We celebrated my daughter Chloe's birthday at Isidore, and the entire evening was fantastic! The service was truly top-notch--attentive, polished, and perfectly timed. They went out of their way to make Chloe feel incredibly special and celebrated, which meant so much to both of us. Watching the staff present each course of the chef's tasting menu was almost like watching a beautifully choreographed play. Everyone knew exactly where to be and when, making each dish feel like its own special performance. The food was incredibly creative and unlike anything we had tasted before. Every course surprised our taste buds in the best possible way! From the unique flavors to the beautiful presentation, the entire experience felt thoughtful, exciting, and memorable. It was the perfect place to celebrate Chloe's birthday, and we'll be talking about this dinner for a long time! read more

This is one of the few "high end" restaurants that we have been to in Texas that actually deserves its accolades. We came here last weekend to celebrate a birthday and except for one pretty major mistake, we had a phenomenal experience. The space itself is just lovely...nothing you haven't seen before with the warm industrial decor and open kitchen, but it felt so pleasant to be seated in a classy, minimalist space with decent acoustics. Vibes were good. We got the Devil's Weather and Old Saint drinks to start, and they made our daughter a virgin pina colada--all three were excellent despite the fact that there was too much ice in a couple of them. For starters, do not miss the sourdough! Yes, it's $18 for bread, but the pemmican butter is worth the price of admission alone. The whole tableside service gimmick with the rock was slightly hokey, but we enjoyed chatting with the person and it was pretty fun watching the process while getting an explanation. The butter is TO DIE FOR. We could not believe how good it was! We also loved the buttermilk oysters, which was such a unique dish...like slurping the oysters down and then having the larger bacon pieces to chew on. So good. The cheddar croquettes were also a hit with our table, but we weren't in love with the heirloom tomato dish. The fact that they were peeled and with the granita was odd for mouthfeel. It wasn't "bad"...just not as impressive as the other ones. Now we've arrived at the major disappointment of the night: the porterhouse steak--ahem! the $200 porterhouse steak--which we splurged on and asked to be cooked medium. What comes out? A well-done strip section and a rare plus-ish/medium-rare filet. It was pretty disappointing, and then to add insult to injury, the mousseline potatoes served with the steak were cold. Cold! Listen, it's one thing to flub up your steak and potatoes, but if you're charging $200 for an entree (which we think is the most amount of money we've ever spent on a single dish), you'd better get it right. It's not like the kitchen is pumping out a bunch of those a night, so more attention should have been given to it. Anyway, the steak debacle brings us to the next topic, which is service, and it was top-notch here. Leon was attentive, professional, and struck the right balance of time at the table. When he asked about the steak, we told him just as an FYI because we are really against wasting food and didn't want another plate to come out. He did make it right on our bill by providing a discount, which we hadn't asked for but appreciated all the same. This is the classy way to handle a situation like this, and in that sense Isidore is better than a lot of the "fancy" riff-raff out there. So major kudos for that. We decided to skip dessert because nothing on that menu jumped out at us, and despite the steakgate, we left in high spirits and very impressed with the place. We can definitely see ourselves coming back again and would highly recommend it to others. Four stars for now, but hopefully five stars next time. read more

Almost everything was delicious. Tasty ribeye and apps are tasty too. Service was nice and the servers are easy to chat. Ambiance is great for friends, family and date night etc. really nice decor. Love the vibe of it. Would be back to try other dishes in the future. read more

See all

Tried Isidore in San Antonio and I'm sorry but... probably one of the worst food experiences I've had. Or maybe it's just our tastebuds... or mine. Service though? 10000/10!!! Freaking amazing. Everyone was so nice. Food? The $18 sourdough was palatable and the $115 Wagyu ribeye was actually good. But the tasting menu?? We had to tap out on the THIRD dish. this shrimp was apart of it WHY DOES IT TASTE LIKE WILDFLOWERS?! Maybe I'm just not sophisticated enough for this kind of food. Parking is expensive because it is at the Pearl. I don't know if they have free parking. read more

Isidore - New American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

A top 5 meal for us ever! Michelin STAR flavor, service and experience. Our mouths were so happy!!! Would love to come back - a perfect way to celebrate 25 years of marriage! read more

See all

I visited San Antonio for the first time and I wanted to see how well their fine dining scene is, so I reserved a table at Isidore. Quite frankly, I don't think they deserve a Michelin star. The food is either hit or miss in flavor, but I do appreciate the unique and experimental flavors they put out. I do think there's nothing outstanding in any of the dish we've ordered. The service is quite non-existent as it took us over 10 minutes to get someone to get the bill for us. While it's pretty affordable compared to other Michelin-starred restaurants, I think their food is below expectations. read more

