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    Rios Barbacoa

    4.5 (131 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Barbeque
    Closed • Closed

    Rios Barbacoa Photos

    Business Info

    RIOS BARBACOA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for kids

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    Bernadette S.

    I stop by here every time I am in the area... love love love the food... so simple yet so delicious. Not really a space you'd want to dine in... more of just pick up the food and eat it at home. It's also awesome how they offer free coffee and donuts too.

    Great  Barbacoa
    Patricia M.

    Actual purchased on Sunday Oct.2, as a local SA the crave for barbacoa always there, however the choices are not. After the Shipley's donut routine. I was determined to locate good non saturated fatty barbacoa. Rios, a bit further than your regular taco run. Never the less, the drive was well worth it. The barbacoa was not greasy & the taste was spot on! Just the suffrage seasoning. Oh how I miss my barbacoa & Big Red. I ended up purchasing a package that included a slight discount plus a dozen of Spicy pork tamales. The good, barbacoa. Would definitely drive way over there again for barbacoa. The bad, the tamales would skip, I ate about 2. Seem to be filled with more masa than meat. Tamales were bland. Nothing to brag about. The chili seemed fresh & spicy. Corn tortillas not home made. Customer service was awesome, & professional!

    Line out the door. Is it worth it? We shall see.
    Monica M.

    Delicious! Love that this place is so conveniently located near my parent's place. The drive thru and in store order line are long on a Sunday but the lines move very fast due to efficient staff and good teamwork. I also love that social distancing markers are clearly visible which makes easy entry and exit out of the store. The barbacoa was tender and flavorful and of course paired well with big red, which they have a large fridge filled with for convenience at the start of the order line. The menudo was also delicious, just wished they had some chopped cilantro with it. Definitely recommend picking up some barbacoa from this little shop for your weekend family breakfast.

    Beans w/ jalapeño tamale
    Jackie R.

    Always get barbacoa from here and never disappointed. Decided to buy 4 dozen tamales for New Years and now wish we hadn't w/o trying previously. The stuffing is skimp, can hardly taste and is bland. There is an off smell

    A facial hair(maybe pube) in my barbacoa tub
    Sarah T.

    I love this place so much. I love to get it every weekend for my boys and I. The line outside and inside goes by quick and they are efficient and kind. Best barbacoa in town. Except I was eating leftovers from yesterdays barbacoa and I found a hair at the bottom of the white tub. Maybe a pube or facial hair. So it would be nice if maybe the men there cover their beards or shave it cuz I don't want it on my food pls!

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    6 months ago

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    22 days ago

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Never disappoints. Always good staff and food ! I prefer their Barbacoa over anyone else's in SA.

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    This is definitely one of the best barbacoas I've ever had! I'll definitely be ordering some more in the future.

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    2 years ago

    The menudo, barbacoa and tortillas were great. They only open on weekends . Service was fast

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    2 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Outstanding barbacoa, service, and people. It's a pleasure to do business here. You're treated like family. I love that about this place.

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Best barbacoa I've had in San Antonio! They have great costumer service and made sure we enjoyed our experience

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    11 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Rios Barbacoa is hands down the absolute best!! Always good. Always consistent. And if you order extra it reheats good.

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    8 years ago

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Rios Barbacoa

    Review Highlights - Rios Barbacoa

    “They offer ceviche, carnitas, tamales, menudo, and a few other meats and tortillas.”

    $4.95 Menudo

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    Pinkerton's Barbecue - Bacon Mac n cheese, jalapeño rice, beef brisket, pork ribs, local brew

    Pinkerton's Barbecue

    4.4(1.3k reviews)
    9.2 mi•Downtown
    •$$

    Party of 2, dined Tuesday 1730 and Wednesday 1230…read more OVERALL Great service, phenomenal food, good ambiance. SERVICE Cafeteria style. Well organized. Very kind employees. Expect a confirmation of the meat cuts to your satisfaction. BEEF RIB Acquired the middle cut. Beautiful bark (thin), juicy, tender, flavorful, smoky, beefy, digestible, fall off the bone. A single rib is great for 2 people to share. BRISKET Delicious bark, thick cut, juicy, tender, smoky, flavorful. So easy to eat. PORK RIB Fal off the bone. Juice, tender, smoky, and clean pork flavor. Glazed added a subtle sweetness that complimented the savory flavor and fat. Cartilage was tender and smoky. BONELESS CHICKEN THIGH Great smoky flavor. Not dry but moisture content was lower than expected. Very lean. Perfect texture to make a sliced chicken sandwich from. BACON MAC AND CHEESE Full bodied cheese sauce. Elbow macaroni. Bacon flavor was not overwhelming and complemented the Mac and cheese very well. GRANT'S POTATO SALAD Very flavorful! Such a balanced flavor of tang from mustard and pickles, herbs, and pepper. Well texture. Flavor went really well with the beef rib. TANGY COLESLAW Suble tang, not sour at all. Great cabbage texture, seasoned well, and not runny or thick. Great, refreshing complement to the smoky and fatty meats. Very fresh. PIMENTO CHEESE & CRACKERS Savory, hefty texture, and freshly made. Lights sweet flavor of Pimentos definetaly tasted. SMOKED BREAD PUDDING Must try! Freshly prepared upon ordering. Bread Pudding is full bodied. Sauces are not too sweet at all and add a balance of spice and savory. BANANA PUDDING More sweet flavor than banana. Nila cookies are soft. There is a buttery flavor and cinnamon is noticed! Good texture, not runny or too thick. BIG RED SODA Tastes like a sweet cream soda. Goes well against the smoky, savory, and fatty flavors of the meats and sides. AMBIANCE Cafeteria style, open seating. Cooling is just right that it does not alter the meats. Can get loud during busier times. The line that just reached to the street during lunch took about 45 minutes to get through. Line that just reached the end of the patio too about 30 minutes to get through.

