My girlfriend and I were traveling through San Antonio for the first time. We loved the river walk, but we wanted to have dinner at a place not swamped by tourists and over priced. Josephine's was only a five or ten minute drive away and was wonderful. We both had amazing steaks and Courtney was a fantastic waitress. Best of all, the entire meal was under $50 and both of us drank. I highly recommend this restaurant.
Review Source:This continues to be one of my favorite lunch & beer spots. Â
The food is always spot on, you can get an ice cold brew and the service is always unpretentious and  friendly.
Does it really get any better? Â Oh wait...there's a big tree growing right through the center of the dining room.
Josephine, Josephine... I want to love you. I really want to love you. My first visit, every thing was spot on. The chicken fried steak, the service, the dessert....of course, I came back and I brought friends. Was it great the second time? No. Everyone ate what they got, no one left very impressed. Tried agin thinking it was just a bad visit, nope. This time with a new group of family members, with plates ranging from steak to chicken. The only person that really liked their plate was the one that got chicken fried steak. They said the steak was dry and unflavorful. Still I tried again, with a new group. We both got chicken fried steak and tried the avocado dip, CFS was pretty good, dip was pretty good, mashed potatoes were straight from a box- completely flavorless and unappealing, and the water we got had a weird taste to it. Still one more time, I hoped Josephine's would get it right...it turned out worse. Same bland mashed potatoes, flat sodas (machine was busted...by 9pm, you would think they would stop serving it if it was bad), worse service, watered down avocado dip, over salted CFS.
I really want to like JSC. I love the menu, and the ambiance, but they are so inconsistent with the food and I'm exhausted trying to convince myself that it's just one bad night and the questions I get from dinner guests when they think this is the best SA has to offer.
Maybe if you grab a couple beers the food is more enjoyable, but food alone, I wouldn't recommend it.
J Street is a staple for us. Whether it's a beautiful weekend afternoon under the large shade trees on their patio, or a late-night, booze induced grub session, J Street is always on our list of casual dining options.
Is it particularly "nice" or "fancy"? No. That's not the point. The point is to grab a Lonestar or Shiner and a greasy sandwich of sorts and enjoy a place that makes our city unique.
Even though it's not listed on the menu, the Wedge Salad here is my all-time favorite. They homemake their blue cheese dressing which you can drizzle on the crispy block of iceberg that's covered in freshly cooked REAL bacon bits. I mean, let's be honest, quality bacon just makes everything better, including the wedge at Josephine Street. I also enjoy the fried chicken sandwich and recently discovered a newish menu item- beef tenderloin sandwich. A caveman-sized serving of juicy, tender meat melted together with sharp cheddar cheese and a secret tenderloin sauce. Get it.
Regardless of what you choose, don't miss the onion rings. I am an equal-opportunity onion ring lover- big, small, flaky, baked, soft, crispy...I like 'em all. But Josephine's are on the thick and crunchy side where they hold up well as you dip and bite without crumbling to bits everywhere.
Long live J Street!
BEST dinner I had while visiting San Antonio. Â
Features: Â How could one turn down a restaurant built around a tree? Â Amiright? Â The inside is chic and cozy with a southern bar feel. Â The waitstaff is friendly and gives just the right amount of service. Â Great steaks, strong liquor/beer selection, and spicy sides.
Downside: none, trick question.
Great for a date, excellent for a small group.
Have been here twice recently, thanks in part to the most recent round of buy one get one entree coupons that seem to make their way out in the mail a couple of times a year.
First visit, though I had been here before, was with my bf on a Thursday afternoon just prior to the dinner rush... Or so we thought. They were already quite busy when we arrived around 545. Though this place is old fashioned and quaint, they are somehow popular, and with that in mind, they need a better and more organized system of taking down names. When you walk in, the entrance immediately puts you standing amid seated diners with busy employees rushing by. If you're lucky, a designated person, usually an older woman, eventually notices you and puts your name down on the list. Then you can either wait outside on the curb, right next to traffic, standing at the bar directly in the path of servers making their way to and from the kitchen, or standing in the outdoor dining area, directly next to seated patrons, which can't be pleasant for them, either. But I digress.