See all

Wow what a great dining experience provided by the staff at Isidore. When we arrived were immediately seated and given direction on the menu that they had offered for the evening. The inside looks amazing. There were numerous decorations on the wall and all the tables were nicely set up. The food was incredible. We ended up going with the ribeye which was 20 ounces and came with some veggies and a butter sauce. Everything complimented nicely and tasted terrific! All the appetizers look so good. We went with the croquettes and the popcorn chicken. They both came highly recommended and were cooked perfectly! Highly recommend a visit to this restaurant! read more

See all

Had an incredible first experience! Maitre'd and our server, Mary were wonderful. We ordered à la carte and my favs were the oysters, popcorn chicken and Ribeye is a must. Prices were very reasonable considering the quality and effort put into making these dishes. Highly recommend! read more

I heard about Isidore because of NYTimes Top 50 restaurants. It also received a Michelin star! My waitress was incredibly nice and super professional. The place oozed of Michelin star worthy. I tried two of the dishes because I wasn't hungry - the popcorn chicken and the grilled cabbage. While the flavors were both interesting, I felt the grilled cabbage was oversalted. For one person, it was too much. The popcorn chicken was much more interesting paired with the Veloute. I'd come back and check out more dishes! The place was sophisticated and the open space floor plan made it so interesting to watch the chefs prepared. They moved well together and it added a twist to my dining experience that I enjoyed. read more

Isidore - The cabbage - too salty in my opinion. A bit of a miss.... - New American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

See all

I appreciate the local farm to table feel of this restaurant. Great service. Food: Snapper crudo - generally good but a little bit fishy Oysters - delicious, juicy, and loved the sauce Fried chicken - delicious with the sauce Buttermilk tart - surprisingly good; a bit sweet paired with savory veggies Yuba - good Marinated shrimp - ok Grouper - fish was a little tough and overcooked Beer can Chicken - dry, overcooked, not much flavor Ribeye aged Wagyu - very good Goat cheese meringue - very good Brioche bread with butter - loved the butter Pumpkin spiced ice cream with bread pudding - ok Ice cream - ok read more

See all

Amazing dining experience! We came to celebrate a birthday and our server started us off with a complimentary glass of champagne. We also ordered drinks-- the espresso martini was particularly delicious! Our servers were thorough, helpful, and kind. To start, we had the snapper crudo, the popcorn chicken, and the charred cabbage. The popcorn chicken and charred cabbage were amazing! So full of flavor and unique. The snapper crudo was just okay, nothing special. I would try the snapper tartare instead if I could do it over again. The steak was absolutely phenomenal-- one of the best steaks I've had. It comes medium rare and it was cooked perfectly. Loved the sauce and vegetables as well. Would definitely recommend and return for another meal. read more

See all

What a unique dining experience! The staff was amazing, the food was great and each bite was presented so beautifully. The concept of Isidore is farm to table and the owner actually goes out to forage for ingredients so the menu is very seasonal and fresh. For our February time frame, there was a good mix of seafood, veggie and meat items on their tasting menu. We started with an oyster, Wagyu Tartlet with pickled egg yolk (my favorite bite of the night), and popcorn chicken. The sauce for the chicken was delicious but has a spicy kick. Next was a piece of grilled cabbage, soft and charred. It was a little too salty for everyone and if you're not a fan of bleu cheese, definitely eat it without the liquid nitrogen frozen bits of it loaded in top. The next course had Yuba (tofu skin) in a ravioli form bathed in a light creamy foam broth and you eat it with a soup that has a dollop of jam in it. Very interesting texture and flavor mix. Also heavy on the bleu cheese flavor. The bread and perrican butter was delightful, airy and fluffy. The palette cleanser was apple sorbet with hot apple cider. I was most excited about the Texas Wagyu but was also most disappointed by it. It was cooked medium rare as requested but it was very chewy and hard to break down. All our table guests said the same thing. The oyster ice cream was most surprising. It was actually delicious and you don't taste the absinthe at all. The ice cream at the end was also surprisingly good with mesquite smokey flavor. Service was impeccable and our sommelier was very educated. The open kitchen was also beautiful. read more

See all

"We don't have time for that" The response to my request for a blue cheese stuffed olive to top my martini, from a restaurant with a Michelin star? Quite a surprising way to start the meal. read more

Service was 5 stars. But for a Michelin Restaurant... at 841pm. Plenty of time before close 10pm. The FOOD SHOULD BE 5 STARS!!! It was w/o a doubt...DEFLY shy of that!!! I imagined the cuisine would be a treat to your palate! ~Extremely Disappointing! read more

