the esquire tavern

loved this place! happy hour was great. must try happy hour $3 5 piece nacho w/ pesto, bbq, cilantro, deviled egged topping. local beer bark bite amber! service was awesome!

we dropped by the esquire straight from the airport. love the fun decor and awesome service (thanks krystal!). tried several cocktails, dark & stormy, pimms, old fashioned. and we ordered a bunch of appetizers and our favorites was the short rib empanadas and the shrimp toast! highly recommend it, thanks for the hospitality!

visited the esquire before a comedy show. i was surprised to find this place right smack in the middle of commerce street. it has a laid back atmosphere. the place is dark with comfy booths and a nice long bar. the wait staff is fast and efficient. i had the cheese pimento sandwich and chili fries. i give both of them 10/10. the fries are sprinkled with some sort of spice that makes them edible without ketchup. i was not fond of the ketchup. the waiter told us it is homemade with tabasco and some other sauce. they did have a white dip that complimented the fries. the drinks were good. a lot of gin and whiskey on the menu. i would definitely go again.

loved it! cool atmosphere & great food. the chile rellanos were very good! great cocktails too-- i can't remember the name of mine, but i think it was capone's pistol maybe?

need another visist to determine. we went saturday sept 21 in the evening. my first impression is the wait staff are odd. we took a seat and it seemed like ten min before a server came over and said" did you just sit down?" no welcome, etc. long story short, the food was good; my wife had the pimento cheese and liked it, i had the fish sandwich which was ok. the pickled carrots were really interesting. my main beefs are: 1 the wait staff were completely disengaged, fire them. 2: the lighting is terrible!!! how can you read the small menu with such bad lighting.? i really want to like this place and recommend it. overall it is a great concept and huge improvement from its former life. will return one more time, after i call the management and invite them to read this review.

bison burger is out of this world. chili salt fries with the cumin aioli is excellent. tap selection doesn't disappoint either.

great drinks...variants of the classics and some unique new ones as well. try the shrubby collins with vodka. yum. had the fries for an app and they were fantastic as well. good service!

this place was a favorite but the quality and service have dropped way off. the drinks are now average and a long wait while the staff are busy texting is the new norm.


-----26 jun, 2011-----

the esquire is san antonio! all the old charm is alive and well mixed with new upscale amenities. hands down, my favorite place on the river

must eat here! this place is so good! i'm surprised its not busier. right on the river walk, balcony seating. and the vibe inside is cool as well. the food is the kicker though. we had the fries, which were served with cumin aioli and housemade ketchup. yum! my boyfriend had the pulled pork sandwich served with pickled veggies. i ordered the chalupitas, and oh my god, they will not disappoint. this place has been here since 1933 for a reason!! perfect for lunch!! we loved it!!!

awesome food!!! great service, great beer, great atmosphere. loved it!!!

this place is perfect, great bar, good food and nice people

while attending the starving artists art show on riverwalk, my partner and i decided to drop in at the esquire tavern for lunch. quite an interesting atmosphere is to be found here. expect a crowd since this place is popular.

prices are reasonable, especially considering the quality. the meats served are from the niman ranch ( www.nimanranch.com ), which is an all-natural, humane and sustainable company. so, you are eating a much higher-quality entree, as well as being a good earth citizen.

we started out with shiner blonde light on draft with an order of fried pickles. the pickles with the ranch sauce are very good.

my partner ordered the bison burger with a side of chili salt fries. i ordered the fried fish sandwich with a side of onion rings. both of our meals were very good. this lunch was more than enough to keep us going for the rest of the afternoon enjoying riverwalk.

oh my god. i still have cravings for the shrimp toast... it's been three months and a six hour drive. you have to try the shrimp toast! it's french toast with a twist, and... shrimp. innovative dishes on the menu to please any tastes. the fried fish sandwich was also done very well. big red empanada? yes, please! i miss the fried beets also. tarragon aioli is a perfect finish.

my only complaint is the wagyu beef steak; cooked well when we asked for medium rare. the meat and sauce were still delicious.

their house made ginger beer is a must with your meal.

good lunch. my wife and i had lunch here today. the decor is old school saloon feeling with kitschy stuffed animals everywhere. the lunch service was handled by one server, and she did very well. we did have to send the reviled eggs back due to a very heavy handed use of salt. my empanada was stuffed with big red braised short rib. it was sweet without being cloying. the pastry was flaky and cooked nicely. the sauce was a duo of chimichuri and salsa verde with a dollop is sour cream to cut the heat. my wife's cheeseburger was well done and very tasty with the house made ketchup and brioche bun. she opted for fries without the chili salt. the fries were freshly cut and cooked. we both look forward returning and trying the hanger steak sandwich and onion dip with chips.

i love it!. great atmosphere, good selection of beers and i truly love the food!
the fish sandwich is my absolute favorite