First visit was absurdly long. We were seated just as two other tables by us were, one of whom had the same server. We all placed our orders within a minute or two of one another, yet the other two tables both received their orders and were well on their way to finishing by the time our waitress stopped by to say that ours would be out in a moment. Ultimately we waited just over 15 minutes for an under- (or maybe just un- ) seasoned rare steak and a slightly cold chicken fried steak, with sides of mashed potatoes and onion rings(which were soggy and seemed old). On the plus side, our server was always passing by and my water glass was refilled no less than 6 times... Which I guess makes a small dent in how hungry I became, sitting just in front of the kitchen and seeing everyone else's meals come out faster than ours. I suspect she forgot to put our order in, but who knows. I regret to say this was reflected in her tip.
Second visit was this past week, also early, with my mother. We had similar issues with timing despite arriving slightly earlier. She also ordered the large steak, also rare, but with fries p, while I had the new featured sirloin sandwich with avocado, tomato, and prime sauce with onion rings. This time, knowing we were hungry, we added the spinach artichoke appetizer, at the recommendation of our server. The app was okay, but seemed to be missing something, or slightly incomplete. It really seemed as though someone had scooped it and served it when it was sitting out on a counter only partway through the completed recipe. Oh well.
This time around, we noticed other tables complaining about the food delivery delay and receiving comped salads and apologies, so maybe this is the norm for the, and it just has yet to be addressed? I really have no idea, but I managed to be more patient this time.
Moms steak arrived, also suspiciously late considering it was, again, rare, but the fries are actually noteworthy. Rather than the generic steak fry I was expecting. The side consisted of the round, sliced potato fries, which I love. Points were gained with this minimal difference.
M sandwich was tasty but surprisingly messy. Though it was a good combination, the ingredients of the mushy sirloin and ripe avocados somehow did not work well with the ripe lettuce and juicy to,stores, and the resulting mess disassembled as I tried in vain to eat it without getting it all over myself. I have no idea with was in the creamy yellow "prime sauce", but I could not get enough of it!
Unfortunately the onion rings again seemed old and soggy, and somehow over fried, if such a thing exists? Maybe there was just too much breaking or maybe it wasn't as finely ground as it should have been, but my mothers experience was marred by her choice to eat the complimentary onion ring atop her steak first- only to have its sharp, fried edges cut the roof of her mouth. Not intentional on anyone's part, and possibly not preventable, but it was an unpleasant at best start to her entree. She ended up boxing more than half of our combined orders to take home.
We will likely be back at some point in the future, particularly as this promotion repeats, but for the life of me I cannot figure out why this place stays busy or is so popular.
Come for the ambiance, stay for the cold chicken!
I'm always interested in trying new places for lunch downtown, but my curiosity took me a bit farther one afternoon. I've driven by Josephine St. Cafe many a time and I've never once gotten the itch to try it. Maybe I wasn't wooed by the novelty of a dilapidated old building, maybe I wasn't impressed by the giant oak sprouting up through the middle of the establishment... I don't know. But I can now say for certain that there isn't a whole lot more to it than those gimmicks that could entice new customers.
I usually take a late lunch to forego the seething throngs of business people who jam up the midday meal works, but it didn't help me any at Jo St.; it was just as busy after 1:00 p.m. as I imagine it would be at high noon. I ordered one of the specials for the day, which happened to be Acapulco Chicken. Now before I delve into the food, let me first address what should have been my first red flag in regard to the competency of the restaurant: the lunch special is described on the menu as coming with a garden salad and ONE side. So I tell the waitress that I want the special and I proactively offer the side that I want. She then asks what I want for my OTHER side. Well, I'm flummoxed... I thought I misread the menu and was entitled to TWO sides instead of one. This unexpected boon filled me with excitement and I completely forgot to tell her what kind of dressing I wanted on my salad. Turns out I didn't need to because she absolutely assumed I wanted TWO sides, not a garden salad and ONE side, which is exactly how the menu states the daily lunch special is served. Why would a server purposely suggest an alteration to the menu? Just serve it to me like you say you're going to and accommodate me if I ask for a change.
