Being outside on the Riverwalk was probably the best thing about this place. Tried both [yes, two total] of the local beers they had on tap. They were each 6$.
For two beers and the shepherd's pie, the total was $26.03. I know prices are lower off the Riverwalk, but I guess you are paying for the location. Otherwise, service was fine. Food was fine, but nothing extraordinary.
Sunday night, and pretty empty.
I was excited to try this place with the good reviews I found online and was totally disappointed upon arrival. Â It stunk when we walked in, like old greasy food and the air was stagnate, no movement of any kind, might as well have been outside.
We were looking for food and a few drinks and we sat at the bar. Â The drinks were terrible, watered down and they use all store bought mixers, no fresh lime juice here for the margaritas (and they put orange juice in a margarita, weird).
We asked for a food menu and the dude said ok and then disappeared, never to return again. Â Well, he returned, but much later and with no menu. Â The patio was full but only 3 tables on the inside were occupied, guess that should have been our sign.
Horrible service to say the least, we never got our food menu so we paid for our drink when the bartender finally came around to chek on us and we left. Â This is definitely not somewhere you're looking to go for a meal. Â Or anything in my opinion.
We tucked in here this weekend to watch the game. We had potato wedges which were okay and chicken tenders which tasted really good. My husband had beers but I had Hurricanes which were really good.
The only down fall...... VERY hot in there. I am not sure if the A/C was broken but evey one was sweating.
All around excellence. Â I've been in this town a little more than a week and I've had the opportunity to dine or drink here twice now. Â Each time, the bartenders or wait-staff were incredibly polite and efficient. Â The bartender made me a Pimm's Cup each time without batting an eyelash and the Chicken Pot Pie is a great lunch. Â The prices are good and it's got a real pub atmosphere.
Review Source:This place was great. My mom, my brother's girlfriend, and I were looking for a place to watch the Blackhawks play off game. As we learned hockey isn't big in Texas so we had a hard time finding a place to put the game on. Waxy's was more then happy to put the game on for us which is more then I can say for other Riverwalk bars. The bar staff was friendly and helpful, and really attentive. It was a crowded Friday night, but we never once had to ask for refills or track down a bartender. We liked it so much we went back the next night to watch the Bulls playoff game. Once again, amazing service from the bar staff.
We did not eat any food here so I don't know how their food or waitstaff is. If you're looking for a great place to get a drink then I highly recommend Waxy's.
This was your typical Irish pub, except, it was on the Riverwalk. Nothing really too special about this place.
The small outdoor area, which had about 10-12 tables was completely packed and we were lucky enough to snag the last table. It was a bit overcast outside with a slight drizzle, but it was good enough because we were thirsty!
Our waitress was nice enough, although she didn't really seem to know the specials. Instead, she grabbed us a dirty flip menu and said, "They are all listed here." We just stayed for a drink and went on our merry way.
Atmosphere: 3 thumbs up
Service: 3 thumbs up
Cleanliness: 2 thumbs up
Overall experience: 3 thumbs up
THe Homemade Chicken Tenders here were really good. They were not what I expected. I really expected the traditional long narrow commercial chicken fingers but man was I wrong. They were real thin slices with some yummy batter. Fattening but yummy. It came with 3 huge pieces. I was here on a Wednesday night and they had live acoustic music. Good atmosphere, food, and booze! Will definitely go back if in the area.
Review Source:We chose this place because we wanted somewhere to watch the Giants game in SA and have a few drinks. It wasn't terribly busy for a Sunday afternoon because it was a holiday weekend and we went right in and sat down. They were more than happy to turn on the game for us, and even kept it on when another table asked them to change to a different game because we were there first.
For lunch we had wings, the sauce was great, just the right amount of heat. And we shared a full slab of ribs. It was more than enough for the both of us, we had 1/4 slab left. The ribs were melt in your mouth, fall off the bone good, and the fries that were with it were fresh cut and nice and crisp. The cole slaw was perfect, like something I would make at home. Everything was reasonably priced, and the portions were HUGE!! Nothing bad to say about this place...I can see how they could get insane on a really busy night...
Cool little place on the Riverwalk to stop by and hang out on the patio and people watch. Â We did not eat here because we just wanted a quick beer, but the menu looked interesting. Â As with all the places on the Riverwalk they are overpriced and touristy but don't let that stop you. Â I do not see any reason not to stop here and hang out for a while.
