Watermark Grill

Great seafood, impeccable service. They have a few house infused liquors that are cheap-​ish and tasty.
Try the surf-​n-​turf app: seared steak with seared tuna.

We ate here for lunch one Friday. Started off with some raw Oysters and I have to say they were some of the best I have ever eaten. Fresh, plump, hint of saltiness from the sea. The horseradish and cocktail sauce made these a winner. We also had some of the Calamari. Very tender and not overdone or rubbery. The sauce that it was mixed in was sweet and seemed to compliment it well. For our entrée’s, I had the Black Drum with seasonal vegetables and dirty rice. The portion was a little small for the price, but the flavor more than compensated for it. My wife ordered the seafood Cobb salad and while it tasted great to me, she said it had too much onion. You could see a lot of onion in there, so if you are like my wife and not a fan of onions, stay away from this. Otherwise, I think you would enjoy. The crab and shrimp mixture that sat on the greens, tasted delicious. As I said, a little pricey for some but well worth it for the taste and freshness.

We were so looking forward to our first experience here. Unfortunately, we were disappointed. We were seated right away but it took a very long time for our waiter to greet us and then even longer for him to take our order. That was just the beginning of our wait time. We waited for what seemed like an eternity before my husband’s appetizer was served. Oh, and I say «my husband’s» because they did not bring mine. The waiter came by and asked if I had received my crabcake (as if I had eaten it and the plate). He went off to find out what the problem was. In the meantime, one of the Managers (I think) came by and asked how everything was so far. I explained that I had yet to taste anything and he went off to find the elusive crabcake as well. It turns out the button they use to order the crabcake malfunctioned and none of the crabcake orders were going through. I normally don’t mind small things like that if the food is worth it but that «Jumbo Lump Crabcake» was not worth it. It was a thin little cake and I did not have any «lump» crab that I could see in it. I have had better crabcakes at Central Market. I had completely finished my glass of wine by the time the Ribeye arrived. I have to say the Ribeye was good. I liked the char on the outside and it was cooked to perfection. However, the Ribeye at Hoffbrau is much better in my opinion. We didn’t bother getting dessert as we were afraid we would not be home in time to ring in the New Year based on the time it took to get the other courses. The atmosphere was a bit too stuffy for me. I felt a bit uncomfortable, especially when the butter dish slipped out of my husband’s hand and went crashing to the floor (what, no clapping?). I think we will stick with beer and steaks at Hoffbrau!!!

This place is not even close to being worth the price. In some ways it tries to be fancy, but the plastic chairs and beach décor make it very informal for the price. The food wasn’t awful, but everything was smothered in sauce to hide the not-​so-​fresh ingredients. The bread was pretty good, and the iced tea was fine, but I got a wedge salad which was a quarter of an iceberg lettuce head drizzled with some very runny and mild bleu cheese dressing. My dinner was very odd. I usually love blackened fish but wouldn’t recommend their blackened swordfish — it had a very funky taste in the blackened part of it — almost like the oil was bad, or maybe the spices actually were burned. None of the veggies any of us got seemed fresh, they all seemed frozen. Our meal was about $ 30 a person. I did try the lobster that my friend ordered and it wasn’t bad, but again had way too much sauce on the plate with some not-​excellent gnocchi. Their major mistake was giving my sister a mostly raw piece of Hake — it was far from cooked (she ordered it grilled). I would recommend trying somewhere cheaper.

Great atmosphere, but the seating arrangements inside lend themselves to either «great» tables or «terrible» tables. You either look out wide windows or are seated practically in the kitchen. In fact, we had to move from our original seat because it was on the serving path and not conducive to a nice, romantic dinner for two.
Once we moved, everything was enjoyable. Our server was wonderful, food was perfectly prepared, and the manager came by several times to say hello and ask how our dinner was going.
All in all, definitely go back. Next time, I’d like to try the patio area. Looks like a great place to sit back and enjoy the evening.

Sad to see that Reggiano’s closed… but we enjoyed Watermark!
We dined here one early Saturday evening on the outdoor patio. We ordered ½ priced happy hour cocktails and two entrees, the Seafood Platter and the Black Drum. Yum!
We will definitely be back for the ½ priced apps during happy hour!

