Carmens De La Calle

TRUE RATING: 3.80÷5.0
WHAT I’M REVIEWING: Bossa Nova Brunch —- this is offered every first Sunday of the month which includes live music from Gabriel Santiago Trio and a $ 25 prix fixe menu which includes: eye opener bloody mary shot, fresh and fruit breakfast salad, and a choice of entrée from the following: Nicoise Salad with Seared Tuna (salad comes with spinach, artichoke hearts, olives, pickled snap peas, and hard boiled egg), Benedict Espanola with Spinach and Prosciutto, Carmen’s House Paella, and Guacho Steak and Potatoes
FOOD:
–BLOOD MARY SHOT: I’m not a fan of bloody mary so I can’t really review this fairly. I’m sure it’s great for any blood mary fan BUT damn, the olives on top of our shots were delicious!
–FRUIT SALAD (⁵⁄₅): Omg this was the most refreshing bowls of fruit I’ve ever had at a restaurant. It was nothing like I expected and came as a beautiful arrangement and variety of fresh fruits. The fruits included mangoes, peaches, a slice of orange, red grapes, pineapple and basil, and green apples topped with a cinnamon fruit jam. The mangoes, peaches, and pineapple and basil were so refreshing.
–PAELLA (3.5÷5.0): This dish is probably one of my favorite things to eat because of three reasons — contains two of my favorite ingredients (rice and seafood), hard to find, and hard to perfect. The paella here contains chicken, mussels, shrimp, and sausage chorizo. I understand paella is a very hard thing to make so I commend them for getting the flavors right and there was a good portion as well. However, my criticism would be that the paella was a little more dry than usual and while I was eating, I found an overwhelming amount of chicken that even superseded the rice.
–STEAK AND POTATOES: My two friends ordered this dish and actually had to return their steak since it was cooked well instead of the medium rare they asked for. Once the steaks were returned, it was more on the rare side than medium rare. Also there was a coffee rub on the steaks that sounds like a unique idea but was rather overwhelming and turned the steak into a slightly sweet piece of meat. But major props to the potatoes — they were incredible delicious!
SERVICE (⁵⁄₅): The owner of the place is Carmen and she was such a delight. Super friendly and attentive to all of her customers, she definitely prides in her restaurant. The whole staff was incredibly friendly and accommodated so well to my friends’ request in sending back their steaks.
Regardless, I really appreciate the uniqueness Carmen’s restaurant is bringing to SA’s culinary scene!

This was a tough one for me. Really wanted to give it more stars but I couldn’t. Here’s why:
I got the brunch option, which is a $ 25 package deal that comes with a few components. I’ll review each one:
Bloody Mary shot: I don’t drink alcohol, so I wasn’t able to try this… but company I was with who does drink say that it was pretty standard. Nothing to talk much about.
Fruit Salad ⁵⁄₅: YUM. I don’t know how to explain how good this fruit was without sounding crazy, after all it is just fruit. But man it was some of the best fruit I’ve ever had. The green apple slices had this fresh made cinnamon jam that came with it which was heavenly. The mango was served alone but was perfectly ripe and juicy. The grapes were pretty normal tasting. The peach was really juicy and ripe as well, and my friends who like peach in general said it was some of the best they’ve had. The pineapple was my FAVORITE by far, it came with chopped basil mixed in, which blew my mind. I don’t know if I’ve had these two ingredients together before, but after trying it here I was in awe at how perfectly they compliment each other. Will definitely be on the lookout for this flavor combination at other places.
Steak and Potatoes ²⁄₅: It started out good. Then it became eh. And by the end of it, it was ugh. Firstly, I had trouble ordering the dish. I originally asked for medium rare, but was served something that was clearly medium well, maybe even well. I usually never send food back, but steak is an exception for me. I politely let the waitress know, and she brought back a new steak within 5 — 10 minutes. I do commend them on the stellar service, they were really nice about the change and we were not charged extra (my friend also had the same issue with her steak). The only problem was, when I cut into the new steak, it was very rare. I didn’t mind it nearly as much as the well done steak, because it still tasted good… but I was a little disappointed that the chef was not able to properly cook a steak to the desired doneness. Bad sign. As for the actual taste of the dish itself: I first tried the potatoes. Holy moly they were so good. They cooked them for longer on one side so that each potato had a charred side, which added such pleasant texture. I really loved them. The steak… blegh. It is coffee crusted, which I knew before i ordered it, but dang they really overdid it. All you taste is coffee. And sweetness. I think they also use sugar in their rub, and it totally ruined the steak. I honestly couldn’t taste the meat due to how overpowering the coffee flavor was. What’s worse, is that it tasted like burnt coffee because they are clearly cooking at SUPER high heat in the back. I usually don’t mind that when there is no seasoning on the steak, but in a case like this they end up burning the seasoning so bad that it makes the whole thing taste awful and bitter. I really disliked this dish, and it’s a shame because I think if they had just cooked the steak correctly and went easy on the seasoning, it’d be a totally different experience.
Paella: I didnt try the paella, but my friend did. She said it was good, but complained that it was mostly chicken and very little seafood. It also was a bit on the dry side. Not super dry, but not as wet as paella traditionally is.
And that’s it. Which kinda was a ripoff in my opinion, 25 dollars for not that much great food. But you are also paying for the entertainment here, which was a live band playing music. Unfortunately, it’s not my style of music and it ended up being a bit more obnoxious than anything. But that is completely my fault. They performed really well, but I just wasn’t feeling that type of music at the time. For someone who really enjoys that stuff, they might find the price to be a bit more reasonable.
All in all, I think this place has some potential, but the fact that they messed up a main entrée, especially when it’s one of the only 3 available entrees they are pumping out for brunch, is pretty bad. I wanted to give it 4 stars, but decided 3 because the dish was bad in terms of both cooking technique and concept.
On a side note, carmen seems really nice, and I do respect that she seems to care a lot about you as a customer. I spoke to her briefly about the above issues I had with the steak, and she was really receptive to feedback and seemed to appreciate the honesty.

