Achiote River Cafe

As of mid-​November 2013, I believe that this restaurant has been closed and converted into a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. Bummer!

They were great to their customers and the food was great. well worth the serene walk!
We were visiting the Riverwalk with our dachshund and they were one of the few restaurants that allowed dogs if we sat outside. He was quiet and cooperative but they actually brought a disposable bowl for water before we had managed to unpack ours.
The ambiance was very nice. It was contemporary swankness inside and the staff was very friendly. There was a table next to our with about 12 people, and I didnt hear one bit about any mistakes or confusions, waits, etc.
I loved the cornbread and meatballs on the kids spaghetti. The buffet looked pretty appetizing at $ 18, but it was free for kids under 5!
It was a great experience!

Excellent warm outdoor patio on the River Walk — and ya can’t beat $ 4.33 for a spicy guacamole and water!
Guac: 2 LARGE avocados, ginger, cilantro, mango, heat heat heat! (and wonton chips)

Great service! The empanadas were fantastic!

Breakfast buffet was pretty standard. Good fare all around, but could have used more potato options.
The evening menu was pretty awesome. The duck quesadilla was phenomenal. Asian guacamole was a nice thought but needed more kick to over power the avocado.

I know this is a fusion restaurant but I had the most atrocious pad thai here. Instead of the usual sweet and spicy, the sauce was smoky spicy with little hint of sweetness. It tasted all sorts of wrong. I guess the Thai population isn’t strong in Latin America compared to a group like the Japanese.
Seeing that I left the dish uneaten, my waitress, Tina, took the dish off my bill. Thank you.
The carrot and kabacha (some type of squash) soup was delicious and had spicy pumpkin seeds mixed in that contributed to the taste and added texture.

This is simple. My friends and I came here for Thanksgiving Dinner. Although the price posted on the web was incorrect and not the fault of the Achiote River Café themselves. It was well worth it. Sitting on the patio near the river was very enjoyable. The staff was polite and attentive, not stuffy or rude. Seemed liked each one helped one another out as a team.
Now. To the food. This was a Thanksgiving Buffet. More of a Food Wonderland in my opinion. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. The servers at the food line were polite and talkative, explaining the dishes to guest’s, well laid out, incredible flavor, great presentation. And the desserts were excellent. I was so happy… I will try to go again for regular dining.

My friend are I went here during the San Japan animé convention. They were actually not packed at all and it was kind of a surprise but we shortly found out why that was. We were seated quickly yet no one ever came after we were seated. We were not given menus, water, or even asked if we had been helped.
Secondly, the food was cold (even the supposedly asian fusion piping hot dishes) and the flavors were really salty or bland.
Thirdly, the tofu wrap just had huge blocks of plain tofu in it with watery, dripping sauce. The whole experience was just ok but I would definitely not go back here.
If I had to leave a good note, it would be the ambience of the place. It’s very contemporary and «slick». It almost seemed like a lounge type of restaurant. I would tell you more but we went during the day so I couldn’t really vouch on the «night-​life» vibe here.

Wife and I visited for dinner. Free valet parking was a nice enticement. The hostess was friendly and seated us promptly. Upon entering, we immediately felt like were were in a hotel restaurant: cafeteria-​like appearance, booths, and a buffet. Despite being friendly and courteous, our waiter was nervous, inexperienced, and did not check on us often enough. I had the churrasco steak rare: perfectly cooked and tasty. Wife had Peruvian lomo salteado: a bit too «salteado». We could easily have prepared either dish at home. Wine: Pascual Toso malbec from Argentina was the highlight of the meal. Dessert: ginger apple pie (good). Coffee: cortadito (very good). OVERALL: GOOD. Nothing special. Will not return.

Loved this restaurant!
We came here for happy hour and only knew about it because we stayed at the Grand Hyatt. but between 3−6pm on a weekday, they have amazing tapas/​drinks specials. Actually it shouldn’t even be called appies because the portions were huge!
A selection of cocktails, beer, wine that’s normally $ 7++ but a fraction of the price during HH. We also ate … something lol. It was really good I just can’t remember what it was. Definitely recommend!

We ate at Achiote before a show. Dinner was OK, but not spectacular. The service was very good, however. Their Sunday brunch is a much better deal.