Before I begin this review, I should disclose that I am from Maine, I lived in Japan for seven years (sushi being my favorite food), and my expectations of quality seafood is extremely high. That said, I would rate Watermark Grill as slightly above average. My girlfriend ordered the grilled swordfish and I ordered the Northeast Lobster Bake for us to share (it is HUGE), as I was really craving some quality lobster and had not eaten any in the past couple of years. As an appetizer, we shared a bowl of the New England Clam Chowder. So, the New England Clam Chowder was flavorful, but it was a miss. It wasn’t so much a clam chowder as it was a bowl of melted butter mixed with bisque and a scant amount of clams thrown in. The clams did not taste fresh, but rather canned. My girlfriend’s grilled swordfish, on the other hand, was quite good. And now on to the lobster boil. Where do I begin? One whole lobster, steamed clams and mussels, shrimp, seaweed (a nice authentic touch), corn-​on-​the-​cob, and chorizo sausage (WTF?!?). Everything was pretty dried out and not very juicy – the lobster was likely frozen before cooking. The taste overall was strictly o.k. Note to owner: The lobster tail should NEVER have been split before cooking – it makes it way too tough and dried out.
Now, on to the dining experience. This is Stone Oak, folks. Be prepared for über-​pretentious, ultra-​rich yuppies thinking they are dining at some unreachably delectable restaurant. Not coincidentally, the prices of the dishes reflect that. My favorite part of the meal was tearing into my lobster with my hands, ripping off lobster appendages as only a Mainer knows how with bits of shell flying about, all while receiving aghast looks and chuckles at my barbarianism. This is how you eat lobster, you bunch of schmohawks. Lastly, although the hostess was very nice and talkative, the waiters and cooks are nothing more than glorified Johnny Carino’s staff. They are inexperienced kids. As such, I was constantly reminding my waiter to bring me melted butter and vinegar (STANDARD condiments for a boil – another note to the owner) and he did so – after three reminders. Although the food was slightly above average, the prices and dining experience do not justify returning.

This place gets two thumbs up from me and I’ll tell you why:
Atmosphere — this is a great space. Its flooded with natural light from the huge windows all around. Although we only sat/​ate at the bar, the rest of the restaurant looked roomy and didn’t seem like people would be sitting on top of each other even if it were packed. Also, there’s a great patio area with comfy lounge chairs in bright colors that looked like a great place to hang out and have a few drinks for a chill evening with friends on a warm summer night.
Service — I was greeted warmly by the hostess when I walked in. Shortly after finding my friend seated at the bar, drink in hand, the manager (?) whose name I didn’t catch came to greet me. Apparently she had done the same when my friend had arrived before me and made several (tasty! — more on that later) suggestions from the menu. She let us know that she was new and wanted all the feedback she could get, good or bad. She made a point to come back after we’d gotten our food to make sure everything was to our satisfaction and to ask our opinions on the particular menu items we’d ordered. Our bartender/​waiter Jason was great also — polite, friendly, helpful, attentive, but not hovering. My glass was always full, empty plates were whisked away to make more room for us at the bar.
Food — my friend and I couldn’t decide which of the many delicious sounding items to order and ended up getting our own sampling of the appetizers (2 of which were suggested by the manager, the 3^rd by Bartender Jason). We had the crab cake, the calamari, and Chicken Fried Laughing Bird Shrimp (I know, you’re thinking, wtf is that?). The crab cake was savory and full of flavor. It wasn’t too dry or crumbly — it was just right. The calamari was in this sweet chili coconut sauce — amazing. Not rubbery, just the right amount of breading. Laughing Bird shrimp, as explained to us by Jason, is farm raised and organic which is supposed to make it tastier. And being Texas, they chicken-​fried it. It comes with a trio of sauces — my favorite was the garlic-​y one. The only reason I didn’t give this place 5 stars is because we didn’t try the food/​entrees this time. I hope to remedy that soon!

Great calamari — might just be the best in town. Tender, crispy, delicious. Also, love the soft shell crab! Comfortable, casual atmosphere. Attentive service.