Review Source:This place is a MUST! Â Friendly staff, great Irish pub feel and EXCELLENT selection of drinks, food! Â I was in San Antonio for the F1 race time and went during the day and one evening as well.
5 stars on the Reuben sandwich, and for dinner I had a perfect chicken pot pie matched with Jameson Irish whiskey. Â PERFECT!
Don't miss this place
Happy hour prices are great with a lovely view of the riverwalk.
We ordered an appetizer and it was just ok. The spinach and cheese dip was swimming in grease. There was no way that you could get any cheese without a puddle of grease unless you used a fork, and still then it was greasy.
I saw a lot of entrees delivered to tables that looked as though they would be more promising.
It's a great place to talk and catch up with old friends without people hearing every word you're saying but still being able to hear each other.
A wee irish gem nestled along the river walk. Â Feeling more hungry than parched, we stopped in for a bite in the early afternoon (when you're bound to get the best service from a bartender because its slow and they're probably not drunk yet). Â The bangers and mash were unexpectedly GREAT. Â I was told the bangers are from across the pond and the mash and gravy was top notch. Â The best part of the visit was that we got good inside info on local, divey bars in the area. Â if you have to be on the river walk, i suggest you stop by this pub nesstled "DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS" (clap clap clap).
Review Source:I drove down to San Antonio from Austin for the night last Saturday with my friend and boyfriend. We decided to stop by Waxy O'Connors late at night for some drinks. We sat outside on the patio. Christine was our server (as per the name on my receipt when I left). At first she was okay, even made drink suggestions. However, she had to come back to our table several times to keep asking my boyfriend what he ordered. I understand it was busy, so we didn't say anything, but she could have written it down if she was having such a difficult time remembering.
Then she forgot to bring out his beer TWICE. The second time we had to flag another server down to inquire about it (who also seemed none-too-happy that we asked for help). I should also note that it appeared that our server, Christine, was having some other issues as evidenced by her forgetfulness and having a hard time placing our glasses on our table. We couldn't tell if she was possibly drunk or what, but it appeared that there was something going on with her.
She also forgot to bring out change for an older woman who was sitting next to us, and that we chatted with for a bit. She ended up leaving without her change, and suggested that we ask our server to apply it to our tab (she was none-too-happy with Christine's service either). A while later, when we decided to leave (they were closing), we received our bill. My friend put in some cash to cover the majority of it, and I put in my card for the rest.
Christine brought out my card with the CC receipt for me to sign, except she gave me someone else's receipt. Â I pointed out the error, and she took it back. She came out again, with the SAME receipt in it. Â Since she just gave it to me and left (she was busy, I don't fault her for that, though she could have made sure it was correct first since it was incorrect the first time), I walked back into the bar (at this time we were standing on the sidewalk near the patio because we were told that they would get in trouble for us being there past 2am, which is fine by us, totally understandable). Â
I pointed out the error again, she looked annoyed and said that it was for Table 2, which was our table (insinuating that I was wrong). Â As irritated as I was, I stayed calm and explained that it didn't matter which table it was for, it was the wrong CC receipt, my name is not Daniel and those weren't the last 4 digits of my card. Â She couldn't figure out how to change it, and had her co-worker help her (the other server from earlier who we flagged down).
I also mentioned that the other patron, the older lady, who requested that they put her change that she never received onto our bill, which Christine refused to do, saying "she wouldn't get a tip if she did that". I let it go, because that wasn't a big deal to me, plus it wasn't like it was my money lost to begin with. Had it not been for her terrible service, I wouldn't have said anything in the first place, because I wouldn't ask to take a tip away from a decent or good server (even if it wasn't ACTUALLY her tip, but the change SHE decided to keep from her patron).
They figured it out, and I signed my receipt and left. Â Also, apparently while I was doing this, another server/busser was chatting with my boyfriend outside and said that he wasn't surprised that this was happening, that apparently Christine does stuff like this often. In hindsight, I wish I would have asked to speak with a manager, but didn't do so. I was frustrated and tired (and admittedly tipsy), so I just wanted to leave. I will be calling, however, and will update this when I do so.