My husband and I chose to celebrate Valentine's Day and my birthday at Isadore - we selected the chefs pre-fixe menu of 8 courses. To begin, we were greeted warmly, I was wished a happy birthday, and they showed us our table. Our table had a great view of the open concept kitchen, and we loved getting to see everybody at work in the kitchen! HOWEVER, IT WAS SO COLD. I spent the entirety of our dining experience shivering because the AC was blasting even though it was only 80° outside. We asked if the restaurant could do something for the AC, and our server brought a complimentary ginger tea to help me warm up. That was nice, but the cold AC definitely impacted our experience of the food since it was soooo cold. After about 2 hours, another server (my angel in a mustache) came from the lobby with a blanket. That was the first time all night I felt warm enough to enjoy the restaurant. I don't know if this was unique to our table location or if the restaurant just runs cold - but bring a jacket! As for the food, it was good! There were dishes I really enjoyed (the red snapper tartare starter & cheese croquettes were a GREAT way to start and the grilled cabbage was delightful!) and there were other dishes that fell flat for me. Particularly the desserts were disappointing. The oyster ice cream was odd (I can agree this might be a personal preference) and the final mesquite ice cream with apple cake tasted very strongly of smoke flavor. It was weird to have such great food flavors, but to end and leave the restaurant with a Smokey flavor lingering was... not my favorite. Especially on Valentine's Day - I feel they could have embraced that more with a chocolate covered strawberry dish or something that leaves you with a sweet taste to come back to. Also, for my entree (I don't eat meat but I DO eat seafood), the plate was a roasted cauliflower. I was expecting a fish of some sort, but the cauliflower wasn't a bad main entree! It was a little over roasted where the crispy edges were quite oily, but the sauce flavor and the fact that it is a zero waste dish, was cool. Plates came at different speeds throughout the night with some coming 10 minutes in between, to others coming 20 minutes in between. Be prepared for a long dining service! To end the night, we were given a cute little bag with 2 small chocolate hearts and two JELLO SHOTS??? I was super surprised by that. The waiter told us the shots were very strong, and after smelling them, they definitely smelled like strong liquor. We only had one glass of wine each at our dinner, so the jump to take 2 shots was not really something we wanted to do and it felt a bit off putting for a Michelin restaurant. My husband and I have eaten at many nice restaurants around the globe, and I think for $250/per person I think we both expected a bit more and left feeling a little disappointed by our first Michelin star restaurant in San Antonio. Everything was really good, but I do not think this experience was great considering its Michelin status. read more

See all

My lovely friend took me here and it was so good. We had a great time and the food was delicious. Service was top tier. Very mellow ambiance perfect for dinner. read more

See all

This review is for a visit during the week for their social hour seated at the bar. I've been before for the full experience. I will put that in another review though. Was a really good happy hour experience though. Had pretty much all the specials. Oysters popcorn chicken croquettes and buttermilk pie. Oysters with bacon were honestly my least favorite simply because this version wasn't as good as the oysters with potato/bacon I had here before lol. Drinks were very good as long as you're patient. Will definitely be back for both the full menu and social hour. read more

Isidore - Oyster w bacon - New American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

See all

My family and I had a lovely time. We celebrated my brother's birthday and the staff brought out a cake for him with a candle. We had the Chef's Menu and it was the best of everything. The embered beets were my favorite dish, unexpected but I couldn't get enough of them. Sommelier also was knowledgeable and took in everyone's preferences to recommend the perfect bottle. read more

See all

A good friend wanted to try a Michelin-star restaurant for the first time, and I was more than happy to go along! Isidore received their first star this fall, and for good reason. Upon seating, you're greeted by warm, friendly staff who begin the meal with a forager's tea made from locally sourced ingredients. It had a lovely floral top note with a pleasantly earthy, almost dirt-like aftertaste--unexpected, but surprisingly enjoyable and served in a nice wooden shot glass. You can choose between the tasting menu or ordering à la carte. Just know the à la carte portions are not American-sized; you'll want to order several dishes. For a party of two, I'd recommend at least 4-6 plates. (I skipped the tasting menu since I don't eat seafood and I'm not big on meat--perhaps not ideal for a steakhouse, but we made it work!) We ordered the beets, buttermilk pie, yuba (tofu skin), sourdough, and beer-can chicken. The beets were exactly what you'd hope for--served cold with a beautiful pecan butter underneath. The yuba was new to us: almost like a delicate ravioli with blue cheese inside, served in a warm golden sauce. The buttermilk pie came topped with pears, radishes, and dandelions, giving every bite a subtle peppery lift. The sourdough was phenomenal, especially with the tableside mixing of ingredients for the dipping butter. And the beer-can chicken? Perfectly crispy and full of amazing flavor. For dessert, we tried the fig and whey sherbet with sweet-potato cake. We weren't huge fans of the sherbet on its own, and the cake--topped with Parmesan--wasn't bad, just different! A bite of both together, though, actually worked surprisingly well. Service throughout the night was excellent, with well-timed, staggered dish delivery. The lighting was a bit dark but still comfortable, and the open kitchen with its full flame grill added a lively touch to the ambiance. A fun surprise: you get to choose your steak knife from several options. Thankfully, the server is ready with recommendations if you're not a knife connoisseur. The bathroom setup is genderless with single stalls and a shared sink area--modern and clean. After dinner, the outdoor area at The Pearl was the perfect spot for a relaxing walk and a chance to digest. Overall, a memorable experience and a great introduction to Michelin dining for my friend! read more

