Mixtli

Utter disappointment is an understatement. I was so excited for San Antonio to get a Michelin starred restaurant. This precious city where I grew up is home to innovative chefs and amazing ethnic cuisine. Although I currently live in Houston, I came to Mixtli with a friend to partake in their NYE dining experience and to celebrate her birthday. It was touted as a special night with steak, lobster, oysters and caviar. We made a reservation for 8:30pm. I starved myself most of the day so I could really enjoy this meal. That was my first mistake. When we arrived at the restaurant, I found our dining table had only 3 chairs instead of 4 for all guests. The wait staff apologized and said we could sit at the bar while they waited for a table to clear out to procure another chair. What? Ok. We waited for 15 minutes without the staff coming by with drinks or anything to apologize for such an idiotic delay. A chair??? The hostess finally came by and said "I'm sorry, I work with unobservant morons." I've never heard restaurant staff speak this way about their colleagues. Was she trying to be affable? It rubbed me the wrong way and set the tone for a miserable evening. We ordered drinks (it took ages for the waitress to take our orders and even longer for the drinks to come out. All I got was tea that was not pre-steeped. It was forte's ginger peach tea. They brought a teabag inside a cup. Really low effort that should not have taken the 15 minutes it took. Our first course was a pumpkin soup. It was fine and meager. The second course was an oyster and caviar. We each got ONE whole oyster and more generous servings of caviar. The third course was lobsters, scallops and foie gras over toast. My boyfriend is allergic to shellfish. They could not accommodate him so they said they would still just set it out on the table. I know we did not ask them in advance to make substitutions so they were not prepared. But I expected better. Our next course was steak. They added a few more bites of steak from the cut off end pieces of other pieces of steak since my boyfriend was unable to eat the lobster. Several pieces of steak were too fatty and chewy. I ended up spitting them out. And finally we could choose a dessert from a set of 3. They were unremarkable to me. The food was fine. But not worth a special trip or visit in my opinion. What horrified me most was the absolutely abysmal service. At one point, a waitress knocked over my friends drink and spilled it. She apologized and said our table had "bad juju." Gee thanks. It's only New Years Eve. Way to help us celebrate. It was such an out of place and horrible comment to make. And to top it off, they did not immediately replace my friends drink. Another staff member came by and asked if we were done with the drink. No! We told them they needed to replace the drink that a staff member spilled. In my experience with Michelin starred restaurants, it's the little things that make a restaurant worth a splurge and a special trip. Mixtli, far from being worth it, should be avoided. Save your money and avoid the bad juju here.

I am very conflicted over my experience at Mixtli. The restaurant itself is very nice. I was seated in their wine cellar room which was more private than the main dining room. Ambience was peaceful and relaxing. I dined when they were serving the La Conquista: 1519 menu. Some dishes I really loved like the dessert courses, beef with pumpkin mole, and the tamale. Other dishes I was not wowed by but they still tasted good. While I appreciate art, I felt the portions were definitely on the small side. I have been to several fine dining establishments and this dinner has been the smallest to date. Timing in between courses was off and sometimes the wait was long. Sometimes we were behind the table next to us (even though they were seated after us) and sometimes we were ahead. Once the hostess noticed the timing was off the service became stiff and awkward. But one waiter in particular was upbeat and he had an infectious smile throughout the night. Maybe I came too soon after the Michelin announcement. Most of the staff seemed under pressure. I'm sure with time passing things will calm down. Overall it was a nice evening with nice food. Everything just felt a little awkward and I did leave hungry.

I was excited to come back as soon as they were awarded a Michelin star but it turned out to be a disappointing night! You book a RSVP online and prepay the automatic 20% tip. It does not matter how big or small your party is. This is such common faux pas these days and misses the whole spirit of tipping.Our entire experience here lasted 3.5 hours. Most of it consisted of waiting for the next course, as each dish portion was meager. We opted for the cocktail pairing which we were instructed to enjoy over 2-3 courses. We waited so long for the next course that the ice melted and had to chug. We asked for an additional serving of bread but they were not able to accommodate due to their kitchen's "strict schedule." There was no explanation given for the delay. I think the delay soured our experience exponentially given the high expectations we had. Be aware that valet parking in their lot is only validated for 90 min. We were not informed of this despite asking upon arrival if parking is validated. We paid an additional $25 on top of our hefty bill. In regard to the theme of Spanish conquistadors and their massacre of the Aztecs, it seemed like the servers/chefs felt awkward or embarrassed to discuss each course. Dishes were described as being inspired by "sad," "dark," and "ironic" historical events. Perhaps this was the point Mixtli wanted to make? It didn't particularly enhance the food. A positive point is that we were provided additional mussels after mentioning to the sever that the first ones were very gritty. Overall, our experience did not live up to their 1 star accolade. We left hungry and frustrated. I cannot personally recommend Mixtli.

