Oh La Tuna. With your welcoming entrance of a grave yard of bottle caps and your open oh so aired pic nic seating.. We've been friends for a while. Weather I am hanging out at blue star or just cycling around you great me with tasty eats and good cold beer. Â I always reccomend popping over here for a good beer ( CASH only!) or for a burger! The service is prompt and affordable and they have live music a lot of the time!
Review Source:I visited La Tuna last night for dinner after a nice run. I ordered the Blackened Fish Taco plate and a side salad with the house dressing. The salad was big, which I liked (that's what she said) and the dressing was tasty. I would recommend putting a little bit more dressing on the salad because a lot of it was dry. I moved onto the fish tacos and napolitos (green cactus, I believe) The portions were perfect and I was very happy with the amount of food I received for around 17 bucks (with $2 tip). The fish was well seasoned and the Napolito salad had a cool refreshing finish. The only thing I did not like was the fact that the tacos were too wet (said no man ever), I believe this was due to the grease of the tacos. I would prefer that contrast of the moisture of the fish versus the dryness of the tortillas. Other than that I enjoyed the outdoor environment and I ate all my food except the wet tortillas.
Review Source:What a cool outdoor bar! Â I'll be meandering in often - here's why:
Imagine my surprise when my boyfriend arrived with change on a $20 of $16.50. Â This was because he brought back TWO BEERS! Â Lone star is $1.75. Â I repeat, beer that costs $1.75!!
BEER: La Tuna has a selection about 30 bottles deep with bocks, pale ales, and pilsners. Â Prices range from $1.50 on the low end and $4 on the high. Â Everything is ice cold and delicious.
FOOD from La Tuna Grill next door is fresh and spicy and delicious. Â We ordered chips and salsa as well as the chicken chalupas. Â Both are big servings with fresh salsa and lots of veggies.
Great neighborhood bar, for sure, especailly with the picnic tables and the bottle caps on the floor!
$$$ only and no ATM, just cash back
As Austin struggles to find it's new-old self on the East Side, I am reminded that instead of a 5 minute drive, one can take the 75min drive to San Antonio for something slightly less hip, more authentic, and a bit tastier. In doing so, you would discover La Tuna.
La Tuna is a taco joint with a small indoor seating area and a separate bar/ice-house/cantina. If you can stomach a bit of walking, get your fish tacos from the restaurant building, Â your beers from the ice-house and just plant yourself outside.
The bar was run by a cool dude from Colarado. OK, well I probably just lost all of my credibility using this place of a model of "authenticity". But the fish tacos are just so damn good! Juicy and tasty. Find them and savor them. Oh, and while you're down there check out some things called the "Alamo" and the "River Walk" which will feel like they are miles away.
Can't not love La Tuna. I've been here so many times and just love to chill out with a Woodchuck and a friend or four. And, since it's situated right on a corner, a slight breeze comes through on summer nights (sometimes!) and on the cooler nights of autumn, go nowhere else!
During my last visit here on a Sunday, a food truck was parked in front, and La Tuna allowed anyone to bring the truck's food to their patio (of course with consumption of La Tuna's adult beverages).
They have excellent prices and usually a bottle on special.
Pretty dive-y and very cool :)
I give this place 3.5 stars. Reason being, CASH ONLY bar. How is this possible in a day and age where people no longer carry cash. Second reason, I see a row of about 25 bottled beers lined up. I ask for a Ziegenbock and well guess what...no Ziegenbock...lol. Well OK, plus side is I get to try a new beer. We ordered at La Tuna Grill some chips & queso and I also ordered the spinach artichoke soup. My soup & our chips were brought out very quickly by the servers. We were barely getting our drinks at the bar which is across the way when they walked up with our food. My soup was very good and the atmosphere was very laid back. I will def go back to try the lamb everyone is raving about and also bring cash for the bar.
Review Source:This is one of the places I missed the most when I left SA for a bit. There's nothing better than sitting on the patio with good friends and a cold beer. I've never had a problem there with anything, to include the patrons or staff. I definitely dig the mingling of characters there as I've seen everyone from tourists to bikers to young families. Be warned though, as Jennifer said earlier, the bar is CASH ONLY. The kitchen part does take cards though. Wifey always big-ups the fried mushrooms, and I've yet to be disappointed with any of the entrees. Also, this is definitely a good weather-only place as about 98% of the seating is outside, mostly uncovered (though there are some trees). So beware if there's rain or heat in the forecast. Otherwise, enjoy.
