The Clean Plate San Antonio

This is a great place with local farm to table food. It’s not a big place and there isn’t a lot of parking space, but if you want something kind of intimate, this is your place !! I had watermelon salad and quale. It was very good !! And I can be a bit particular at times.

Forget the ketchup you won’t need it! This was one of the tastiest burgers I have had in a long time. There is no salt or pepper on the table as the chef knows how to cook.

We were in town for seminar but wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Decided to give this place a try. Totally WORTH the drive. The waitress who served us was very helpful answered all our questions. If there is one thing you need to try it’s the Gua Bao! Tasted fresh and light ! I never had beets before and they had a special on fried beets which was super delicious and a must try. Also had the chicken fried steak which was juicy and tasty! If ever I’m in town again I definitely will return here !

Fantastic place. Found this place by accident while on a doctor’s visit. I will definitely come back again. The burger was AMAZING. So much flavor. I also tried the Platanos Maduros with vanilla ice cream and toasted pecans. It was FANTASTIC. If you in this part of San Antonio you must give this place a try.

We came in town to visit San Antonio for a weekend vacation away from the hustle and bustle of Houston.
After visiting a large local water park the day before, (we slept in till 11am) far too late to catch breakfast at our hotel on the river walk. We decided to consult with our hand dandy Unilocal app.
After some scrolling through our options we were directed to o a restaurant about 1 mile away, The Clean Plate.
This place had amazing reviews from past patrons. We put our shoes on and began to walk from the Holiday Inn.
The distance was not an issue from the hotel but the walk from the radiant heat was noticeable. The building was smaller than expected but put out wonderful plates from the kitchen.
It has a small shaded patio with 2 picnic tables ment for slightly larger parties and cool days. We opted to sit inside today by the front windows. It was a nice view of the restaurant and outside patio.
My husband and I both ordered water, we are not soda drinkers or much of anything with sugar. I ordered the Mac and cheese as a starter. The mac and cheese is baked with panko crumbs and crumbles bacon upon request. My husband ordered the Asian Steak Salad and I had to try the Grass Feed Angus Burger. The Clean Plate has fantastic flavors. I will be back to try out their dinner specials. It is a place NOT to pass up. This is a MUST GO!

Everything about this place is so subtle and nice. I really like the ambience and the very beautiful veranda that gives shade on a sunny day. The small gardens on the side with the cacti and the passion flowers gives the place a nice San Antonio feel. I also love the commitment to local foods. Everything on their menu is locally sourced, and even their sodas are made in house with local syrups. The menu is definitely limited, but there’s a nice variety and draws from diverse influences; for example the Gua Bao (asian influenced) and other typical Latin American influenced dishes. I had their fish tacos, which were good, but perhaps needed a little more flavor since they had too much cabbage for my taste. My friend said the burgers and the fries were great. Service is ¹⁰⁄₁₀. Their sodas, especially the orange and the prickly pear were perfect and unique since they were not overly sweet like regular sodas and, as previously mentioned, local. Prices are definitely not on the pricey side. Very fair and affordable. Waitress was super nice and cool and let us take home some of the fallen cacti buds. Very clean, not crowded, and you should definitely eat outside if it’s a nice day and you have a chance. Again, lovely spot: super subtle and modern, not gentrified and overpriced. What an awesome local find!

FOOD (Lunch):
1) Gua Bao ⁴⁄₅: My favorite from what I’ve tried here, but probably because I’m a sucker for anything in a steamed bun. The pickled local carrots and daikon, cabbage, cilantro, and green onions are all so fresh, light and earthy, set up in contrast to the pork mayo which gives a very bold flavor. My pork belly was a tad dry and lean, I was missing more of that fat that just kind of melts in your mouth like butter, but all in all still a solid dish that I would order again. It’s paired with an asian side salad and lemongrass infused basmati rice, both flavorful and prepared beautifully. The advantage of these sides is also that you can order the half portion ($ 9.00) which is significantly cheaper and still pretty filling for lunch.
2) Mac and Cheese ³⁄₅: One of the most popular items on the menu, but I don’t know if I’ll ever truly be blown away with just mac and cheese that doesn’t have lobster or anything else added to elevate it. It’s definitely above average here, but it’s not filling enough to stand on its own, and it’s a little too expensive to add to the side of an entrée. There is the option to add bacon $ 2, grilled mushrooms $ 1, or caramelized onions $ 1, which may provide a little more «umph» to the dish (haven’t tried adding these personally).
3) Wagyu/​Angus burger ²⁄₅: Would not recommend this. I was really craving a burger that day, something hearty, juicy, with lots of bold flavors. I was sorely disappointed. The patty was overcooked and dry, with very subtle hints of flavor here and there, but just not enough. Served with a side of fries which were pretty good and crispy, but of course if the main lead is awfully subpar, the extras can’t really save the show.
I’ve been here for lunch twice, which I hear is supposed to be cheaper than dinner; however, I feel like it’s still kind of expensive for lunch prices (at least for a broke medical student). I love the unassuming, hole-​in-​the wall vibe because sometimes you just want the casual good food without all the frills, but I wish the prices would be as down to earth as the atmosphere.
Both times the service has been extremely efficient and on point, our orders have been taken and served fresh promptly. I really appreciate this because I come here during a short lunch break from my downtown clinic, so my colleagues and I are usually in a hurry. If you’re looking for a quick bite to eat during lunch in the downtown area, I recommend checking out this place because there is virtually no wait and you can be in and out in 45 minutes easy.
VERDICT: This place hasn’t really blown me away (yet), but I think I would still come back to try some of the other items on the lunch and dinner menu when I’m ready to loosen the purse strings a little bit. For now, 3 stars because it’s «A-​Ok» but nothing to write home about.

