La Botanica

I came here on a Sunday a little after 4 p.m.
It was a good thing I came with my brother who knew this place pretty well, other wise I was would have been a little puzzled as to where to order food.
Basically you order your food and drinks from the bar and take a seat on these picnic bench looking things and some one will bring it to you. The margarita on the rocks was pretty great, and everyone else had drinks that were fruit based (did not taste artificial!)
I had the corn/​red bell pepper filled empanadas and they were amazing. Really really piping hot which was a plus. Also the «not so fishy» fish tacos were pretty good (mushroom tacos). I enjoyed their chips and salsa. the chips were home made and thick and only $ 2
Music: a phone hooked to an aux connected to a speaker
Duration for food to arrive: 15+
Atmosphere: Outdoor seating with covered patio — can be pretty dark
Customer Service: There were only 2 people for a while but you can tell they were trying their best! Especially the girl at bar
I’ll be back. Definitely a place to come if you’re looking mostly to consume alcohol and eat a lil vegan friendly dish

Went there recently food and the staff are amazing. The place doesn’t look like much from the outside but once you go inside its a great little place. I recommend sitting outside on a nice day. The bar is great and the food is really good. More like apps then plates of food. Love it there!

Good stuff! got there before it opened took a while for i liked my food. The staff treated me great!

This review is based off of one visit at La Botanical.
I did not try the food but I did try the tequila!
First off there was two ladies behind the bar. One of them must have been having a very bad day which I totally understand but sometimes you just got to suck it up! Especially if you want me to tip you little lady. I had two beers and two shots of Herradura Tequila which is top shelf at the bar so my tab was pretty decent. Upon closing out, I asked if I could pay cash and the bartender said yes and then proceeded to close me out and swiped my card…
Mind you there are only two other people at the bar at this time and NO OTHER CUSTOMERS. You had one job lady. Then when I was like «hey I said cash» she was like «meh» and handed me my tab. No apology or anything. Horrible customer service.
That girl was super salty and I will not go back to this bar ever. Sucks because the atmosphere of the bar is really cool. You get 1 star, hire some staff that doesn’t act like its a privilege to be served by them.

We walked into La Botanica for Culinaria’s Restaurant Week. Overall, we made it a great time however the food was pretty bland and all the items had the same taste.
At first entrance, the whole concept is confusing, I felt lost just getting inside. The bar is also where you order your food — it had no menus and was extremely dim. The environment is pretty neat, the décor and lighting are a nice touch but not very friendly to actually sit down and eat. I did enjoy how they had board games available. We came on a night where they had a DJ inside. The DJ was situated next to the dining tables so conversation was extremely hard.
Food: We had mini chalupas which were great, black bean taste but it was drenched in coleslaw. Our next course was the fish tacos, I’m not sure of the substitute but they were also drenched in… coleslaw. Our final «course» was a chocolate cake — probably the worst excuse for a desert in my life. I’ve had awesome «vegan» desert from Green but this chocolate cake was something from a easy-​bake oven.
Drinks were awesome! Which makes me conclude, La Botanica is not a restaurant but just another excuse for a bar.

This place is awesome! My friend brought my girlfriend and I here while we were in town and I am dying to go back for more delicious vegan food, cheap beer and amazing cocktails! The salsa and chips are really good and taste homemade! Love the décor, music, staff and general vibe of the place. Indoor and outdoor seating options. I will definitely be back!!!

I plan on giving them a second try in the future but as of now I am not really that impressed as I expected I would be after coming here.
Really want to still support this place because we need all the vegan/​vegetarian variety we can get.
Viva la veggie!
Unfortunately It felt like I was in a bar though that served food.
It was pumping out the old Sanctuary jams which was okay but I was happy to leave that in 2005.
Mainly blasting «Love Will Tear Us Apart» over and over by Joy
came on three times.
As far as the food goes it was pretty and you can still tell that some love went into it.
I would love to see some more variety though.
Beautiful presentation, loved the banana leaves.
As a vegetarian who loves mushrooms and is pretty well versed in them I would love to see some more variety incorporated for sure.
For example, Cantrelles, Lions mane, other Oyster varieties, Hen of the Woods, Chicken of the Woods. etc
It was great that they were using oyster mushrooms in the tacos and also the ceviche but I sensed that these were reconstituted because they were a little rubbery. Oysters are a easy buy here in Texas and there are a lot of cultivators as well.
The mushrooms in the tacos were tiny and unfortunately not very generous on the portion at all.
Points on not using basic Button mushrooms or Portobello like everyone else though. Keep with it!
I have faith in y’all.
Something you need to know:
The place is not table service it is order at the bar.
Ordering was quick and easy though and my drink that was made was very good and refreshing.
I did not intend on drinking when I came in though and ordered it for variety sake, I think when the drink menu was handed too me. Her drink menu very well put together and thought out well by the bartender but I feel that they need to let her just do what she does best and get a little extra help with table service in there.
The Torta is huge my boyfriend ordered it.
He liked it but thought it was lacking something as its major notes were mainly bean.
If you are really hungry that would be the way to go.
The tacos are good but small and not as filling.
The fried things were pretty okay but also very bean dominant.
It was also very dark and cold on that rainy day inside and as a practicing medicine woman/​herbalist I did not think the décor was very «botanica» but I could appreciate the theme.
My main view was of the cute little cactus on the right of me on the window sill.
I sat there because it was the best lighting and because seating was very limited. I had to view the mop though on the left of me by the saloon doors which wasn’t so great. Pssst-​Put it someplace else.
From what I hear the patio is great and the place to be when eating
was just too cold to do that on this day. Maybe another day.