At any rate, I missed the salad and ate my chicken and two sides. I imagine the chicken would have been somewhat tasty if it had been warm. I'm not sure if the cool pico de gallo served over top chilled it out or if my brilliant waitress left it on the counter too long before serving it, but it was definitely room temperature at best. So I started in on the side that I didn't really want, but apparently chose in lieu of my garden salad: the mashed potatoes. They're served mushy as all get-out with a gravy (optional) that is almost the same mushy consistency as the potatoes themselves. I felt like I was eating a side of potato skin-seasoned slop ("More, please.") in some tree-infested orphanage. At least the side of broccoli I DID ask for was decent and warmer than the rest of the food on the plate, which isn't saying much since they could have served me a dead squirrel garnished with watercress and it would have given off more heat.
All in all, I can say I satisfied my curiosity (and not much else) at Jo St. I shan't be returning. But based on their high-volume lunch, turn-and-burn attitude, and gimmick-oriented establishment, I doubt they'll be missing any diners with integrity. I guess eating there is fine if you want to say you've been to a San Antonio restaurant with a bit of history and a big effing tree in the middle of it, but if you're a regular, I am inclined to inform you that I'm opening up a shanty in my backyard around an old spruce and I'd be more than happy to charge $20 for you and a date to sit in it for an hour with no food and no service.
Enjoyed the ambiance (cool old building, near Pearl Brewery) and service was friendly. But the food was a disappointment...the 12 oz. ribeye was incredibly flabby and tasteless save for some of the lemon butter that it was sitting in. Mashed potatoes tasted fine, nothing special, but unfortunately were topped with a lukewarm, floury-tasting gravy (SAD!). Onion ring was giant but lacked flavor. Lastly, the meal was pretty pricey - about $17 for a warm, gloopy shot of fat to the arteries.
Review Source:First the good. Â The ambiance is everything everyone says it is: funky, from another time, incredibly unique and charming. Â If you ever saw "Fried Green Tomatoes" you know the kind of restaurant you're getting, as far as atmosphere.
Quite a hike up the Paseo del Rio from the tourist area, but it's a pleasant walk and you'll get to see a part of the river few tourists do.  The restaurant itself is three or four blocks off the river, and you'll have to walk through a "scary" old industrial/commercial area  to get to it, but - like most everything else in S.A. it's safe.  Dirty and old doesn't mean "dangerous."  :o)
Next the middling... the food. Â First off you're always asked about your drink order. Â I wanted wine. Â Their wine list was actually better than I expected (I don't think the Whistle Stop Cafe had wine at all), but it wasn't outstanding. Â They advertise a "reserve" wine list at "exceptional prices. Â By the bottle only. Â I'm no expert, but judging by the names I did recognize, the "exceptional" part refers to the exceptionally high prices as compared to the wine shop.
After delivering my wine (not the exceptional one, just a glass), the waitress went through the usual routine.  Since this is a  steak house, I had a "regular" (9 oz.) rib-eye, medium.  "And your two sides?"  Mashed potatoes and green beans. "Thanks, hon."
A plate of four slices of sandwich bread from the grocery store constituted the bread basket, but that just added to the charming, old-style diner ambiance. Â The main plate came out quickly, which was nice, but.... uh, the steak had been pan fried, not grilled! Â Doh! Â That's the way they cooked in diners in the forties! Â Once I wrapped my head around that, I dug in. Â It's "home cooking, alright - bland. Â I never add salt to ANYTHING, ever, but I had to salt the beef and potatoes (mashed with skins on, btw). Â The steak had been maybe 1/2 inch before frying, so after shrinkage it was down to a bit over 1/4 inch thick. Â It was correctly cooked medium though, so the chef DID know what he was doing. Â The green beans were very good, however - as a good home cook can do. Â They had Ro-Tel tomatoes and bacon grease in them. Â YUM!
