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    Santos Cafe

    3.3 (35 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed • 6:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Santos Cafe Photos

    SANTOS CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Good for groups
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Employees left the Mop bucket out. They should wait until they are closed, instead of cleaning while patrons are dining.
    George W.

    My buddy and I dropped in at Santos Mexican Restaurant on Jackson Keller Saturday afternoon around 2pm. The restaurant was larger, than I expected and looked like they had been mopping the floors, since the mop bucket was out in the floor next to the cash register, and a couple of warning Wet Floor signs. I do suggest that they put away their mop buckets and wait until they close, before cleaning in and around patrons. It certainly, doesn't look inviting. We were seated next to a large party, and made our selections. Our waitress, unfortunately seemed inexperienced. We both told her of our selections. I asked for a glass of sweet iced tea and a glass of ice. She returned with a tray with both our teas. I again asked for a glass of ice, this time in Spanish which I speak a little. Most restaurants, don't usually put very much ice in their tea. I like mine, quite cold. I again asked the third time for a glass of ice, she returned with ice water. Unbelievable! I asked once again, and thankfully she returned with my ice. They brought a very small bowl of bought chips, which might be enough for one person, but certainly not two. The chips were mediocre, but their hot sauce was quite good. Our orders soon arrived. My buddy said his cheese enchilada plate was ok. I ordered the mini taco plate which consisted of 5 overcooked mini tacos in a corn tortillas and 2 small slices of avocado, which unfortunately weren't fresh and had turned brown and a small bowl of charra beans. The beans were tasty, until I found a long hair. I didn't eat another bite. I was totally disgusted and couldn't wait to leave. While I normally would have complained, I hadn't seen a manager, so I just opted to leave. While sadly the food was mediocre and the service lacking, I cannot forgive hair in my food. Needless to say, I will not return. San Antonio has an abundance of Mexican restaurants, I suggest you go to El Taco de Jalisco a small Mexican restaurant on Vance Jackson, just outside Loop 410. The food is great and the service is too! They also offer Free sopapillas.

    Nice interior...
    Tami S.

    Decided to stop by based on Yelp reviews... had to drop son off at Lee, had an hour to kill, thought I'd get tacos and coffee and play on my Star Wars app! SO... overall impression just average. FLOUR TORTILLAS - ok, but not as awesome as described by some other reviews. CORN TORTILLAS - these WERE awesome, thick and homemade - great with bean and cheese SALSAS - hot, but tasty. TACOS themselves - back to average. and I don't know when I've paid 1.49 for bean & cheese - just saying COFFEE - good SERVICE - SERIOUSLY lacking... went almost 30 minutes with NO refills - couldn't catch waitresses attention despite fact that there were 3 waitresses for 5 tables. my waitress seemed engrossed in something behind counter - her phone maybe? she FINALLY came back when I was almost done with meal. ATMOSPHERE - interior is nice, very casual but music was VERY loud I thought. maybe because restaurant was so empty - but if I'd come with someone, talking would have been difficult. 3 stars cause corn tortillas ALMOST made up for poor service - I'd really rate 2 1/2 stars.

    two burritos wrapped in aluminum foil

    how are you gonna read my order back and put cheese in everything i told her my order like 5 times she even read it back to be after the like 6th time and they still got it wrong i am starving and cant even eat my taco cause they put cheese in it

    a person holding a tortilla wrapped in foil

    Ordered 3 asada tacos & got 2 really good tacos but when i opened my 3rd, it was 2 tortillas wrapped up in foil. Good food, horrible service.

    a cowboy riding a horse with antlers

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Good food always fresh and staff is always polite. All meat Barbacoa is greet!!!!!!!!

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    10 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

    My friend found a roach in her chicken enchiladas. They gave us a refund but won't ever go back!

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    3 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    waited 25 mins for 3 tacos, still got my order wrong even after i corrected them on my order after it was repeated to me

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    5 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

    What has happened to this place?they seem to be closed since July I really enjoyed the food and the service was awsome

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    9 years ago

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    6 years ago

    We like going here for breakfast every once in a while. The corn tortillas are homemade and I like ordering the nopales a la mexicana.

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    13 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    12 years ago

    Good food ugly paint bit the salsa and enchiladas make up for it always come here w the kiddos.