UPDATE: I called this evening to inform management of our experience, and to also express concern about the possibility of my card being charged on another tab as well (considering someone else had been initially charged for my tab, that fear isn't unfounded). The "manager", a man whose name I neglected to ask for, let me know that until it actual goes through on my card (my legitimate charge wasn't even showing in my pending transactions yet), there wasn't anything he could do about it, but to call them back if/when it does. Okay, understandable. But I wonder if I was even speaking to a manager, because when the man answered, and I asked to speak with a manager his response was "Ohh, uh... Yeah." Me - "Oh, are you a manager?" Him - "Yes."
After also explaining a bit more of our experience and lackluster service, I was met with a short silence and "Okay, well thank you." No apology. I didn't expect to necessarily receive anything for our troubles (since I don't live in San Antonio, I don't know when I'd next be there anyways), but there wasn't even an offer. But most importantly, no acknowledgement of my complaint or apology. I'm now going to email the founders listed on their website. This is absolutely horrible.
This is the first place I stopped at in San Antonio, and I think because of this, I will remember it more fondly than others. I also had another patron there to make it better, but I'll get there.
My Dad and I walked in, looking for few drinks and a calm place to watch the opening game of the NFL's 2010-2011 season(Saints and Vikings). The bartender was cute and very nice and knew how to work for a tip. But still, if you make a visit worthwhile, we men can be more than happy to tip a little extra.
We took a seat next to this guy wearing an upturned visor and a cell-phone on his belt. Sounds like a cool guy, right? Well, he actually was. His name was Tommy and we started up a conversation with him, about why we were there, the game, and whatever else. Once he shared that he was there on business, with his company's credit card, that was it for us.
He started buying us drinks and having a good time. It was a wonderful time, especially once our drinks started coming for free, but I realize this won't happen for everyone.
I imagine that if you are to go here on a night without a drunk, lonely patron, it would be pretty average. Then again, I don't think I saw many other Irish Pubs around so if you're looking for that, this might be your place to go.
St. Patrick's Day/Week Celebration
I finally found an Irish pub that has more than just Guinness on draught. Thank God. Downside, it's the Riverwalk..... not to hate on our beloved Riverwalk but it's so expensive. Not today!!! It's Tuesday and our city has implemented a Free Parking in city garages. Yayy, that's 1 3/4 more beers. They have Kilkenny's, Harp, Guinness, & Smithwick's; that's probably the most Irish beers I've seen on tap in San Antonio so far. Â The prices weren't too bad, $4.00 for a beer, however we got an order of potato skins and well $7.50 for four skins with no bacon. Who doesn't have bacon on their skins?
I still would like to try the fish & chips but maybe another time. Overall for a Riverwalk establishment it's not bad. You can get a pint of Irish beer and enjoy the scenery on the riverwalk.
All those chain restaurants on the Riverwalk are just tiring after a while. Â We wanted something that wasn't a scripted chain and maybe a little different. Â
We walked by on a pleasant and somewhat breezy summer Friday night in early June around 9:30. Â We just wanted some place to chill outside and people-watch while enjoying a few drinks. Â We had already eaten down in Market Square earlier so we really weren't feeling hungry. Â I was really in the mood for a stout ale and the name of this place seemed to match my mood.
It was busy so we weren't expecting great service but were pleasantly surprised that it was better than average. Â Just about all of the staff seemed to have tattoos which we felt added additional character to the laid back atmosphere. Â
As we were seated we could here live music coming from inside. Â We could here a lot of rock classics being played from the 70's, 80's, and 90's. Â I'm sure it would have sounded clearer inside but we were enjoying the evening and decided to stay outside. Â It was just loud enough to hear while keeping us in chill mode.
After a couple of drinks, we actually started to get hungry and asked to see a menu. Â Fish and Chips immediately caught my eye. Â I couldn't think of too many things at that moment that could be better than Fish and Chips in an Irish Pub. Â My wife ordered a chicken salad and a side of their fresh cut fries. Â
The Fish seemed perfectly fried and golden in color to me. Â It was very tasty with the malt vinegar or the tartar sauce. Â Very crunchy exterior and soft in the middle while not being overly greasy or "fishy". Â Before I knew it, I had finished the fish and nearly all of the fresh cut fries (chips). Â If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought that I didn't have dinner earlier that evening.