Finally, the bad - the bill. Â Remember when the waitress routinely asked "and your two sides?" Â At any mid-class restaurant, what does that NOT mean? Â that sides are ALL "a-la-carte." Â $3 for the potatoes, another $3 for the green beans. Â I might expect this at a white-linen-tablecloth restaurant with valet parking a maitre-d' and a sommelier, but not at a place that advertises itself as a "casual roadhouse." Â If the meal had been it's expected $11, I would have called it a good value. Â As it was - no. Â WAY overpriced at $17. Â Get a better meal at Chili's or somewhere like that.
Now, I do have to finish up with something nice to say. Â Despite misleading me on the pricing structure, the server/waitress was very pleasant, attentive, etc..
In summary - go for the atmosphere, not for the food.
Well at least the sweet tea & tomatillo-avacado dip was delicious. It's listed as a steakhouse but unfortunately the rare ability is somewhat lacking. Cured with taste like a lot of lime juice the sirloin cut was lacking flavorfulness. The brocolli was a surprise as it is cooked with lemon juice but if it's not what you're expecting it's a surprise. Due to expressed disappointment our check took an extensive amount of time to arrive. But I'm sure other's have had better experiences. For a rare steak so far favorites are Longhorn and Tx Roadhouse. Maybe the should snag their chefs?
Review Source:The sign on the windows says STEAKS - WHISKEY. Â And do they have that, in spades. Â But they've got a lot more too, not just food.
I love the cool old building - it can fee a little cramped inside sometimes, and the old wooden floors are uneven (careful with this after sampling the wares of the full bar!!), but this just adds to the charm. Â The pictures on the wall of the various staffs, going all the way back to the early 80's are sure to intrigue (see if you can spot my wife in more than a few of them!) Â The cow/chicken/pig/fish drawing, each urging you to eat one of the others, has been on the chalkboard above the kitchen since the early 2000's. Â And of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the HUGE tree growing right through the middle of the restaurant: Â there's a HUGE tree growing right through the middle of the restaurant! Â It's so easy to see how all this, the great food, and the friendly staff make this place an institution in San Antonio.
Steaks here are always very good and prepared exactly how you order them. Â I'd also say they're "affordable" - don't really know of any other places where you can get comparable steaks for such a reasonable price. Â If you don't feel like a steak proper, there are hamburgers available, as well as pork, chicken and fish dishes. Â All of them are as good as the steaks. Â And of course, there's no place else that has the old tree, building, or staff.
Get dessert. Â I'm just telling you that right now. Â Even if you're full, get dessert. Â I recommend splitting the Toll House pie (with huge vanilla ice cream scoops!) between two (but no more) people. Â Any more than 2 and you'll each be left wanting - trust me!
This is a great place for dinner if you're headed downtown for the evening, over to Pearl for a special event, or if you just want to enjoy some local color for the evening. Â It's also open for lunch too, with all the same great menu selections. Â Totally non-pretentious, puro San Anto place - all are welcome!
We went here last night for the first time after two years of living in San Antonio. Â We were always intrigued with the tree in the building and the neon lights stating, "Whiskey," Â "Steak." Â
Got  here are ound 7:30 p.m. and the place was pretty full.  As soon as we walked in a nice waitress told us to sit anywhere.  There was one booth in the back - Score!
