Alberico Fine Wine

We decided to try this place for restaurant week. I should have known from the moment I called to make a reservation that it was all down hill from there. The hostess put me on hold after I asked her what time they stopped serving lunch then I was put on hold again after I asked if I needed to make a reservation. Not a make it or break it situation, but I think these are things a hostess should know. Once we arrived, they didn’t have our name on the reservation list. Really. Once we sat down for lunch we ordered one of the two choices on the restaurant week menu. It started off great! The spinach salad was delicious. We then waited about 15 minutes for our second entrée. We finally received our miniature plate of food with two shrimp and a very small serving of pasta. It was tasteless and boring. Now we come to the best part of our meal — dessert. The main reason we came here for restaurant week. As we waited another 10 minutes for our crème brûlée we were told told they we out of the delicious custard and all they had was sorbet. Sorbet on a winter day? Not what we were looking forward to, but we had no other choice. I regret not taking a picture of our «sorbet» because you would not believe me if I told you we received two scoops of shaved ice with grapefruit juice. Possibly the worst «sorbet» I have ever tasted in life. We told the manager that the food was not up to par and he just disagreed and said he would «tell the kitchen with his fists». What a nice response! Do yourself a favor and spend your money on delicious food with better service else where.

Went for Restaurant Week dinner, nice couple of options with duck/​lamb entrées to pick from-​both were outstanding! Minor quibble that perplexed me was that they did not allow switching the desert options.
Pretty expansive wine list that I perused more out of curiosity as we’d opted for the RW pairings. Everything is available BTG, but they require a two glass minimum for all bottles over $ 30, so that Opus One you always wanted to try will still set you back a few bucks. Owner was very personable and seemed genuinely interested in getting feedback on his guest’s experience. When we arrived, it was a full house which, given the wood flooring/​furnishings made it a pretty noisy venue.

The ambience is elegant and nice, they have a good selection on wine and the food is quite tasty… however, the service was snail paced slow… to say the least.
I went for a birthday dinner, party of 8, and even for apps, they took at least an hour to bring them to the table. A «cheese plate» which was about an ounce of about 4 selections and fruit priced at over $ 30 I found to be too much.
Ordered apps and a soup, which was a bit over a cup $ 11… Again, I will emphasise that the food was tasty… but I found it to be overpriced for the service received.
If I’m gonna pay those prices, I expect one or two exceptional waiters, but they didn’t even know the menu,. the chef eventually came out to tell us what they had.
Again, the service was snail paced and there were 2 other people at the place apart from our dinner party on a Saturday night…
We had like 5 different waiters come in to attend the party and they were confused. The wine and the food: GOOD, but paying those rates for that kind of service was not… Give it a try and your experience may just be different?

Very nice restaurant. The décor is simple yet elegant.
Tried their seared duck breast which was cooked perfectly and set over arugula and roasted veggies! Have altered tried their salmon over ginger mash sweet potatoes. And it was delicious! Finished off with crème brûlée.
Nice place for a quiet dinner. They have a ton of red wine and a private room where I’m assuming you can book to have dinner in? Not sure.
Service was good. Though it took the waitress like 20 minutes to break a $ 20. Like. No one in the wait staff has change for a $ 20.

Terrific wine selection! One of the best wine lists we’ve seen in San Antonio, since moving here a couple of months ago and we’ve been trying out a lot of spots in this part of town. Maybe some places downtown have more to offer, but the couple of times we’ve ventured downtown, we were very put off by t
He traffic and parking — but back to Alberico.
We’ve stopped in a couple of times for an after dinner glass (or two!) of wine and one time for lunch. One of the great things about their wine selection is that almost every listing is available by the glass. If it is a higher priced bottle they might have a 2 glass minimum, but this allows for a great deal of selection. Our first time the waitress did completely screw up our wine order, but when questioned they immediately took care of it, with the sommelier coming over to make sure that she understood exactly what we wanted. She was very friendly and knowledgeable. Another time we came back for more after dinner wine and also got a crème brûlée sampler — delicious. Another time we came by for lunch and enjoyed the food as well as the sleek, clean elegance of the dining room. Again the food and wine were delicious. Service was not stunning, but nothing too bad either. We look forward to returning for a full dinner.
It would be nice if they had a couple of other vegetarian selections. It’s a bit limited on those offerings.

The décor, table settings and music were lovely. Sadly, the service left a fair amount to be desired although it appeared to be more of a kitchen than waitstaff issue. Nice wine selection. I cook a better piece of salmon and a more generous serving. One friend had Osso Bucco which he said was good. The baked chicken was satisfactory according to my ornery crowns, but hardly $ 32 worth of satisfaction. We enjoyed seeing each other more than anything about this dining experience.

My restaurant week menu dishes with the wine pairing was delicious. But the ribeye we ordered to be medium well, came out well done and not at all appetizing. We didn’t know exactly who our waiter was. I also would have liked the waiter to give a description of the wine or plate I received. And after asking several questions, no one came back to answer them. Once we started walking out the door, one of the waiters stopped us to finally answer the question.