I don’t think I’ve ever thought «San Antonio» when I’ve thought of cities renowned for good food. Therefore, my expectations for San Antonio cuisine were low, at best. My father retired to San Antonio six years ago after living in New York City for 42 years. Culture shock? Uhhh… yeah. My previous trips to Texas had left me feeling like I had entered strip mall nirvana, with chain restaurants and fast food joints as far and wide as the eye could see. I was hoping that this visit would be slightly different and so, when my father pulled out a small, printed list of restaurants from his wallet and said, «Where do you want to eat?» I picked Watermark Grill … not because I knew anything about it, but because you couldn’t spell Chili’s, Ruby Tuesday’s, Olive Garden, or IHOP out of W-​A-​T-​E-​R-​M-​A-​R-​K-​G-​R-​I-​L-​L. The ‘W’ really throws a wrench in the whole anagram schema.
We arrived at the Watermark Grill at 5 pm. They open for dinner at 4:30 pm. We were the first people to walk through the door. The hostess was still folding napkins and laying out silverware as we approached her station. The good thing about being the first people in the restaurant is that you get seated immediately and you usually get good service, unless the waiter/​waitress is useless and doesn’t give a toss. But our waiter, Jason, was good and he did give a toss. Thanks, Jason.
I decided to start my first ‘I’m now in Texas’ meal off right, so I ordered a margarita. As someone who makes a damn good homemade margarita (toot-​toot), I’ve become overly critical of restaurant margaritas. Annoyingly so, even to me. Also, I feel at 30, it is now acceptable to drink in front of my father (who doesn’t drink and never has), without feeling like I’m being judged. And honestly, I don’t think he cares, or has ever cared about that kind of thing … its just another point of self-​made paranoia that my mind graciously bestows on me. I think sometimes, when you are with a parent, it is hard not to flashback to what your relationship was like with them at 12, 15, or 17 (the tough years) and forget that you’re now an adult with your own life, your own habits, your own responsibilities, and your own bank account. So with all that in mind, my first margarita turned into a second, and maybe (if we’re keeping track) a third. All the while listening to my dad marvel about the «neat» design of the glasses and maybe I should take one home with me. What? I know the conceal and carry laws in Texas are pretty lax, but surprisingly, I think that refers to guns and not bar ware.
Leaving the «neat» margarita glasses where they lay, I was able to concentrate on the food. As the name might suggest, Watermark Grill is a seafood restaurant. If you’re not a fan of edible delights that come from the sea, don’t eat here. I started with the New England clam chowder and then ordered the monk-​fish with seasonal vegetables (off of their Fresh Market Fish menu). My dad ordered the grilled Scottish salmon, which came with rice, sauteed fennel, scallions, and seasonal vegetables. And my boyfriend (yes, he was there too) ordered the cod (also off the Fresh Market Fish menu).
The New England clam chowder was delicious. It was appropriately spiced and not too watery. It stood on its own and didn’t need any additional salt, pepper, or little crackers in the plastic wrapping. I ordered the small portion and finished it, wishing I had ordered the large portion.
The monk-​fish entrée was also delicious. The fish was fresh and flavorful. I thought the rice and vegetables complemented the dish perfectly, making it about the fish and not about some heavy potato side or convoluted sauce. It was something that you might serve yourself at home, only 100x better. My dad and boyfriend also found their fish to be extremely fresh, tasty, and light.
For dessert we split a piece of carrot cake, which may have actually been half the cake. I’m never one to back down from a large slice of cake, so I really didn’t see the enormous size of the «slice» as a problem.
Watermark Grill, I «heart» you. Please save some tequila for me because I’m going to pay you a visit the next time I’m in San Antonio. I’m a «y’all» who will definitely be back.

Headed here on a Wed. evening w/​my bf, there was a very light crowd. The restaurants ambiance made me think of it as higher end CPK, nice but not snobby.
The Drinks:
i had the Isaacs cosmo which was very nice. So i nice i had it twice =)
and the BF had a Stella.
The Appetizers:
We ordered 2 of each of the 3 different specialty OYSTERS from the raw bar. all flown in from the east coast. They were all very nice, perfect portions and no GUSHY STUFF in any of them…
We also ordered the CRABCAKE, it was delicious. very crabby.
ENTREES:
We both ordered from the fresh seasonal seafood menu.
i had the:
Diver scallops, blackened. served with some sort of black rice thing and veggies. i really enjoyed it.
he had the:
Soft shell crab, Sauteed. w/​the same sides. it was his first time w the soft shell crab, he felt in was tasty but not his style to eat shell and all. i like it though =)
Desert:
I had the crème brûlée. it was standard
he had the fudge sundae. below standard.
i enjoyed pretty much all of it. our waitress was very attentive and nice. but i had to dock a star because there were a few gnats flying around and a little spider was chillin in the stack of plates on our table. normally id be disgusted w any sort of bug at my table. but so far in TX bugs are everywhere and ive been desensitized.

Half Price Happy Hour. Yep. $ 4 Prickly Pear Margarita, here I come…
Watermark Grill is located on the corner of 1604 and Stone Oak and has tons of parking. The atmosphere is great. The cost was decent but bordering pricey. They have an awesome patio. I could totally see fun nights out there listening to live music enjoying that happy hour.
The inside is also cool. Very chill. Even romantic if it needed to be. The bar had a wall of liquor bottles displayed against a window so the sunlight made it look really pretty. Nice to place to take in a sunset because the mood changes inside as the sun goes down.
Our waiter was great. Very friendly and out-​going and offered tons of delicious suggestions (gold star for getting us to try the Churros and Hot Chocolate for dessert. A. Maz. Ing.) The place is decidedly not kid friendly but my 3 year old goddaughter was in our party and he was great with her as well! Also, a guy who worked in the kitchen took a few extra minutes to show her the oysters they have on ice and tell her all about them, which she loved. The extra effort was much appreciated.
I’d love to go back on a Thursday or Friday night and see the place with a little more life. We went on a Monday when not a lot was going on. That was nice though because we sort of had the place to ourselves and our service was really fast, but I will be going back to see this place in action closer to a weekend! I’ll still start with that Half Price Happy Hour, regardless of the day of the week!

