As I reminisce on my final (?) meal at The Barn Door earlier today, I have difficulty expressing how sad I feel to lose a landmark that has served as a second home for generations of San Antonians. For 73 years, The Barn Door has been more than a great restaurant; it has been an inexorable piece of San Antonio history. Last week, The Barn Door announced on Facebook that its final day of service will be Sunday, May 11th (Mother's Day). The Barn Door has been an outstanding steakhouse in the truest sense. They've never relied on gimmicks or culinary trends--they've relied on the tried-and-true flavors that have maintained a loyal clientele for decades. I'm taking about hand-cut, primal cuts of beef grilled over real mesquite, delivering that unmistakable South Texas char. I'm referring to plump, wild-caught shrimp from the Gulf Coast, the famous yeast rolls, and tubs of homemade salad dressings. If you've been there, you know how special the overall experience has been. I've read many heartfelt comments on social media asking why such a successful institution would cease operations. Well, dear reader, I have a unique insight into why. Randy Stokes has poured his heart into the restaurant, but he merely leases the building--not the land--from the Straus family. Approximately seven months ago, Mr. Straus decided to sell the dirt beneath the "Barn" to a real estate developer. The plan? To raze this historic site and erect modern condos. It's a familiar story of urban expansion, but it doesn't make the loss any easier to swallow. But before we close the door on "The Barn" forever, a glimmer of hope looms on the horizon. Randy Stokes and his team aren't necessarily hanging up their aprons for good. According to a reliable anonymous source, the team has expressed a desire to reopen The Barn Door at a new location, with eyes set currently on the city's North Side. I hope the promise of a new location comes to fruition, but even if The Barn Door closes forever, I will cherish all the wonderful memories of dining there with my parents and grandparents over the years. I will remember the ingratiating staff, the unique ambience, and the hundreds of delicious meals I've crammed down my gullet. read more

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This restaurant has been here for about 50 years now and it's definitely showing it's age. Half the sign wasn't working. It's a sketchy area to walk behind the restaurant to the Speakeasy. Anyhow, I ordered the chicken fried ribeye, jalapeño twice baked potato. Now, the potato was great. I didn't care for the ribeye and didn't eat it. The salad was right out of the bag. Iceberg, shredded carrots and cabbage with 5 bagged croutons. What happened? It wasn't like that before. My cream spinach came out late, and we weren't charged for it, which was nice. My brother in laws filet was too done. He asked for medium, and it was medium well. He ate it anyway. They used to have a 6oz ladies filet, but they don't. The server wasn't perfect, but we lived. IF I return, I'll skip the salad, get the filet and potato. read more

Is it possible to have a 5 star experience at this place? I think it might be.. But did I have a 5 star experience? Definitely not! The 3.5 star rating of this place is pretty spot on. Place looks cool but is operated by a bunch of grumpy old people who wish they weren't working anymore. Every staff member I saw was 40yo+ and looked miserable. My server was younger but she sucked and I couldn't have been an easier customer. The chairs were stickier than a theater at a sex shop and table more wobbly than Lizzo on a balance beam. Every move I made to cut steak or grab a French fry without the table teetering like a jenga tower. Between that and the chair I couldn't wait to stand up and leave. Old decor is cool and authentic but this place felt like a dump. I ordered my appetizer and entree at the same time like most people do but the entree came out before the appetizer lol. Server was clueless or just overworked, but the place seemed empty so not sure how it happened. The steak was good, but the venison/boar sausage was underwhelming and no different than any other sausage I've had. Had no idea which one was which and of course server didn't tell me before running away. Simply put, the place is outdated and felt like a gimmick. I hate to write bad reviews for mom and pop spots because we need more of them BUT this is a prime example of why they're disappearing. You really feel the corny "novelty" on the way out when you see all the swag for sale as if they were world famous. read more

We had to squeeze in a visit before they closed their doors. And I am so glad we did. We got to watch the Kentucky derby while sitting in the back 40, and it was great. Just the decor and amount of history on the walls, you could just walk around for hours. The staff was full of Texas hospitality. The food was delicious... need I say more. We will miss you. read more

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I should've know with how empty the restaurant was to know better than to stay. The stakes are so over priced it was ridiculous. The food was bland and just down right disappointing. Don't waste your time or money here. I didn't even want to waste the energy of taking a picture. read more