See all

This was an amazing memorable experience! All of the food was so delicious and perfectly curated. The servers were so attentive and knowledgeable and took their time explaining each dish. I went at night for cocktails then returned the next day for lunch and both visits were a vibe! Perfect for a beautiful lunch or date night, girls night or celebration. The bartenders were my favorite, I recommend ordering an Ensueno Espresso Martini. Cheers! read more

See all

Came here because read about isadore in the NYT, and then apparently they got a Michelin star. We did the chef's tasting with wine pairings. Really delicious with great service in a dark, romantic, slightly noisy setting. Food was interesting as was the wine! Never been to a place before that gave you choice of steak knife- felt very Texas! read more

See all

With the success of "The Bear" it seems like I'm seeing more restaurants trying to be... "The Bear". And while it works on-screen, I'm not sure I would agree it works in a world where people subconsciously enjoy certain textures and flavors. A friend of mine chose Isidore for our monthly mom's night out and my interest was piqued after doing a little research but also...cautious. Having gone to my fair share of similar restaurants, I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually been impressed. That being said, let me give you my thoughts more succinctly. First, the menu has no clear order or theme and rather looks like a bunch of random dishes thrown together without considering the need for things to be complimentary. While the servers were knowledgeable and doing their best to guide us, we ultimately realized this meal wasn't going to hit the spot we were hoping an actually considered leaving. Second, I give the food choices a 6.5 out of 10. The first choice was a sort of "whey ravioli in foam". Needless to say we thought about sending it back the moment it hit the table just because the foam and the smell was not what I would consider "appetizing". We fished around in the foam for a "ravioli" swallowed it and confirmed we were not going to eat another bite. That was a ZERO for us. The second dish we chose was the grilled cabbage, which was actually very good and ultimately would have been a good side with the aged waygu steak but... each of our choices came out individually. The cabbage was covered in herbs (dill) and was very good. 10/10. Lastly was the steak. Yes, it was good but no-where near the best steak I've ever had. It came with roasted carrots on the side which were yummy but not rave-worthy. 8/10 for the steak. In conclusion, service was EXCELLENT, but the food needs a clear focus. I would absolutely return if the menu changed to have items that actually were appetizing and more approachable. But until that time, swipe, next. read more

Isidore - Grilled cabbage was very good! - New American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Restaurant is modern urban design, with brick walls and no art. Bare tables and very simple plating. No frills. The food was enjoyed by our son as he is a foodie. You need to love weird unusually prepared dishes and flavors or you'll be disappointed. They are proud of their locally sourced ingredients and their knife and silverware collection which was highlighted by food runners and over talked about. My husband's pork chop was fatty grizzly sliced meat served with melon cucumber granite! How silly! The best thing for us was the sourdough bread. Dishes were served with no garnish so pretty dull. Lots of white, especially on the Grouper dish which I could not get grilled. Oh well. We ate Bakery Lorraine desserts. Over Priced as well. ​ read more

Tasting menu was spot on. Pairings were as well. Service was slow at times but steady. The restaurant atmosphere was up beat, clean and comfortable. read more

WOW. This was easily the best meal I've eaten this whole year. Absolutely incredible from beginning to end! We made reservations and looked for the validated parking lot, but unfortunately it was closed for all of the Fiesta stuff happening. No problem though, we were still able to find a close lot. We went in and were offered to get drinks from the bar while they got our table ready, but the hostess came right back over to notify us that it was ready! Our server Leon totally made our experience so special. I even took a photo with him. The way he explained everything in such detail and made us feel so important was just really over the top. 5 stars for Leon! We will ask for him again! I started with the miracle on the well martini. I asked the server if he recommended it with gin or vodka and he said gin. Also it had vermut blanco, green tomato and melon. He said it was an award winning martini and he highly recommended it. When the drink was delivered, it was a whole thing! There was dry ice in the glass to keep it super frosted and ice cold. He dumped out the dry ice on the floor before pouring in the liquid and putting the rest in an ice bucket. It was very exciting, lol! My fiance ordered the new Devil's Weather cocktail: isidore rum blend no. 2, don's valley mix, chile pequin-grenadine, falernum, grapefruit, lime, absinthe. It was strong and delicious. So many layers of flavor! We started with the red snapper crudo and welshman cheddar croquette with dill pickle relish and monk's pepper ranch. OMG the crudo - melted in your mouth even though the fish is firm. Loved every bite and the presentation was beautiful. The croquettes were little bursts of mashed potatoes in each bite. Will order both again next time. For entrees we enjoyed the butter poached grouper over heirloom grains with green tea and dashi beurre blanc. It was savory, buttery, salty, yet light and flaky. I basically drank the butter out of the dish and ate every bite. We also loved the dry aged berkshire pork chop with caramelized sunchoke and shrimp xo. I don't even know what shrimp xo means, but wow this dish was huge and my fiance loved it! Super unique for the pork chop to have these asian flavors. We finished with the maple ice cream which tasted like fire even though it was frozen. I felt like I was on the show "Chef's Table" between watching them cook in the kitchen and tasting the flavors of all these unique dishes. I loved sitting right next to the kitchen so we could watch them prepare each item. We drooled as each item passed our table. 10/10 experience. I can't wait to go back here for a special occasion! read more