They have one of the most diverse, clean & fresh buffets I’ve ever seen. My boyfriend & I hate buffets, we think they’re gross because the food’s just been sitting there, but we will happily come to Achiote’s. Primarily because it’s not a typical buffet. They have sous-​chefs cutting your meat to order, and you will constantly see them removing the items that have been sitting out for a while.
Coming from a city with a huge Latin American culture, I find the restaurants in SA really lacking in Latin American foods; but, Achiote does a pretty good job at placating me :)

Well it was our last full day working in San Antonio. A bunch of us from all over the country had been detailed to work on a special assignment and our intrepid leader (me) decided we should all go out for a nice lunch. I’d been to Achiote River Café before and as it was close to our office building, I selected it for our farewell luncheon. Believe me, we weren’t disappointed.
They’ve got some great lunch specials here at Achiote. They’ve got a buffet five days a week, each day featuring a different item. For $ 16.00 you get salads, your main course, and desserts. On Thursdays they have a stir fry pasta buffet, and while I love noodles, I am a type-​1 diabetic. Eating my $ 16.00 worth of carb heavy pastas? Aieee! I did like a few others in our group and ordered off the regular menu. I did go for a good Cuban while starting off with a miso soup. We’ve only got a couple of Japanese places where I live (Pittsburgh), but I do love me a good miso. I gave my fries away to a couple of the guys.
Achiote blends Latin and Asian influences and it makes a nice change of pace from your typical mall food court offerings, especially if you’re on an extended business trip. Just remember not to bust your per diem here!

My first visit here was not good (we were seated, given water and left). We were not given wine/​bar menus. Not given bread. Just left to sit with our menus, while staff walked by, ignoring us. After a few minutes, we got up and walked out. However, feeling this must have been a freak episode I return for lunch the next day.
At first, I’m not impressed. However, the server asks is this my first visit. I tell him no, that I had visited the night before and left without being served. He seems shocked. The manager (Johnny Hernandez) promptly appears. He is apologetic and offers to buy my lunch (which I’ve already ordered).
I get the Cuban sandwich which is delicious. Seriously, one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in a good while. It is roasted Pork, sliced Ham, dill Pickle and swiss Cheese on a Soft Baguette with yucca Shoe String Fries. The tiny, slivers of fries that come on top of the sandwich are perfectly crisp, seasoned just right (spicy & salty)! I have a glass of Erath Pinot Gris. Lunch is bliss sitting in Achiote River Café, watching the trees sway in the breeze over the RiverWalk.
I’m glad I gave Achiote a second try.
Staff is still an issue. There seems to be a lot of staff (especially around the hostess station) that do nothing but giggle, chat and play around. One guy is trying diligently to work and the female hostess is following him around so she can pester him and try to flirt with him. She gets paid for this?
Servers congregate in an area in the back, just past the bar or in an area just behind the hostess stand: again more chatting and giggling. How many people does it take to run a restaurant badly? Quite a few apparently.
#2: Back for a late night nosh. We have a couple of apps and some wine. The apps (pork empanadas & cuban springroll which is the size of a burrito) are okay. The wine pours are a bit on the, let’s say, stingy side. I get the distinct feeling someone is at the bar with a measuring cup. These are daringly close to ¹⁄₃ glass pours, rather than ½ glass pours.
We are first seated directly in front of the bar where no less than 5 staff members are hanging out chatting. I don’t care to dine in the «staff bar/​lounge.» When I ask the hostess to move us to another table, somewhere quieter away from the staff, she seems a bit put out, even crinkles her nose at me. The staff seems much more concerned with setting up for the next day’s service (breakfast) and cleaning. It is loud, they are clanking glasses and silver, setting tables, cleaning, etc. The restaurant has a cafeteria feel to it now. If set-​up is a big issue, why not seat evening diners in the back where it would be quiet, so they staff could continue their set up?
There is little consideration for the diners in the restaurant. We seem to be obstacles in their way at this point. We had considered inviting friends down to dine, but quickly change our minds seeing that the restaurant is more interested in closing down than in service. In fact, the rollers on the wine/​liquor cabinets are being pulled down now. A hint they’d like us to leave I guess.
This is a very pretty restaurant and as a I wander toward the back I see areas that are very nice, almost Las Vegas Resort hotel looking. What a waste.
Our server is friendly, attentive, but not intrusive.
This restaurant is dangerously close to being good. They are standing in their own way. Unfortunate.