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    10 years ago

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    11 years ago

    by far the best carne guisada in San Antonio, iv been going for a few years and it's great

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    11 years ago

    Breakfast was delicious!! Homemade corn tortillas were the best! We will be back when we are in town!

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    Review Highlights - Santos Cafe

    “what a nice cozy and colorful Mexican restaurant.”

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery - Flautas de Pollo

    Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery

    3.7(4k reviews)
    5.4 mi•Downtown
    •$$

    I'm a regular and frequent customer at Mi Tierras since I was a child, now at 57 Restaurant is my…read moreto go restaurant Hector Valles management on site has been a very pleasure not just as management but also as letting customers feel welcomed and at home, I enjoy the Mariachis, all the colors and each employee down to The cook. I thank you all for always making my day a pleasure. Thank You Mi Tierras , they also have the best Mexican food, sweet bread and tasty Margaritas.

    Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery in operation since 1941 is a signature restaurant in San Antonio, TX…read more Historic Market Square. Having grown up in San Antonio, I have literally been to Mi Tierra's 100s of times. When you walk into the restaurant you experience immediate sensory overload (so much to see where it is hard to focus)...papel picado strung everywhere...in different colors...in different textures...metallic and paper...wow wow wow!!! In addition, there are artful configurations clustered with lots of color and spiritual references highlighting the Mexican American culture. Also, there are pinatas strung from the ceiling in metallic colors, which is a bit unusual for pinatas (usually made from paper). The restaurant also has stained glass windows and a mural. On this particular occasion, I was in the restaurant for bakery goods. Mi Tierra specializes in Mexican pastries. It looked like it would be a quick in and out, however, with so many sweets, every customer asked questions and deftly decided on their sweets de jour. Since I waited for a bit, I decided on three...peanut brittle (the hubs said he had not had any since childhood), pecan praline (for me) and a pecan pound cake (split between the hubs and myself). All were incredible delicious. Yep, we ate them all in one day. It is important to note that the prices in the bakery are extremely reasonable. Excellent sweets experience...

    Photos
    Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery - Balcony in the bar

    Balcony in the bar

    Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery - Triple Chocolate Cake. @coreyd123 on ig for all your photography needs!

    Triple Chocolate Cake. @coreyd123 on ig for all your photography needs!

    Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery - Chocolate cake. @coreyd123 on IG. Contact me with product/marketing photography interests

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    Chocolate cake. @coreyd123 on IG. Contact me with product/marketing photography interests

    Domingo - Enchiladas
 Photo by Amanda Spencer

    Domingo

    4.0(933 reviews)
    5.5 mi•Downtown
    •$$

    Took a stroll on the Riverwalk and ended up at this georgous spot for a weekend brunch. Mainly…read morepatio restaurant (a small number of indoor tables and bar) ... it sits staring out and up at the unique architecture and trees. From the street, enter the Canopy Hotel and take the elevator down to the riverwalk ... or from the riverwalk come up the stairs and the hostess is all the way inside the restaurant. The outside is a great setup and pretty unique for the riverwalk. The service was super nice and attentive. The Cobb Salad was huge and amazing with a good portion of toppings. Loved the chipolte ranch kick. I had the pressed beet juice as well .. yum! The drink was okay .. mia tai mimosa ... Will definitely try something different next time as the alcohols just did not mix as well as they sounded on the menu. PS. A couple came with dogs which are welcomed on the patio. The restaurant had doggy water bowls. Cute!

    Went here for a work lunch with coworkers. The place is so beautiful inside and out. Luckily we got…read moreto sit by the river which great weather. The service was fast and friendly. Our waiter checked on us a lot and was very knowledgeable about food allergies and substitutions. Our drinks and meal came out fairly quick. The guac and chips are yummy. The guac was creamy but does have a spicy kick to it. I also tried the cucumber agua fresca. So refreshing and light. For the meal I had the Baja fish tacos. It doesn't come with a side but it does have 3 very filling tacos. It was grilled halibut, pico, romaine lettuce, guacamole and Baja sauce. It was delicious and very flavorful. It needed a spicier sauce but deff would go back for this.

