I had my daughter's 9th birthday party here....she and her friends had a great time! The staff was very prepared and energetic. There was more than ample room to accommodate kids and parents as well as a space for the parents to avoid kids a little (I know that's a must for some kids' birthdays. You know the ones I'm talking about). I wouldn't hesitate to use them again in the future. Also, they get a strong recommendation from me for others. Enjoy! read more

Event for 21 girls tonight. Not enough tables, as five-six girls had to share one table and supplies. Each girl had very few tasks to complete and then was expected to stand quietly in their spot. The main instructor was fine, but the other staff spent entirely too much time yelling at the children to be quiet. Voiced my concerns to the owner (?) who was extremely condescending and rude and unapologetic. Cannot believe the interaction. Please do not give them your business. read more

My daughter had her birthday party here. The kids complained about how rude the instructors were. It was even noticed by us adults that they were not really kid friendly. It was more of a demonstration than actually letting the kids get to make the cupcakes themselves. If the kids didn't do it exactly the way they were told they were very rude. From what I have been told it was very different a few years ago. I definitely would not recommend having a kids party here. We made the best of it but it could have been better. read more

I called Young Chef Academy in San Antonio to find out more about the cooking classes for my two daughters. The owner answered the phone and was very rude when I asked questions. He was not helpful or professional at all. I thought someone else was going to teach the class, so I booked the class. When my daughters arrived to the class, there were no instructions, no kindness, and absolutely no professionalism. When I picked up my daughters after the class, he didn't even acknowledge me as a parent and was yelling for the aprons. He didn't even say thank you, goodbye, or anything. My daughters told me that the teacher was yelling and called them small in front of the entire class. My daughters were ridiculed and embarrassed by the teacher several times during the class. Because this was their first time, they were not members and were made to feel excluded from the cooking activities. He ignored my daughters when they asked questions and wanted to be a part of the class. I called the place after the class was over to speak to the owner about this horrendous experience and was told to call back. No one called me back and I am very upset about this situation. We were planning to sign up as members but we will never support Young Chef Academy at San Antonio. read more

I purchased a Groupon for my kids to attend a cooking class. The staff was wonderful with the kids. They went over basic kitchen safety and cleanliness. They incorporated social skills into the process too by having the kids talk to each other and introduce a person they just met. What was most amazing was they got 12 kids to make lamb gyros with onions and like them. All the kids took a part in making the meal. This was a great experience. The only issue for us is that it's on the exact opposite side of town so I am not sure we will be back but only for that reason. read more

I bring my 9yo daughter to these classes when I see the half-price Groupons running. I'm glad she's older now because I was tiring of watching her make cupcakes and pizza every time we came. She started out as a Kinder Cook and is now a Jr. Chef. Now she's graduated to real food like flank steak, fries, sweet potato purée, etc. The instructors are patient and the kids learn good kitchen safety and culinary terminology. I recommend trying out a class or two, and maybe even a birthday party! When your culinary whiz reaches Jr. Chef level, you can drop them off for the 90-minute classes, so you don't have to sit and watch the whole time, although I do usually get a kick out of all the faces and comments the kids make. Bon appetit! read more

I was really excited about this class for my child - mainly because she helps me cook at home and she loves it. The person that I spoke to about the class was very helpful and friendly. She explained the my child would be in the 3-5 age class and that I was welcome to stay and watch (FYI, the parent area includes a few stools behind a half wall.) The kiddo's class had 8 children in it. That's 8 - 3 to 5 year olds with two instructors (a chef and an assistant) and their parents watching behind the half wall. The class started with them washing their hands - always a great start. And, from there, it lost a lot of the magic for me... Because there were two instructors (neither I would guess to be over 25) trying to get eight preschoolers to complete tasks - well, chaos started to reign supreme. There was one little boy that I bet did not sit in his chair more than eight minutes of the entire class. During the class (my child was one of the younger ones), she was pushed out of the way more than once. One time, she was shoved out of the line to wash her hands by another child...and was sent to the back of the line for not being in line! Furthermore, she had the little girl sitting next to her grab several things out of her hands when it was her time to do them - once the assistant instructor gently chastized the child, explaining to her that my child gets a turn, too; one time the mother of said child chastized the child because no instructors were around, and twice nothing happened because no one saw but me. My point is this - there were too many children trying to do too many different things at once for them to be properly watched OR the age allowance is just too wide. I think things might have gone better with just 3 and 4 year olds in the class. And I say this knowing that the two kids that were pulling things out of others' hands (that I noticed, anyway) were both almost 6. As for class time - they complete (as a group) two recipes. It was disheartening to see that NOT ONE of the children in the class ate a significant amount of anything cooked - and the class started at 11 am making the end just at lunch time, a time that I know for my child is eating time. All in all - I recommend for school age children (6 and older); however, I cannot recommend for the 3-5 age group. EDIT: The other thought that I had about this class was that one of the recipes that they made was a fruit salad that they added brown sugar to...not a fan of adding sugar to things that are already naturally sweet. read more