26 Jan 2025 I forgot how good their mashed potatoes are! Got them tonight with my perfectly cooked 8oz filet. Also had the fabulous oysters Rockefeller. Yum. Come here. read more

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It was, as always, superb! The service was helpful and cheerful and the food was fantastic. the setting is wonderful. ... I'm kinda brokenhearted that it's closing. :-( read more

I always wanted to go to the barn door since I have been in San Antonio. I finally got to go and it was a great experience. Large establishment that offers a variety of seating for all of your events you could think of. Quality food and service is good. Pleasant people and such a cute western atmosphere. Go check it out. The price is around Texas Roadhouse prices just so you know. read more

The Barn Door - Peach Cobbler - Steakhouses Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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I went here for lunch a few week ago and the rolls were burnt and sat at an very uncomfortable table. The salad was good and bake potatoe was fine. I asked the waitress who was waiting me to bring me take boxes for my lunch so I could put them in there after I got out of the bathroom. After I returned from the bathroom I saw that somebody had packed the food for me, and my water glass was gone. I was so thirsty and I had to look for the waitress because she was in the kitchen getting food for other tables. That was rude...I would have liked to have packed my own food and not be treated like I'm a stupid child. They were not treating the other customers like that, so why me?? I will not be back. read more

If you're coming for the steak you found the spot. They do provide bread and butter. When you order an entree it comes with your choice of potato style and salad.The sides and salad are okay! The highlight really is the perfectly cooked steak.We shared a 15 oz ribeye. Our waitress even split our salad for us. There is a speakeasy attached but it's reservation by text only. read more

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30 yrs in this town and this was my 1st visit to The Barn Door. Man have I missed out! I'm notoriously picky about steak because most places sell a gray slim flavorless filet with fake grill marks. Why get that when I can make a better steak for 1/2 the price at home? This steak was PHENOMENAL . Cooked perfectly to order, the flavor was thru the roof. You could taste the open grill wood smoke and the seasoning was perfection. I will definitely be back and forth I'll recommend this place to anyone and everyone. The Service was just right: on time, courteous but not hovering. I decided to upgrade to the twice baked potato with jalapeños and cheese - I would definitely recommend that over the regular mashed potato side (which my husband got for comparison). Delicious. read more

The Barn Door - The Ribeyes - medium rare - Steakhouses Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

It was a good experience. The service was great and the food was okay. The star of the show were the fresh dinner roles, but everything else was just okay. The ambiance is a little bit of a Time Machine warp of the 70s but it was tidy. Wouldn't know if I'd go back, but glad we tried it out. The salad wasn't too fresh and my steak was cold, but my son was enjoyed his grilled cheese. read more

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Our favorite date day restaurant for lunch. Fantastic menu for lunch. Wonderful and friendly staff. read more

The Barn Door - Salmon Salad grilled to your preference. - Steakhouses Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Great food. Excellent service! Very relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. There wasn't a single negative experience during our visit. We can't wait to go back! read more

Absolutely delicious. Best cheesecake ever. Will be back. Low key casual but food quality is outstanding.

| Dinner Spent $29 on this fish and it's not even edible. Apparently they don't scale their fish fillets. Never had it served like that. Please clean and scale your fish before serving it. The manager was definitely in a bad mood. He didn't even try to fix it. All he said was this is how we always serve it. Really? So disappointed. read more

The Barn Door - Steakhouses Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Traveling for work and picked this spot for a small after work dinner. Served was awesome. Super friendly and helpful. Overall great experience. All the food was delicious. I enjoyed the bacon wrapped filet. The salad was amazing, homemade 1000 island, took me back to my childhood. Home made rolls, so so good. Then topped off with homemade cherry pie. I was so stuffed but so happy!! Will be back next time in town! read more

Wow! My first time to The Barn Door and the food was amazing! I tired the fried mushrooms...they were big. The bacon wrapped chicken....delicious. And the cheese sticks...yum!! The bacon wrapped dates...order them! None of the food was super hot but it wasn't cold. We were in a Large group so the plates were passed around for a hot minute. All of it was super tasty and I would order all of them again! For my entree I ordered the chopped steak with the cheese on the side. The steak was delicious and wrapped in bacon! The cheese sauce was also good. I took it home to eat later. My side was a baked potato. It was under cooked. and the potato was hard but for not being upgraded, the regular potato had cheese, sour cream, and bacon bits. I took it home to reheat and make it softer. I ordered thousand island dressing with my salad. All of the dressings are homemade. There was green goddess and ranch that was brought for the table. All were tasty but none of them were as amazing as I'd hoped. I was with a big group and we could be hard to serve, but the food was delicious enough for me to warrant another trip back with the family. Also there was local and seasonal beer on tap Which I very much appreciated! Shiner Cheer was delicious! I will definitely be back! Thanks Barn Door for a great time! read more