See all

Popped in on my birthday (new year's eve) and they had cancellations. This place is tucked away in back of Pullman Market and was a gem to discover. A bit pricey for the portions on the pre fixe menu but the food was tasty! The ambience is a bit "demure" and low-light romantic. Service was fast and friendly and the drink (Moscow mule) was fantastic! Love it and will definitely be back!!!! read more

See all

Isidore offers a wonderful farm-to-table dining experience. Immediately when you walk in, you're greeted by a warm and cozy ambiance. The menu items showcase the creativity of the people behind this restaurant. The flavors are anything but subtle. I really enjoyed the Autumn Greens - perfectly seasoned and each ingredient added to the subtle complexity of the dish. We were offered a price fix menu ($95/person) since we booked a large group. The menu was nicely curated with a variety of different elements. I was amazed by the creativity behind each dish. I liked the open kitchen as we could observe the dishes being prepared in real time. Overall, I had a very positive dining experience here! read more

See all

Came for Father's Day dinner and was blown away. Staff are attentive and answered all of my questions and explained the restaurants view to source locally. The food is not something I will forget anytime soon. The grilled cabbage is amazing! Then we got the bread and butter where they came to your table and blended the butter together while giving you a brief description of lol the ingredients! So cool!! Then the ribeye which was cooked perfectly and the meal was finished with post oak ice cream!! This is a gem in the Pearl read more

This is an experience similar to a Michelin star restaurant - very curated, very delicious. I went on a weekend and did the chef's tasting menu which came with wine pairings. It was absolutely the best thing to do. The wagyu beef was one of the most delicious tender bites I have ever eaten in my entire life. The sommelier explained each wine very well and the service was excellent and flowed well with the course of dinner. This is definitely a place to go for a nice date, anniversary, or other special celebration. Highly recommend checking this place out! Definitely should make a reservation. read more

See all

4 of us (my wife and a couple of friends) went for dinner on a Sunday evening. My wife and I had been to Isidore previously several months back and did the tasting menu, but tonight we wanted to order a la carte. We had a reservation and were seated promptly. Server introduced herself and we ordered cocktails. So far so good. We perused the menu as we imbibed. Menu is comprised of small plates and large plates, all of which are suitable for sharing, it says. My wife had not eaten since breakfast and I asked for the bread service, on the menu at $18. Server then asks if we are ready to place our order. No, we just want bread while we look at the menu and finish our drinks. Sorry, she says, you have to place your order for the table and then the kitchen will pace things for you. Wait, really? I'm willing to pay you $18 for bread service and you can't just bring that out now? No, we are told. You must order everything and then things come out when they come out. We are still sipping cocktails and we make a selection from the wine list. Wine steward, a delightful and knowledgeable lady, (does that make her a stewardess? Am I a sexist now?) goes to find our wine and we finally cave in and place an order for our food. 5 small plates and 2 large plates for the table. My friend senses the vibe and emphasizes to our waitress that we are NOT in a hurry. She acknowledges and goes. Wine steward returns and is still in the process of opening our wine when BAM, 3 of our small plates show up. We still have unfinished cocktails and this is precisely what we did not want to happen. Within a couple of minutes, the rest of the small plates appear. When they say small plates, btw, they mean SMALL. Barely sufficient for 2 people to share and certainly not 4. Large plates show up now and the table is quite crowded, altho we are able to remedy that by dispatching the small plates in short order. I would guess that no more than 12 minutes passed from the time we ordered our food and the time all of it had been served. Again, not what we were looking for in a Michelin level experience. And NOT consistent with a fine dining experience. Food, quite good - a 9, but portion sizes should knock off another point, so 8 Service 5 Ambiance and Decor 7 Overall experience 6 Not going back. Too many truly good restaurants in this town. And most of them have better bread for FREE. read more