**True Rating: 3.5 stars**
BOSSA NOVA BRUNCH is every first Sunday, featuring live music by the Gabriel Santiago trio from Brazil and a $ 25 prix fixe menu which includes bloody mary eye opener shot, a fruit salad, and 4 main course options. Entrée choices included house paella, Benedict Espanola with prosciutto, salad with seared tuna, and gaucho steak with potatoes.
–Fruit salad: ⁵⁄₅ Absolutely delicious and refreshing with generous variety of fresh fruits. Mangos are luckily in season and included on the plate to my pleasant surprise, it was without a doubt my favorite fruit. Other fruits served included peaches, red grapes, pineapple with basil (delicious combination), and green apples topped with a delightful cinnamon jam. The portion of fruits was pretty generous and by the end of it I was already pretty full.
–Paella: 3.5÷5 A beloved Spanish staple that pairs so perfectly with sangria. The house paella here includes chicken, seafood (mussels and shrimp), and sausage chorizo. Paella is kind of difficult to execute perfectly, so I would say the flavors here a definitely pretty solid. The only other time I have eaten paella in San Antonio was at Bella on the River, which I think was slightly more comparable to the ones I had in Spain. My roommate ordered this dish and thought it primarily consisted of chicken, with significantly less seafood and rice unfortunately.
–Gaucho steak and potatoes: ²⁄₅ Aged steak topped with chimichurri and a side of potatoes. The potatoes were crispy and flavorful, and the chimichurri was some of the best I have had, BUT I really did not enjoy the steak at all. The coffee rub on the steak was a great concept in theory, and I’ve enjoyed this subtle flavor in the past; however, it is way overdone here to where the burnt coffee taste overpowers the entire dish and the flavors of the meat itself. I asked for medium rare, and initially the steak was entirely overcooked and dry. On second try, it was more rare but unevenly cooked. I tried to scrape off as much of the coffee rub on top as I could, but I eventually gave up and stopped eating because it just wasn’t very appetizing in the end.
While I wasn’t completely blown away by the food, the service was really great and accommodating. The owner, Carmen, is absolutely delightful, friendly, and very helpful, while the rest of the staff is also on top of their game. The restaurant itself is very cozy and intimate and I can definitely see it as being a great date night spot.

Chef Zag is for real. Awesome paella with seafood and chorizo sausage. The gaucho steak is to die for. Rubbed and marinaded with coffee and chiles, it’s awesome. Order it a little less cooked than you usually prefer. And stay for the entertainment. The flamenco dancing, vocals and acoustic guitar will carry you to another place and have you yelling «Olé» as if that was normal. We’ll be back.

Everything about this place is wrong. What type music do you think would be playing before the performance of Flamenco? They had Michael Jackson and rock music from the 70s! The food is a joke on us. Overpriced and ordinary. Would you believe $ 6.95 for chips and salsa!
It was only a 30 minute performance. Having attended several Flamenco performances is Spain I saw this as a poor pale performance. They had no male dancers and no real storyline.