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I'm in San Antonio on a temporary assignment, and I was tasked to find a good spot for dinner with a couple of co-workers, one of whom had to depart early. Not knowing if I would ever see them in person again after this trip, I had to be selective in deciding how best to bid farewell to him, at least for the time being. We had agreed on a nice steak dinner, but left the decision up to me on where to go. I'll be honest here, I was actually looking at a couple of Brazilian steakhouses by the Riverwalk, but as luck would have it, neither had reservations available for that night. I frantically searched online to find the best spot for all three of us, and I chose The Barn Door right off the 410 loop east of the 281. One of my Yelp friends from San Antonio awarded it five stars, and there was also a Yelp check-in offer of a free tea. Also, the prices seemed pretty reasonable, especially compared to other steakhouses in the Alamo City. Reservations were available that night for time slots at 15-minute increments, but oddly enough, not at 7 PM, our agreed upon time. We then agreed 6:45 PM was a good time for dinner, and so I made the reservation, which was done through SpotOn. Two of us arrived at 6:30 PM, and the hostess was willing to seat us even though the third person (not me lol) was a little late. We chose to wait, and then once he arrived, we were taken to our table in the Main Dining room. We were sat at a table between the open kitchen and a wall, which almost looked like a jail. Jewel (sp?) came by to introduce herself as our server. She was just that, a jewel! She did seem a little bashful since it was kind of hard to hear her, but it was only moderately loud at best during our visit, so it wasn't much hard of hearing here. Other than that, I enjoyed having her take good care of us! She started us off with drinks, and that's when I realized I had to check in to show her my Yelp check-in offer. She didn't recognize it at first, and then I had to tell her. I almost thought she was going to charge me for the tea, but luckily she didn't. Each of us chose an appetizer to share with one another. The others chose Fried Mushrooms and Fried Jalapenos. I chose the Wild Boar and Venison Sausages. Each of them came with their own sauce(s), and they were all good! It's worth mentioning there are nuances in the taste profile between Wild Boar and Venison, but they look so similar that even Jewel couldn't tell which was which. Did we care? No. Did we enjoy them? Yes! The others chose the Club Sirloin and Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin Filet as their entrees, both cooked Medium. I went with the 10 oz New York Strip, cooked Medium Well. I think my steak was a little undercooked, but I liked it better than the Ribeye I had at my hotel, which cost more than twice as much! As we were ordering, I didn't realize our entrees would come with a house or Caesar salad as well as a potato side. I had completely overlooked the bottom of the menu specifying that. There weren't that many choices for the potato side. One co-worker chose the mashed potatoes. The other chose the twice baked potato. I went with the (once) baked potato. Jewel asked if I'd like for it to be loaded, to which I answered affirmatively. For the salad, you get a choice of 5-6 dressings. I almost went with my go to, Honey Mustard, until Jewel mentioned there was Creamy Garlic, which sounded delish. And it was! The amount of dressing was pretty generous, and it was a generously-sized salad, much larger than a side salad! I enjoyed the (once) baked potato, which was loaded, but not fully loaded compared to the twice baked. The twice baked had more cheese, and I believe it also had jalapenos, which I didn't taste in my potato. However, there's a small upcharge for the twice baked; I don't recall how much of an upcharge it was. Everything was superb! There wasn't a bad bite that was had amongst the three of us. We had quite a bit of leftovers, and Jewel offered us takeout boxes and bags for each of us. We all enjoyed our meals, and both of my co-workers agreed I made a good choice for dinner that night. None of us had room for dessert, but I didn't want any anyways. Plus, the prices for the desserts weren't even shown on the menu, which I'm not sure why? A Southern Peach Cobbler would have hit the spot, but our appetites were more than satiated on this wonderful evening. In addition to the actual restaurant, there's a meat market as alluded to in the business name, but it was slim pickings at the time we went, at least for the display case out in front. Same with the desserts. We only saw a couple of pies and a cheesecake when we left. The interior decor is really nice! We appreciated how nicely decorated the interior was, and we were even in awe at a portrait of the restaurant from 1953! Thank you Barn Door for a wonderful dinner, and thank you Jewel for the wonderful service and hospitality! Keep up the great work Jewel! :) read more