Went to a very unassuming part of town (my girlfriend, who was driving was constantly asking if we were at the right place) and had one of the most delicious meals I think San Antonio has to offer. I love how non touristy the place seems after seeing what the riverwalk district was all about. Will be returning
Try the fermented plantains with ice cream for dessert… its amazing

Roasted veggie sandwich
Very grease but with good flavor. — Be ready because oil will be dripping on the plate–
Fries were full of oil, not crispy on the outside like it should be.
Waitress was rude when I mentioned sandwich was grease.
It was my first and my last time there.

After a suuuuper long driving day from Santa Fe (11 hours ughhhh) my boyfriend and I arrived in San Antonio pretty exhausted and in need of food that doesn’t come with an easily associated logo. Clean Plate was located near our Airbnb, and a Unilocal search led us to want to try it out. We were VERY happy we did.
Although it was a Thursday night, it was pretty much empty. When we arrived, there were only 2 other tables occupied, and by the time we left we were the only patrons in the place. Usually, this is off-​putting, but the food is so good that I can only assume the rest of San Antonio was busy and/​or crazy. We brought in our own bottle of wine, and for a $ 7 corking fee it is a steal.
For starters, we split the pork buns and they were fantastic! A little tiny, but we were trying to be healthy that night so it worked out in our favor. For entrees, we got a chicken fried steak (the boyfriend… I lied when I said «we» were trying to healthy), and I got a vegetable dish with this leek purée that I wanted to bottle, and I would have probably picked up the plate and licked it had I been at home.
Not too expensive, cute outdoor area, and liked that it was away from the craziness of the river walk. Would recommend to anyone visiting or living in San Antonio!

Fiiinnnnaaalllly made it to try The Clean Plate. It didn’t disappoint. We split lettuce wraps (PF who?!), a burger (so fresh and flavorful), and dessert (rich & satisfying).
I love pretty much everything about this place: it’s in a little funky building that might otherwise be sitting unloved; it’s artsy without trying too hard — that goes for the deco, the Farm-​to-​Table food, and the music someone was probably streaming from a phone; the service was perfect — not too much or too little, and not condescending or cold.
The only thing I don’t love is really my fault for not planning ahead: I couldn’t buy a glass of wine to go with dinner… but I could’ve brought in wine for a $ 7 corking fee.

Food is good but not for the price. I don’t think I’ll go back. Too expensive for the portions they serve.

Very good, a little pricey, long wait for food. Went on a Sunday evening and sat at a picnic table outside. Nice, quiet atmosphere. Sodas are sweetened with cane sugar and I highly recommend the prickly pear lemonade. Staff is very warm and helpful explaining menu choices. We ordered the Mac n’ cheese (with bacon), the vegetarian dish, chicken fried steak, and spaghetti. The vegetarian dish was quite hearty (for just being veggies) with the purée, mushrooms, and roasted flavor, but a little too much cabbage (for my taste) and a little skimpy on portions for $ 15. All in all the food was very good with beautiful presentation; only downside is service is a little slow and prices a little on the high side. I think our bill was $ 85 with tip for 3 entrees. I still love the healthier and organic choices that they offer; not too many places like this around SA. I will definitely return.

Reviewing: Lunch
What I Ordered: Gua Bao (recommend!)
The Clean Plate is named because they believing in cooking with ingredients that are sustainable and free from pesticides and genetic modification. It’s actually a cute little place downtown with a very friendly staff that makes you immediately comfortable when you walk in!
FOOD: I ordered the GUA BAO ($ 14.25) which comes with 2 braised asian pork belly in steamed rice buns, pickled carrots and daikon, cabbage, cilantro, and lemongrass infused basmati rice. I’m such a sucker for pork belly buns and was so pleasantly surprised to find that this restaurant makes them well — the key to a good pork belly is how much fat comes with the meat — it needs to be the perfect ratio and the plate I got meet my expectations! The rice and salad were also super flavorful as well. I finished the plate in one go without taking leftovers which is very rare for me! I would say the only downside to this dish is that it’s one of the more pricier dishes at this restaurant but then again, it’s hard to find cheap pork belly buns nowadays. You can order a half portion for $ 9.
PARKING: So there a couple parking spots behind the restaurant so more than likely you’ll have to find street parking.
NEXT TIME: I want to try the mac and cheese and fish tacos!