My wife said the chicken salad was quite good but she really enjoyed the fries. Â That's saying something when my wife likes the fries that much because she is really picky about her potatoes.
We enjoyed that evening so much that we came back the very next evening at dinner time. Â This time we sat inside so we could hear the band a bit better. Â We were a bit surprised to find out that it was only a duo but not very surprised to hear that they played there regularly.
I ordered one of the best burgers I'd ever had on this night. Â It came with more of their tasty, crispy, fresh-cut fries. The beef tasted dry aged to me but the server swore they didn't do that. Â Whatever they did, it was really, really good.
My wife ordered the potato soup along with even more fries. Â She was in potato heaven and afterwards remarked that she could eat that every night.
For dessert we ordered a somewhat unique bread pudding made with pecans and apples. Â I don't care for bread pudding most times but this one intrigued me because it didn't have raisins. Â We ordered one up with a scoop of ice cream and it was the perfect finish to a perfect meal.
It's not fine dining but the food is really good. Â They have a full menu of Irish favorites like Shepherds Pie, Irish Stew, Corn Beef and Cabbage, etc. Â The drink prices are about par for the Riverwalk but the service is really good too.
If you get down to the Riverwalk and you want something different from all of the chain restaurants, give this place a shot. Â We researched them on the web and found out it is privately owned and this is the only location.
After this morning's lackluster early lunch, Ric and I worked up an appetite walking around SA and I pointed us down the Riverwalk for a pre-dinner snack. Waxy O'Connors seemed to be the most reasonably priced so we grabbed a table inside. First, daily happy hour is from 4-7, which worked remarkably well as it was 4:20 p.m. Ric's Stella it the spot, and my Sam Adams was perfect with my corn flake crusted fish sandwich. Hand cut fries were good and crisp.
Overall, a very good spot to stave off pre-dinner hunger.
Found this place late on the night we arrived in San Antonio. Had a couple of drinks and found the place to be quite fun...
So fun in fact that we just kept finding ourselves there on each additional night of our stay.
The band was great, the service was good, the fish and chips was fabulous, and the drinks are poured generously.
Lots of fun :)
Pros:
Solid Irish menu, good portions of food, live music. Substantial whiskey menu and large bar. Apple and walnut bread pudding (I'll go into more detail below)
Cons:
Beer prices were a little high for my liking, but this is the Riverwalk, so I suppose that's to be expected.
Food Review:
After walking the entire riverwalk the night of making the five hour drive from Fort Worth to San Antonio, I was ready for two things: beer, and some good food. After looking at one Italian restaurant, Cafe Rio (oddly enough, a Mexican food place, owned by Germans) and another pub on the other side of the riverwalk, it was decided that Waxy was the place to eat.
I skipped on an appetizer here, preferring to enjoy my Guinness alone. Ordered up the bangers and mash and was not disappointed here. A plate of three Irish sausages with a nice brown gravy was presented. Perhaps a little too much on the mashed potato part, as I did not finish the entire plate. What was missing with this dish, was a nice bread side. Shame on you Waxy.
Desert on the other hand, was an absolute delight in eatery. The Apple Walnut bread pudding was fantastic, with a good amount of apple included. Ice cream was not included, however, a nice bit of whipped cream was. This turned what was a good meal into a very good (not quite great) meal.
Service Review:
Service was good to above average. Our waitress working the patio and the area around the stage, which was getting quite busy as the musician playing that night was getting setup and started playing. Speaking of the music, a big plus on this one.
Overall Thoughts:
I left Waxy's very full, and glad that I walked the eight blocks or so from my hotel by Sunset Station to the Riverwalk. I will come back the next time I'm in San Antonio. Good food, good service, very good music. I was a little disappointed in the beer prices, but everything else was good enough to get around that.
Fish and chips are to die for. Â The fish has the best damn breading, light and crunchy. Â Ate here 3 different times while staying on the riverwalk this memorial weekend. Â
Our waiter (female) on the patio was super nice and provided fantastic service and I hope our tips helped to reflect that. Â Thanks!
A great place to relax, watch people and enjoy the ambiance of the riverwalk. Â Some of the other Irish bars on the riverwalk are big and corporate feeling, but this place feels more authentic. Â In fact, the pub was apparently designed and built in Ireland and shipped to San Antonio!
