladas and carnitas for entrees, and any of the desserts. Try the strawberry margarita and the blood-orange mojito. Delicious! That said, Happy Hour was not so happy. The bar was understaffed and incapable of handling the large crowd. Specials were relegated to a very small area without enough seating; there were no menus of specials. This wouldn't have been so bad if they hadn't advertised happy hour on a sign right outside the door! Servers couldn't even tell me the specials. I'm hoping this is just a little kink they can smooth out, because I'm sure their actual happy hour specials are fantastic. I wouldn't know though- I left. Pros: Fun atmosphere, reasonable prices, delicious food Cons: Happy hour was a nightmare more

Coming from a native San Antonian, I can tell you that Acenar is a good place to eat when visiting, but mostly because of location and reasonable prices. Its location on the Riverwalk is great, and just at the edge of the commercial stretch, so there is actually plenty of good, spacious outdoor seating while still within walking distance of most downtown hotels. If you want authentic Mexican or even TexMex food, this is not the place to go. If real TexMex or Mexican is what you're looking for, keep walking. There are many more places, most of which are less expensive, that you can find if you just look and are willing to try even if not as fancy. Acenar is more of a TexMex experiment with some good outcomes, and some not so good. Either way, the location and menu are good enough reasons to try it out.\r \r I work downtown and eat at Acenar every couple months and I'll continue to go back about that often. One piece of specific advice... DO NOT order the ceviche (latin, citrus-marinated fish/shellfish dish). There is hardly any seafood in it at all, mostly filler, overpriced....and stale popcorn topping?? Pros: Atmosphere, outdoor seating, location Cons: light on key ingredients, lots of filler-food more

The food was good, even above average, and the location on the RW is good. We went on a Saturday night and the place was about half full, and the service still had a difficult time. They probably need more waiters and the waiters they did have were high school and college-age kids, so just be prepared for that, even though they appeared to try hard, I think they were undermanned. Be wary of the drink prices - they don't list them on the menu for good reason. An 8oz. margarita for $15? Yeah, I don't think so. A glass of well chardonnay for $9? Please, this isn't a high-end steakhouse. Pros: Enchiladas Mole Cons: drinks, service more

It is always a treat to find a truly good restaurant in the midst so many tourist traps. This restaurant was suggested by our hotel concierge and it turned-out to be an excellent recommendation.\r \r Acenar is conveniently located on the River Walk with very romantic outside seating overlooking the river. Our reservation and outside seating request was honored to the minute.\r \r We started with perfect Mojitos and shared a plate of Copitas de Peccadillo (lettuce wraps with chicken & pork with three dipping sauces) recommended by Gus, our server. For entries we had the Pescado Veracruzano (red snapper with a tomato, olive, and caper sauce) and the Camarones a la Diabla (grilled shrimp with garlic and chipotle). We never made it to dessert. Everything we ate was fresh, well-seasoned, well-presented, and delicious.\r \r The service and atmosphere was relaxed, unobtrusive, and efficient. Gus did a super job.\r \r We are from Atlanta and thought the bill was a very good value for the ambiance, view, service, and food quality ? about $80 plus tip for two with drinks. We regularly pay a lot more for a lot less.\r \r I hope you have the same wonderful experience we did. \r Pros: Food, Service, and View more

Great food...the service is awesome....drink from the bar are great.....guacamole is made table size and worth it by itself. Pros: Great food, great service Cons: Can't think of much more

A former waitress...I am overly polite. The food here is fabulous and the margaritas are wonderul! But our server was beyond rude. If you end up with a male waiter named Shelby....request another. I took my grandmother and brothers out for dinner here since we were all staying at Valencia next door. Our waiter was a creep from the begining. We saw the table next to us order tableside guacamole and it looked great so we ordered some too($9). After 30 minutes and 2 rounds of drinks we noticed our food coming but hey....where was the appetizer? I made Shelby aware that our appetizer never came so we wouldnt be charged..no biggie. Well...this guy brings out a fajita prep consisting of pico and guac and says this is tableside guacamole. .C'mon...I'm blonde not an idiot! First of all, it was to be an appetizer. Secondly...you're really insulting me when you put down regular ole guac from the kitchen after I saw a young lady making it ""tableside"" and third...when I ask you to please remove it from the table since its not what I ordered and you roll your eyes and sigh as if I'm bothersome...i have a problem with that. Shelby actually left the guac on the table and refused to take it. I would give Acenar a 5 star rating for food, margaritas, decor, ambiance and reservations BUT the waiter was TERRIBLE. We might go back but I will not have Shelby wait on my family. Pros: great food and potent margaritas Cons: lots of stairs, noisy, rude server more

Probably would have been a more enjoyable experience if we had a better waiter. It had a nice atmosphere, quick service. Our waiter had no clue and was not informative when it came to ordering drinks or food. He seemed annoyed when we asked questions about the menu. Food was pretty good but a little pricey. Don't regret going but probably won't go back. Pros: decent food, came out quick Cons: little pricey, better waiter needed more