The «fish» tacos are my absolute favorite! So delicious and the salsa they serve on the side with then compliments them so well. Last time I was here I had the best cocktails. At the moment I’m pregnant and had to stick to topo chico, but if you care for cocktails you can’t go wrong with any of them here. This is a nice stop to add to your visit on the St. Mary’s strip!

Okay, first of all, let me say that the food was not bad here. I enjoyed my Empanada’s though I wish they were hotter and not luke warm. The black beans were really good. My husbands Kale though tasted like it had lime bar salt on it which was kind of weird.
The food was not the reason I rated it like this. Normally the food makes up for anything else to me but this time… it did not. This is a bar. I did not expect that. I thought it was a vegan restaurant. Walking in my husband and I were a bit confused because it was empty. Still we went up to the first counter which has a POS system sitting on it. It was so dark we could barely read the menu. When we finally did we looked around, waiting a good five minutes as the man who we now know was the bartender/​waiter walked in and out, seeing us standing there confused and not saying a thing. Finally, we realized he worked there are ask him where we should go. He seemed just as confused as us before telling up to go to the outside bar. Going outside there was a huge projection screen where some people were playing Smash Brothers.
We finally ordered and asked if we could sit inside, telling him that we had a Groupon. He took it and we went and sat down, got our food… and then had to go outside back to the bar and ask him if we owed him anything. Keep in mind there was no one but Super Mario playing threesome there when we got there and another couple came in and looked just as confused as we did.
All and all the place was dark and looked like a roadside shrine, the service was bad, it wasn’t a restaurant as advertised, the food was okay but not the best… I get that this is a hipster hang out apparently but when it comes down to it a business is a business. They are lucky that we didn’t walk out without playing our balance cause we thought there was none.

What an interesting place. The mixed drinks are good with a decent selection of beer also. The dj played some good music. We ordered one dish and unfortunately it took forever to get it. I am not sure if they made it fresh, but it should not have taken so long. I will try it again simply because I like the outdoor patio and music.

My son (10) and I went to this fun little spot on a Sunday… He and I were jammin to some awesome tunes on the patio having a couple cold Pineapple Barritos. We had the strawberry filled calas and he just fell in love, they were super scrumptious! The empanadas filled with sweet potato were great, and served with a tiny fruit cup and black beans he loved it! We did the brunch mini-​tacos with were yummy; filled with potato however the chipotle was to firey for him… Great place, not so kid friendly with the menu, but I shall be back…

La Botanica was advertised, crowdfunded, and advertised as a VEGAN RESTAURANT.
La Botanica is a bar first (way first), as when you walk in the front door you are greeted by a wall of liquor, and that is where you order your food.
When you ask for a menu, the bartender will direct your attention to a brown piece of paper on the wall with the menu items written in marker.
What are those menu items, you may ask? Mouthwatering items, such as: Salad #1 and Salad #2; 2 tacos for $ 8; black bean empanadas; «ceviche» (which was a disappointing excuse for ceviche, basically diced cucumber, tomato, cilantro, jalepeno and lime); Mexican sweet balls; and that was about it.
The «menu» at this «restaurant» is just bar food to eat while you’re getting smashed. That became evident when, while me and my friends are eating, a DJ rolls out giant 6 foot tall speakers, turns out all the lights and turns on red lights throughout the whole place, and starts bumping Wu-​Tang. The hipsters flooded in like junebugs to a floodlight, and I have never been more uncomfortable at what I thought was supposed to be a restaurant.
When I asked why they have such a limited menu, the bartender replied that they are just getting their feet off the ground and that they will be expanding their menu as they grow. It’s been one year. That’s not really a great excuse ever, but one year into it, is bogus.
But, If you wanna get hammered and dance with people wearing black-​rimmed glasses and flannel shirts while enjoying expensive vegan snacks, La Botanica is the most happenin place in town! If you want to go to a Vegan Restaurant, go somewhere else.