We were just here for a birthday party. I like the concept and the kids seemed to have fun. My son made a purple pizza and the ladies that taught them were patient with all the kids. read more

Young Chefs Academy - Cooking Schools Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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My 8 & 10 year old girls absolutely LOVED their summer camps at this location. The instructors greeted them with enthusiasm every morning and engaged in meaningful conversations about what they learned at the close of class. I highly recommend this establishment for any child! read more

I was impressed with the outcome of my 10 year old's birthday party. She selected the "Cupcake Wars" theme and invited 12 kids. The team competition allowed for all kids to participate and the chef made sure all children were included. The planning, prepping and baking was a great experience for kids. The chef stressed the importance of safety and cleanliness throughout the process and kept watch over the rambunctious crews. The end result was scrumptious cupcakes. My child was very satisfied with her party and other moms asked me how I heard about the place and commented, "It was a great birthday party". PROS= no clean-up; limited number of invitees; YCA provides invites and will also email them to parents; they provided a few personalized details; someone else runs the show while you mingle with parents; YCA provides pizza; No cake purchase needed; kids are engaged the ENTIRE time; no one lingers after the end time*. Truly a hassle free experience. CONS= not easy on the wallet; you have to stick to the number of invites-this is appropriate for a max of 12 kids so that no one gets left out; My child had a difficult time picking which friends to invite; Time seems to move too fast because the place is small and the next party begins shortly after yours; no margaritas for the moms; *If you want to continue the party you have to go elsewhere because the place is small and you can't linger afterwards. So my final summation is my child was highly overjoyed to have this experience with her friends and cousins. (We always had home birthday parties with lots of family and friends and no end time). I was not exhausted after the YCA party. If I were to add up all my time, energy, sanity, cooking, cleaning (before and after), and money for food and adult beverages, the price of a party for YCA was not only a gift for my ten year old, but a gift for me. read more

Waste of money! Stay away from this place. $125 for 2 hours of "cooking" . Pfft SMGDH

My 6 year old daughter tried one class before we committed to a full membership. The place itself is very nice, clean and kid friendly. They made a full meal, appetizer, entrée, and dessert. My gripe was with the instructors. They are very young and not very good with kids, in my opinion. They weren't rude or mean, the main guy just didn't know how to talk to children. A lot of things went over their heads or they were just plain confused about what to do. He was trying to hide his frustration but I could tell he was not very experienced in interacting with kids. He had 2 assistants that were even younger than he was (high school age maybe) and they were more interested in laughing and gossiping amongst themselves rather that focusing on the kids. These classes would be wonderful if the had older, more mature and patient instructors who actually knew a thing or two about kids. My daughter and i were both very disappointed with the experience that she had been looking forward to for a long time. read more

Love how they explain kids how to cook while they have fun but also being cautious. My son has taken clases and two summer camps and loves it. He enjoys it and has learned a lot. He now eats more things since he learned to prepare them. read more

My daughter loves going to the Kindercooks class. They are great with the children and it's very age appropriate. I am learning some new skills too just by watching them! read more

I've been trying to reach them by phone since December but it is always busy except during Christmas break when there was a recording stating they were on break. I would like to schedule classes but am extremely frustrated because I cannot reach them. Any ideas on how to schedule classes with the Groupons I purchased? read more

Went here this afternoon for my daughters 6th birthday. The staff were excellent. They took care of everything and had great attitudes dealing with all of the young children. Highly recommended. read more

Regina and Kristina were a blast! This was way more than what i expected. They gave the kids a whole lesson about measuring and ingredients and kept their attention the whole time! My kid is 8 and that says a lot to keep her entertained. I would recommend to all ages and will definitely be going back! So much fun and so worth it! !! read more

Our daughter participated in the Master Chef Program for 2 1/2 years. She was able to make hundreds of recipes. The skills she acquired at such a young age are priceless! Kids are able to use practical skills like math and it allows them To expand their palate for food. She enjoyed the summer camps, workshops and competitions. The staff was very warm. We appreciated the mentorship of Chef MariCarmen for our daughter!! read more

Its a great place for the kids but the employees do not return customers calls so we can register the kids for a class. Thanks yca for disappointing my child. read more