Beautiful restaurant. We were in private room and it’s very pretty! Wine was good and they have by the glass for $ 6−7…yes! They also have bottles for $ 18 and many choices.
Salad I had was delicious. Reason for the 3stars is the service. It took forever!!! Granted, it is restaurant week, but it was not busy. Over two hours for a prefixe menu and most of us just got an app or salad. Near the end we even mentioned we needed to go and there was no hurry. I was especially sad I wasn’t offered another glass of wine, even though I asked for the wine menu. I might try again at the bar, but definitely won’t be coming back for dinner.

My husband and I went for restaurant week. We tried everything on the restaurant week special menu and other than the portions being too small for him (perfect for me!) the food was excellent. The Tuna and seared duck were prepared as requested and were delicious. We had to pay extra for bread (restaurant week pricing?). We ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir which was also very good. They were out of sorbet but both the vanilla and chocolate crème brûlée were delicious. Our waitress was appropriately attentive and very sweet. We would eat here again.

We went to Alberico on Saturday night and loved it! We got a few small plates that were quite tasty. Started off with the cheese plate and beef tartar and they were excellent, although I wish the waitress could have guided us on the cheeses selected for us. I then had the prosciutto wrapped grilled shrimp, which were pretty good.
The service was on the slower side, but it seems to be they just don’t want you to feel rushed. The atmosphere was very nice, comfortable, clean, and inviting. The only other qualm I had is they ran out of the white we were drinking and didn’t have a comparable one cold yet. We waited for a bit, then ran out of time as we had a concert.
We’ll definitely be back. I would highly recommend giving the place a try.

Earlier today, we had the pleasure of eating at Alberico’s for Mother’s Day Brunch. It was a first rate experience thanks to Jennifer and making us feel right at home. The Fried French Toast and Chicken & Waffles didn’t disappoint either. Highly recommend trying this hidden gem.

Horrible service
«The summer has wiped us out of rosé…»
(It’s the first week of summer)
Menu is schizophrenic… try to do one thing well… not many things poorly…
Judging by the comments we overheard from other diners, and the plates we saw being sent back to kitchen, I don’t think they’re going to have worry about ordering any rosé to get them through the dog days of summer…
Turn out the lights, the party’s over…

This was such a disappointing experience. I won’t be trying again and don’t recommend you do either. Poor service. Mediocre food. High prices. Limited wine selection.
It’s a simple but elegant décor. The ambiance was terrible due to the cacophony of the acoustics. The restaurant was only half full and the noise from two tables was overwhelming to where myself and dinnermate couldn’t hear each other or the waiter when he spoke to us.
So… Fine Wine, right? Well, it should be called «Fine Red Wine». They did have an extensive collection of reds, and I do love red. But that’s it. They had about 15 Chard’s and one Sauvignon Blanc. No Rose. No Viognier. No Riesling. Nada. That compared to over hundred or maybe even two hundred red selections. Seems rather myopic and silly. Especially considering it’s summer in S. Texas and a chilled refreshing wine becomes a great option.
Their theme is you can buy wine there at retail prices so grab a bottle to take home. Eh… It’s certainly priced well compared to restaurants and bars where it is often 2X-​3X the retail price. So a good value if you’re eating a meal there. But their prices are noticeably higher than retail so I wouldn’t go there to buy wine only. Their selection of reds is good and unique though so that might lure you in. However, you’d be better off at Joe Saglembeni’s. Love that place!
Several here commented about slow service. YES! Service was aggravatingly slow and mistake prone. We ordered several appetizers to enjoy and share as our meal. He made THREE mistakes with our order. Forgot two things and brought a third we didn’t order. And he knew very little about wine. That’s fine. But he pretended to and attempted to answer our questions with wrong info. Just say «I don’t know, let me get the sommelier.» It also took quite a bit of effort to flag him down when we needed something. And he mumbled.
Same goes for the sommelier for slowness. We had a question and waited patiently for the sommelier. We saw her at the same table for over 15 min. That’s ridiculous. You can’t expect all the tables to wait that long for assistance. You need to avoid spending long stints with a single customer. We finally gave up and ordered something else on our own.
The food was mediocre or slightly less. The only dish that I actually enjoyed was the Manhattan Chowder. Simple and nicely seasoned. We had the shrimp wrapped with jamon serrano. I was excited about this because I like the bacon/​shrimp flavor combo but it’s nearly impossible to cook it correctly so I never order it. The jamon serrano is cured so actually doesn’t need the long cooking time that bacon does. The problem was that on one side the jamon was actually BURNED. Not overcooked. Not crispy. It was scorched to a black crusty char. They put the burnt side down on the plate to hide that fact.

