mikelat

Going to be in SA with 5 friends who have never been to SA before. I grew up there but have been gone over 15 years. Any recommendations for a great way for everyone to experience the riverwalk and have a good dinner? I'm tempted to just head down there and wander around mostly aimlessly with reservations at Bigas for dinner. Any better ideas? Not looking for too pricey, just a good way for everyone to get an intro to the Riverwalk and have some good food. May be tempted to do mexican food instead as we don't have much good mexican here in Seattle area.

mikemoe

Market square on Commerce has the two best Mexican restaurants for atmosphere and authenticity in the downtown area, MiTierra and La Margarita. They both feature sidewalk (outdoor) seating, strolling mariachis, separate bars, and mexican bakeries. The food is very good although not the best in SA. For the best you would need to venture outside the downtown area to one of the local spots such as Los Patios or La Fonda. Another would be Rosarios in Southtown (walking distance from Riverwalk and Alamo). Market square is on street level not on riverwalk level and is on the west side of downtown. The market features many shops and mexican imports as well as live music stages during special events. Plenty of music around the 16th of September. Enjoy your trip to San Antonio, home of the NBA champs San Antonio Spurs! I have lived here since '88 so feel free to PM me with any questions.

SeamusSA

Saying Mi Tierra is "not the best" is really quite an understatement - it's tourist schlock.

If you have been gone for 15 years you will not recognize the place. Unfortunately, there has been an invasion of chain restaurants on the Riverwalk, but it is still possible to get a good meal. Biga is OK, not the shining star it once was, but reliably OK. Boudro's is a better bet for a good meal. Bella on the River also gets great reviews, as does Lüke.

Off the Riverwalk you'll find great options in the area now called "Southtown" which you might remember as the edge of the King William neighborhood. Rosario's is a great option for TexMex on the corner of South Alamo and S St Mary's. Feast is a foodie haven a little further down S Alamo. The Liberty Bar relocated from the famous slanted building on Josephine to 1111 S Alamo in the building that used to be the convent of St Benedict's (which is now condos) and is a great place to go with a group - good, varied menu, great bar, easy ambiance and good service.

Another recently booming place is the Pearl on Broadway with several good options. The Arcade is one I particularly recommend, but there are other options, too.

txflyer77

I'll echo Seamus. Either go down to Southtown or up to Pearl. His restaurant recommendations are all solid. I'll add The Granary at Pearl, fantastic barbecue (modern take on it though). Local Coffee at Pearl and Brown Coffee across the street on Broadway are easily the two best cafes in the city and Brown is probably one of the best in the country in terms of coffee quality.

The Monterey in Southtown has been an anchor of the area for some time and is still a terrific place.

I worked just off the Riverwalk for some time and decent options are few and far between. The few good places in Downtown are severely overpriced (looking at you, Kimura) and not worth the premium, though Luke's happy hour is pretty good.

mikelat

Thanks all for the suggestions. I'll summarize this to my friends and let the group decide where we want to go.