Had dinner with a special friend - was both of our first time dining at Isidore. The ambiance is classy and comfortable. Loved the open kitchen concept which was hustling and bustling. Largely dimly lit (hence the lighting for my photos doesn't do the food justice). Service was phenomenal. From the hostess to our server, Leon, to everyone who came by. Courteous, knowledgeable, professional, friendly, gracious, attentive, and responsive. We sampled a bunch of the small plates (and I had the zero proof margarita which was delicious). Absolutely phenomenal, best ever tasting were the oysters and the wagyu carpaccio. Out of this world incredible flavors. Presentation of every dish was beautiful and thoughtfully done. We also had the popcorn chicken (I loved, my friend thought was okay - the accompaniments were so unique), croquettes (dipping sauce a must - and loved the size of these - they actually tasted good even at the end of our meal!), the sourdough - never had a butter preparation station before - and it did not disappoint, the grouper and a taste of strawberry sorbet for dessert. Coffee was perfect too. Would add this to your list of places to must try. We'll be back! read more

See all

Wife and I went to Isidore for the first time last night. Easy to see why they have gotten the recognition they have. Everything we had was so good! They offer a tasting (pre-fixed) along with an à la carte menu. We tried the tasting menu with the optional wine pairing. All the courses served to us were very unique and flavorful with wines that paired perfectly! read more

From the moment we arrived at Isidore, the space made a strong impression. We were greeted immediately and shown to our table, and I loved the openness of the dining room, the stylish décor, and the glimpse into the open kitchen. It felt modern and inviting. The music, however, was surprisingly low; while most restaurants struggle with being too loud, this leaned the other way and would have benefitted from more energy in the background. We ordered a variety of small plates, including the cheese curls, red snapper crudo, steak tartare, popcorn chicken, and buttermilk pie, along with a complimentary side of bread. The mesquite butter served with the bread was excellent and memorable. Unfortunately, the crudo and tartare were disappointing: both the snapper and the steak were much too salty, with the fish also coming across a little too strong and "fishy." The cheese curls, again, SO salty. Let the cheese bring out the salt, added salt is not needed. The buttermilk pie was pleasant but felt unbalanced; some greens or acidity could have helped cut through the richness. On the bright side, the popcorn chicken was a standout: perfectly cooked, tender, and full of flavor. It was easily the table's favorite dish. Service, however, was uneven. Our server came promptly to take the order and refill waters, but beyond that, we had difficulty getting their attention. At one point we had to flag someone down to ask about the cauliflower steak, which had never arrived. When it finally did, it was lukewarm, as though it had been forgotten and sat waiting too long. Still hungry, we added a wagyu tenderloin, but unfortunately it was not tender and, once again, overly salty. For a bill that came to nearly $400 for four people, the experience fell short of expectations. The space is beautiful and the popcorn chicken was excellent, but overall the food was inconsistent, the flavors often dominated by salt, and the service inattentive. While I wanted to love Isidore, there's considerable room for improvement before I'd consider returning. read more

Visited on a random weeknight and hubby and I both had the tasting menu with the reserve wine pairing. Service was top notch from the waiter to the sommelier and everyone in between, as they all seemed to pitch in. Ambience was cozy and relaxed and every dish was unique. Will definitely be back. read more

We went here for a nice dinner out as my husband and I like to do on occasion. I was warmly greeted as soon as I walked in. Upon sitting i was near the open kitchen which I love the concept of to watch the kitchen. We were explained the concept that the menu is locally sourced and texas inspired and that everything is cooked in a wood oven so things will come out at different times. While there is a tasting menu we decided to order Ala cart our waiter recommended 2-3 snacks (we ordered the popcorn chicken and the sourdough) and 2 entees (we ordered beer can chicken and pork chops). The for was great but the popcorn chicken and the porkchop with turnip puree was exceptional. This might be the best porkchop I've ever eaten. I will say we did not end up getting our sourdough which was fine because what we had was plenty of food. They apologized profusely and when we ordered the ice cream for dessert not only did they comp it they brought 2 additional desserts in additional as an apology for the sourdough mishap. I know that these places can't be perfect and in my mind they more then made up for this. We also ordered 2 cocktails which were great. Overall it was a relaxed and fun experience with great food. read more

See all

Went after they received their recent Michelin Star. Super disappointed. The beets looked like raw organs, fish was sad beige presentation, and overall lacking contast of flavors and textures in each dish. Would try again for Prix Fixe menu. Service was excellent read more

Isidore - Beets - New American Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