Review Source:If you asked dive bars to take you to their leader, they would bring you here! Â Super cute location with tons of personality & a great selection of very inexpensive beer to boot! Â
If you're riding your bike or just visiting the art galleries in Southtown, this should be high on your list of stops. Â I know they used to play movies on Tuesday nights outside, but I'm not sure if they do anymore. Â And it's a pretty laid back mix of people who like to come here, so you get a very comfortable vibe.
I have been numerous times and love taking newbies there. Â It's a joint molded after my own heart. Â Super laid back with great, non-pretentious, totally pronounceable food items.
FYI:
The majority of the seating is outside, on picnic tables amongst rocks and bottle caps under sweeping Christmas lights - so make sure it is a nice day. Â
They accept credit cards/debit cards and cash for food BUT for their beer selection (the only alcohol they have) they ONLY ACCEPT CASH $.
Sometimes they even have live music :-)
I finally had the pleasure of visiting this quaint establishment after all the years of being legal drinking age. All I can say is La Tuna where have you been all my life?
I don't even know if I can describe this as a dive bar it's more like hanging out in your best friend's garage who happens to have beer & makes you pay for it.
I had to privilege to meet Eddie the bartender and Max a local patron, two of the finest guys to come across my path. Now don't come here for the imports because unless GLI, Bud, or Miller can obtain them you won't find any. Bottles only & cash only. However, a hop skip and jump to Blue Star will lead you to an ATM.
You must stop in and hang out for a couple, enjoy what couple of weeks of nice weather we may have. Oh and get a tetanus shot prior to the visit.....or wear real shoes.
cheap good food in abundant portions. great beer at good prices. This place draws an eclectic crowd.
The beer shack outside is cash only so make sure to bring some if you want to drink beer. For the food, you order inside and they bring it out to you. There is indoor seating but they also have a huge outdoor area with scattered picnic tables.
I'm a big fan of the fish tacos and the slider burgers are also pretty tasty.
This is the dive bar that defines dive bars!
Walk in and crunch your way to the front. Make sure you wear shoes heavier than chanclas because this outdoor venue's ground is covered with rusty bottle caps. Super Texas. I love it.
Settled in front of La Tuna Grill (shock - who would have figured) is this exceptional little dive bar. It appears to be little more than a store front. They keep COLD beer on draft and in bottles at super cheap prices. You can't go wrong.
Go to hear. If it's a bit of a drive for you, get a cab. You won't regret it!
Well, maybe 4.5 stars. Â My only complaint is a limited beer selection (no micro brews here, folks). Â But the beers we got were ice cold; so refreshing when the temps reach 100!
If you're looking to get a local community feel, La Tuna is the place for you. Â The tradition of the ice house is super interesting, and the neighborhood atmosphere holds true since the 1800s. Â This is an excellent place to relax for an evening of socializing.
The bottle caps that adorn the surrounding grounds verify this as an authentic ice house. Â Just make sure your tetanus booster is up to date!
I've been here twice, and let me start off with this place is typical San Antonio, so if you like that scene, you should have dinner here. You order inside, and someone will bring the food to you, you decide to sit either inside the restaurant or outside, if you sit outside, prepare to sit on dirty park benches, but if you sit inside, be prepared to eat in pure humidity, apparently this place does not believe in A/C. I've had fish tacos, and the quesadilla appetizer, both were actually really good, price and portions are decent. If you want to order beer, you'll have to order it outside in a separate booth type place, and its cash only!
I'm still really confused on why this is the highest rated restaurant in S.A..uhmm yeah its not
Awesome outdoor open place to hang out with and have a cold drink to cool you down from the warm breeze and humidity. Me I ordered the topo chico mmm wow I never liked mineral water but this was good. Before walking over to order food a cat walked up with a dead mouse in mouth, flopped on the ground, and played with it. Ok... should I order food here?! The staff quickly came over to take the mouse away from the cat to trash it. Poor kitty... =( Haha... I ended up getting grilled fish tacos, bomb! Be sure to ask for spicy salsa and chillies on the side so that you don't have to make several trips walking on old bottle caps to the restaurant building.
