Dulce Vida Mexican Cocina and Cantina

We won’t be back.
I looked at their menu online and ordered two plates, two bean and cheese tacos, and a small side of guac. I calculated what the price should be based on the online prices. When my husband called after he picked up our food, he said it was $ 35 when I had calculated it should be about $ 26.
After calling the restaurant, they stated their prices had gone up and they were in the process of changing the website. I then called a manager the next day to see if they would rectify the situation and he said website states «prices subject to change».
The food wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t worth the higher prices and since they would not offer some sort of resolution to the fact that we had been charged more than we had expected, we won’t be back!

Very pleasant experience. Went to another establishment for breakfast, but got bad service there, so left prior to eating and gave Dulce Vida a shot. They hit the ball out of the park. Showed up just after noon, but wife wanted breakfast. They advertise they only serve breakfast until noon, but the chef was willing to cook her breakfast anyway. Awesome. I had the Tres Enchiladas (one chicken, one beef, one cheese) and all were delicious. Good food, clean restaurant, and friendly wait staff. Thanks so much.

If you like ooey gooey cheesy cheese and quasi-​translucent flour tortillas, this is the place for you.
Order cheese enchiladas.
Bring breath mints.
Enjoy.

AUGUST 2011.
We have been to Dulce Vida NUMEROUS times, so this is NOT based on one visit. Please read my other reviews before chalking me off as a whiner – I am not. As other reviewers note, the food here is authentic, fresh, and tasty. The ambiance is nice. However, a restaurant must also have an attentive, courteous wait staff. Unfortunately, the attitude of the wait staff and the overall quality of service has dropped recently. At our last two visits, the same waitress treated us curtly and rudely, while being friendly and courteous to others. At our last visit, our waiter arrived to our table late, never apologized or introduced himself, made multiple errors with our order, and essentially ignored us. After waiting ONE HOUR on a quiet night for our food, I spoke with the manager. Unfortunately, he made no effort to regain our trust or business by compensating us with any sort of discount. An email to Dulce Vida has gone ignored for ONE WEEK. Obviously, the management does not care about keeping its customers. This is the second high-​end Mexican restaurant in the Stone Oak area (the first was Cielito Lindo) to lose our future business because of poor quality and downright rudeness despite otherwise excellent offerings. We will take our friends and business elsewhere. Adiós, Dulce Vida. (UPDATE: As of January 2012, we have not returned to Dulce Vida and still have not heard a response from management, despite emails).

Chips were stale and meat was tough and overcooked. Service was slow but the margaritas were ok. Would not recommend restaurant to anyone looking for authentic Tex-​Mex. Surprised they are still in business since we were the only people there at 7PM.

A touch pricy, but clearly the best mexican food I’ve had in San Antonio.

Good ambiance and food. Margs and queso great
Dinner special with steak and shrimp 5 stars!,

Came back for dinner and I was right — they do make a good margarita! When I asked about Sour Mix the waitress knew immediately what I wanted (ie — a real margarita with no sour mix) — didn’t look at me like I was some kind of space alien as do most servers. Food was great, too.

Great margaritas, food, and service!!! Guacamole is fabulous!!!

The wife and I came here tonight after our daughters Birthday. While the food was downright delicious… the atmosphere and attitude of the wait staff was not pleasing. I didn’t realize it was an «upscale» establishment until we arrived, and even though I was in a sweatshirt and jeans, I was treated like a second-​hand citizen.
Overall experience was good, I just wish I didn’t get all the snobby looks in Stone Oak.

I keep wondering why I never stopped at this place before. I sat at the bar and ordered the Skinny Margarita which was highly recommended by the bartender. Well balanced drink– not too sweet and you can actually taste the tequila, the best part.
The menu offers a large variety of Mexican fare, from chiles rellenos to tacos al pastor. Since I could not decided what to get (One of each?) I asked my server which one she liked most. Max’s Chile Relleno it is! Poblano peppper stuffed with shredded chicken, onions, and Oaxaca cheese, topped with creamy cilantro sauce. It comes with a side of yellow rice mixed with veggies, beans, and a bit of guacamole to balance it all out. Everything on my plate was very well seasoned and each item complimented one another. The stuffing by itself was very flavorful and can easily be eaten by itself or with some warm tortillas.
The prices are comparable to the quality and portions of the meals. The service is quick, friendly, and very helpful.