Such a nice place! It’s small and doesn’t look much from outside but indoors looks very hipster with great natural light. I love that they use local organic ingredients.
We ordered the ceviche as an appetizer and it was out of this world! Even the kids loved it and were fighting for eat. For lunch we ordered the grass fed burger, fish tacos, Mac and cheese and crab cakes. Everything was outstanding and beautifully presented.

So fresh and so clean clean. Had the gua bao and my girlfriend had the wagyu burger. Really good food. Pricey but definitely worth the tag.
And ice cool water. What’s cooler than being cool? Ice cold. Sorry Ms. Jackson, no more Outkast lyrics.

This little spot was recommended as a good farm-​to-​table restaurant and the recommendation was correct! Friendly, knowledgable waitstaff made choosing an entrée quick & easy.
We both had the burger, no bun and added some caramelized onion and grilled mushrooms. It was served on top of fresh baby arugula and watercress with a slice of heirloom tomato. The flavor of the beef was perfect and the spicy greens set it off beautifully.
Simple shoestring fries become a delicacy when they are twice fried and topped with sea salt. I asked for a side of their house made pork mayo — I recommend you do the same.
All in all, this place was a very good spot to fill our bellies without taking home a guilty conscience.

Arrived a day early in San Antonio for a conference and decided to do some exploring (aka I walked like 5 miles down the riverwalk) before realizing «omg, I’m starving and would like to not eat texmex for every meal because I know that will be happening soon enough.» So I think I searched «salad» or «healthy» and lucky for me Clean Plate came up. Scenic-​ly it’s a bit off the beaten path (most people probably drive here?), but so worth the trek.
As a one-​room operation, you’re greeted/​served/​cleared all by the same person, and I imagine there’s just one other doing the cooking. But that intimacy made me feel quite welcome and comfortable enough to ask lots of questions and promptly use their electricity to charge my phone.
I opted for the Gua Bao based on Unilocal highlights and am so glad so many people have written about it. Holy yum. Idk if San Antonio is known for Asian fusion, but this place should be because the flavors were on point. I also treated myself to a Root Beer (free refills!).
Super friendly service, and overall a great spot. I hope the locals love it as much as I did as a visitor!

The vision of this restaurant is to use sustainable, respectfully sourced, local ingredients. While I would support them simply on this mission, they have many additional great things going for them.
The atmosphere is hip in a simplistic way. It seems as though they put little effort in décor, and the result was perfectly imperfect. I especially enjoy sitting outside on the patio.
The customer service is unrivaled. The wait staff is on top of everything, but stays out of the way enough to allow you space to enjoy your meal. They also seem down to earth, which differs from many trendy restaurants I have been to.
The food is fresh and tasty. The menu contains heavier dishes than I prefer, however the quality of the ingredients make up for it.
Their famous warm brownie topped with vanilla ice cream is painfully delicious. I don’t expect to find a better dessert in San Antonio.
The fact that they showcase local artists is the cherry on top!
In conclusion: My only complaint, if it can even qualify as a complaint, is that their menu contains mostly heavier dishes. I have a hard time classifying this as a complaint considering the food is great anyway. I love this place and plan to come regularly!

Overrated, but appreciated. There aren’t too many dining options that focus on sustainable and responsibly sourced non-​GMO foods, but the food itself was just okay and service was lacking.
The much-​hyped mac and cheese was $ 6 and pretty plain– the curiously flat, one-​note flavor for a four cheese blend, tasted like it came from a bulk bag from Costco. It wasn’t particularly cheesy or saucy, most of the noodles were cooked perfectly al dente but dry.
The mesquite-​grilled mahi taco plate was just okay– great mahi, but the roasted poblano aioli was either bland or missing. I really liked the refried black beans, but the cilantro-​lime basmati rice was overcooked and mushy. Server seemed annoyed that I asked to substitute the daily vegetable for the rice, and I was less than enthused to hear that they have a strict «no substitutions» policy. Whatever.
I really like how the interior features local art, but the outdoor patio needs some TLC and ownership needs to work on a relationship with the next door bar– having 6 dedicated parking spaces with a giant NO PARKING sign across the rest of the lot is not only inconvenient but unwelcoming. It’s not like they’re competing for the same customers.
NOTE: There’s a 50 cent «take out» surcharge, per the menu. Apparently the staff like to interpret that as a per-​item fee rather than the flat rate transaction fee that the wording implies.