We had onion rings for an appetizer (the waitress asked if we wanted half - FYI it's only a $1 off - next time I'm spending the $1 and getting a full order). Â They are some of the best I've had. Â Not greasy, they were crisp and the guy brought out ranch for dipping sauce (after asking what we would like to dip them in - I always used ketchup before). Â Heaven on earth! Â
We ordered the shrimp and peppercorn ribeye special which my hubby and I split up to have some "surf and turf." Â It was all really good. Â The green beans have a unique spice to them and were excellent. Â
The margaritas were really good too but here's a hint we learned after our first round -- on the menu it states $4 something for a margarita -- you can get twice that amount for $2 more ($6 something) for just asking for a large one. Yes please!
We we will be back. Â Great experience! Â I can't believe we waited so long.
I grew up in San Antonio, and this is one of my favorite restaurants where "the locals" eat. Â It's a noisy little cafe in an old house with a tree growing right in the middle. Â The food is really great. I love the Ribeye steak. Â Prices are very reasonable. Â
My son is a chef and owns 2 restaurants up in Maine, but when he comes home for a visit, this is the first place he wants to go...It is also where I take out of town visitors wanting a fun and good meal cooked by the locals...
Gotta love a place that has a huge tree growing in the middle of it.. totally reminds me of home -- and I love the wacky weird vibe of this place.
I went here for lunch with a group of 10 -- and they got us in and out in a totally reasonable amount of time. Which was great considering the size of our group -- and we were there on a Friday -- the place was pretty busy -- so I was really impressed. Â And our waitress was friendly.
I got the burger -- and it was yummy! My colleagues all enjoyed their selections as well.. the salads were good! Prices were very reasonable. Good location and lots of parking.
I can't wait to go back -- and bring a friend or two or ten! What can I say I'm a sucker for a great burger, great service, and a little bit of weirdness and unusualness.
Give it a try!
The neon signs on the outside boast whiskey and steaks. The steak was decent. The whiskey collection was average.
BUT, this place is cool and way funky. It sits in the midst of more high falutin places like Sandbar and Il Sogno but holds its own with its charm and good eats. Uneven wooden floors, rickety tables, friendly staff and good home cooking. Â The onion rings are some of the best I've had in a long time. Â
The food was a little under salted for my taste but I'd rather have that than the other side of the coin. Of course, I've been known to salt a bacon cheeseburger so I don't know if I'm the best judge of appropriate saltiness.
We just missed happy hour but they had domestic beers for 2 bucks a pop. I will be going back to try the catfish.
Decided to give this place a try after reading some great reviews. Im so grateful for Yelp! it makes it easy to pick our next new restaurant to try. We are big steak eaters and we were not disappointed in the least. The atmosphere and waitstaff were friendly. Shrimp was also made very well. We will definitely be coming back over and over.
lOVE THE TREE IN THE MIDDLE!!!!!
Totally Texas, funky, out of the way place. The tree in the middle, uneven floor, outdoor seating and intimate space make it one of a kind and worth the trip just for the experience.
The portions are pretty large and a decent value - no complaints about the quality of food or service.
The only issue is the open kitchen, which during the lunch rush spews out grease, smoke and fumes. Yay for the great smells, not so much for the sticky greasy feeling you get after sitting for an hour.
This is what one would expect by a dive place: a tree growing in the middle of the restaurant and very loud. Â Plus a schuttle bus for all Spurs home games. Â
The steaks are not aged beef good, but still pretty good. Â Appetizers were definately a meat lovers dream. Â
Service was pretty good considering our visit was on a Friday PM. Â Definately would come back.
Josephine Street Cafe is a terrific experience with good food. Housed in a 100-year-old building, history is hard to escape, from the terribly uneven floor (walk carefully) to the trunk of the 500-year-old tree that occupies the center of the place. Â It has a casual and unassuming atmosphere.
Service is top-notch. Â The friendly bartender knew how to mix great drinks. And our server couldn't have been more cheerful and attentive.
The place is known for steaks, and let's be frank: Â This will not be the best steak you've ever had. Â But, it will be a good cut of meat well prepared--and it probably will cost you less than $16. (There's only one steak over $16 on the menu.) Â The sides are plentiful and delicious--both the house fries and mashed potatoes were very good, and the side salad was fresh (although not the most diverse salad ever). Blue cheese lovers should give the blue cheese dressing a try.