    It was a bit of a hoof to walk here from our hotel, but it was our last night and even though we…read morewere not hungry, we had to go since this was one of the best barbecue places. I wasn't hungry, but still managed to eat some of the ribs, pimento cheese, and brisket, all of which were very good. The potato salad looked like deviled egg, potato salad. The pimento cheese was so good. I wish I had gotten a larger size than a small to take to go. It was definitely worth going to and we took our food to go for the plane the next day. The guys behind the counter were funny and helpful. Given the late hour, there was no line and we walked straight in.

    Photos
    Pinkerton's Barbecue - Kitchen carving area

    Kitchen carving area

    Pinkerton's Barbecue - IG: tonylameats | Sliced turkey, sliced brisket, pork rib, jalapeno sausage, mac n cheese, aunt may blueberry cobbler!

    IG: tonylameats | Sliced turkey, sliced brisket, pork rib, jalapeno sausage, mac n cheese, aunt may blueberry cobbler!

    Pinkerton's Barbecue - Hot sides

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    Hot sides

    The County Line

    The County Line

    3.1(1.3k reviews)
    9.5 mi•Downtown
    •$$

    Party of 2 on a Sunday 1730…read more OVERALL Great service and really good food. SERVICE Seated immediately in a two seater booth at the bar. Lee was our server. Very attentive, very kind, genuine, and personable. He provided us entry tickets to a local place for us to continue enjoying our visit. GARDEN FRESH MIXED GREENS with SMOKED PECAN VINAIGRETTE Fresh, crisp spring mix. The cucumbers were flavorful and juicy. Dressing was smoky, mildly sweet, and tasted like mild buttery pecans. GRILLED WINGS Mind-blowing! Large sections, very juicy, smoky, spiced very well! Great flavor from the grill. COUNTY LINE BRISKET TACOS Unfortunately this item cannot be reviewed. It did not have a good day and was taken off our table and Bill. GRANDMA'S BANANA PUDDING Worth a try! Has fresh bananas. The pudding tasted freshly made that day. Great flavor and the right amount of sweetness! AMBIANCE The two seater booth at the bar had high walls so it was very private. Surrounding lights were low and our personal light was lit well. The booth had us feel like we were in a cabin smokehouse.

    Our first night out, the place was fairly empty for a weeknight…read more We had walked to the restroom from the river walk, and it was hot and muggy, so much so that my cell phone had condensation on the lenses, thus the outer focus pics. Place has an old-time western field to it with cows on the wall not sure about the skeleton at the bar, it's still fun. Our server was super quick and their homemade bread with honey butter was delicious! I got the second cut brisket with a side of potato salad and greens and two others in our party went all out with the all you can eat barbecue. Really the all you can eat is just the amount of food that they bring you the first time around as they bring out a loaded platter of ribs, poultry, sausage, and brisket along with potato salad, baked beans, macaroni, salad, queso dip with chips, and I'm sure I'm missing something else. My 2nd cup brisket was very good and tender with a strong smoke flavor. Their sausage has a mild almost kielbasa taste to it, which went good with the queso dip. The standout was the barbecue ribs, which were very good, tender with a nice bite and good smoke flavor and barbecue sauce. I wasn't the biggest fan of the greens, but that was more likely due to all the other sides available. Not surprising, I really liked the queso dip and practically polished it off by myself. I would say this place is definitely worth the price.

    Photos
    The County Line
    The County Line
    The County Line

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    Four Brothers

    Four Brothers

    4.2(239 reviews)
    9.5 mi•Downtown
    •$$$

    Another great meal! Our server Brahim provided the perfect service: attentive, thoughtful, kind…read more Really enhanced our meal. For a starter we shared the cornbread with another couple and it was plenty for 4 people. If you are from out of town and looking for some Texas-shaped vittles or just want something substantial to stretch your meal I recommend it! Very tasty and filling. For my main I had the scallops with creamed corn risotto. It was a dainty portion but the flavors were nice. My husband had the short rib tagliatelle which he loved. It was very rich and filling. We had the buttermilk pie again for dessert and this time it tasted sweeter than I remembered. It was good but we couldn't finish it. Idk if it was my tastebuds or if it was different. Anyways still a great meal overall and we will be back!

