15 Best Restaurants On The San Antonio Riverwalk, Ranked

Don't mess with Texas, especially when it comes to food. The Lone Star State is a gastronomic wonderland, where cultures converged to deliver some of the best cuisines that the U.S. offers. According to Texas Almanac, the flavors that make the state's food scene so unique originate in the combination of settlers, immigrants, and indigenous people that have called this land home over the centuries.

And there is no better place to taste Texas than the San Antonio Riverwalk. The bridges and pathways that form the Riverwalk were the brainchildren of architect Robert H. H. Hugman who, in the 1930s, designed it to harness the power and beauty of the San Antonio River, which runs through the city's downtown, according to the Riverwalk website. Shops and restaurants sprang up along the Riverwalk to cater to tourists and locals who came to experience the architectural marvel. It has since been a haven for diners to whet their appetites with some of the best food that South Texas has to offer.

From Mexican to German to Southern cuisine, the restaurants on the Riverwalk cater to every palate. Elegant establishments serve up quality Texas steaks and casual diners can delight in tacos and enchiladas, making it clear why Mexican food is becoming more popular worldwide. If you find yourself planning a stroll along this celebrated section of San Antonio's historic downtown, you don't want to miss our list of the best restaurants on the San Antonio Riverwalk.

In addition to lunch, dinner, and a whole list of creative craft cocktails, Boiler House serves up a hearty helping of San Antonio history. Located inside the original boiler room of the Pearl Brewery, the owners of Boiler House have retained the original architecture of the industrial space. The kitchens are built inside the old boilers and the dining area is split into two levels with a full bar, a catwalk-loft dining space, and private dining rooms for parties and events, and the decor.

And if you're wondering just what the phrase "craft cocktail" really means, then peruse the libations on the drink list at Boiler House. According to the website, bartenders use locally sourced and seasonal ingredients to serve up creative twists on time-tested classics like an Old-Fashioned as well as innovative new drinks like the "Judgment Day," a mix of whiskey, amaretto, honey simple syrup, and red wine. The food menu features American cuisine with a South Texas twist. You can nibble on a bowl of whiskey bacon caramel corn or if you've really worked up an appetite from a day strolling around the riverwalk, get the Moscato-braised pork shank with jalapeño grits.

If you're looking for a little slice of the old country on the Riverwalk, you'll find it at Little Rhein Prost Haus. In the 1800s, the area around San Antonio was settled by thousands of German immigrants looking for more land and a better life in the New World, according to the Texas State Historical Association. They brought with them many of the customs of the Fatherland, which remain an important part of the cultural landscape in the region, and one of the best places to experience this rich part of Texas history is at Little Rhein Prost Haus.

According to its website, Little Rhein is situated in the oldest two-story stone building in Bexar County, the original structure was built by German immigrant Otto Bombach and is now the rootinest tootinest biergarten in San Antonio. "Prost" is German for "cheers," which you can say before you sip one of the many domestic and imported beers on the menu, served in traditional German beer glasses called "steins." The food menu bridges the gap between old and new, offering everything from huge Bavarian pretzels and kraut balls to a Texas-size plate of nachos.

We seasoned foodies all know that sometimes the best grub can come from a restaurant without a hefty price tag. This is definitely the case at El Castillo, a no-frills Mexican joint located just off the Riverwalk and (fittingly) right behind the Mexican consulate in San Antonio. It's a great place to get acquainted with the Mexican cuisine in Southern Texas, which, according to The New York Times writer Rachel Wharton, is distinct from Tex-Mex. 

The "puffy taco," for instance, features meat tucked inside a bubbly, inflated tortilla and is a local favorite. And if you want to find out what makes San Antonio's puffy tacos unique, then make your way to El Castillo. Other traditional Mexican favorites like cheese enchiladas and steak ranchera are available for those who love the true flavors from south of the border. The breakfast tacos are one of the more popular menu items, stuffed with a variety of fillings like beans, potatoes, bacon, or chorizo, and priced at less than $2! El Castillo might lack the sophisticated ambiance of some of the other restaurants on the list, which is why it's not ranked higher, but the bang-for-your-buck factor is undeniable.

If you're ambling along the Riverwalk and you're hungry for a taste of old-world flavor, head to Schilo's. Open for over a hundred years, this San Antonio institution started as a saloon opened by "Papa" Fritz Schilo in the early 1900s and has been delighting customers with its German-inspired fare ever since. After surviving the Prohibition era, which saw the widespread closure of saloons in the United States, the restaurant moved to its present location in 1942, which used to be a currency exchange vault. Schilo's is now the oldest operating restaurant in San Antonio. This staying power is no small part of why Schilo's made it on our list.

And it's no wonder why the restaurant is still thriving after a century of business. Breakfast and lunch, served daily, include German classics like potato pancakes fried crispy and served with applesauce, hot pretzels, and meatloaf, which is Schilo's best-selling dish, notes its website. And if you want to take the flavor of German-Texan cuisine back home with you, buy a jar of the famous hot mustard, which is available for purchase.

Southern hospitality is in no short supply at this American eatery inside the Hotel Emma. The warm, homey decor pairs perfectly with the comforting dishes inspired by the crossroads of culture that makes San Antonio unique. Dishes like sautéed gulf shrimp and chicken dumpling soup are nods to Southern cuisine while breakfast options include schnecken, a German-style sticky bun with pecans and cinnamon, and Mexican-inspired scrambled eggs with roasted poblano cream. And if you're not a morning person, not to worry, because breakfast is served all day from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the website.

And if you're having dinner at Supper, we wouldn't expect you to be a morning person the next day, anyway. The extensive drink menu includes a wide selection of wine and beer as well as a variety of exquisitely curated craft cocktails that are sure to satisfy your palate.

For an eclectic, stylish fine dining experience on the banks of the San Antonio River, make a reservation at Biga. Head chef Bruce Auden, a native Londoner who has his skills on display at Biga, earned a James Beard Award nomination for his creative and playful interpretations of "New American cuisine." Although the menu changes daily, some of the funky flavors that diners can expect at Biga include dishes like seared Hudson Valley foie gras with brioche french toast and apple-smoke salmon chalupas.

With a food selection as delightfully diverse as the one on offer at Biga, it makes sense that an equally unique list of drinks is available. Enjoy your meal with wines from around the world or a local craft beer and if you're feeling particularly adventurous (and we hope you do), try one of the hundreds of rare liquors that the restaurant has to offer. The creativity displayed at this forward-thinking eatery is why Biga made one of the top spots on our list.

We love a steak dinner. And if you've got a hankering for a fine cut of meat on the Riverwalk, then Bonahan's is the place for you. Chef and owner Mark Bonahan is a native Texan and, according to Bonahan's website, his grandfather, "the king of barbecue," taught Mark what he needed to know about the family tradition of how to cook meat. And we're not mad about it, because Bonahan's serves up the best steaks in San Antonio.

Bonahan's uses Akaushi beef, one of the absolute best cuts of steak to grill. Akaushi cows store fat inside the muscle instead of on the outside, giving the meat its fantastic marbled quality, which translates to the delicious, tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture that meat lovers are after. This undeniable passion for meat and what makes it delicious is why Bonahan's made it to second place on our list. Other steakhouse classics on the menu, like the jumbo lump crab cake and the open-faced wedge salad, are prepared with the care and attention that we've come to expect from this San Antonio staple, which has been open for over 20 years.