If you want an impressive steak in impressive surroundings, go elsewhere. If you want to relax, enjoy good food at a great price, and soak up atmosphere, this is the place for you.
We decided to go after seeing that there were several Yelp Elites giving this place a good review. Â Also, their web site touted a free shuttle to the Spurs game, our ultimate destination. Â This is a San Antonio classic. Â It's an old, old house with undulating floors, tilted tables and chairs and zero pretensions at anything. Â Chicken fried steak (which my son said was excellent) for $7.95! Â Actually cheaper than the glass of wine. Â Wine list is adequate for this type of place.
I had a $12 rib-eye. Â It was great. Â They've got fish, chile con queso, burgers, pork chops. Â The lot. Â Food was very good, but don't expect it to be Ruth's Chris. Â It's a local hangout with nice people, good service, good food, and A FREE SHUTTLE TO THE SPURS GAME.
Josephine Street Cafe is now our official stop off place before going to the Spurs game.
How have I not reviewed this place yet? This place friggin WINS! It's literally down the street from my corporate office, so whenever i'm in town, I always make it a point to eat at the Cafe.
Sat outside on a b'gorge day. I had a cheeseburger this time around and it was deeeelish! Cooked perfect med-rare. Their fries are really not your typical fries, there more like chips...but uber potato-y. Some other co-workers had a the chicken fried steak, pork chops and grilled chicken. I mean, you can't get much more of a variety anywhere right?
The service is always great, the people are so friendly. They have daily specials and the food is so good all the time.
Apparently they have amazing steak and whiskey. Mix both. Obviously.
The inside is like none you've ever seen....def watch your step inside, you'll get it once you're there. Especially if you've been drinking (see above reference).
All in all, great for lunch or dinner. Do it. Josephine treats you right!
I was super excited to try this place for two reasons. I had heard the dinning room was built around a tree and their Seafood was to die for. Which it is impecable.
When you pull up to Josephine Street Cafe you will see a little white building and picket fences surrounding a tree shaded patio.
Once you enter watch your step! There are little, well big roots of the tree that cause the creaky wood floor to shift and bump unexpectedly. A Bar lines a wall with a very good selection of alcohol neatly shelved and light up so it is easy for you to see.
The setting is very peaceful. The staff is so helpful and friendly.
Prices are reasonable. Alot of comfort food on this menu. But you do have the option of grilling some of the friend entrees.
Great place to catch up with friends, meet with family, and enjoy a truly unique atmosphere.
Like all of the other reviewers who weighed in on Josephine Street Cafe`, I am charmed by its acquiescence to the giant tree, as well as its lopsided floors and seating. Â
Some interesting fare to be had here, too: a lot of comfort food, as well as some unusual offerings (pecan and raspberry pie??).
I chose one of the daily specials, peppered steak. Â My selection came with a salad and a side. Â I opted for pinto beans - peppery but tasty - and, for a dollar more, the wilted salad. Â The salad was good; not your typical wilt, though, with hot dressing - more like a chopped cobb salad marinated in a lemon vinaigrette. Â The steak was decent enough - more pepper than I cared for, though, so I scraped about half of the peppercorns off, and had a yummy entree.
Service was - for the most part - very good, and my server was prompt and personable. Â In addition, portions are generous and affordably priced!
Josephine Street has so much character. Â Love the gigantic old tree growing in the middle of the restaurant and the booths that lean. Â We became fans shortly after moving to SA 6 years ago and keep returning. Â This is definitely a place to indulge and order something fried and delicious. Â We ordered chicken fried steak and savored every last bite of it.
+Friendly staff
+Chicken fried steak & gravy = delicious!
+BOGO free entree offer in Entertainment book
-Onion rings lack flavor
We've never sat outside, but it would be a great place to eat and order a drink!