It offers a great selection of beers, whiskeys and other liquors, as you'd expect. It also offers a good bar menu--My wife enjoyed her Ruben, which tasted authentic, and I liked the Celtic Steak Sandwich, which was tender and tasty (although I wish the meat-to-bun ratio was a little more generous.) Â
Waxy's has a small patio beside the riverwalk, and this is a fine place to stop for a drink, a bite and a bit of relaxation.
I wish I had the <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> certificate I saw on here now when I logged in to write up my review, because normal boring beers here are $6 and up! Kind of nuts for not even a specialty craft beer, but then that's what you get for going to an Irish Pub on the Riverwalk in the middle of Texas I guess ha
This bar had a live duo that was playing cover songs that were actually pretty entertaining the night we were there and there wasn't a cover so I appreciated that. It is also a way bigger bar than it seems from the outside! I guess that's how the riverwalk rolls because most places seem small from the front, but then once you are inside you realize the venues just got back and back and back.
With all of the hotels around this bar you can count on it being full whenever a conference is in town and it definitely made for some interesting people watching too. Oh and bonus points for me since my Amex card counted it as a dining point venue too! Hooray! That made the pricey beers almost worth it!
I am partial to Irish pubs and food so it was nice to find Waxy's. Â Despite a busy night, managed to get seated right away on the patio on a nice night. Â Beer was good, but noticed during "Happy hour" none of the beers listed were Irish?
Food was quick but skimpy for the price. $8.50 for 3-cheese nachos that came with a small bowl of cheese and a handfull of fresh tortilla chips. Â It was okay, but not much for the price. Â Then for our entrees, again, okay food, but skimpy for the price you pay.
Large bar with fine selection of scoth and whiskey. Â Clean place with friendly staff. Â Either lower the price or increase the portiion sizes before I return again though.
Another <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> establishment we frequent often in the cooler months. Â Although it sounds like the pet friendly establishments have recently come under fire in SA (booo), we always brought our dog here and dined on the patio.
+<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> discount
+dog friendly patio (was the last time we were there)
+friendly servers, although slow at times
+great for people-watching
-fries tend to be soggy
-bathrooms are scary (go before you come!)
Suggestion: Â Park at the Pearl and take a nice long walk down the River Walk extension, dine here for lunch, and walk back!
Went here for dinner with friends because they had a gift certificate. My hubby is British so we were looking forward to seeing if this was "authentic" enough for him. All I can say is AWESOME! The beer selection is varied, carrying both European and domestic, and the food is fantastic! I had their Guinness Stew and it was delicious. Rich, flavorful, not heavily spiced and with a dab of mashed potatoes in the center, it was almost as good as mine! Hubby had a steak (dork) which was flavorful and not overcooked, friend had the chicken pot pie and another had the Dublin chicken and now I'm a a loss as what to order the next time we go.
As others say, this is a great place to people watch and located in an ideal place on the Riverwalk. it's a damn site better than having bland, uninspired Mexican food like all the other restaurants down there! This is on my list of "must do's" in San Antonio!
CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP
If you're not willing to venture far from the Riverwalk, this is the spot for you. It's unpretentious, not too filled with tourists and the prices are great! Sit outside and watch drunken fools stumble by, and hope, pray that one of them falls into the river for you to laugh at maniacally.
My intentions were to stay off the River Walk when it came to eating dinner. Â But when you arrive in San Antonio around 7pm on a Friday night, you check into your hotel ON the Riverwalk; it was hard to not end up here.
I have been to Waxy's before, so I knew the beer selection was good. Â I'm a fan of the pubs. Â Since Waxy's was one of the first places we walked by, I suggested we check them out for dinner. Â I ordered the burger, and it was okay. Â Not bad, but nothing to write home about. Â I can't remember what one of my friends ordered (I may or may not have been drinking..hehe), but one of my friends had to send his meal back, because it was cold. Â When the waitress brought the plate back out, the food was still cold, and my friend said he didn't want to send her back again. Â She didn't clue in that his meal was still not acceptable. Â He ate it anyway.
I'll come back to drink here any time, and in a pinch I would probably eat here again. Â I'm willing to give a so-so place another chance.