See all

If you've read my review of The Pullman Market, then you already know my thoughts on the market's emphasis on locally sourced products and the ecosystem that feeds the restaurants contained therein. It's a concept unique to San Antonio and one that every San Antonian should embrace enthusiastically. Isidore -- the newest of the three full-service restaurants -- is unequivocally the crowning jewel of The Pullman: a celebration of the best of what is available within the ecosystem at any given time. Over the course of two visits, I was fortunate to sample a wide range of items, all of them outstanding. I had hoped to review every item in detail, but I once again find myself suppressed by Yelp's arbitrary 5,000-character limit. I will, therefore, limit my review to several standout dishes. I've read a couple of reviews that complain of pretentious, stuffy service, but nothing could be further from the truth. On both visits, I sensed a warm, genuine enthusiasm from every team member. The servers are well versed on where the foods are sourced, as well as the techniques (gastronomical alchemy) employed in the inviting open-air kitchen. Speaking of that kitchen, expect to hear staccato bursts of, "Yes, chef!" whenever Chef de Cuisine Ian Lanphear calls out an order. The call-and-response setup is not bluster, as it ensures that dishes arrive at the table in courses, a requisite for any restaurant promising something akin to a degustation, albeit one with Texas-sized portions. Oysters (5.0/5.0): A tray of plump, briny Otter's Choice oysters arrived atop a colorful array of rocks, a welcome change of aesthetic from crushed ice. Each oyster was shucked perfectly, retaining the liquor and containing no shell fragments. The latter point may sound like faint praise, but I have been the unfortunate victim of careless shucking at many restaurants throughout town. The accompanying lacto-fermented strawberry sauce was a pleasant sweet/acidic diversion from ketchup and prepared horseradish. True to Isidore's philosophy of local, sustainable product, the Poteet-sourced strawberries come directly from The Pullman's produce section. The oysters were delicious on their own but even more so with a dollop of the cocktail sauce. Roasted Lion's Mane Mushroom (5.0/5.0): This was a playful dish from the "small plates" menu, but it was large enough to be a vegan entrée. The mushroom arrived sliced into eight pieces along with a plate consisting of Bibb lettuce leaves, pickled green tomatoes, and three other macerated vegetables. The idea, explained my server, is for patrons to make customized lettuce wraps. The mushroom was tender, smoky, and paired well with the various accoutrements. I would recommend this as a dish for sharing with friends. If, like me, you have no friends, then enjoy nonetheless! Fish dip (5.0/5.0): Isidore dry ages its fish on the premises. Dry aging is most commonly associated with red meats, but it does wonders for other proteins as well. The fish (Gulf Coast red snapper in this case) was tender, flaky, and tasted more intense than traditional fish dips. If my description intrigues you or makes you salivate, then you, Dear Reader, belong to my exclusive tribe. If, however, the idea of an intensely funky fish dip makes you nauseous (wimp!), then perhaps look elsewhere. The accompanying chips -- fried in house from Kennebec potatoes (a starchy tuber ideal for frying) -- arrived crisp and held up against the dip. I was also impressed with the portion size, as I had expected a much smaller serving given the modest $15 price point. Dry-Aged Wagyu Ribeye (5.0/5.0): If you order only one dish at Isidore, then let it be this gargantuan slab of primal decadence. The kitchen dry ages its Wagyu beef (sourced locally from Peeler Farms) on the premises for 45 days, intensifying the flavor and breaking down the rivulets of intramuscular fat into tender, melt-in-your-mouth umami bombs. The steak was a sonata on its own, but the dish became a symphony when paired with the velvety richness of a superb marigold béarnaise. This is the type of steak I expect but seldom receive when I plop down $$$$ at a dedicated steakhouse. I read someone complain of the $78 price tag, but that amount is a bargain considering the quality of the product, the portion (I'd estimate 18 ounces), and the finesse applied to it by the kitchen. Dark Chocolate Sorbet (5.0/5.0): All four desserts listed on the menu sounded appealing, so I allowed my server to choose on my behalf. I'm glad I did. The intensely chocolatey sorbet was offset by a base of dehydrated local strawberries and a crunch that I mistook initially for chocolate sprinkles. They were, I soon discovered, kernels of crisped black rice. The sorbet came drizzled with a hot honey that provided a sweet, fiery finish to every bite. I appreciate the interplay between bitter, sweet, smooth, crunchy, and spicy. Alas, this is all Yelp will allow me to write. Go there now! read more

See all

Wow, came with my husband to Isidore to celebrate our anniversary and we were amazed and can see why Isidore recently was awarded their Michelin star/green star. The ambiance, service, and food were all fantastic. We ordered the popcorn chicken, sourdough, and yuba as appetizers. I absolutely loved the sourdough and the popcorn chicken with the delicious sauce that they served along side it. For our mains we ordered the ribeye and the beer-can chicken. The ribeye had a perfect crust and was soft and delicious. The chicken skin was crispy and very flavorful as well. I normally prefer chicken dishes but the steak was my favorite. For dessert we ordered the pecan ice cream and it is a must order. It was light, sweet, and had some salty balance to it. Our server Ian was very fantastic as well. I took photos but they do not do the food justice since the restaurant is dark with candlelight. read more