Okay lets get the pleasantries out of the way first. The place is very nice and set up in a great atmosphere. The service was quick and attentive and the wait was non-​existent.
Now to the bad part, the food!!! OMG, I honestly cannot remember such a bad experience with seafood in my entire life. There were 3 of us, myself, wife and mother-​in-​law. We ordered the clams as an appetizer and we could not get the food down. The seasoning was dreadful and the clams were chewy (a sure sign of over cooking). I had a fried seafood platter and my wife had a seafood dish with scallops. When my wife bit into the scallop she had a flood of ammonia poor into her mouth, so bad it cause an instant head ache and almost made her throw-​up. I had a fried scallop on my plate and cut it open to the over powering fragrance of ammonia. The seafood was extremely old. When seafood is unfrozen (especially scallops) is they are not cooked and served within 24 to 48 hours the seafood goes bad. From my experience I would put these scallops up to at least 7 days old unfrozen.
I watched as the waiter brought the dish over to the cook and watched as he put the scallop to his nose and shrugged his shoulders. I could not believe my eyes. Anybody within 2 feet of the dish could have smelled the cleaning fluid that was our scallops. The management, very courteous, removed our entire bill gave us free deserts and a $ 50 gift card to return. Even with the gift card we will not go back. This was truly a horrific experience!

Made it to Watermark happy hour.
Great drink menu! I stared at it for what seemed like 30 minutes before I finally chose/​ordered a drink. I had a delightfully refreshing lemon martini-​ish thing. Can’t remember the exact name, but it’s the only lemon martini on the menu, so, look for it!
My friend and I ordered and split a dozen oysters ($ 15…a little steep). They were quite creamy and meaty… good! I asked the bartender where they shipped them from (certainly not the Gulf thx to BP!) and he said Virginia. You could taste the difference compared to Gulf oysters.
Then we ordered the crab cake — Good! Very fresh! Also split some kind of shrimp appetizer… again, very fresh shrimp cooked to perfection and some tasty sauces drizzled on the plate. My fav part was some crunchy veggies — think it was jicama and carrot — that I dredged through the sauce as well.
All very light, tasty, and worth trying! BUT I wouldn’t recommend spending all of your happy hour at Watermark — money and time-​wise. My happy «hour» usually turns into happy «evening». So, since we were wanting some dirty after a few drinks (to split a mini pizza and a microbrew to be specific), we headed to BJ’s to top off the evening!

I was honestly surprised by the food. I had the special of the night. It was Mahi Mahi and steak, the side was a sea urchin creation. I have never had cooked sea urchin that tasted so good!
I wish the restaurant is little bit more spacious tho.

Went there on a Saturday evening and once seated took over one and one half hours to be served and the food was awful. Poorly prepared, wildly overcooked, no apologies. Asked to speak to manager, no manager ever came. Was told it was a new menu so we should expect this. Would not go there again. Oh, BTW, it was over priced.

After driving around for an hour to find a decent place to eat, I decided to give this place a try. The atmosphere is really nice and the patio and interior are very pleasant. There was live music playing. The staff was very attentive.
The concept of the restaurant and the menu is very unique. Mostly every restaurant in town have a variation of the same dish, but at least at the Watermark, you can find something different.
I had the Sashimi on Salt Block… very tasty. The Calamari was also good.
We ordered the Monkfish and the Flounder, Monkfish was good, the Flounder was horrible. Could not eat one single bite. Of course the Manager took it off the check, but it puts a sour taste on the visit.
The waiting time for the meals was long, compared to the rest of the town; fast compared to Europe. I do not mind waiting a long time for the food, but it better be worth it when it arrives. Sadly, the meal did not compensate for the wait.
I had been in a restaurant (in Europe) where we had to wait 2 hours for the meal, but it was worth every single grain of Paella… so good we went over and over again.
I do not think I would ever return to this place.

We went on a Sunday evening and the crowd was very light. The atmosphere is nice and the staff was extremely attentive. I ordered streak and my wife some sort of fusion Thai-​Western fish dish which was really mediocre. The steak was great but it came pretty lukewarm since the kitchen failed to coordinate making my and my wife’s dishes. That said, even though I did not complain, the waitress offered to replace it and the manager comped us for part of the meal. I think we might try this place out again, though, especially since the staff was so impressive.

Both food and service were mediocre. Crab cakes had too much filler. Lobster bisque not creamy enough for my taste and lacked any lobster meat. Scallops were also overcooked. For the same money go to Kirby’s Steakhouse down the street!

Delicious seafood! Lots of options. I started with the lobster bisque, which was creamy and not very heavy. Then I had the gumbo, which had just the right amount of spice. The drinks are very strong, so get one if you like cocktails. Seafood is very fresh. There’s a raw bar if you like raw seafood. Go for happy hour!