La Gloria

It's nestled in the historic Pearl area of San Antonio. After needing a proper Mexican dish while in San Antonio we decided to give La Gloria's restaurant a try. There was a lot to order on the menu but I needed to stay away from pork and pork by products so I I asked the question that they usually don't expect. Are your refried black beans cooked with lard? Well I'll save you some time and let you know that you are safe to eat then because they DO NOT contain lard. I ordered the Chili con queso enchiladas and they sustained me the entire day. It was a heavy meal but I loved the presentation and the seasoning was just right. My friends ordered the enchiladas verdes and they sustained me bistec tacos. Everyone really enjoyed their meals and the portions were just right and we even took some home. The chips and salsa are what you are going to want to start off with. I skipped the queso because I mean enchiladas....So I did t get anything special to drink but they had some options. If you are looking for the virgin daiquiris they can make the mangonada or pina colada. I did not safe room for dessert but the flan sounded like what I would have tried with a side of tres leches. Well ok yeah those are the desserts they have. The customer service was great and from I heard the chef is amazing. I concur.

I stumbled upon this place when parking at the Pearl and thought it looked super cute so I decided to give it a try. I looked up their menu and saw that they supposedly had award winning margaritas. I LOVE margaritas so I was excited to give it a try. I walked in and was seated promptly. They really need to figure out their A/C situation. It was muggy and hot indoors. They had fans but I'm not sure if they didn't work or if they just weren't turned on. Now sweating, I was craving a nice, cold margarita more than ever. The waiter suggested a signature margarita and it sounded good so I decided to get it. It was supposed to come with mango, pineapple and Granny Smith apply garnish so I was expecting a gorgeous margarita topped with fresh slices of fruit and I asked for tajin run. The cocktail they brought out was basic. They didn't even add garnish. When I asked the waiter what happened to the garnish he said the bartender forgets sometimes and that he would bring me the garnish. He proceeds to come back with finely diced fruit in a small cup and dumped it on top of my margarita lol it was embarrassing.I ordered the chicken sopes and a side of carved elote. The Sopes was yummy but the corn was not good and had a bunch of corn silk mixed in so it was hard to remove it from the cup. I also saw that they had a happy hour menu and the margaritas were $8. I wanted to give it a try to see what the difference was between their happy hour Margarita and their specialty margaritas. Their happy hour margarita was absolutely terrible. Tasted like watered down margarita mix lol. So I guess if you go here, the specialty margaritas are what you're going to want to get. I wouldn't call them award winning because I've definitely had better at Texas Road House lol but they weren't bad for $15. Overall, I was disappointed. The place looked so cool, artsy and unique but was another tourist trap with subpar food and drinks.

Lovely Saturday lunch outdoors. No wait, service was prompt and attentive, food was good. Tried the carnitas torta for the first time and it was solid, very happy with the choice. Only deduction was menu prices are too steep IMO. La Gloria's still got it!

Great happy hour margaritas! Fun outdoor patio with holiday lighting in Pearl. Must be a popular spot with warmer weather.

First time in Texas having Tex-mex did drinks and appetizers to start the night on the Riverwalk. Friendly staff didn't have main dishes but if they are as good as appetizers and drinks would recommend.

This was a place my brother and I stopped to eat at while visiting San Antonio.This was an amazing place. The food was fantastic. The chips and salsa were refreshingly delicious.The service was fast and friendly.They had inside dining and outside but it was very spacious and clean in here. Also, the bathrooms were really clean. Not sure if I will ever be back in San Antonio, but if I do, I'm stopping here!

I love La Gloria at the Pearl :) The ambiance is always so nice and the weather was great so we sat outside. These tacos contained slow roasted pork in citrus juices, achiote and chiles topped with red pickled onions. To be honest, I usually don't go for pork but for some reason these tacos were calling my name. No regrets. Each bite had a little tang to it because of the pickled onions and the homemade corn tortilla was super sturdy and thick. We hate a skimpy little tortilla that rips on the first bite. The elote was creamy, buttery, and full of flavor. I will never pass up an opportunity to eat corn. Overall 10/10 meal, 10/10 restaurant. ‍

Our server was friendly, but very slow. When our food arrived, she took our appetizer plates, and I was definitely not finished with what I had on my plate. The same thing happened with my drink, another server came and took the "empty" glasses, but my drink was certainly not finished and she took it away. We also waited over 10-15 minutes after our table was cleared before we had to ask for our checks, when she should have just realized everything was gone and brought them. They also don't tell you that if you have a group of 6+, 20% gratuity is included in your bill. My three little things below cost over $40, which in my opinion is extremely overpriced for what I received.Paloma 7/10This tasted very much like a plain lime margarita on the rocks, not very grapefruity at all.It was happy hour when we ordered, but we definitely did not get charged happy hour prices.Queso and guac were very good. Bistec especial 7/10The only difference between this and the regular bistec tacos is the cheese. It was good, there was a lot of meat on these tiny little 3" shells. I just wish there was more flavors to it, it's so plain. Little bit of lettuce or some type of sauce or crema would just take it to the next level of flavor.I also think an option to pick 3 different tacos would be fantastic and super popular.Elote 4/10Definitely not even close to elote. My corn was sitting in a TON of corn juice/water, like when you heat up corn in a boiling pot of water on the stove (see photos). On top was a dollop of mayo and ton of cotija. When I mixed the mayo in, it basically dissolved in the water (that I didn't realize was so watery because the cheese covered it, but by that time it was way too late)... Disgusting. It was like just eating plain sweet corn out of a can. Not even close to elote AT ALL. The amount of corns was nice though. But they really need to serve this not in corn juice/water, and just some sautéed or grilled corn and all the other ingredients. Would not order this again here.

Great spot if you like eating outdoors. Lots of shade and right by the water. It has a simple well lit interior as well as a first come first serve bar. I hear this place will only be around for a a few more years to make way for more apartment buildings so enjoy it while you can.

A solid option for Mexican cuisine that is not too fancy but not too casual. It is usually pretty busy but we often show up just after opening and have no problem getting seated right away, even on the weekends. There is seating indoors and ample seating outdoors. The outdoor area is super cute as it overlooks the riverwalk and there are cute lights at night. Our favorite is the veracruzano ceviche. The fish is always very fresh and it has the perfect amount of salt vs citrus/lime flavor without leaning too heavily to each side. We once got the olive ceviche and it has very strong olive flavors so I would not recommend it unless you really enjoy olives.The tacos are the smaller street taco size and the combo has some delicious fluffy rice and beans.The bistec especial is good but has A LOT of cheese, fair warning. The fish tacos are awesome. The tostadas, tortas, and quesadilla are all very good. The maragaritas are strong but very tasty. I especially enjoy the mangonada that comes with a tasty Tamarindo straw.You can't go wrong when choosing to dine at La Gloria!