I was invited to meet some friends at Dulce Vida for brunch one Sunday. And ever since I have made it a regular Sunday brunch meetup/​hangout for friends and family. Dulce Vida offers the some of the best authentic Mexican cuisine (not Tex-​Mex) around especially for Breakfast, Brunch, and Lunch. It also has a great service staff and management who really try to add that personalized touch to your dining experience.
The menu is varied but not vast with just enough options to satisfy most of those south of the border food cravings. The food is fresh and you know it because of the flavor and the time it takes to create your dish. If you are wanting a super quick dining experience then Dulce Vida isn’t the place for you. While it does take a few minutes for dishes to prepare its not overly long and really allows for those present to have some pleasant conversation. But back to the food, simply put it’s really, really good. My personal favorite is the Machaca Plate. Machaca is a marinated and dried pulled beef that is a traditional style meat of central and coastal Mexico. At Dulce Vida they prepare it in the traditional breakfast manner with eggs and sides of rice and tortillas. Besides the food tasting good and fresh, it is also excellently portioned. Not so much that you’re busting at the seams (aka Habanero’s Burritos) nor is it so small that you are still hungry after finishing mopping up all of the creamy and smooth re-​fried beans with your fresh handmade corn tortilla. The Chilaquiles, Huevos Rancheros, Camarones a la Diabla, and the Chorizo and Egg Plate are some of the best I have had. The ingredients never have that «frozen» flavor and are cooked just right. With many things if you over cook eggs, shrimp, meat, or even beans it just loses all its good flavor. This has not been the case at Dulce Vida, always well prepared full of flavor (salsa, sauces, and marinades are all good). As the owner once told our table while checking in on us «we try to make good food so that people know about Mexican cuisine not just tacos and burritos». And I have to say the food they are making definitely lives up to that mission.
PS. The drinks are also very good. Their screwdrivers, mimosas, and breakfast/​early morning style cocktails are well prepared and superbly balanced with just the right amount of alcohol. And if you head there on any of the family member holidays (mothers day, fathers day, grandparents day, etc) the provide you with a complimentary mimosa or glass of champagne.

What a fun place!
The unassuming outside just looks like another restaurant in a strip mall (don’t they all anymore?) but inside reveals a gorgeous bar and dining room with a quaint view of grass and trees behind the building. I was totally surprised by the interior of this place. It’s gorgeous. The bar is painted all Cobalt blue and flanked with big columns. They have more liquors and wines than I could imagine finding in one place! And speaking of which…
The drinks here are AMAZING. Yes, all caps was necessary. Most recently, I imbibed on skinny margaritas. The lime was so freshly squeezed that I watched the bartender do it. It was absolutely my favorite skinny margarita I’ve ever had. OK fine. They were. All of them… or whatever. *u-​hum*
The food was really great too. I had tacos de mi abuelo. Fried tortillas with cubed chicken and refried beans melted together with white cheese and then topped with cabbage and pico de gallo. It was kind of hard to eat but worth the effort. So much flavor. The sides were typical, charro beans and Spanish rice, but all tasted anything but. The rice was so good, I could have been happy only eating that!
And the service is absolutely tops. Our waiter, Alejandro, on my most recent visit, was oh-​so-​great.
I was completely pleasantly surprised by how great Dulce Vida is! Go to there, you will be too! :)

I’m torn now with Dulce Vida. The last time my girlfriend and I ate here, it was great. Fast service, friendly, and it felt like a «bring your distant family from out of town when they visit» kinda spot and lets not forget the food, it was actually tasty.
However, last night’s experience has left a salty taste in my mouth… literally. Seemed like my plate was «not as described» and was missing some ingredients. So I ate the evidence and then read the menu online (because I had to know) to find out I did miss out on some veggies and a sauce was now part of the dish. Maybe the Chef wanted to try something new, quien sabe.
I wouldn’t say I disliked the whole evening since I was in great company and my girlfriend’s meal was «great» in her words. so it was only Josh that had the Charlie Brown moment and I went outside to kick rocks.
Other than my meal, it was just ok. I also wonder what is the motif in there suppose to be… I see columns and vines and modern lights and half a gazebo in the center. I don’t know if I ever have noticed anything Mexican.(just my thoughts)

I was pleasantly surprised by this place. It is a nice refuge from the blanco/​huebner traffic. Very good micheladas and ceviche. Nice bar and they were showing soccer on the tv which is always a good sign for me. Be forewarned… this place is pricey.

Good margarita (not too sweet) — beans were too salty & the teeny tiny serving of guacamole was also too salty — the roasted poblano was good.

Great mexican food at a price. Highly recommend. Bring a date or bring the family. My favorite Mexican resturant in San Antonio!

This is our new favorite restaurant. After passing by almost everyday and reading a couple of good reviews, we decided to stop in for lunch one day.
My boyfriend isn’t from Texas and hasn’t really liked any Mexican restaurants over here. We’ve been on the hunt for a restaurant we both really love and I was about to give up hope– until we tried out this place.
Wow… just wow. The salsas are soooo fresh and yummy and the margaritas really hit the spot. And the fajitas? The best I have ever had in my whole life. They are so flavorful and so juicy… one bite and I was hooked. The enchiladas are great, the beans and rice are so amazing. And they have some darn good breakfast tacos too. Yup– they even serve breakfast!
This is a nice date night place and the service is pretty good. We go at least once a week and maybe you should too.

Probably my second favorite restaurant in San Antonio, after Boudro’s on the Riverwalk.
Their salsa, corn/​flour tortillas and chips are all excellent — critical for any texmex or mexican restaurant, imo.
The Steak Tapiqueña is my staple order; its absolutely packed with flavor. Highly recommended! Everything else I’ve tried (carne guisada, enchiladas, and the entire breakfast menu) is just as flavorful, but it’s hard to resist steak.