El Machito

The number one reason El Machito is at the top of my list of restaurants I frequent is because at El Machito I can let my 4 year-​old niece run loose on the restaurants play-​area. The restaurant offers outdoor seating close to the play-​area. A nice little token, my server also brought an iron purse rack. Wait. What?! Nifty! I was able to hang my purse rather than have it on the table or the ground. Rosa was my server. Attentive and kind. I also had an encounter with the GM, Oscar Mireles. Great, great guy! I mentioned I was military and finally home after years of Active Duty service and he was sincerely grateful and even gave my sister and me a free drink. Sweet! Turns out the drink was a new item on their drink menu — The Bacorona — a shot of Bacardi and fresh lemon juice added to a nicely dressed bottle of Corona. It was definitely refreshing. Oh right, the food! If you’re a carnivore this is the spot for you. Dont get me wrong, yes, there are veggie options available. This is definitely a nice family or large party option. Another unique detail is the dish ware. I love receiving my meal on the authentic Mexican dish ware. Located just outside the Quarry, it’s a treat before or after shopping. Enjoy a meal, a great drink and let the kids play!

The restaurant has a very authentic feeling, however I was not impressed with the food.
I ordered their half chicken with beans and rice, and while beans and rice were really good, the chicken was too dry (overcooked) and tasteless. I also ordered some chips and salsa. Again, salsa was tasteless and chips were to hard.
I might come back again because I live the Quarry, and maybe next time I will stick with appetizers and alcoholic drinks.

Delicious guac and margs! Friendly wait staff and a very nice patio with misters for the hot summer days!

Food was excellent. We had the tacos. We really enjoyed the patio even though it’s hot outside because they have misters. The service was also excellent. We will be back.

Me and my wife came for our weekly date night. The food was great and the service was excellent. Samantha was a great server who paid attention to details with her tables. She was a great waitress

I don’t know why I gave this place a third try. It has not changed at all. Smoked meat is a great concept especially when your apart of the LA Gloria family of restaurants. El Machito is terrible. The meat is dry dry dry. The Mexican corn is the only thing good. Margaritas taste like a premix cleaning solution. My recommendation is go to La Gloria a couple miles away. El Machito is awful and expensive for Taco Cabana level of dining. Service folks were respectable and courteous.

Well, you can’t rank lower than 1 apparently. I tried. I had my engagement party at El Machito. Don’t get me wrong, the food was good, but the behavior of the staff was abominable. I wish I had read the reviews ahead of time and listened to them. Instead, I found myself in Bride Hell.
Friday before the Sunday engagement party, one of the managers had not communicated effectively with others. You are thinking, not my fault or problem, right? Wrong. A different manager tried to weasel out of the contract and quote a very different price. Roughly twice what we spent.
I’m the bride. Great, right?! Wrong again. I called the day before the party to figure out what had gone wrong the day before. We had a CONTRACT! Was met with hostility from the beginning from Linda (the adversary to the K). When I told her who I was (a well known litigator) her behavior changed and she PROMISED ME I would have no problems.
Wrong.
I walked into my engagement party to find Oscar TALKING ABOUT ME to my mother. I was the woman in white at my own engagement party, and stood silently as I was not acknowledged by the GM talking about me!
Let’s break that down. At an engagement party there is ONE WOMAN IN WHITE… THE BRIDE!!! So, one woman in white walks up to GM and mother of the bride to hear a conversation where the GM refers to her as «she.» I’M HERE!
I called Oscar on his bad behavior and get ready for it… He said, «I didn’t say that. I would never say that.» I said, «I WAS THERE.» You ignored the woman in white only to talk at length about her to her MOTHER! WHAT?!
Oh no, it gets worse.
The food was not delivered as planned. The bride and groom didn’t get a full order until we chased down a server. I couldn’t get my water refilled without standing up and grabbing somebody. We had no guacamole, tortillas, or other condiments in front of the BRIDE AND GROOM!
It took me longer than anyone else to get something and it was sweltering. TURN ON THE AC EARLY! If you have a big party, treat the bride and groom like it’s their birthday, at least, and crank up the ac to accommodate the number of people.
Takeaways: do not destroy a bride’s day. Do not make it so hot nobody can enjoy it and feels like you want us to leave. When the bride’s mother (WHO HAS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS) says smaller platers so they are manageable to lift… DO IT! When the bride’s mother says beer and wine… DO IT!
WHEN IT COMES TO CELEBRATING THE COUPLE, DO IT! Be kind. Be thoughtful. Treat them like a birthday guest.
I should never have been the LAST PERSON to get water and I should never have been the LAST PERSON WAITED ON.
Do not go here unless you are seeking a venue to destroy your dreams and hurt you.

