Acenar Mexican Restaurant

Go for Happy Hour specials, stay for the excellent food. Had the blood orange margarita and the queso for starters then the spare rib tacos for my entree. Service was top notch! David, our server was very attentive and had a fun sense of humor. The vibe was upscale but welcoming.

Short rib tacos- 5 starsTable side guacamole- 5 starsAppetizer sampler- 5 starsService - 5 starsI was in a big group and the service was great.

If you are looking to dine "on the river walk" this place IS NOT IT. it is NOT "on the river walk.Could've given one star, but at least some of the food was ok. But here's the breakdown:- service was ok. - ambiance was ok. Sat on the patio to sit "by the river walk" but actually saw nothing.- food was a little bit above midHad a good waiter but kept disappearing. We had ordered guacamole for two which is supposed to be served/prepared table side and the waiter outsourced it? It was NOT prepared table side and was brought to the table in a small, pathetic bowl and tasted like nothing. We ordered the fish tacos and the snapper dish, which were at least decent.

So good we can't wait to visit again in May. They handle large parties well and the food is delicious. Service was quick and attentive. The patio overlooking the river was lively with plenty to see.

I'd been searching for this restaurant for a while. It was one of those we stumbled upon while staying on the Riverwalk years back, and I just couldn't remember the name. I'm so glad I found it after a recent stay in the city. I wanted to seafood enchiladas. They are so hard to find and I remember this place having really good ones, so you already know what I ordered. They are filled with both shrimp and crab, and they didn't disappoint this go around either. I was told the sauce is house made, and it's perfect on top of these enchiladas. Rice and Beans were good as well. I don't know how I missed getting a photo... blame my hunger (and greed)! My only gripe is you have to pay for chips and salsa (Huge BOO), but they were good. Overall prices are good compared to other restaurants in the area and yeah, I'll be back.

This place is about a block off the river walk. Sort of a strange vibe. You enter off the street into the bar and go down a flight of stairs into the restaurant. It is very orange with kind of spotty lighting and pictures of colorful deserts on the wall. The service was good. Our waiter helped with selections. I had the skinny margarita. It was tasty, but seemed kind of small. We started with the chips and queso. The chips were a little greasy, the queso was not my favorite. My friend enjoyed them. I had the spicy shrimp plate. That was awesome. All and all, we enjoyed the dinner.

My husband and I came in for an early dinner on New Year's Eve. We were happy they did not have a set menu, like many of the reservations in downtown by the riverwalk for NYE, because these often do not have vegetarian items. We were seated promptly inside but still by a window to see the river walk. Chips and Salsa are not complimentary like most Tex Mex restaurants but we wanted them anyway. The fire roasted salsa did taste good but it wasn't amazing and the chips did not taste fresh but we appreciated the unique presentation. The food on the other hand was amazing! I will come back if not just for the vegetarian relleno!! The sauce was so flavorful and the jullianed vegetables were perfectly cooked but still had a bite. The white rice was perfectly cooked and the beans were tasty (both without lard, chicken stock, or bacon). My husband liked the mushroom and squash fajitas and he got full pretty quickly. We also enjoyed the chocolate mousse cake with the sides of fruit. The waiter was attentive and kind and even asked us about our visit. We were celebrating our 1 month wedding anniversary so we really appreciated the service and the food! Previously we had a stance to never eat at restaurants on the riverwalk, due to past experiences, but we will absolutely come back to Acenar.

We were in town for a work conference and veered further down the river to hit up dives. But everywhere we wanted to eat was closed or the wait was long. And most of the spots on the main area were all to touristy. I don't know much about Tex mex but living in the mission and San Diego has me spoiled. So I was surprised by how decent the food was. I've had better salsa and can make some pretty legit dishes but they put some passion into this. The gauc was fresh and plenty. The chips house made are great. The tres enchilada dish was a lot of food. But the mole was decent. The chicken verde was really good. Service and atmosphere was very fun too.

This visit wasn't the same as others....Food was only so so...I ordered a crab tinga, which surprisingly tasted the way I thought it would... it just didn't impress me that crab and tinga should go together. Presentation of the tacos was pretty clean though.We arrived and were seated immediately. I don't know if it would be the same on a day when there is a show next door at the Majestic or during a big river parade, but... we were seated and our server brought us water and took our drink order.Liz stuck with her traditional and favorite chicken mole, and it was good. I think I should have stuck with what I know there too... they used to make a good pork carnitas dish, for instance.I also enjoyed a spicy margarita, it was made well, and has always been a constant with Acenar. They make good drinks.Anthony was an awesome server and took care of every need or concern.If you're going to dine in, you can sit on the veranda overlooking the river, or inside (on a hot day) in the AC. If you're just going to drink the lounge/bar upstairs has a few TVs with sports on. The lounge has a couple of couches that sit across from a bar with bar stools. I would come again, and I probably would try something new... but this time I didn't, and I was left wanting. I'm sure we will come back.

Great service and friendly, hostess and bartender. Very welcoming. Tables on the patio with a view of the river are very nice, but beware of the birds.The fried oysters on chips (nacho like) were incredibly delicious. Highly recommend them. I also highly recommend the queso de La Casa. It was honestly the best queso I have ever had. Very flavorful with a very minor kick. Homemade chips accompany. The seafood enchiladas got rave reviews. I thought the Carnita fajitas were OK. They were pretty dry quite honestly. I was so looking forward to them from the last time, but they weren't at the same level. The stuffed chili relleno was good as well. Going with five stars because the only downside were the Carnitas and they were so good the last time.