    Great atmosphere, Great service. The price versus quality doesn't meet! My date had the lamb chops…read more The lamb chops were full of fat and untrimmed, this fat didn't add any flavor. They were cooked medium rare. I don't recommend the lamb. I had the red snapper filet. I was basically. The best thing about the entire meal was dessert! We shared a large slice of butter pie and ice cream. Other than that, the food was average to, not good I made the mistake of going to this tourist spot, inside of the la mansion hotel, $168 later, I can truly say that I would never recommend this restaurant!

    Photos
    Four Brothers
    Four Brothers
    Four Brothers

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    Q Kitchen | Bar

    Q Kitchen | Bar

    3.8(151 reviews)
    9.6 mi•Downtown
    •$$

    First time In San Antonio love the vibe so far. Although I was expecting a full menu it was limited…read morebar food menu. I got the burger and fries and it came out the plate was warm thr burger was big nice portion of fries perfectly cooked and salted. I bit into the burger and dang it was good! Not sure what brand of cheddar but it was so sharp in a good way it complimented the burger and the mayo was great as well. I give it a 10/10.​

    Party of 2, dined on Monday 1100, Monday 2300 and Tuesday 0900…read more OVERALL Great service, great food, great ambiance. SERVICE Two out three of our servers were named Marie/Maria and Leeza. All three servers were attentive, kind, and helpful. We received water and coffee refills without asking. ALL AMERICAN We exerperienced this meal two different days. The potatoes are deliciously seasoned and crispy yet soft and fluffy. Hard boiled eggs were prepared perfectly and arrived hot. The chicken sausages were sweet and savory. The preserve was divine, well bodied, and high quality. The wheat and sourdough toasts were toasted just right where they were crisp and soft. TEXAS WAFFLE Worth a try! Crisp, fluffy, and perfectly texture and flavored waffle. Great size for sharing. The berries topped with were fresh. The fresh whipped cream was creamy and thick and refreshing. STEEL CUT OATMEAL This is a large portion and great for 2-3 people. The oats were cooked tender with the right amount of water content. The bananas and blueberries were fresh and ripe. The toasted coconut was browned well, flavorful, and crisp. The honey and hemp seeds(?) Were a great addition. FRUIT CUP All fruit were ripe and fresh: honeydew, cantaloupe, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, pineapple. Crispy Chicken Wings Elected guajillo buffalo flavor. Great amount of heat and tang. Well-rounded flavor compared to a simple buffalo flavor. Accouterments in clouded fresh celery and Picasa. Smoky ranch was flavorful, not too rich, and a smooth consistency. Q Burger Elected a medium cooked burger. Very delicious, juicy, flavorful and balanced. All ingredients complimented each other. A burger lover would really enjoy this burger. AMBIANCE Very high ceiling. Open, fresh space. Surrounding sound was relaxing with the indoor river flowing next to the Q Kitchen. Cool climate control. Gentle country music low enough to hear and have a quiet conversation. Lights are lowered during late night dining.

    Photos
    Q Kitchen | Bar - Dining Area

    Dining Area

    Q Kitchen | Bar - Posole

    Posole

    Q Kitchen | Bar - Beer & Wine

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    Beer & Wine

    Carriqui - Botana Platters are part of every good time in South Texas, and Carriqui will offer with three options.

    Carriqui

    4.4(751 reviews)
    9.2 mi•Tobin Hill
    •$$

    Beautiful restaurant. Service is very good. Had ceviche, tuna al pastor, and the corn cakes. The…read morescallop ceviche was a bit bland but I like the crunchiness of the green apple. I didn't need extra fat from avocado after the corn cakes since it doesn't add much flavor to the dish. The corn cakes are good and I will order again but not as good as some other cornbread. It came with 2 cakes. One was undercooked and one has a crispy crust. The undercooked one was my favorite. It is more moist with soft in the middle. Tuna Al Pastor has a kick but nothing special. Tres Leches was beautiful. 4/5. I like the fresh fruits to cut down the sweetness. The cake was a bit in the dense side. The icing on top was thick. I wish it was a fluffy whip cream to cut down from all the sweetness. Overall it's still a better tres leches than other places in the area.

    I uploaded the pictures of these restaurant last year but somehow didn't write a review. Wow …read more. So where do I begin. I still remember how tasteful everything was. It was probably our most favorite place that we ate while in San Antonio. The ambiance was great, beautifully decorated restaurant with great service. The cocktails were delicious so we had a few. The food was flavorful and unique. We had a wonderful dinner with my family at Carriqui.

    Photos
    Carriqui - The interior atrium above the Carriqui Bar brings fills the space with natural sunlight.

    The interior atrium above the Carriqui Bar brings fills the space with natural sunlight.

    Carriqui - Carriqui's award winning margaritas are perfect for good times and great stories.

    Carriqui's award winning margaritas are perfect for good times and great stories.

    Carriqui - Guacamole - simple, fresh, and perfect for getting started.

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    Guacamole - simple, fresh, and perfect for getting started.

    Rios Barbacoa - mexican - Updated September 2026

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