Nice location. Upon entering Alberico’s, I was welcomed by a friendly gentlemen who escorted us to the wine cellar upon request. He provided excellent food and wine recommendations but suggested the wine expert assist us. The wine expert was incredibly nice and made two outstanding recommendations. We were seated thereafter. The steak tartare was the best I’ve had compared to Le Frite or Liberty Bar. It was well balanced without a too citrus like taste. I ordered the tomahawk bone in ribeye steak and my wife had the grilled Chilean Sea Bass. Both were good but the steak was extraordinary even though it was cooked medium and I asked for medium rare. It was very flavorful and included the most delicious red bell pepper I’ve had. Bananas foster tiramisu was for dessert. It had a good consistency. Even though we had a primary waitress, the staff appeared to team up, which was great. Our primary waitress just didn’t seem to have a good day, like something was stressing her out. Her tone of voice wasn’t as friendly as the other staff, she didn’t ask if I wanted a side with my entrée, she didn’t box up my entire tomahawk steak even though when the chef came out to cut the steak, he said they’d pack up the meat on the bone. I had to ask for it. She didn’t offer dessert, we had to ask for it. No to-​go bag was provided for our leftovers and the bottle of wine we bought to go. We’re going back as the food was exceptional, the wine is a great price, and we bought tickets to their Vega de Yuso wine dinner. They’ve only got one restroom stall for both men and women so be advised. I’m excited to return and try the great food. We’re just spoiled by the service we have received from our normal spot Myron’s. The other two waiters incredibly friendly, we’re just picky with expectations of the little things being taken care of.

I agree with most of the reviews, in that the service is terrible. The food is quite decent, and we were all pleased with the quality and flavors. A ribeye empanada and poached crimini mushrooms ($ 16) as appetizers. Veal osso bucco ($ 35), a 16 oz ribeye ($ 29), and Chilean sea bass ($ 28). The dessert of chocolate experience was a $ 14 brownie with strawberries and caramel source poured at the table. It was not worth the money.
On a night with only two tables, the service was pretty bad. First off, if you go after the weekend, they won’t have several menu items. So for us, the Ponzu pork and duck breast were not available. Oh, and then after ordering the Veal Chop with merlot risotto, I was told that there was no risotto.
We received multiple promises on refills, and bringing the wine list back to us — but to no avail. The wine manager didn’t seem like he had a full grasp of his inventory. We tried ordering a wine off the list, but then we were told that the bottle was not available. Perhaps I’m used to a sommelier being more expressive than simply saying «great wine,» or «nice bottle.»
The nice thing regarding the wine is that everything can be by the glass, and the markup over retail is not very much. So it’s a great way to try some higher end wines at a reasonable cost.
At the end of the night, we received the wrong check. And then when we received our actual check, I was charged for the Veal Chop that I never ordered.
So I mean, if you can tolerate really poor service, the food is good and the wine options are nice. You just won’t be guided very well in terms of wine selection, and you may not be able to eat what’s on the menu.

Our first visit to Alberico’s was delightful in every respect! Beautiful atmosphere, charming and personable staff and delectable food! Bee both had the Chilean Sea Bass and it was cooked to perfection. All portion sizes were appropriate! Plenty to satisfy but not enough to overwhelm. Bart gave us excellent table service and Vanessa, the manager was both friendly and attentive. Our only suggestion is that they add a printed wine list to support the services of the personal sommelier. We will be back!

Summary: Interesting concept with potential, but poorly executed. Uneven service: They didn’t have my Unilocal-​made reservation, left an unopened bottle of wine on our table for 10 full minutes, never brought the promised bread, food mistimed… you get the picture. Weird wine approach: Wine manager who doesn’t know wine, no wine list (no names, no vintages, no prices!), awkward guessing game to even find out what they were trying to sell us, wine served too warm. (On a positive, they seem to have some interesting wines, and serve them in a nice glass.) Poor food quality: appetizers from Costco?! (seemed like it), duck breast looked like it was microwaved, veal chop too thin to cook properly, long-​grained rice instead of arborio in a «risotto.» All in all, a big miss, no desire to go back.

Well, I think they need work! The concept and décor are wonderful. But the food is … meh. at best. Surprisingly bland for pretty food. At worst, very overcooked shrimp and Italian sausage for 2 of my friends. A larger table, seated long after us, received their food faster.
Please sharpen the skills of the kitchen staff.

I’m giving them two stars for two reasons. First, the ambience is great and has a wine room that’s very unique. Second, I had the veal with risotto and found that very satisfying. This is the part where I tell you that I’ll never go back to this place. We went during their grand opening which I would expect to be grand. It fell drastically short with the service. The manager, Vanessa, told me that a chef and waitstaff called in so that’s why they were lacking the attention we deserved. Then we got a steak that we asked for to be specially cooked and it came out absolutely the opposite. I told the waitress and the manager and they brushed it off but we paid for it regardless. This place is meant to have those exceptional experiences and it lacked just that.

Oh this place needs some help. We went on a Saturday night and they were out of half the menu. I can’t tell you if the food is good because we didn’t eat anything. Seriously we were there for 2 hours and had a meat and cheese plate that we could have put together ourselves at HEB but cost $ 43. Finally the manager (not our waitress) came over and asked us if we were still waiting for food. We explained that we had been there for two hours and no longer wanted our entrees. They brought the check but didn’t comp anything and our tab with tip was way more than a nice charcuterie plate and several drinks at bohanans. I want to like this place because it’s close to my house, and I would prob go back for drinks as it’s a nice value for wine. However, def not planning to attempt dinner anytime soon.