Not only did my boyfriend and I recieve delayed service on our vacation to san antonio, but this restaurant was by far the worst I've ever been to. We waited about fifteen minutes before our waitress even stopped by, the brown salsa was the worst salsa i've ever tasted and the chips tasted like bugels. I was hoping that the enchiladas were going to be better but they were about the same taste. The taste was horrible. This restaurant was the worst mexican food by far, maybe even the worst food ever. I don't understand who would give this restaurant five stars. Pros: by the riverwalk Cons: food and service more

Everything I've tried at Acenar has been fantastic -- especially the oyster tacos and the chicken mole. We hosted my wedding rehearsal dinner there about a year ago, and everyone had a great time. It's not too expensive, and the atmosphere is hip but relaxed. Pros: food, atmosphere Cons: none! more

Wanted to try this restaurant because I read the menu and I just love Chili Relenos, especialy those stuffed with beef or pork. This was very good and BIG... Had a Sangria which was OK. Service was slow to start but went fine once the waiter came to me, as by that time I was ready to order. Heard others around me saying how good their food was also. I always enjoy a mexican restaurant that servers more than fajitas, tacos, enchilads... etc. Pros: Good Location, Good Food more

Great ""Queso Fundido"". Everything tasted good. Nice Margaritas. Nice Mocern Decor. Huge space. Fast service. Pros: Ambience (if you like Modern...) Cons: Parking more

My boyfriend and I stumbled onto this place totally by accident, and had a WONDERFUL time! Absolutely terrific food, a beautiful spot RIGHT on the riverwalk, and service to die for. Pros: Food and Service Cons: Not very private or romantic more

This is the best Mexican food I've ever had. Try the ceviche and the chicken and sweet potatoes enchiladas (with to die for roasted tomato sauce). They also have a great salsa, and ""tuna margarita,"" which is a margarita with prickly pear. Not only was the food exceptional, but the service and outdoor seating on the riverwalk were both perfect. Pros: Exceptional food, good value, great service Cons: ?? more

My boyfriend and I visited some friends of our in SA and they took us here for dinner on a Saturday night. There was no wait and the place is beautiful inside. Our waitress was very helpful in choosing dishes and advised us not to order a certain appetizer because several people were sending it back that day. My boyfriend and I ordered the lettuce wraps first, they were excellent and had a dish called ""A little bit of everything"" for dinner. It's $40 but it serves more than 2 people with everything you could imagine. We couldn't finish it. They have their own drink menu. Try the mojitos! They are awesome and strong! The bathrooms were gorgeous and the bar area is very trendy. We can't wait to go back. more

We had given up on finding good Mexican food on the riverwalk, but our hotel recommended it so we decided to try it out. The food was excellent. I had enchiladas de mole and my wife had the duck. Everything about the food was great. Our waiter provided great service and the other waitstaff gave us good attention as well. The outdoor seating was large but filled up pretty quick. It is on the riverwalk but at the far end, another 4 minutes walk past La Mansion/Watermark. Pros: Large outdoor, Attentive staff, On the riverwalk Cons: Far end of riverwalk more

What a terrific spot! Acenar has superb food at very reasonable prices. The fish and shrimp tacos were sublime, and the oyster appetizer is one of the best dishes I've had anywhere, at any price. Delicious margaritas and mojitos, combined with a fun and professional waitstaff, made our dining experience a real treat. Avoid the tourist schlock along the more developed part of the Riverwalk; Acenar is well worth the two-minute walk to Houston Street. Pros: food, service, you name it Cons: nada more

Our family was downtown and happened upon Acenar. What a lovely surprise! This wonderful restaurant has a great look. We sat outside and enjoyed the scenery, but best of all- the food was incredible. We had two appetizers (two different types of ceviche that were both fantastic) and each of us had a unique entree. First off, the presentation is outstanding- It's what you would expect from a more expensive restaurant. Everyone enjoyed what they ordered; we'll definitely be back. Pros: location, price, excellent food more

I have traveled to San Antonio for work quite a few times. Many of the restaurants are overpriced and overrated. Acenar was a total surprise. Wondeful food and service with none of the typical Riverwalk cheesy factor. The beef on the Poquito de Todo was awesome. I didn't try dessert because there wasn't any room. Only better place in San Antonio is Biga at four times the price. Pros: Good Service, Great Food, Outside Dining more

acenar was recommened by another hotel as being really good Tex-Mex. This was not what I expected, but far exceeded my expectations. I travel and am usually alone so I eat at the bar rather then take up a table, the bartenders we friendly and knew the menu very well, they even able to put together ala cart items. Hight recomend!!! I will be back my next trip to S.A. more

Acenar has a really unique menu with wonderful flavor combinations not typical of the average Mexican restaurant. After two nights of mediocre dining on the riverwalk, Acenar just blew us all away with sight, sound and taste. For starters they have a great cocktail selection and a very cool bar that leads to the funky, bright colored dining room. We had lamb shank, shrimp and steak entrees - all dishes were excellent. Desserts were wonderful too - tres leches mmmm... We entertained clients here and everyone had a great time and great food - would definitely come back here again. Try the guacamole - mixed tableside - very fun! Pros: Hip/Trendy, Great Food, Cool bar more