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Barn Door makes the best steak in San Antonio! It's always consistent, it is how eating out is supposed to be-a salad,a side of choice, your protein--plus if you have room, homemade desserts! All with friendly, southern hospitality! Great full well-stocked bar. read more

I was in town for business and was recommended to stop into Barn Door for dinner. I went with the jumbo fried shrimp and jumbo they were indeed. What was even more jumbo was the massive side of mashed potatoes it came with! When the waiter brought them out, I asked if it was a family style side and he said it was just for me. Maybe this is one of those "everything is bigger in Texas" kind of things but I felt like a lot of it went to waste because after the side salad (also full plate sized), rolls, coleslaw and shrimp, I couldn't put away more than a couple spoons full of potatoes. The food was good but it was a little pricey for someone on a per diem for dinner. Good thing I didn't have lunch before so I had the money for it. read more

The Barn Door - Beef, fish and specialties - Steakhouses Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Yummy food and super service! We got miss the crackers and basket of rolls. Love the margs!

Here's the deal, I was born in SA and as a child the Barn Door was basically on the outskirts of town and I've never lived more than 3 miles from the location. It has changed hands a few times in the past 50 years but it is what it is. Basically a landmark. Most TX men (& women) know how to cook a good steak just, well, because we do. It all starts with a good cut of meat and knowing the basics. The most expensive steakhouse doesn't even come close to touching what my husband and a couple other people I know can do on a basic weber grill. Now, back to the Barn Door. I read quite a few of the poor reviews and I'm right behind you. After frequenting the establishment for the past 40 years there are things I loved and things I hated. Interestingly a table of women get very poor service, even from a female wait person. This is not rare, I have experienced this and left a note on the tab with a decent tip addressing the issue. read more

Best Steak in San Antonio! It's one of San Antonio's original steakhouses. The steak is beautifully seasoned, and a baked potato and salad is included with your meal. It's a casual dining experience, so you can go in with your jeans and boots on and feel comfortable. read more

Visited for the first time on a Tuesday day evening. My party of 6 arrived at 7pm. The host did not seemed pleased with our party size and instantly told us it would be a 45 minute wait. We said "No problem" and decided to wait as we were not convinced the wait time provided was accurate. We were sat 15 minutes later. The establishment had been there for many years and appears to have repeated customer base. The historical photos and restaurant memorabilia helps to pass your wait time. I ordered the sirloin steak (medium rare) and baked potato. My steak and baked potato was lukewarm at best. It definitely sat out for a while before it was served to us. The others in the party stated theirs was like warm as well. For a steak place I expect the meat dish to be their crown jewel. In this case it was just a shiny rock. The Barn Door is likely a one and done for myself. read more

I found the food to be underwhelming--my ribeye was just average, and there are definitely better options for a quality steak. The drinks were overly strong; at this stage in life, I prefer something smoother and more balanced. read more

Ribeye steak was cooked to a perfect medium! Be careful with the bread! You don't want to fill up!

Amazing service and amazing food!! We had the filet and ribeye steaks which were Awesome!!

Our server was the best part of the experience. She was patient and friendly despite the 20 Plus people in our group. The steaks were either too dry or too rare, the fries soggy and cold. They don't serve crackers with the house salad anymore. The wings had bbq sauce literally dumped on them. There are way better places in San Antonio to get a quality steak and food in general. read more

Only thing this restaurant nails is the meat. My husband's pork chop was cooked to perfection and my sirloin was cooked just right. However, that's not a peach cobbler..its peach pie. And , the ranch on our side salad was bland. My husband asked for a mountain dew to drink and the server kind of snobby said we don't have that. When we first arrived, they asked if we had reservations...Yet restaurant was empty. Just taken back by that. read more

The Barn Door - Sirloin steak with loaded bake potato - Steakhouses Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Food was very good, portions were very large. Service was great! We would definitely go back here. read more