When I walked into Josephine St Cafe I felt like I was stepping back in time. There's a huge tree trunk inside the front of the restaurant that apparently used to be a 500 year old tree growing through the building and out of the top of the roof. The floor is wooden and uneven (cool, but uncomfortable if you're sitting at an angle for the whole meal), and the entire building smells like good things cooking.
The food is another story. The steaks are bland, possibly previously frozen things. The fault isn't with the cooks as my steak was cooked to exactly my specifications. It just wasn't very good quality meat, which really affects the flavor. I hate using steak sauce (good steaks don't need it), but I had to reach for the A1 while eating here.
The onion rings use high quality onions, but the batter just tastes like salt and breadcrumbs; it's very bland.
The mashed potatoes are great, and so is the gravy. I also can't say enough good things about their desserts; they're absolutely delicious!
There's also a (small) full bar off to one side of the restaurant to fulfill the whisky part of the "Steaks" and "Whisky" signs in the front windows, but the bar isn't anything I'd feel uncomfortable eating near even with kids.
The wait staff was friendly enough, but we had to wait a LONG time to get our check, and refills on our drinks also took much longer than they should have.
Overall, this place is just barely above mediocre. What a waste of a GREAT atmosphere.
On a Saturday night the desire for steak and my love of eatin local brought my bf and I to Josephine St Cafe. It was close to 8pm and the place was full but there was only a 5min wait and we got a booth. Bonus!
Our waitress was less than observant, but adequate and brought beer wi/little glasses, water and took our order w/o suggestions or comment.
16oz bone in strip w/fries and 8oz sirloin w/onion rings where ordered. The atmosphere is great! Pretty good onion rings. (I like the ones across the parking lot at Sam's better tho) Sadly I won't come back for more bland beef that was completely lacking in seasoning/flavor. The strip steak was plated badly, tough, untrimmed w/o flavor and his sirloin was not cooked medium rare, closer to well done. Â Bleh. Gotta buy a grill and make a better steak.
I feel like anytime an establishment builds around a tree so they don't have to cut it down, they deserve a try! And that's just what you'll find inside Josephine Street Cafe, a dining room built around an enormous tree that is 500 years old according to staff! Outside you'll find a great tree-shaded patio that is a favorite spot among locals to grab a beer or two before a night out or a Spur's game.
Jo Street is famous for two of my favorite things: steak and whisky; if you don't believe me, just read the neon signs on the window! The steaks here are gigantic if you aren't careful, so order wisely. Â My most recent meal here was the blackened Cajun Chicken and it was phenomenal. Â Blackened to a crisp outside but warm and moist inside and full of delectable, spicy flavor that just melted in my mouth. Â The cilantro sauce on the side was heavenly and I had mine with a simple salad as the side instead of the tastier choice of onion rings or french fries, but if you're down try one of those, as they are simply fabulous themselves. Â If you're leaning toward the salad, no worries, you will still get a giant onion ring atop every piece of meat you order from JSC.
The prices are very, very affordable. Â Priscilla W. sums it up nicely, "We had cocktails, app, steaks, sides - all tasty, all under $40 for 2 people!" Â And the service is pretty prompt and friendly, even if they were a bit caught off by my questions about the tree (sorry! (:)
Need comfort food in an iconic San Antonio building or just love to eat around old trees? Â Hit up Josephine Street Cafe, you won't be disappointed!
Love this place! Quality steak, cool atmosphere, rediculously affordable prices. We had cocktails, app, steaks, sides - all tastey, all under $40 for 2 people! I am not exaggerating either. You could easily confuse this steak with some fancy overpriced steakhouse. But Josephine does it with a really cool, casual, inviting atmosphere, no frills, just good food.
Whisky.Steak. They are not kidding.
