Zuni Grill

This is my first river walk entry in San Antonio, so I may be somewhat biased. The food was great and the waiter was prompt. He probably could have got another Negro Modelo. If you have never been to the Riverwalk in San Antonio, you are in for a real treat. It definitely feels like Spring in Mexico.

I stopped by here based upon the other reviews. On this beautiful Sunday morning, they were serving their weekend breakfast buffet. A little pricey for breakfast, but well worth it considering what you get-​everything from the standard scrambled eggs, meats, and fruit, to french toast, Mexican style scrambled eggs, an omelet station, mimosas and bagels with salmon. Very highly recommended.

Had the breakfast tacos on corn tortillas and left a little hungry. My boyfriend ordered eggs Benedict and it was a good portion size, but definitely not the best he has ever had. He rated it a 3 or 4 out of 10. Our server was very nice but seemed a little flustered. Probably won’t be back next time we visit San Antonio.

I read reviews and we passed it on our first night, chose to eat there a few nights later. We ate at five restaurants on and two off the riverwalk, and this was voted worst to second worst by all four adults in our party. The chips and salsa were nothing special… mediocre at best. The black bean soups was… odd. The crab and avocado salad would have been delicious had the avocado been ripe, it was so hard it could not be sliced with a butter knife. The service was… meh…below average… we waited forever for the bill. The kids «chicken tenders» looked like Walmart brand dinosaur shaped nuggets, which wouldn’t have been so bad except when in comparison to other restaurants on the riverwalk. Would not go back.

We had a great meal here served by a helpful and personable waiter. The cactus viper margarita was refreshing and the southwest chicken was pure comfort food.
The only negative was the ducks and other birds underfoot but I suppose some would find that charming.
If I return to San Antonio, I will definitely eat here.

I had the Sunday breakfast buffet at Zuni Grill with my boyfriend. Based on the Unilocal reviews, I wasn’t expecting much, but Zuni Grill delivered. It was a little chilly out, but we wanted to sit outside on the patio facing the Riverwalk. It was a lovely scene.
We both ordered the breakfast buffet. The price is a little steep at $ 18, but the lure of smoked salmon and an omelet bar won us over. The breakfast buffet included french toast, applewood smoked bacon, cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs with green and red salsa, potatoes with pico de gallo, sausage, fresh fruit, a juice bar, a make your own omelet station, and you could order a bagel with smoked salmon, capers, cream cheese, etc.
We sampled everything but the cinnamon roll. Overall, the food was good. The french toast was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The eggs were surprisingly good for a buffet. We ordered an omelet with spinach, tomatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and cheese. It was made perfectly.
Some of the not so great aspects of breakfast were the coffee — it’s terrible! Also, the service was a little slow once we wanted our check.
Overall, I’d have breakfast here again. Don’t expect an amazing experience, but sitting outside on the Riverwalk really can make your breakfast better!

I was pretty excited one afternoon sitting at my favorite downtown bar (Sirius) when I saw this sign that said «Breakfast Saturday through Sunday 7:30am», which was at Zuni Grill.
Finding a good breakfast spot downtown is practically impossible… Before you think «I found it», I haven’t. My search continues. Save your $ 18 and don’t indulge in the Sunday brunch. It’s OK. You get a nice little Salmon bagel and mimosa, but it’s hardly worth passing up something less expensive like the eggs Benedict. That plate is awesome and is the only reason for my return.
Service has it’s challenges. I saw this one table (I think it was haunted) that would have a family sit. They wouldn’t get serviced, so they’d walk off. This happened on three occasions during our Sunday brunch last week. I was astounded! I even looked at the waiters to see if they noticed and every one of them noticed! That’s such a turn off to me. Mainly because I love San Antonio. I am a tourist in my own city and I hate seeing my own people «letting tourist go» like that. They’re going to have something awful to say about «that one restaurant on the river walk in San Antonio, Texas». That ain’t right, and I do not approve!

Great food and we were pleased with the service.
Choice of outside river walk or inside seating. Very nice atmosphere both at night on the Sunday morning I went in the same week.
Kind of an eclectic mix of fare which stimulated my taste buds.
One night I had I think it was called Tuscany chicken pasta with cream sauce, which was a large amount of tasty goodness, and will try to post a picture of the melt in your mouth eggs Benedict with poblano hollandaise sauce.
I highly recommend Zuni!

