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Sconce - Esquire Tavern, San Antonio, TX

Esquire Tavern

4.5
4.5
655 Reviews
$31 to $50
American

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 16 times today
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Lively
Located in the heart of downtown, The Esquire Tavern is the oldest bar on the San Antonio Riverwalk, opened the year, month and day that Prohibition was repealed. Tending bar in the early days was a highly prized and much sought after craft. Bar keeps then created many of their own syrups, mixes and concoctions and used the freshest of juices with the intention of serving the best products. We at the Esquire have taken a serious approach to the old world of bartending and spun it with a modern twist. Combining classic techniques and new world flavors and culinary concepts, our goal is to lead and set San Antonio's emerging cocktail culture on the map.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Comfort Food, Dining Bar
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30–00:00 Fri, Sat 11:30–02:00
  • Phone number
    (210) 222-2521
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Nash Zink
  • Private party facilities
    We can offer the entire bar, dining room and river balcony, accommodating up to 175 guests. Our Downstairs space can also be reserved, with its 15-seat bar and two semi-private lounges which hold 30 guests each. Call well in advance of your event date — availability of the whole place is limited.
  • Area
    Downtown
  • Cross Street
    St. Mary's
  • Parking details
    ** We are OPEN during Commerce Street construction! **<br /><br />The Esquire Tavern is encircled by four parking garages and various street lots, the closest being one half block east, the Market Street Garage across from the Westin Hotel with entrances on East Commerce and Market streets. One block further East on East Commerce and Presa is the City Garage. To the West, The Rand Parking Garage on Soledad and Houston and to the North, the College Street Garage at College and St.Mary’s St.
  • Public transit
    Conveniently located in downtown on the San Antonio River, The Esquire Tavern is within walking distance from most major hotels. In addition, The Esquire is serviced by the Yellow Line Downtown Trolley conveniently located at the corner of Commerce and St. Mary’s fifty feet from our front door.
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 655 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Esquire Tavern, nestled on the San Antonio Riverwalk, offers a rich wood ambiance and a "cool, historical place" feel. Guests rave about its "fantastic buffalo burger," "amazing fried pickles," and "amazing staff." The cocktail menu is diverse, and the cozy speakeasy downstairs adds a unique touch. Perfect for pre-show dining.

655 Reviews
  1. Emilio

    San Antonio

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food, atmosphere, and service were all great!

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  2. Stephen

    VIP

    San Antonio

    42 reviews

    5.0

    42 reviews

    Dined on 8 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    It was my first time dining here and it was good. Food was decent, south Texas quail legs and it was very bland, the kitchen omitted the honey-chili dressing. I had steak and fries which were good. Overall, it was decent and I would definitely recommend it and visit again.
    Esquire TavernResponded 7 days ago
    Stephan, we're glad to hear that you enjoyed your first visit to Esquire Tavern! We strive to offer a variety of dishes and it's good to know that you enjoyed the steak and fries. Your recommendation means a lot to us. We appreciate your feedback on the lack of dressing and will definitely take it into consideration as we continuously strive to improve our dishes. We're looking forward to welcoming you back soon and promise to make your next visit a 5-star experience.

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  3. Tina

    Chicago

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 7 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Tasty drinks and delicious food! The service was great!
    Esquire TavernResponded 2 days ago
    Thank you, Tina! We're thrilled to hear that you had a 5 star experience. We look forward to welcoming you back!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Juliana

    VIP

    San Antonio

    6 reviews

    2.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 25 January 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    I’ve eaten several times at Esquire Tavern throughout the years, and this recent visit was the most disappointing dining experience. Unfortunately, their updated menu doesn’t stand up to their previous food offerings (like the fried chicken sandwich). The shredded chicken that was added to the Esquire Salad was pretty flavorless, albeit the rest of the salad tasted fresh. My partner got the tomato soup with “freshly baked cheese toast”. Where he enjoyed the soup, the cheese “toast” left much to be desired. It came out with what looked like a runny cheese sauce, only to find out it was a flavorless melted cheese with a texture like chewing gum. The bread itself was very soggy and not crispy at all. When we sent the bread back the waitress seemed put out and annoyed. To their credit, the cocktails are pretty solid. And the Downstairs speak easy has a quieter, cozy vibe, if you’re looking for a cool space to have a conversation.

