There’s No Good Tex Mex On The San Antonio Riverwalk

By Kelsey Kennedy | June 14, 2023

Please don’t take this to mean there’s no good Tex Mex in San Antonio. I know that this city is swimming with some of the best flour tortillas, breakfast tacos, queso, and fajitas in the world! San Antonio literally is Tex Mex. But when someone asks where to find good Tex Mex on the Riverwalk, I just have to roll my eyes…there literally is no good Tex Mex on the Riverwalk.

$There's No Good Tex Mex On The Riverwalk$

I know, I know!! It was shocking to me, too. I mean, isn’t the Riverwalk synonymous with Tex-Mex food? And isn’t the oldest Riverwalk restaurant a Tex-Mex spot? And don’t you see a million billboards for Riverwalk Tex Mex cuisine when you’re driving on I35 toward San Antonio?

Yes. These are all true.

$There's No Good Tex Mex On The Riverwalk$

Here’s why there’s no good Tex Mex on the Riverwalk:

1. The Riverwalk is for tourists.

It just is! And I’ll admit that it’s very magical during the month of December with all of its holiday lights. And I loooove the Riverwalk on a weekday morning when it’s brisk outside.

But in general, the restaurants on the Riverwalk cater to tourists. That means overpriced, low-quality food.

If you’re going to eat a plate of beef fajitas at a river-side restaurant, just know that you’ll pay about 20% more for them than you will elsewhere, and the meat might be a little too salty (extra salt hides the flavor, you know?) and kind of chewy. But if you put enough sour cream on it, it’s delicious.

$There's No Good Tex Mex On The Riverwalk$

2. Since the Riverwalk is for tourists, there’s lots of BOOZE!

This is just another fact: people drink a lot on the Riverwalk! There’s one Tex Mex restaurant that’s known for its 32-ounce margaritas.

If you drink enough tequila, all Tex-Mex food is amazing. Another truth.

$There's No Good Tex Mex On The Riverwalk$

3. You’re paying for the ambiance.

Ok, this one trips me up a little bit… The food is not amazing at these Riverwalk Tex Mex restaurants because a big part of the dining experience is the waterfront dining.

This is also true if you eat at other restaurants with views, like the Chart House at the top of the Tower of the Americas in Hemisfair San Antonio.

But (I mean a REAALLY big BUT here…), have you eaten on the Riverwalk lately? There are birds constantly trying to land on your table and eat your food. And the river water doesn’t necessarily smell amazing… It’s not really the greatest ambiance of all time. But you’ll still pay for it!

$There's No Good Tex Mex On The Riverwalk$

That’s my incredibly jaded look at Tex-Mex food on the San Antonio Riverwalk.

But also, I get that sometimes it’s just fun to eat some overpriced queso and drink pitchers of margaritas with friends on the Riverwalk. So, if your heart is really calling you to eat some fajitas near the river, here’s a guide to the best Tex-Mex on the San Antonio Riverwalk.

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