Review Source:As always, great atmosphere. For some reason I hadn't tried the lamb sandwich until today.
When I took the first bite, I immediately pictured the face of this sad little lamb staring at me with sad little lamb eyes.
Then I started thinking that that poor little lamb probably had a family.
Then I started thinking that I should come back and eat that lamb's family tomorrow, because they tasted freaking amazing!
I am so glad that I drove all the way to La Tuna for the one thing people keep raving about: Â Lamb Sandwich. Â Wow. Â The lamb was juicy, flavorful, and plentiful. Â The creamy goat cheese added some tanginess and the peach chutney a subtle sweetness that made this sandwich downright addictive. Â The hoagie, although nothing out of this word, was a good vehicle for the contents. Â It held up to all of the juices and its flavor did not get in the way of the others. Â I also added some jalapenos for some heat and a bit of crunch. Â The nopalitos salad with shallot and tomatoes was crisp, refreshing, and creative. Â A great side to go with a great sandwich.
La Tuna Grill is small, clean, and it has an old-school feel to it. Â The employees are friendly and the prices are just right.
Cool outside bar. I couldn't say it is really a dive bar exactly. It is an open air bar serving only beer and wine. LOVED the creative flooring idea which was old bottle caps on the ground.. I ordered food next door (La Tuna Grill) and picked up some wine at the bar and sat down in what is almost like a park like setting just without all the kids. Tons of shaded spaces to sit in which the seats are picnic tables. I really liked it and the food at La Tuna was good.. Â
Patrons were of a mixed crowd. You had your motorcycle crowd, the families, the hipsters and the grandparents who I loved to watch. A cute older couple just sipping on a beer. The woman in her dolman sleeve dress was super cute.
Note: It is a little hard to find. I got lost. Just go past the railroad tracks past the Blue Star Art Space.. There is no big street signage.
Wow! What a freaking surprise! I got there looking at the dirty benches and bottle cap floor and thought to myself - what the hell am I doing here!?! And then the food came. So FREAKING GOOD. It was all worth the bites I got all over my legs and the flies flying into my food and drinks.
Get the rib eye sandwich. You shall not be disappointed!! Oh and the fish tacos are delish too! Oh and the fried mushrooms! Yum...
Don't you hate it when somebody gives one star because the place is closed? Â
"One star.
I went to la tuna for lunch today and they weren't serving food! Â OMG, i drove all the way across town! Â The bartender was nice and i had some cheap beers, but i can't believe they were closed, why didn't they call me personally! Â It's not on their website WTF!"
Yeah they were closed for renovations, but the beer was cheap and the bartender nice. Â Not sure when they will be open again but i'll be dropping by again
One of the reasons I enjoy yelping is because I like forcing my opinions upon people. Well, people, prepare to be forced upon.
For lunch today, I visited La Tuna Grill for the first time. It's quaint and very Puro San Antonio - rusty metal shingles, bottle-cap "gravel" in the yard, tons of cactus, and an "older than it really is" feeling about the building.
I was surprised at the menu options. For the kinda-run-down look of the place, the menu had things I wasn't expecting... lamb-burger? Things with goat cheese on them? Gardenburgers!??!
I chose the blackened fish tacos with nopalitos on the side. Yum. Two tacos per order, and they were gigantic tacos. However, I only had to eat one of those tacos, as I traded a taco for half of my lunchmate's lamb sandwich. Poor, sweet, naive Krys had no idea what she was doing when she traded... SUCKER! While the fish tacos were amazing, the roasted lamb sandwich was UUUH-MAZING. It was topped with peach chutney (just saying it makes me want to eat a bucket of it... chutney. CHUTney...) and covered in melted goat cheese. What? Sorry, I can't hear you when I'm drooling so hard.
The nopalito salad on the side was a good change from fries or the like, and I cleaned my plate better (and more quickly) than I have in a long time. Momma would be proud.
Sit inside at one of the few small tables, or sit outside in the shade at one of the many picnic tables. I don't really care. Both seem to be pleasant. The point is, don't get distracted by all the reviews for the bar at this place (although I'm sure it's a great place to drink beer too). Just be sure to EAT THE FOOD as well. You won't be sorry.
