Jingu House At the Japanese Tea Garden

What a cool and cozy place! My wife and I had plans to visit for a while. The Jingu House was originally the residence of the Jingu family from Japan who created the amazing sunken gardens in Brackenridge Park. Its preservation and conversion to a restaurant had won awards and we were eager to see the results.They don't take reservations, but spur of the moment, we had time for a late lunch today and decided to go. The Japanese Gardens are incredible - but on a cold, drizzly afternoon, we ascended the winding ramp (my wife can't use steps) and went straight to the entry, turning our backs on tantalizing views of the gardens.. Turns out, this was the takeout door. Fortunately, I had seen photos of the dining room so I knew we we'd gone to the wrong entry. We ducked out and found the second door for the dining room. In spite of the confusion, the intimate space is wonderful, with views all around looking across the park. We sat at a comfortable table, well worth the climb up from the parking lot.Our waiter was personable - explaining the order & payment app while also taking our order. I've struggled with similar apps before, but this one was simple to use and made it easy to add to our order and eventually to pay and tip.I was a bit suspicious of the "Asian-Mexican fusion" food concept, but it worked! I really enjoyed my pork bao - with nopales. We had a nice plate of gyoza and my wife warmed up with yummy miso soup. I asked our waiter if the popularity of the gardens brought in big crowds. We were there with only a few others so small dining room never felt crowded. He said that was something they dealt with having outdoor seating in good weather, and there's also takeout. We did spend time admiring the gardens, but it's the food and atmosphere at the Jingu House that will bring us back.

I decided to have lunch here with my family before we took a stroll around the tea garden. It was a pretty warm day but we got outdoor seating and the staff made sure we had some fans pointing in our direction to keep us cool. They made our experience really comfortable and were super accommodating with questions and concerns we had about the menu. Everyone was so so kind and sweet!For appetizers, we got the crispy spring rolls and house made kimchi fries. The spring rolls were crunchy but nothing special. The sauce it came with did pair nicely. The kimchi fries were good but not as mindblowingly good as other people mentioned they'd be. I ordered the tori/chicken katsu for my entree. It looked good, but it was kind of underwhelming. I found the chicken to be really flavorless and dry and the katsu sauce they provided didn't compensate for the chicken. For my drink, I ordered an alcoholic thai tea with boba. To be honest, I don't think it tasted enough like thai tea and the boba was kind of hard. However, the alcohol was definitely there so that's a plus. After our meal, we had leftovers so they graciously provided us to-go boxes and even gave us water in to-go cups with lids! It was a small gesture but incredibly thoughtful and appreciated.Overall, I did really enjoy the atmosphere and I loved how kind and thoughtful the staff were. However, the food left much to be desired. If I came back, I'd probably try some other dishes and avoid the ones I ordered this time around, aside from maybe the kimchi fries.

Review is for the " Jingu grab & go" side of the restaurant which is a quick cafe with drinks to go. Menu has the words "boba tea" and listed flavors available, so I ordered a boba tea , taro root flavor. The cashier says "do you want to add tapioca?" I said "you mean the boba???"She said yes. I said "sorry you're asking me do I want to add boba, to my boba tea? Boba tea already has boba in it". She said yes It's $1. I said "you're telling me, it's an extra dollar to make your boba tea on your menu actually have boba in it?" She said yes it's really just milk tea unless you pay extra for boba. I said " the menus says boba tea which means it already has boba!" Confused, I said never mind just cancel the order and walked out. Please change your menu to say "milk tea" and "make it a boba tea for $1 more..." insane. Like how was this even a conversation??? ‍

If you're in San Antonio, take a swing by the Japanese tea garden. It's a lovely place to roam around, and if you do get a chance, try this restaurant, Jinga house. As of the end of January 2025, they have a new menu and it is delicious. We tried the tuna nachos, the macaroni salad, and the spring rolls. We also had a Boba tea and Mexican Coke! Yum. Everything was wonderful and the service is excellent. People watching isn't too bad either, and that adds to the enjoyment of the experience. We give this restaurant five stars.

My friend and I came to the Japanese Tea Garden while in town for a conference and had a lovely time walking around the gardens and taking in the scenery! We stopped inside Jingu House to grab a refreshing drink and they had plenty of options! I had an agua Fresca and she did a yuzu slushee, both tasted great and the service was fast and friendly!

Conveniently located as you enter this beautiful garden with friendly staff and a nice selections of treats while you take a short stroll around the garden.

Perfect place to have lunch while visiting The San Antonio Tea Garden. I can't remember but I believe they do not take cash so please see their policy on that if you need to. It was a small room with just table and chairs so I guess I would call the decor streamlined. You can see Tower of America from one of the windows. I will start by saying the service was slow. We got waters and menu right away but our server did not come around for a while. BUT the food is fresh and delicious!!! It really screamed fresh to me. I had the panko crusted chicken with rice and cucumber noodles. Was very good. My friend had the Raman and loved it.

Despite not having a reservation, we were seated immediately inside, and the attentive service from multiple staff members ensured we felt well taken care of throughout our meal.We started with the Yuzu Limeade Slushie, which was the perfect blend of sweet and sour with a fruity and tropical twist. It was incredibly refreshing and a great way to kick off our meal.The Lemon Drop Pancakes were a delight--fluffy and not overly sweet, just right for a satisfying breakfast. The bacon was decent, providing a savory balance to the pancakes.The House Smoked Salmon Bagel was a standout. It was filling without being too heavy, and the warm salmon paired perfectly with the ideal amount of cream cheese. The egg, while not runny, was still a nice addition to the dish.The Tori Katsu was another highlight. It was very crispy, and the sauce added a pleasant sweetness that paired wonderfully with the spicy mayo.For dessert, we tried the Mango Sticky Rice. The addition of Tajin and chamoy was interesting, providing a unique twist. While it was pretty good, it wasn't the best part of the meal.Overall, Jinju offers a fantastic dining experience with quick service, delicious food, and a welcoming atmosphere. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to enjoy a memorable meal!

What a gem!! This garden and coy pond are absolutely beautiful. To be able to have access to this for free is amazing! I'd highly recommend stopping by if you're ever in SA.

I was very excited to hear that Jingu House had reopened as a sit-down restaurant, and it did not disappoint! The day we visited it was drizzling, but the overhead canopies still kept us dry, although the table was a little wet. Ordering is done by QR code but the servers are still friendly and helpful. The portions are generous and delicious! It is an interesting mix of Japanese and Japanese-Mexican fusion dishes; we tried the "sushirritos," which are sushi rolls cut into two halves instead of in slices.