First off, I must say how cool it is to see an all vegan menu in a bar. (Even though I don’t drink) Unfortunately this may ultimately stifle the chef’s creativity and limit the amount of health conscious selections on an already small menu.
Current menu items seem to cater those consuming alcoholic beverages. Salty and fried keep patrons thirsty.
There were some nice flavors. They would flourish on a more whole foods menu in a different environment that caters to diners.

I enjoyed everything I had here. I’ll start off by saying that.
We had empanadas, tacos, some delicious iced teas, and the strawberry fried dough dessert things, I forget what they were called.
The staff was all super nice and helpful, as it was our first time there.
My only gripe would be the portion sizing, but that’s a minimal complaint if one at all. Not even a complaint, more like an observation.
I don’t drink but I heard the cocktails are fantastic, and I think this place would work great if you considered it as more of a tapas type deal rather than a gut bustin, heavy meal.

As a vegetarian in San Antonio, I’m so disappointed. They get two stars because the food is really good, once you finally receive it!
First, it’s not table service, which is ridiculous for the price. We waited 15 minutes standing on the line while the cashier/​bar tender took orders then proceeded to make the drinks for each order before taking the next order. Why on earth would she not clear the line and then make the drinks? Further, why is there only one person working on a Saturday night?
Once we finally sat down with our ok, but nothing special, cocktails we waited 35 minutes (looked at the receipt because I thought my hunger was making time move slower, but no), for two tacos and six empanadas. They were tasty, but for $ 40 I’m not sure worth it. And I’m from NYC originally, the land of overpriced small portions.
We wanted another round of drinks, but neither of us was willing to stand in line again. So we left and went across the street, where we had beers in hand within 4 minutes.
Please Botanica, fix these very basic issues! I want you to survive, I want to give you my money, but not with this type of set up.

A cool vegan bar and gastropub on the St Mary’s Strip!
This place has a nice patio with lots of picnic tables and cool décor. Their vegan ceviche nachos are the bomb. They serve beer, and have a great selection of inexpensive drinks. The décor is cool, there’s lots of cool art to check out!
The parking can be a bit challenging, so I’d recommend parking on one of the side streets.
It’s a great place to relax in the shade out on the patio!

Successful crowd funding does not equal good idea.
This place has issues, and they need to step it up. For one, the menu is rather meager. As of my visit, the selections consisted of a couple of unimpressive salads and a few fried selections, plus desserts. The items we tried were generally oversalted, otherwise bland, and portions were quite small for the price.
Also ordered a couple drinks from the bar. The way they were billed, you’d think they were supposed to be innovative, meticulously-​crafted cocktails. But they just weren’t very good.
I give them one star for trying to do something different, and another star for potential. There are so many great vegan Mexican dishes they could be serving. And anyone who’s worked as a bartender at one of the many fine cocktail bars here in SA could school these folks on how to pour something much more inspiring. Perhaps a nice idea, but poorly-​executed?
If they don’t improve, they won’t last long. But I hope they do.

I had such high hopes for this place! A vegetarian bar with an outdoor setting in a great location… however…
I felt the drinks were lackluster and watered down. I couldn’t even finish mine which was the Tequila Piña. Also tried the Mi Carino which also was not a tasty treat for the price.
The flies were bad out on the patio and no real atmosphere outside either.
As far as food, we ordered the veggie cerviche which sounded fantastic, came out on a metal platter with a banana leaf under the cerviche, presentation was sloppy and the chips were just broken up bits. The actual cerviche had no flavor that would keep you wanting more. The avocado was just big slices instead of manageable sizes to accompany the smaller chip size and app.
Also ordered the empanadas, they were GREASY! The filling was supposed to be a tri-​potato combo which sounded fantastic… nope all I tasted was sweet potato and none of the «habanero» that was to give that sweet and spicy mix.
Bottom line, maybe go back for an outdoor patio and a beer but shy away from pricy drinks and unappealing food

Love this place!!! Great bar and hangout spot, plus they have amazing vegan Mexican food. I didn’t think it was possible, but it is.

La Botanica is something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time, a vegan eatery with a bar. This restaurant was crowd funded, so I know they have broad community support, and the food I had was amazing!
I was able to try tacos, ceviche, and empanadas, all delicious, all vegan, and I’m coming back for more. The menu is has great pricing points for the area.
All I can really say is that you need this food, I’m not a Vegan, but I really loved my food from here, and it wasn’t food pretending to be meat, or anything, these dishes stand on their own, and if you miss out, you’re going to regret it. Congrats to the La Botanica crew, on the grand opening. I’ll be back soon!