We were here for lunch on a warmish January afternoon.
We started off with margaritas; I had the Cactus Viper, a frozen margarita layered with gold tequila and it was yummy and lovely. In fact, so good I had another one.
For lunch, on my sister’s recommendation, I ordered the Blue Corn Enchilda with smoked chicken, sour cream, tomatillo sauce and guacamole and some extra guacamole.
Guacamole and the chips were fresh and tasty, and the enchiladas were rich and tasty with a great smoky flavor.
All were delicious. Everyone at the table enjoyed their food immensely and the drinks were a big hit.
We loved the relaxing patio, where ducks walked around underfoot and would approach the tables.
Absolutely a must-​do on the Riverwalk.

On a recent trip to San Antonio riverwalk, we settled on Zuni since it didn’t have a wait.
We were promptly seated and our server quickly greeted us, brought us water, and revisited our table 3 times in 5 minutes to take our drink order. After that, the attentive service took a nose dive — after placing our drink order for bottled beer and sangria, it took another 10 minutes to get them. The poor, unattentive service continued throughout the meal. But the plus side, the fruity red sangria with several pieces of fresh berries was great!
We ordered a fresh, chunky bowl of under-​seasoned guacamole to snack on with our drinks. Don’t let looks deceive, the gauc does not live up to its looks.
My shrimp Oscar entrée made up for the disappointing appetizer. The shrimp were perfectly cooked with a nice buttery flavor; with a nearly all crab interior, the outside of the crab cakes were perfectly crispy.

We were recommended to Zuni when the place our concierge recommended was full and we were very happy with it! Basic fare, our group had the potato encrusted salmon, a cobb salad and the smoked chicken quesadillas.
The waitress was fantastic — which always makes a restaurant for me — and she recommended delicious margaritas. Now, I’m told margaritas are a Texas thing (who knew? I always considered them an island-​y drink — shows what I know about the origins of drinks!)
I had the smoked chicken quesadillas and my only complaint is that I wish there were more of them! The beans and rice left something to be desired, but the guacamole and pico were divine.
The ambiance was casual and there is a bar on the top level which seemed pretty packed for early on a Saturday evening. All in all it seemed like a great place for groups and the food did not disappoint!

Une tres agreable terrasse ombragee sur le river walk, de tres bonnes salades, un service sympa, attention toutefois au happy hours qui n’est pas toujours respecte sur la note, à verifier

Where is a half star when I need one? Zuni deserves more than three — but I just can’t justify four. We were originally seated at a neighboring restaurant, but its very tattered menu was not holding out much promise for a good meal. So we went next door to the Zuni Grill. We were quickly seated outdoors right by a bridge. Terrific place for crowd watching and getting into the spirit of a Saturday night on the River Walk.
The servers all looked professional with their long-​sleeved white shirts and ties. We had good service until it came time for the check — and then things slowed down.
But it was the food that prevents me from giving Zuni that fourth star. The chips were okay but the salsa had absolutely no zip. Same for the black bean soup — very bland. My haystack salad was tasty but not over the top in any way. DH enjoyed his fajitas, but also commented on how bland the seasoning was. With only chips, soup, and salad, I had room for dessert so opted for crème brûlée. There were a couple of variations. My generous portion had pecans in the bottom — not the one I ordered but still tasty. It also had a rather sticky top instead of the «crackling» top that I was expecting. Didn’t seem like a blow torch had even come close to the dessert. The Illy espresso was excellent.
In reality, I guess most of the River Walk restaurants are more about the fun — and less about the food. We definitely made a wise choice to give up on the «tattered menu» restaurant. Just wish Zuni could have delivered a bit more heat to its food.

The way things smell is really important.
So when you leave someone you just ate and you smell like a grease trap it is a little influential on how you feel about said place.
Food was ok, but not worth the after smell.

Ambiance… hmm, we felt like we were eating in a back room behind the kitchen. And it smelled like it too. Grease trap woven into the fibers of every article of our clothing.
Food was pretty decent but the stank and the waitress who seemed to almost prefer she had NO customers instead of two, make this a poor experience.

Maybe I’m a Zuni zealot but I haven’t been so galvanized by an experience since I read that biography of Zachary Taylor (okay, so it was really a magazine, about Zac Efron).
In the Riverwalk zone of SA, Zuni is an oasis of zesty goodness in a desert of mediocre meals. Okay, I’m running out of «z» words to use in the review so I’ll just get down to it.
Ate there twice and had Michelle as our server both times. She was super sweet. For dinner, started with a pitcher of margaritas, which were good but could have used more kick. For food, we had pasta, nachos, calamari and some shrimp dish. Everything was good. Calamari was huge! I’m not a fan of the marinade on the chicken they used in the nachos but it was just not my taste; didn’t make it bad. Enjoyed watching the guy sitting alone at the next table check out guys on Grindr while sipping a frozen margarita. His iPhone screen was big and you could see everything… apparently he likes twinks. Good luck with that, fella!
Also had lunch one afternoon. Salads and sandwiches for everyone and my chicken sandwich was awesome, as were the fries. Everyone loved their salads, too. Lots of iced tea and fun people watching (include a goofball who took his shirt off and jumped off the little bridge into the water).
No surprise that Zuni’s is owned by the restaurant group that runs Paesanos (see my reviews of the good one out by the quarry and the bad one down by the Riverwalk). I liked this place a lot and so did my friends. Would definitely go back!