The service was beyond terrible. At least two tables left because of problems with their orders. We waited 15 minutes before our waiter approached us. Then waited another twenty minutes for our drinks and chips. It took another 45 minutes to get our meal. The food was delicious, but definitely not worth the wait.

Not a fan of Chef Johnny. And they charge for chips and salsa — that’s a HUGE no in San Antonio. Food is over rated and over priced. Staff was slow but friendly and has a great play area for kids but that’s about it.

Charro beans excellent. Meat platter delicious. Very attentive and friendly staff.

I had gone to this restaurant over a week ago in Sunday 4−17−16 around 4pm my first time ever I heard many great things about the place. Although we were sat in the bar we ok with it, but the bartender was no friendly and not welcoming at all. We had walked out to the entry and requested to be re-​sat. I and my girlfriend just started to get to our table, when Oscar the General Manager approach us in a very timely and honorable manner he turned my mind and thoughts completely around. I was completely satisfied with everything he said and done for us. I was also amazed at the taste and quality of the food I will most definitely be back again thanks to Oscar and his hospitality. This is a restaurant I would truly love to work for having a boss like you
Thanks
Hector Castillo

Our experience was similar to others — we loved the atmosphere of the outdoor patio but were a little disappointed with the food.
Our waitress was attentive, and got our drinks and order in and out very quickly. My husband was interested in the goat, but they were out. So we got the other big meat platter. I don’t eat meat, but we were assuming the shrimp and veggie sides that come with it would be enough for me. (This place doesn’t have ANY vegetarian options: not a veggie plate, salad, or tacos. For a popular restaurant in a big city this was a bummer, but I don’t dock them any points for it given they’re pretty upfront on the website that it’s all about the meat.)
My husband liked the meat. He ate it all and said it was delicious. The veggies that were there were good. But why so little? There was literally one grilled onion slice and a single green onion for the whole platter. Likewise, there were only small bowls of rice and beans (the same portions you’d expect for a single plate…), and they weren’t anything to write home about.

I really love the ambience of El Machito! The décor is very unique, and Mexican Luchador-​themed. The colors are vibrant and the outdoor seating area is spacious and beautiful.
We ordered queso fundido con chorizo verde as an appetizer-​the tortillas were served warm and it was very tasty. The only downside of this was the time it took to actually get the appetizer-​about 25 minutes.
The live music was a huge plus while we were seated outdoor and lent for a very pleasant experience. However, this unfortunately was as good as it got. The rest of our meal and the service was sub-​par. We initially ordered the big plate with the Cabrito-​only to be told 20 minutes later that they were out of cabrito. We ordered another dish-​the Machito instead. The waiter was very slow and the food took an inordinate amount of time to get to the table. The
plate of meat was a good size, but the amount of beans and rice that came out with the plate was astonishing and disappointing. The bowls that contained the beans and rice were filled only a fourth of the way (very small bowls), and the rice was still crunchy from not being fully cooked.
Overall, I think that one pays for the ambience and the mood. I would say that this is a great place to grab a drink and maybe an appetizer, but that about all. I’ll have to come back to see if this was a slow/​bad day for the place or if this is the normal operation of the business.

Not very happy with service and food! I can say «I wouldn’t come back here ever again» manager offered us guacamole and chips free due to bad service and they still charged us. If you come here need to plan ahead a) not to be hungry, cuz they take forever to take and to bring food b) have enough time to spend in this place cuz they are no where to be found. We saw 10 staff talking to each other.

