Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in San Antonio

OpenTable

Updated September 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in San Antonio? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Sidecar at Prince Solms Inn

5.0

5 (492)

$30 and under

Tapas / Small Plates

New Braunfels

About the restaurant

"Where craft meets quality. An evening at Sidecar, located in the heart of New Braunfels at the historic Prince Solms Inn, is like stepping back in time. The ambiently lit speakeasy features an extensive whiskey selection, live jazz and fantastic tapas. Whether you're enjoying the live music downstairs or imbibing in one of the private party rooms upstairs, the beauty of the building does not disappoint."

Top review

JeannetteS

Dined on Sep 6, 2024

Service is always amazing and the music is our fantastic! Food is really good also. Great way to spend an evening!

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse - The Rim

4.7

4.7 (189)

$30 and under

American

North San Antonio

About the restaurant

Time counts at BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse. Since our humble beginnings back in 1978, we've continued to refine our brewhouse experience to make BJ's a place where you can make the most of any meal. We want BJ's to be a place where the moment you leave is the moment you plan on coming back. We pride ourselves in our craft and attention to detail. Our guests come here for our award-winning handcrafted beer. They come here for the Southern California twist we've put on the Chicago-style deep dish pizza. And they come here for our Pizookies®, our world-renowned dessert. But above all we know people come here to make their good times better. So in many ways we haven't just crafted a brand, but a mindset. And our guests are the reason for this. And it's because of them we're continually striving to make sure every moment they choose to spend with us counts. Welcome to BJ's, a restaurant with a Brewhouse soul.

Top review

Linda

Dined on Aug 23, 2024

Server was extremely nice and the food was very good

Brunetta Tinto & Pasta

4.7

4.7 (67)

$30 and under

Italian

Mcallen

About the restaurant

Located in central McAllen Convention Center next to Kumori. We aim to serve the finest Italian cuisine in the heart of McAllen, while also providing an elevated style of service to all our guests. Come and enjoy our signature pasta dishes featuring our very own in house handmade pasta. A cuisine fit to entice any palette, did we mention our focaccia is made fresh to order every time?

"La nostra casa è la tua casa!" - Brunetta Tinto & Pasta

Top review

GDF8vip

Dined on Jul 20, 2024

Good quality and service on point - Front door require training in pleasant greeting behaviors.

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Popular dish

LASAGNA EMILIANA

Popular dish

PAPPARDELLE BOSCAIOLA

Fife & Farro

4.7

4.7 (24)

$30 and under

Contemporary Italian

Downtown

About the restaurant

WOOD-FIRED PIZZA AND FRESH PASTA

Nestled inside the market, let us hold your groceries while you take a break and enjoy wood-fired sourdough pizzas and handmade heritage grain pastas. This family-friendly space is great to relax and enjoy lunch and dinner.

Top review

Benjaminvip

Dined on Aug 29, 2024

Some of the best homemade pasta in San Antonio paired with a solid wine list, strong bar program and authentic Napoli pizza. Their arrabiata is superb. I could put it on almost anyting and be happy. It's also nice to see a Gibson on a drink menu. San Antonio is pretty basic when it comes to cocktails and this was a welcome change.

La Fogata Vance Jackson

4.6

4.6 (557)

$30 and under

Mexican / Southwestern

Northwest

About the restaurant

San Antonio is populated with hundreds of Mexican Restaurants, but none compare to the dining experience of La Fogata. Enjoy authentic Mexican dishes such as chile en nogada or shrimp tacos al pastor in a setting like no other. La Fogata has repeatedly won "Best Outdoor Dining" with its lushly planted patios, splashing fountains and cantera stone columns. Choose something different, choose something extraordinary, choose La Fogata. If you do not see your desired reservation time please call or just head our way. We encourage walk-in business!

Top review

Priscilla

Dined on Aug 11, 2024

We had guests arrive an hour and a half late which disrupted our meal and we never got back on track. I think that is what caused our service to be less than expected.

Chase's Place Cocktails + Kitchen

4.6

4.6 (128)

$31 to $50

Cocktail Bar

Fredericksburg

About the restaurant

Chase’s Place Cocktails + Kitchen is a craft cocktail bar and small plates kitchen located in the heart of historic, downtown Fredericksburg, Texas. Chase coined the phrase ‘Craft Cocktails for Common Humanity’ because the cozy cocktail bar (originally a home built in 1939) was developed to foster a sense of community through interesting drinks and shareable food. A small rotating menu centers around creative options served tapas/family style. Featured in 'Texas Whiskey Book' and 'Texas Cocktails, Second Edition' guests of Chase's enjoy a wide variety of spirits (including non-alcoholic options), over 100 whiskies, and a selection of Texas-grown wines.