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  5. Lori

    Western NC

    8 reviews

    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on 10 January 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 2
    So dark inside you couldn't even see your food to eat! All tables around us were using phone flashlights to see. Food was quite good. Cheese bread was amazing.
    Esquire TavernResponded on 15 January 2025
    Thanks for the feedback, Lori! We're glad to hear that you enjoyed our food, especially the cheese bread. We're glad that despite the dark atmosphere, you still received 5 star service. We hope to serve you again soon!

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  6. Greg

    Dallas

    23 reviews

    5.0

    23 reviews

    Dined on 5 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    With a cool, dark, rich wood ambience it makes this a very enjoyable experience on the San Antonio Riverwalk. Their drink menu does not disappoint and they have every type of spirit you can think of. The Buffalo burger is absolutely fantastic and their spin on tomato soup was equally enjoyable. They accept Reservations and the wait staff is very friendly. This restaurant is located right in the heart of many other fun experiences along the Riverwalk. 
    Esquire TavernResponded on 6 January 2025
    Hey Greg, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our ambience, drinks, and Buffalo burger. It's always a pleasure to have you along on your next visit to Esquire Tavern. We're also glad to know that our staff was friendly and provided us with a comfortable environment. We look forward to your next visit!

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  7. Randy

    New York City

    17 reviews

    5.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on 4 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing!! Must get the Ruben and fried pickles.
    Esquire TavernResponded on 6 January 2025
    Thanks for visiting us, Randy! We're thrilled to hear that you had a 5 star experience at Esquire Tavern. Your recommendation to try the Ruben and fried pickles is spot on! We strive to provide top-notch food and service, so we're glad we hit the mark for you. We look forward to serving you again soon!

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  8. Thomas

    VIP

    San Antonio

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 1 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food and service! Drinks were craft and the chicken was amazing.
    Esquire TavernResponded on 6 January 2025
    Thanks for visiting us, Thomas! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our food and service. It's always our goal to provide a memorable dining experience with quality ingredients and top-notch service, so we're glad we hit the mark! We appreciate your feedback and look forward to serving you again soon.

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  9. Zac

    Memphis

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 30 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was amazing and our server was very friendly and attentive. I would've preferred the inside of the building to be a bit brighter and wish they had more tables with a view of the Riverwalk. Otherwise, great food. We all ordered the Esquire Burger and thought it was delicious.
    Esquire TavernResponded on 30 December 2024
    Thanks for the review, Zac! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the food and received 5 star service! We're always looking for ways to enhance our guests' experiences, and your feedback about the lighting and table spacing is duly noted. We're glad you all enjoyed the Esquire Burger! We look forward to serving you again soon.

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  10. Dana

    San Antonio

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 25 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    The atmosphere to this gem is very Texan! It’s a throw back in time. The drinks are on point with great food choices. The service is good. Can’t wait to get back! And the speak easy downstairs is totally cool!
    Esquire TavernResponded on 26 December 2024
    Thank you so much for your kind words, Dana! We're thrilled to hear that you had a 5 star experience with us. We're looking forward to serving you again soon!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Esquire Tavern offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (210) 222-2521.

Esquire Tavern is rated 4.5 stars by 655 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 16 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Esquire Tavern

155 East Commerce, San Antonio, TX 78205

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    St. Mary's
  • Area
    Downtown
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30–00:00 Fri, Sat 11:30–02:00
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Comfort Food, Dining Bar
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    ** We are OPEN during Commerce Street construction! **<br /><br />The Esquire Tavern is encircled by four parking garages and various street lots, the closest being one half block east, the Market Street Garage across from the Westin Hotel with entrances on East Commerce and Market streets. One block further East on East Commerce and Presa is the City Garage. To the West, The Rand Parking Garage on Soledad and Houston and to the North, the College Street Garage at College and St.Mary’s St.
  • Public transit
    Conveniently located in downtown on the San Antonio River, The Esquire Tavern is within walking distance from most major hotels. In addition, The Esquire is serviced by the Yellow Line Downtown Trolley conveniently located at the corner of Commerce and St. Mary’s fifty feet from our front door.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Nash Zink
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (210) 222-2521
  • Private party facilities
    We can offer the entire bar, dining room and river balcony, accommodating up to 175 guests. Our Downstairs space can also be reserved, with its 15-seat bar and two semi-private lounges which hold 30 guests each. Call well in advance of your event date — availability of the whole place is limited.
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