The food at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center is extremely easy to get tired of after attending conferences there for several days. The solution is to make the very short trek next door to the Hyatt and head to Achiote, which is on the lower level (and very easy to locate thanks to the signs pointing down the escalator). The ambiance is warm and relaxing, with lots of golds and reds. Most importantly, the fresh-​tasting food is a welcome change from the pre-​packaged fare you’ll get at the convention center. Lunchtime can be mobbed, but if you’re a single diner, you can opt to sit at the bar.
I went with the Achiote trio — miso chicken soup, turkey avocado wrap, and iceberg salad, accompanied by ponzu-​citrus dressing. The most interesting part of the meal was the addition of chunks of avocado to the soup, which worked surprisingly well in terms of the coolness they provided as well as the creamy texture. The lettuce was nice and crisp without any sign of wilted or yellowing leaves. Even the turkey wrap was good! The trio cost $ 15 at lunchtime, and the Diet Coke I ordered set me back four bucks. Slightly pricy for lunch, but the quality of the food and the opportunity to get the hell out of the convention center for a little while were totally worth it!

Nice light menu. Right on the river. Complimentary corn bread. Salad with cashews and edamame yummy. And a shrimp tempura spicy roll topped off the meal. I was all alone, but really enjoyed sitting there with a glass of wine and a delicious meal.

Located in the lower level of Grand Hyatt San Antonio, Achiote was a very solid dining experience. We liked the small-​plate tapas-​style options, as we could snack and sate our appetites with a choice of yummy options, without having to commit to a large diner. Also nice was the very kid-​friendly options, of which our nephew went with macaroni and cheese and a grilled cheese. Achiote also has a pretty interesting selection of sake cocktails. I tried the «pear within a flower» (or something like that), which was made with vodka, pear sake and jasmine syrup. It was unique and tasty. Achiote also has nice outdoor seating and a bar, both with a view of the river, but the temperature was a tad too hot to fully enjoy this option.
PS. Being off the main Riverwalk loop, and set back a bit from the water, means your dining experience won’t be as cramped or conspicuous as other Riverwalk options.

Stayed here last year, and loved this restaurant. Loved this whole hotel, but that’s besides the point.
Back in San Antonio, staying at a different property, and the first place I go is back to Achiote. I think I had been dreaming about the corn bread & fish tacos since I left last June.
The corn bread is gone! No one around me had it. My guac was outstanding. My grilled calamari was horrid. My mojito, while okay, was incredibly overpriced considering the quality and size.
I left sad that «my» café had changed so much… and happy that my new hotel had a mini fridge I could keep my leftover guac in for lunch the next day.
Also, there were an excess amount of flies outside. Not sure how common that is on the Riverwalk, so I didn’t deduct a star for that. Just a fair warning!

Imagine sitting on the concrete banks of the San Antonio Riverwalk, a cool breeze rolling about, sipping a chipotle margarita, enjoying the company of friends and some fantastic food. This recipe for a perfect evening is obtainable at Achiote.
This restaurant has what could be two potentially huge strikes against it: it’s on the riverwalk and it’s in a hotel, but don’t let that stop you, it breaks the mold on both of those and is easily one of the best places I’ve eaten in downtown San Antonio.
I was recently privileged to taste their new menu items. The call their food «Latin flavors with Asian influence» and the selection doesn’t disappoint. This mix of these two was incredibly interesting and fun to explore. For example, the tableside guacamole is served with a ginger mango salsa and dipped with wonton strips. And it’s absolutely fantastic.
The service I received here was really tops. I ate once as a guest of the hotel and then again on my own a bit more incognito and had really great service both times. The waitstaff is absolutely accommodating and incredibly friendly.

Not your typical Tex Mex. After two days of eating nothing but refried beans, melted cheese and ground beef, my wife and I decided to seek out something different for dinner. Achiote offers a MUCH needed break from the loud, touristy, gimmicky riverwalk and has some of the most authentic «pan latino» food we had during that long weekend in San Antonio. If you are tired of the RiverWalk, and looking for something a little lighter than cheese melted over fried tortilla filled with mystery meat, check out Achiote River Café.
They also had an ok breakfast buffet and an awesome lunch buffet.