Top review

Annvip

Dined 4 days ago

Food was very good. It has a very limited menu, but it's tasty. The restaurant has a nice "feel" and since we were traveling from out of town, it was happy to find that it was a good choice since I was going in blind.

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Experience

Brugal 1888 Dominican Dinner

Cover 3 - San Antonio

4.6

4.6 (42)

$30 and under

American

North Central

About the restaurant

Located on San Antonio's north side, within the 1604 loop near the Stone Oak neighborhood, COVER 3 offers a diverse menu of inventive American fare for lunch and dinner. Each menu item is carefully prepared with the finest, freshest ingredients. COVER 3 offers brunch on the weekends and an impressive Bloody Mary & Bubbles Bar, inviting you to mix up your favorite brunch cocktails. The restaurant also offers a full bar with a premium well, a spectacular selection of spirits, a variety of draft beers chilled to perfection, and a fabulous collection of wines available by the glass. COVER 3's accolades include best Mac N Cheese, best Wings and top Sports Bars. Whether you stop in for a quick lunch, take the family to brunch or host clients for dinner, COVER 3 is ready to serve you. Come and experience their specialties: Dining, Spirits and Sports.

Top review

Laurenvip

Dined on Aug 30, 2024

Was good, everything was as expected for the type of restaurant we were looking for.

Conversa Elevated

4.3

4.3 (19)

$30 and under

Cocktail Bar

La Cantera

About the restaurant

Conversa Elevated is San Antonio’s haven of exclusivity and innovation. We invite you and your friends to gather, unwind, and indulge in an atmosphere and a libation menu that reflects our values of diversity, friendship, and sheer culinary pleasure. Certainly, a place for friends.
‍
Conversa's team of dedicated staff ensure that every moment spent in our establishment is an unforgettable, elevated experience tailored precisely to your preferences.

Top review

Harold

Dined on Aug 29, 2024

We managed our expectations beforehand and read the reviews and knew what to expect ref the menu—more bite sized than full entree! It was more of a bar than restaurant and knowing that ahead of time helped. Liked the vibe though we were there early on Thursday evening! Little distracting as the DJ was setting up near our table but all good. the ribs (ordered more) and the rum cake were our highlights and the yakatori was fantastic! Expected more from the sliders (little bready for me) but they were good! Drinks were great and the service was commendable! Our waitress was attentive and really good but should have been more knowledgeable of the menu (hadn’t tried some of the items so really couldn’t say too much about them)! We went based on the recommendation from friends and will go back through it is a long drive for us! However we will highly recommend it to our friends in the area

Palomar Comida & Cantina

4.3

4.3 (97)

$30 and under

Mexican

North San Antonio

About the restaurant

Authentic Mexican and Elevated Tex-Mex cuisine. Join Us For A Meal to Remember!

Top review

Paty

Dined 4 days ago

The food was amazing, the frozen margaritas amazing, the aesthetic amazing, and the service amazing but, the only thing I will complain about is the smell in the restaurant it smelled like cigarettes and mildew. It wasn’t quite pleasant when eating.

Kona Grill - North Star

4.1

4.1 (575)

$30 and under

American

North San Antonio

About the restaurant

Welcome to Kona Grill at North Star Mall, a premier shopping destination in San Antonio, TX, and home to the largest cowboy boot sculpture. Kona Grill is a classic American Grill with great steak and seafood - complemented by the best choice of sushi and margaritas at any grill in America. Kona Grill features a global menu of contemporary American favorites, award-winning sushi, and specialty craft cocktails in a polished, casual atmosphere. From brunch & lunch to dinner & happy hour, the restaurant offers a range of freshly prepared dishes from the grill, seasonal menu items and fan-favorite dishes across all dayparts. Kona Grill offers both indoor and outdoor patio dining at all its locations, $3, $6, $9 happy hour offered weekdays & NEW weekend brunch, guided by a passion for quality food and exceptional service.

Top review

Isabelle

Dined on Sep 7, 2024

I love this restaurant and come as often as I can. The food is amazing and for my birthday the staff wrote me a birthday card which was so kind. Will be returning!

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Experience

Steak Night America: 3-Course Prix Fixe Menu

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