Went here last Friday night and was very pleased! The decor was down home and I loved that they built around the tree! They were pretty busy when we got there around 7:30, but the wait was only 10 min. We were seated and even with a full house, the service was good. The food took a bit, so on a busy night I recommend you order an appetizer. I noticed many tables were doing this and we should have taken the hint. But nonetheless, when our food did arrive it was cooked to perfection!
I ordered the rainbow trout grilled with broccoli. My boyfriend ordered liver & onions with fried onion rings. Liver can easily turn tough, but his was tender and some of the best liver & onions I've had. The onion rings were light tasting for fried onion rings. My fish was grilled perfectly and the broccoli was steamed just right. My favorite though was the liver and onions!
The prices were reasonable and though we didn't utilize it, they do have a full bar. I wish I could write more, but we didn't order a whole lot that night. I do plan to go back!!
I've been here a few times, the food is always good. Â This last time, my steak was cooked wrong, but they fixed it immediately. Â
My biggest gripes are that they don't split checks. Â This was a problem when i've been there for work and for pleasure.
I disagree with it being a good place for groups, both the inside and outside are very tiny. Â If you have more than 4 people, you may have to wait quite a while.
Great for Steaks and a Brew-
I just had a holiday dinner there with friends and I thought that this was the such a great place to have a good time!
I had the anticuchos which are actually on the appetizer menu but I get them usually as my meal. They are 2 little skewers of tenderized and marinated beef tips that burst with flavor in your mouth. Seriously the only place in town that has them that I know of other than NIOSA during Fiesta. They are accompanied with chips and a creamy salsa. I opted for their homemade fries and their famous house salad known as the wilt. Don't be alarmed- it is only wilted because it is soaked in the dressing- its fresh I promise. My husband that day got the special- the pecan crusted trout- he stated that it was flavorful, juicy, and served fresh with broccoli that was a little too much engulfed by butter.
Spirits- Well the bloody mary they make is pretty darn tasty- its not too spicy and I always take it with 3 olives...my husband chose whiskey after dinner and a modelo negro for the meal.
You can't go wrong in this very old quaint bar and restaurant. It is such a unique place that is great for a date night or a large group-
Today's lunch: at Steak and Whisky on Josephine St. I had a daily special: Chicken breast with garden salad, mashed potatoes and broccoli ($6.99)
It was yummy!!! The chicken breast was perfectly grilled - nicely brown outside and very juicy and soft inside. Good seasoning, not to salty. Mashed potatoes were soft but not runny, broccoli steamed just right.
The place, located in a old, historical building, was crowded at the lunch time, but the service was prompt and friendly. Patio seats available, plenty of parking space. I will definitely go back!
Last time I reviewed this local fave was in January of this year. Â Tonight, on the verge of a rainstorm, I review it again and find that I had the exact meal as I did nine months ago. Â I am the king of consistency: the king Saiz of consistency.
Always have loved the little beer glasses at this joint. Where can I snag me a set?
Sausage and queso for the appetizer as usual, apparently, but it is oh so good. Â I don't seem to remember the queso being on the side but it was a good idea as we could slather the queso on the heart attack on a plate appetizer as we desired. Â This appetizer is so delicious. Â You must try it.
So sitting under the light of the blue neon sign which reads steaks, it hits me, order the rib eye steak dorkus maximus. If we would have sat in the exact opposite side of the building the blue neon sign reads whiskey. Â How different my night could have been.
Rib eye steak was a bit fatty but still full of flavor. Â Those mashed potatoes are always tasty too.
Then the rain hit. Â A stampede of people ran into the little building from the eating patio to escape the downpour. Â As every table was already occupied they just stood around with their drinks and plates. Â Those funny pictures did not come out clearly with the poor lighting in the restaurant and the poor iPhone camera.
This is a place we often frequent before a Spurs game but the neighborhood is changing.  S says the Liberty Bar next door is moving to Southtown and will be replaced by a parking garage.  Makes me wonder how much longer Josephine Street Café will be around too?  Go quickly and enjoy before they are BOTH gone.
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