This may not be the most toddler friendly restaurant. As many parents will know, your time is limited when you're out with a toddler. We were ready to order and waited for good 20 minutes for the waiter to return to get our order. We were done with food and had to hail down a staff member to get our check to leave. Both were times we could've spent on our dinner experience and getting back home in a timely manner for the toddlers night routine. Seems like it would be a nice spot for a couples date night or an adult only night with no hard curfews. Service was good, what I would expect from an establishment like this. Water was constantly refilled, and napkins were folded when guests left their seats. Just wish our waiter wasn't stretched so thin with other tables and paid more attention to our timeline. Lastly, food was so so. We did à la carte, ordered about 7 starters and 4 entrees to share amongst 5 adults, which was about the right amount. We ordered the sourdough with butter service where they attempt to make a table-side compound butter. The staff who was making the butter seemed inexperienced to say the least. She shaved a dry aged beef at the end, not sure if she realized, but none of the shaving got onto our butter. Maybe it's the dim lighting. And after all the table side showing, we only got like a tablespoon of butter... I was dumbfounded. The roasted turnip dish was so bitter, do not get this. Red snapper tartare and cheddar croquets were good. Entrees finally came out 90 minutes into our seating with the toddler reaching her patience limit. We had to scarf down the entrees to hurry out of there. But the dry aged pork chop and roasted chicken were fantastic. Overall, not a pleasant experience for our family. Do not recommend bringing a toddler/baby to this restaurant. And do not order that awfully bitter turnip dish. read more

Esthetically and ambiance wise this place plays the part it's hyping itself to be. They have professional staff, sommelier, a "unique" pricey menu, and service that feels high end. I was excited to check this place out but underneath the shiny veneer it's just a regular ol' restaurant that may be trying too hard to be something it isn't. I started with a cocktail that was alright, not particularly balanced but drinkable. Since I only had one drink I would definitely give their bar another chance (the bar looks beautiful, by the way). I do highly recommend their wine menu, they have an excellent selection of wines probably one of the best I've seen in San Antonio. This place touts itself as a sharing plates kind of restaurant. You order a bunch of different items and share them with the party/table. The dinner highlights included the bread (yum) and butter along with their lion's mane mushroom. I would recommend all if these items! Delicious! We also had the red snapper crudo which came in a semi frozen form (basically like crudo ice chips). This is what I mean by a unique presentation. It tasted fine but not sure why they served it as "frozen ice chips". Next up we had the cheese curls (my pick since I'm a cheese fanatic). This dish was super disappointing. The cheese was flavorless and had a nacho cheese type of viscosity (yay for "ooze" boo for no flavor). Mind boggling since it was supposed to have cayenne on it. It was served on these weird steel springs which didn't add to the dish visually or taste wise. Here's another issue, all of these plates are meant to be shared but they each weigh a ton so it's hard to move them around the table especially when you have lots of glasses and cocktails in front of you. An opportunity to make the experience better in the future is to have the servers bring the dish to each person around the table so that they all have a chance to try it before setting it down (since the servers are usually standing nearby the entire duration of the dinner). The plates are pretty but not super functional. The lion's mane mushroom was the evening's highlight for me. It was delicious and flavorful. Unfortunately, there was a secondary plate that had all the accoutrements for the mushrooms but due to its size and heaviness it remained at the end of the table and only the people sitting next to it got to try the accoutrements. I think the idea of this deconstructed dish was to have all of us individually prepare our own mushroom "wraps" in lettuce and add our own desired sauces and acoutrements but I don't think the plating and presentation made it easy nor feasible to do so. Most of us just ate the mushrooms without the accoutrements (it was still very tasty). They really need to do something about these insanely heavy plates - they are not easy to hand to each other (nor is there a lot of space on the table). The grouper didn't have a lot of flavor. Our whole table was pretty disappointed. I want to be clear that it wasn't terrible it just wasn't flavorful or tasty at all. For the price point and all the hoopla I'm expecting a higher level of quality and least some flavor/seasoning. We also had the dry aged wagyu ribeye for $85. It was a really small portion which we didn't mind but we were expecting this to be a stellar dish in terms of taste and flavor profile. The ribeye was just okay. It did not taste dry aged and it literally had no flavor. These two main dishes were all style and no substance (especially for the price point). I don't understand how both dishes came out looking decent but a complete letdown in terms of flavor. Very unremarkable. I also had a chance to try two of their desserts based on the waiter's recommendation - Smores (Chocolate Mousse, Graham cracker, koji angelaise, and toasted meringue) and Avocado (watermelon granita, green tomato, and mint marigold). Y'all these desserts were awful. There was a whole production in toasting the meringue "marshmallow" right in front of us - it did smell quite amazing but the koji sauce ruined the dessert by completely overpowering and overwhelming the dish. The avocado dish was just very tasteless (basically just tasted like avocado in mousse form). By the way I love vegan chocolate mousse made out of avocado so I was excited about this dish. Unfortunately it was also a let down in terms of flavor. All these unique ingredients and flavor profiles (supposedly), and the dishes were just ok (and pretty bland). It was so odd. Based on my dining experience it seems there's a lot of potential but there may be a "balance" issue in some of these dishes. In terms of service, staff are incredibly attentive and you can tell they want to make your experience a special one. A+ for service and wine list. Everything else is a C minus at best (If i'm basing it on price I would go lower). read more

See all