First time to this quaint place and I loved the patio, which made me feel like I was in Europe — that is probably why we stayed.
The house margaritas were good and quite large. We ordered the El Machito and I was pleasantly surprised with the selection of meats. Although there were many choices of meat (Cecina, Pork Ribs, Chorizo, Chicken, and Shrimp), I felt as though the portions were skimpy. Also, the meats were dry. The side accompaniments were a bit lackluster and the whole meal just lacked excitement.
Taking everything into consideration, I might give this place another shot and try something else on the menu — perhaps my palette is more refined or quite possibly I chose the wrong thing on the menu.

We normally check out a new restaurant we haven’t tried at least once a month so we came to check out El Machito since I saw it on Bizarre Foods and bookmarked it to try. Let’s just say, we won’t be back and won’t recommend it to anyone. Pretty disappointed.
I guess I will start with the good stuff. The building is very colorful inside. As soon as you walk in you can see alllll of the meats being grilled/​roasted on an open flame. We had a reservation for 630pm for a party of 7.
Our server was really nice and seemed to know what he was doing at first… he wrote down our drinks and appetizers and then came back with only half the drinks and kept forgetting to bring what everyone asked for. He was then gone for about 30 mins. Came back with cold appetizers… The queso was already beginning to get solid in the skillet.
So now for the bad… My hubby really wanted cabrito.
So we put in an order for the table… The Super Machito $ 118 plus a few other things for the whole table. About 25 mins later our waiter comes out to say that it was not available on weekends! Are you serious right now. So we ordered an El Machito and an El Bizarre because we really wanted the experience.
The meats were good but some of it was cold… not sure if they were waiting on something to finish grilling or what. The sides were good but nothing special.
The waiter then finally showed back up after he dropped off the food. He refilled everyone’s drink… including mine… I had a sprite that he filled with water… Yes! Thanks! I appreciate that!
So with that customer service and a «Um OK» meal, we really won’t be back.

My work trip was wrapping up, so my coworkers took me out to El Machito, one of chef Johnny Hernandez’s restaurants. He has three spots in San Antonio (not counting the airport) with Mexican fare reflective of street food and flavors. El Machito, in a historic building in the Quarry area, has a Mexican and luchador-​themed décor, with vibrant colors and cool custom furniture. Oh and THE GRILL OF GRILLS. Y’all know I have carnivorous tendencies and want all the meats please and thanks. It has Andrew Zimmern’s blessing too.
I did proceed to eat my face off, starting with chips, guacamole and salsa, and then tortillas with a Queso Panelo Asado. The queso is a hot-​off-​the-​griddle cow’s milk cheese, and we chose the one with a sweet tasting tomato mermelada, piloncillo, and chile de arbol. I usually prefer salty and savory tastes, but eating the queso with the salt of a chip or tortilla was a combination made in heaven. It was serving super-​hot in a skillet, which basically sang to us when it was served. When you live in Tennessee, land of Lodge skillets, you appreciate some cast iron serenading.
For dinner, we shared the Parrillada and assorted sides, because MEAT PLEASE. The cecina was one of my favorites, a dried and aged beef that was salty and full of flavor. There were multiple types of chorizo, pork ribs, shrimp, and chicken too. Everything tasted flavorful and delicious. This parrillada was enough for three of us to share, and it would be enough for two bigger appetites.
Overall, I’m now officially a fan of Chef Johnny Hernandez, and I wouldn’t hesitate to come back and try more of the menu.
Oh, and there’s a playground on site for kids. Very family-​friendly!