We came here after they received their star for a celebration. The interior looked super nice and definitely a cool place to dine. See pictures of interior to include bar and kitchen.You have to make a reservation ahead of time. We got their 7 course with the wine pairing.They start you off at the bar. It took a while for the first course to come out. They change their menu out every few months and they have a theme and a story to go along with their menu. Ours was conquistador themed.The food is individually cooked and the cook who makes it comes out and tells you the story. I really wanted to like this place, however, food portions were small and nothing about the food blew me away. Didn't think it was worth the price. The wine pairing complemented the food well but again, expensive.In regards to price to food assessment, you're better off spending your money elsewhere. They have validated parking but only up to a certain period of time. We ended up having to pay not out of any fault of our own but because of how long the food and drinks took to come out.

I've been wanting to try this place for three years and we finally got here! We celebrated our fifth anniversary, and this meal was the perfect compliment to our special day.The meal started at the bar and it was a delicious little tart paired with sake. I loved the care that the chefs, sommelier, and bartenders pair food with wines and other beverages. It felt like there was something for everyone.I thought the tasting menu was phenomenal. I don't think there was anything I didn't absolutely love and I was shocked to find that I was completely stuffed at the end of dinner.Jasmine was funny and sweet. We loved talking with her about the food and wine.My husband doesn't like fancy dinners too often, but he really enjoyed himself and he enjoyed all of the cocktails he tried.The restaurant was really quiet in the earlier evening and others filled in as did the volume of conversations.

This was an extraordinary experience at Mixtli. Came here as an early birthday gift with my wife. The service provided by the staff was one of the best I've ever had. The ambience was one of a kind. They were very attentive to all our needs. The food was amazing. The nine courses were very unique. Furthermore, the stories they told behind each course added value. I would highly recommend coming here.

The ambiance at Mixtli feels like I'm in a scripted New York show at a bar on a Friday where I'm the main character. On the tv you can see the cooks cooking away while you await your meal and the bartenders put love and care in the drinks. I am drinking a smoked old fashioned that doesn't bite back but instead provides you a chill relaxing feeling as you enjoy the night. Great place

Having lived in San Antonio for four years now, I'm almost ashamed to admit that I've only recently visited Mixtli--even more ashamed after my experience. Mixtli is tucked away in a quiet corner of Southtown, with its own (metered) parking. Finding the restaurant was easy enough, and parking is charged at the average rate of other San Antonio lots.I was given a warm, friendly welcome when I entered and led past the open kitchen to their sunken bar area to enjoy a welcome cocktail. I started with my "tester" cocktail: a classic gin Rickey. It was made perfectly, something that may seem more common than it really is. Chef Rico Torres welcomed me to his Mexican omakase-style home with a smoked oyster and broke down the current menu as it rotates seasonally. I tried my hardest to focus on his lesson, but the earthy flavor of the corn butter and fermented charanda-tepache mixture, melded with the smoke, sent my eyes rolling to the back of my skull.I gathered myself in time to be led back into the main dining room to begin my journey to the Tierra Caliente. This menu focused on the regional cuisine from Guerrero to Michoacan on Mexico's Pacific side. Each course was presented by a different staff member, which is something I appreciate as a chef and former restaurant staff member. It allows the entire cast to interact with a diner, allowing the patrons to appreciate how many people work to provide such a delightful experience.The next course was a sopa de agúcate, which was creamy and served alongside a leg of crab. Subsequent courses were the corunda- a white corn cake with a layer of koji jocoque (essentially a Mexican fermented dairy product similar to kefir), mole rosa (roasted beets with smoked hibiscus, and pomegranate) served on a tortilla to be consumed taco-style, pasta de rancho (a tortellini-esque, lemon, and requezon-filled pasta sat atop a tomato sauce), beef tongue braised until tender and served over plantain pave (layered cake) and a dollop of peanut mole, the mole de cafe was a succulent, brined boneless pork chop served with a sweet-tart apple slaw.Halfway through the meal, I ordered the Mixtli margarita, which has to rank in my top five favorite cocktails worldwide. The salted orange foam lives in my head rent-free for life. I also added the coffee service, which included a café de olla, which was exceptionally presented and easily served two people. My intermezzo was a palate-cleansing sorbet with a mirepoix of crunchy and vibrant fruits and jicama. The final course was a caramelized milk ice cream served atop popped sorghum alongside a hazelnut pirouette. Between the engaged, attentive staff, the ambiance (the quietest open kitchen I've ever experienced), the culinary ingenuity of the chefs, and the cutlery and dishes, I can't recommend Mixtli enough. They are developing and showcasing true culinary art, which is in short supply in San Antonio.

Wow. Talk about expertly executed food/experience/service. This is fine dining at its best. The staff here is superb without being stuck up. You can have JamesBeard level food with charming Texas level hospitality. We stopped into the wine shop after because the reserve wine/sake pairing was so well done we needed to bring it all home. Go early to the bar and enjoy a cocktail or cocktail before dinner. Pretty please don't change the bread course / pepper miso soup in the menu refresh. It was life changing. The only criticism we had was the kanpachi pastor taco would've been better with thinner cuts of fish. It was hard to eat as a thick piece of fish. We can't wait to come back again and again. This restaurant is not to be missed when in SA.

One if the best dining experiences I've ever had...service was fantastic! San Antonio has a real gem here.