The Barn Door - Steakhouses Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I can't figure out how this restaurant is still in business. 30 years ago it was the place to go for a delicious, reasonably priced steak dinner. This week we went for an early weekday dinner. Just like the last time we were there, it was BAD. The prices keep going up while the quality goes down. My salad was iceberg lettuce, tomato slices, onion slices, and something--parsley?--sprinkled on top. Bland and uninspired. The steak was tasteless and gray; I had ordered it cooked medium. We cut our losses short and didn't order dessert. The "ambience " was a smattering of folks dressed for yard work who spent most of their waiting time looking at their phones with the volume switches up on high. The waitress was the only strong point--she checked in just often enough and got everything right. What used to be charming and quirky is now run down and kind of trashy. There are much better places in town for a steak dinner. read more

The Barn Door was recommended from a sweet shop owner and it didn't disappoint! She also recommended the salmon, which I got and was so delicious!! My husband got one of the steaks, which was also very good. The side of mashed potatoes was HUGE and they were delicious! Our server was amazing!! And The Barn Door has a cozy atmosphere. I loved the decor and the maze type of vibe. This place is huge!! And has really cool decor in the multitude of rooms it has. It was a bit pricier than I like but I still enjoyed it! And they had jalapeño poppers!! Not the best I've ever had, but good enough as I've been looking for them in San Antonio for a while! read more

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I ate lunch with my "sistas" group Nov 12. The food was very disappointing and the atmosphere really needs addressing. I'm from SA & this place was always a big deal. The food needs a refresh and the place needs to be freshened up!!! read more

What a wonderful find. Excellent food, comfy atmosphere. Not fancy but very friendly service. Kind of an out of the way location but Uber finds it just fine. read more

Food, service, ambiance all incredible. 10 10 recommend. Your review needs to be at least 85 characters. read more

It was good but beware the hidden menu items... they are pricey Started off with the Bacon Wrapped Figs ( Deep Fried) and the Backn Wrapped Chicken bites as apps. BBQ sauce really good flavor with a mild heat. Ranch dressing was tasteless but I don't like ranch anyway. Salads arrived fairly quick, typical presentation with dressing in the side... Bleu Cheeses tasted like the ranch, but it worked Main courses were cooked nicely. Good char & mesquite flavors. Fat fries were cooked but the fryer was a little low on temps. Twice Baked was good but the block of cheese on top was too thick for the tater in our opinion. Cherry Cheese Cake was the highlight if the meal. House made with a hint of coconut and WOW! read more

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Not what I expected but typical of San Antonio. There are some institutions that are worthy of a visit and some that are not. You have to try it for yourself. Maybe go with a "regular" because it was blatantly obvious they cater to a specific clientele. The service was subpar. One lady was great but the men were short and unwilling to provide any level of service including the pompous bartender. The meat was flavorless, overcooked and served cold...try and figure that out. I ordered a NY Strip and it came out less than a 1/2" thick on a cold plate. Ordered the creamed spinach for some insane price that is usually associated with a shared side and it came out in a mini tart dish, less than 1/4 cup. While the mashed potatoes were served in a true 1 1/2 - 2 cup sharable side. I will add a star because they stocked Blanton's. Which was poured twice neat at different levels. First was a finger and half and second was less than a finger. I would recommend you head to the Quarry and hit up Flemming's, J. Alexander's or Ruth's for a steak and skip the disappointment for what you will spend. read more

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My family and I have been going to barn door for years!!!!! We always celebrate birthday here because they put your name on the sign out front which is so cool!!!! The ambiance is always amazing with fast and friendly service. The food is also incredible. I usually don't like salad but the caesar was great!! The chopped sirloin and queso was such a great tex mex option. It was so good!! We will always come back to The Barn Door! read more

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Old steakhouse in an old, tired building. We were "greeted" by a surly young lady. I ordered the 10oz New York strip, which was cooked correctly, but was a cheap quality of beef, with lots of grizzle. Also ordered the twice baked potatoe, but it was nothing like I had before..in a bad way. The skin wasn't crispy, and the interior was not hot, which may have contained bacon, but I wasn't too sure, and there was a giant layer of cold cheese on top. The dinner rolls were stale and almost warm. Their peach cobbler was very goopy and cold. Way better places to eat in this town. Will not be back read more

The Barn Door - Steakhouses Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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