My 9 year old daughter loves the summer kids camp classes. She attended her third this summer. She enjoys learning new recipes and has even created her own recipe book. We will send her back for summers to come! read more

My boys loved the Italian cooking camp! The tried things at camp and still had an interest after th camp was over in eating those things. Also they could name them and say how we should eat them. They are 9,10 and enjoyed their cooking time! read more

The atmosphere is fun and bright. There are plenty of places for parents to sit and watch the class and that is encouraged. The most exciting part for me was the fact that my son developed an appreciation for different kinds of foods. He is now trying all sorts of things that he wouldn't even think about trying before. Everything is made from scratch so it really teaches children the very basics of cooking. I love it but more importantly my son loves it. I found the staff and owners to be very friendly and funny. I would recommend this place to anyone with children. read more

I brought my 5 year old in on a Groupon. I was skeptical at first because the class ranged in age from 3-11. But every kid had roles and were involved from start to finish. Our chefs were funny, kind, engaging, and clearly loved teaching little kids how to enjoy cooking. read more

I booked a party with you guys and went in blind having never even visited beforehand. I was blown away with how well it went! I expected cooking. I did not expect the wonderful entertainment from the chefs that managed to entertain the 6 year olds and their parents as well. Having a kid with food allergies who also loves to cook can be super challenging but somehow you guys managed to pull it off without a hitch. Thank you thank you thank you! My daughter is already planning on having her next birthday there with a different theme. read more

My daughter loves going here and taking the cooking classes. Each child gets a turn to help with the recipe and then they get to eat what they made! Always a good time! read more

My son loves going to the classes. I appreciate that they give everyone a turn to participate in each step of the process.

My daughter had her 10-year birthday party. She chose the "Cupcake Wars" theme and what a blast! The girls loved being so creative and the chefs were so entertaining and knowledgeable. I know of two other parents who now want to have their child's party at YCA because our's was so wonderful! The kids are still talking about it this week and the party was three weeks ago. Great job YCA!! read more

Scheduled my daughters 9th birthday in a short period of time and they did an AMAZING job. Would absolutely recommend them in a heartbeat and plan to have another party there in the future when my youngest gets a little older. The girls had an awesome time cooking pizzas! Thanks for the great service you all provided. read more

my girls went there for awhile and last time we went the chef dropped food on floor that they just spent last hour making then served food from floor to kids for them to eat. we were appauled and very upset. we paid about 70 for both my girls each visit. we will not return again. read more

We've gone here several times in the past and my son had a birthday party here a few years ago, which went great (there were adult instructors then, unlike the other reviews stating there are now younger instructors). However, they lost our business and we stopped going. I had purchased a Groupon for both of my children to attend one of the classes. I called several weeks before the Groupon expired to register them. All the classes taking place before the expiration date were full and they refused to honor the Groupon for a class taking place after the expiration date, even though I called to schedule them well before it expired. I was penalized because they had no availability. After that, I refuse to take my kids and will not return since they do not value their customers. Definitely advise against buying their Groupon! read more

We had our daughter's 12th birthday party at YCA. The chefs were courteous and very energetic. They made my daughter and her guests feel special and engaged in the cooking process. Chef Regina was hilarious! Thank you so much for a wonderful experience! read more

Took a sushi making class there and learned how to make some delicious rolls. Staff was very knowledgeable and talked us through every step from the ingredient selection, rice making, and the rolling. We got to experiment with different combinations to get exactly what we wanted. Overall it was a great experience and I would be interested in other adult classes. read more

My 7 year old daughter REALLY enjoys going to Young Chef Academy. There are also boys in their classes too. Young Chefs Academy staff teach healthy and safe meal preparation. The management is also VERY helpful in working to get students in their desired class. (Try them out by using a GROUPON for your first session.) They also have a terrific summer camp program! read more

Such a wonderful place! We surprised our 9 year old daughter, by taking her and her friends to one of their Christmas workshop classes, on baking Christmas gift box cakes. She and her friends are still talking about how much fun they had. This place was even so amazing, that they went out of their way to accommodate our daughters food allergies when serving them dinner. We will definitely be back! read more

Excellent place to have your kids birthday party. The two chefs were very funny and kept the kids engaged through out the time.Everything went on on time and AMAZINGLY great. I will highly recommend them. read more

There was NO explanation of cooking terms or techniques. It was pretty much here's a recipe, make it. There were too many kids for everyone to have a job, so many just stood and watched. The female instructor seemed disinterested and barely even spoke to the kids. This was a teen class, but the owner's son - who appeared to be about 10 years old, tried to run the class - very annoying. My 13 year old son was bored. Glad I had a groupon. I would have been upset if I had paid full price. read more