Came to check out El Machito from Bizarre Foods, left with incredible disappointment.
The building itself is quite nice — very colorful and bright interior, and the altar of meat WOULD look amazing if the same pieces of meat that were cooking when we walked in weren’t still there when we left. Our server was also really quite nice and earnest, making the overall dining experience pleasant, even though our original server was MIA for the first 10 minutes.
My table got there at around 7pm on a Saturday, and you’d expect it to be bumpin’, but it most definitely was not. We had our pick of tables, and we sat in the main indoor room — our mistake because there’s no good ventilation, and you leave smelling like smoke (at least it’s toasty inside?). Opt for a patio table, since they have plastic hanging to block as much cold/​wind as possible.
Alright, so back to the hammered meat: you would think a restaurant that prides itself on parrillada cooking would have some tender, juicy meat, right? Especially when you pay a premium? Well, no. Not quite.
Maybe because it was dead at 7pm on a Saturday that the meat was not being churned out like anticipated, but I think it’s mostly because the meat has been precooked and sits around all day and gets fired up right before being served. When it comes to grilling, resting the meat for 5 minutes before serving is great. Resting for hours and hours is not great.
Everything was way too salty, the sausage had a horrible mealy texture (seriously…it was so off putting), and as previously mentioned, the meats were just dry and devoid of any juiciness that grilling brings out. I also ordered a side of fideo, but regrets again — it was far sweeter than any fideo I had eaten, and I’ve eaten fideo that my friends’ abuelitas make. I’ll chalk that one up to a different style of Mexican cooking, though.
Oh, and my Diet Coke was flat. You were probably more curious about the meat anyway, but hey — drinks are an important component of meals!
Generally, restaurants featured on TV shows are pretty average on Unilocal,but El Machido has managed to take «meh» and completely mangle that expectation. If you were to visit, then I recommend visiting earlier in the day. But, well, I don’t exactly recommend eating here in the first place anyway.

This is my first visit to this authentic Mexican Restaurant Parrillada the place looks very nice in the outside, the hostess was very friendly in both English and Spanish so automatically felt welcome. The place is very nice inside too and it’s very inviting. Our waitress was nice to explain the menu since I wasn’t familiar with it. She also explained the cocktail menu since I wasn’t familiar with the names. This is not a typical Mexican restaurant so need to keep this in mind if you decide to visit it.
Let’s talk about the flavor on my dish I ordered a sampler of different meats (chicken, chorizo, pork ribs, thin fajitas, chicken sausage, and shrimp) with a portion of rice and borracho beans. The side portions were too small for two people, but flavor of the meat was out of this world, all the meats were flavorful and tender. It was cooked just right and the meal was served with corn tortillas.
Overall this place was a great experience and the waitress was very attentive. If you feel the urge to try some authentic grilled meats this the place to visit. Oh and this place plays salsa music kinda uniq.

I’ve been wanting to go here for a while but I never had the chance until last week. I’m a huge fan of La Fruteria and I’m not a huge fan of La Gloria, so I knew this place would be a crap shoot.
Unfortunately, it was not a pleasant experience.
Highlights:
Great location, beautiful patio and outdoor eating area. The lemonade and hibiscus aqua frescas were great. I’m sure the drinks are just as delicious as La Fruteria though.
Lowlights:
The boys were given kids menus, but they were told the restaurant does not give kids crayons because they don’t want them drawing on the playgym. Really? Then don’t give them kid menus to color on!
The playgym was nice, but don’t take the kids during high noon. The boys hated it and thought it was too hot to play on. I’m sure the playgym would be better in the evening.
The food was ok. I had crispy fish tacos and the boys had cheese quesadillas and it was very bland, no taste. The boys didn’t even like it and they love cheese. Now I understand that the food is more traditional Mexican food vs. Tex-​Mex, but it should have some taste right? And what’s with the $ 5 chips and salsa? The salsa is pretty good, but not really worth $ 5.
And our waiter was not the nicest person. He seemed put off when I said I wanted chips and guacamole, but not for $ 9. He mentioned something about how this restaurant is more expensive than most and made a comment about our «financial situation.» Really?! So since I have kids, I’m too poor to pay for salsa?
Summary:
This one experience was not pleasant, but I’m willing to try it again with friends. The location is great (it used to be the original Stonewerks restaurant), and I know Chef Hernandez’s other establishments have great adult beverages. Unfortunately, it’s not kid friendly, even though there is a playgym!