My go-​to lunch option on the Riverwalk. I haven’t been here for dinner and probably would go, not because of the restaurant but the location. For some reason, it’s easy to pop in and out for lunch but it gets crowded at night.
Speaking of location, this is one of the most scenic on the riverwalk. A nice, deep patio and large trees make for great outdoor seating. Being close to street access makes it a good stop before starting the grand tour.
The feature really well done lunch options, most with a hint of tex-​mex flare. I really enjoy the applewood Smoked turkey and salmon. The blackened chicken is also great. Most of the starters could be a entrees with the ahi tuna the standout.
As others mention, it isn’t the greatest ever, but you won’t leave feeling ripped off or cheated. I’ve always had a great experience here.

The Stuffed Avocado Salad ($ 13.95) was so light and delicious. The crab was fresh, I believe it is made with blue crab. There was the slightest hint of cayenne pepper. The dish is basically an avocado — peeled, and stuffed with crabmeat — atop a fresh bed of greens. It was perfect for a late night dinner. Plus, I ate on the patio outside and had lots of fun people-​watching!
The frozen Cactus Rita ($ 9) was a great accompaniment. It was not too sweet and just strong enough that I knew I’d had a tasty adult beerage.
My server Nicholas, who was helpful and attentive. All around, this was a great dining experience!

Was here on vacation for the weekend and stopped there for an afternoon before heading back to Austin for the night and finally Dallas.
Food:
We started tortilla chips. The chips i engorged in because we hadn’t ate in a long damn time; because we were on the road all day. They were very standard faire a bit bland and thin. The salsa was on the lean side and seamed separated with blended bland bits of vegetation. Regardless, i had too many.
The food was mediocre. I had their burger with goat cheese. A bit bland and it was overpriced. The burger came with so many fries! They were pretty tasty but not anything special.
Their drinks were worth noting. Their cactus margarita is their specialty. Their portions are generous and it hits the spot and might knock you out!
We headed here because we didn’t want to wait for Casa Rio.
Ambience:
The service was ok. The waiters were friendly and prompt. The patio is very enjoyable. Not the most roomiest. We bumped elbows with the biker pack and a family behind me. The location is perfect. We sat outside in the beautiful weather and it was perfect for people watching. The only good part was that there was no waiting for the patio.
No one sat inside but the inside was nice and well air conditioned. Oh and the bathroom is upstairs.
Overall:
The food lacked identity and direction. It tried to be bland tex mex and a american grill. They serve fish and chips and enchiladas. I wish they’d pick a type of food and hit it hard. It has potential.

The ambiance of this place is great – located in the heart of the riverwalk, it’s a terrific place to sit outside and enjoy the people watching. The service was quite good and friendly, and the drinks were well mixed.
The food, however, was only okay. My wife enjoyed her potato-​encrusted salmon, which was a special on the menu. I ordered the chicken quesadilla, and it was very mediocre and bland. We were also disappointed with the chips and salsa – both tasted like something you’d buy off the shelf of a grocery store.
This place should be better, but I’ll give it another chance.

What can be said about this place that hasn’t been said about porta potties. To begin with the establishment is plain dirty, there is trash on the floor, sticky salt shakers, dusty surroundings, and don’t even dare going to the restroom as the door lock doesn’t work, there’s a leak that is professionaly contained by a beautiful white plastic bucket… nice! The floor, sink & toilets are needless to say dirty as a public bathroom. Yuck!
Now, about the food: the menu does not include detailed descriptions about what are the side items that come with the plates. I had the blue corn chicken enchiladas, and what a mistake that was!
after making sure that it was «lean meat»
I was unpleasantly surprised to see a bunch of fat on this really bad tasting low quality chicken, the cheese was flavorless and greasy, the rice was undercooked hard and agian lacking flavor and the beans where just like black beans straight out of a can.
I would defintely not go eat at this place again ever & I wish I had four hands to give this place four thumbs down! lol