The "Cheesy Burger" is the best burger in town, hands down. Â Believe me, I have tried them all. Â A close second would be a "cookout style" deluxe burger (double meat) with everything at D's Seafood, Jerk, and More off of Rittiman and 35. Â Every dish I have had at La Tuna has been great. Â I also highly recommend the rib eye sandwich with horseradish and the zesty wings, although they are a little expensive for what you get. Â Yes, those wings are incredible. Â One of the best kept dining secrets in San Antonio.
Review Source:this is a 4-1/2 star review of the food establishment. Â i'm a fan, and the atmosphere is as good as it gets. Â in between is basic food done to a high degree of perfection. Â will you find a better plate of fish tacos in the world? Â no. Â in sa? Â the cove gives them a run, but in the end, tuna wins. Â not a fan of nopalitos, so i sub fries.
fried mushrooms with cream gravy are perfect. Â what you had at momma's in the late 70s/early 80s? Â same. Â only better, for some reason. Â one plate will serve two for lunch, or four as an appetizer.
the hamburgers are substantial. Â ask for other than well done, if that's how you eat.
great staff. great back yard. when the temps are below 100 and the humidity is below 70, this is a perfect lunch getaway. Â imperfect for rainy/blustery days (small indoor eats area). fortunately, we have a wealth of the former and a smattering of the latter.
la tuna is a gem.
What a beautiful weekend to site outside and drink an iced tea or coffee... Oh wait, I'm in San Antonio on a Sunday afternoon and everything is closed. As I stand, forlorn on the side of the street just past Blue Star brewery, I call La Tuna as my last resort before I trek a block up.
"How late are you open," I growl.
"Till like, midnight," the bartender drawls.
Okay, beer it is.
La Tuna is an outside bar with outside seating were all the beer bottle caps are thrown to the ground to rust and cut drunk people. Seriously. Drunk people and sharp, rusty things on the ground do not mix.
This place is pretty cool, one of my fav spots for a beer on a hot summer's night. My only pet peeve is that a bar that ONLY serves bottles and cans doesn't recycle. The kick in mother earth's groin is that there's a huge recycling center about a block up... although I don't thing they take glass... only in Texas.
Anyhoo... big tip: This is a cash only bar and there are no ATMs, so come with cash... there's food on the premises, so that's good... so yeah, La Tuna rocks save a couple of silly over (or under) sights. Viva!
La Tuna is  one of the greatest bars/ice houses in San Antonio--at least in my opinion. Â
Open air, picnic tables, large trees, a carpet of bottle caps, eclectic mix of people. Â You can find a colorful array of folks, from artists, professionals, bikers, tree huggers, rockers, nerds--pick a noun. Â The point is that everyone is chill with one another.
Also, if you get the munchies just across the property is La Tuna Grill, which has surprisingly good food--review coming.
So, for a laid back, casual, hang-out spot LaTuna is a prime location.
The beer selection is pretty good. Â Although you will see most people with a Lone Star in hand you can find a nice mix of ales and lagers...even IPAs.
So I might need a tetanus shot after last nights bottle cap debacle. FYI- never wear flip flops or sandals because there are rusty bottle caps covering every inch of the floor. I swear this place bio hazard. I kept waiting for Captain Planet to swoop down and clean up the mess. But cheap beers and live music go along way.
Today's lesson: La Tuna is bad for the environment and good for your pocket book!
La Tuna is an ice house: Â that is, an partially open-air bar which sells almost nothing but beer. Â So, you can drink that Lone Star or Pearl sittin' next to a big-ass cactus, warmed by the outdoor fire pit, while freight trains roll by. Â Despite the honky-tonk atmospherics, it's the hippest watering hole in town. Â Creative folks living in the nearby King William neighborhood, and art-seekers checking out galleries in the Blue Star Arts Complex, convene here to have a cool one. Â The parking lot is paved with discarded beer bottle caps, and is affectionately known as "tetanus beach." Â
Since I visited San Antonio in the winter, as well as on nights when La Tuna's kitchen was closed, I can't speak about the food or live music, both of which were praised by regulars. Â They play a sweet jukebox and radio though, and the gothy-looking girl bartender turned it up when Hank Williams came on.
The night I was there, an older gentleman with long, white hair and a beard, wearing a cowboy hat (no it wasn't Willy) pulled in and promptly fell asleep in his car. Â An hour later, he woke up and drove away. Â One of the regulars said, reverently "there goes a real artist." Â I love this place.
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