    Photos
    Domingo - Ceviche dish
 
 Photo by Amanda Spencer

    Ceviche dish Photo by Amanda Spencer

    Domingo - Views of the River Walk 
 
 Photo by Amanda Spencer

    Views of the River Walk Photo by Amanda Spencer

    Domingo - Tequila Soda
 
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    Tequila Soda Photo by Amanda Spencer

    Pollos Asados Los Norteños - Half chicken

    Pollos Asados Los Norteños

    4.7(1k reviews)
    9.7 mi•Eastside
    •$$

    We came a little after 8pm, pretty close to closing, and the grilled chicken was easily the…read morehighlight of the meal. We ordered the half chicken ($11), and I was honestly surprised by how juicy and moist it still was inside. The outside had a wonderful smoky charcoal flavor, and the marinade was flavorful all the way through. It also came with rice, corn tortillas, red and green salsa, grilled jalapeño, lime, and grilled onion, so it was a really filling meal for the price. We also tried the Bean Burger ($9.79), which was a fun combination of a beef patty, refried beans, cheese, chipotle sauce, and pico de gallo. I enjoyed it, although I personally would have loved a thicker layer of beans. The green salsa was SO good that I ended up buying an extra container for about $5 to take home. The restaurant itself is very casual and no-frills, with a big charcoal grill that really adds to the atmosphere--you can see and smell the chicken cooking. It feels much more like a local neighborhood spot than a polished tourist restaurant. Service was also very friendly and attentive. Even though we arrived late, we never felt rushed, and our server checked on us several times to make sure we had everything we needed. I would absolutely come back for the chicken and green salsa.

    This place is a small hole in the wall type place but if you are looking for great Mexican bbq food…read more- look no further. The menu is fairly simple but everything is too notch. The grilled fajitas were exceptional - meat perfectly seasoned and peppers and onions perfectly seasoned and cooked. The beans have a great flavor and even the rice (I'm just not a fan of most Mexican rice because it's bland) had a great flavor. The tortillas are the perfect thickness and are soft and warm. And of course - the green sauce - it's amazing! Our server was very friendly and prompt and the food came out quickly on a Saturday evening during prime dinner time. The true indicator of how good this place is - we were the only gringos in the entire restaurant! We will most definitely be back before long!! Well done!!

    Photos
    Pollos Asados Los Norteños - Inside

    Inside

    Pollos Asados Los Norteños - Half chicken

    Half chicken

    Pollos Asados Los Norteños - Bean burger

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    Bean burger

    Iron Cactus San Antonio - Doughnuts

    Iron Cactus San Antonio

    3.4(2.3k reviews)
    5.5 mi•Downtown
    •$$

    Iron Cactus was a great find. The staff was friendly and welcoming, and the food was excellent. I…read morehad the Mexican meatloaf, which was definitely not something I would normally expect at a Mexican restaurant, but it was unique and wonderful. The chorizo and ranchero sauce really made it stand out. The Mexican street corn on the side might have been even better. That stuff is seriously addicting like crack. I could have eaten a bowl of it by itself. Definitely a place I'd come back to.

    Iron Cactus sits right along the River Walk and has a pretty good-sized space. Walking in, I could…read moreimmediately tell they were going for that moody, dimly lit, relaxing atmosphere. Now listen I enjoy a good mood, but this setting went a little past moody. It was DARK dark. They could definitely bump those lights up about two settings and still keep all the ambiance. lol Thankfully, the food and service needed no adjustments. Our waiter Stephen was really nice, attentive and quick throughout our visit. Thanks for taking good care of our table! We tried the paella and steak fajitas, and everything came out nice and hot. Both were enjoyable, but we also need to talk about those spicy mango and watermelon margaritas because the drinks definitely DELIVERED. Flavor was there, and so was the pour. Overall, we had a good experience. Nice River Walk location, hot and tasty food, great drinks and friendly service. Just turn those lights up enough for me to admire the meal before I eat it.

    Photos
    Iron Cactus San Antonio
    Iron Cactus San Antonio - Hickory Salmon Salad

    Hickory Salmon Salad

    Iron Cactus San Antonio - Iron Cactus on the River-Walk

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    Iron Cactus on the River-Walk

    Santos Cafe - mexican - Updated October 2026

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