Having a great time in San Antonio, my wife and I decided to try something different a little off the riverwalk. This restaurant was close by, offered live music and had great reviews so we walked there to try it.
After having some difficulty finding it with the GPS, we came in. Small place, it was full, people sit very close to each other and the stage is really close. Small band and I was expecting to enjoy a good dinner while listening to jazz.
It was poetry reading night. I asked if the band would be playing and we were told they would. We paid the cover and sat at one of the small tables. We ordered dinner and waited patiently. The dinner came and no music. I asked again and we were told they would play in a minute. We ate and no music. After waiting some more we decided to leave. I finally asked again just to see if the lady would realize that she had promised music to us twice and never happened. An apology… maybe? Instead, without showing any sign of discomfort, she had the nerve to say that they played earlier but we just missed them, and they would be playing later, while she happily took our payment for a mediocre dinner plus a cover for nothing.
Our mistake was to expect jazz in San Antonio. If if does exist, it is not in this place. And for dinner, please make yourself a favor and go somewhere else. There’s nothing worth it to try here. On top of of that they may happily lie to you in your face. So, I do agree with other reviews. San Antonio is a great place to enjoy a wonderful weekend but when it comes to food… it is a hit or miss. Let me save you some time and stay away from this place.

Amazing find! The food was so good! And the Sangria! So good! Then there was the show — Flamenco music and dancing! It was just around the corner from our hotel too!

It’s a cute little place. I had a margarita and it was very good. I haven’t tried the food, but my friends say it’s good. I felt like the $ 15 cover charge was a bit much, but we had fun so it was ok.

Tucked away on a nondescript street Carmen’s was a treasure found! Tiny, funky, daily changing yummy menu. Carmen herself was charming and most helpful. The chef is clever at reinventing dishes, creating tasty layers in every bite. Two Flamenco dancers, a guitarist and a beat boxer provided excellent entertainment. We’ll be back to Carmen’s De La Calle every time we visit San Antonio!

Amazing food and live music either world music or flamenco! Perfect for either date night or group outing! The best empanadas and paella!

This is a very romantic, under the radar, downtown spot. I took my date on a Thursday night. There was a $ 10 cover for a live jazz quartet that we both enjoyed very much.
The menu was very diverse. we had the Paella, brussels sprouts (to die for), Queso flamedo (tasted like homemade enchiladas — yummy) carrot cake, Italian ice. Oops and the prosciutto wrapped dates and olives. Everything was amazing and came out at a stead pace that we had enough time to finish each course before moving on to the next item. The service was excellent however it was a slow night so I’m not sure how they would hold up under pressure with a large crowd.
There are a couple of spots for a group of 6 or so to hang out but for the most part this is a couples spot with about a dozen candlelit tables for 2 scattered throughout the establishment
Bathrooms were clean, and parking was easy to find.
Ambiance was a 10+

Tbh I didn’t eat here. I don’t know what they serve. We stumbled across this gem on a vacation. We heard they have good shows and came. The ambiance is so unique — a cross between Indian/​middle eastern and Hispanic. The live band/​singer song writer was amazing her name was Lauren Marie. The cover I thought was high for the venue but then again I’m not sure what the average show runs in San Antonio. Regardless, she was amazing and the staff was great. I got some drink called a jones. (I think) It was a wine mixed drink that tasted like a mojito.

When I convinced my boyfriend that this would be an amazing night watching sexy flamenco dancers show us how it was done, I imagined that we would be in a large venue with an expansive stage for the performance. Instead what I discovered is that Carmens De La Calle is located in a bit of a dive with a tiny stage and tiny tables. Now granted, I’m not complaining. The performances of the three ladies was impressive and unexpectedly authentic. What was disappointing was the food, which was small in quantity and high in price. The previous reviews made such a clamor about the sangria, which I found to be mediocre and watery (thanks but no thanks), however, Carmens does have three cocktails that are incredible. I would skip the sangria and go for the cocktails.
Also, while the food is rather delicious, it ruins anyone’s appetite when your boyfriend gets a toothpick to get something out of his tooth and exclaims in horror when he pulls a full nail clipping from his tooth!!! I lost my appetite along with him. While we didn’t mention it to the staff, I’m pretty much no longer interested in Carmens De La Calle. The flamenco was awesome, the food experience however was the most horrific I’ve had. Unfortunately, I don’t know that I will be back.

The place is small but cozy. We came for Saturday night jazz music. The cover was $ 15 pp which i think a little too much. Food was absolutely amazing. My husband had European meat dish yummyyyyy and i had rice with three types of meat. I was shocked how good it was. Sangria was delicious ! band played so professional ! And you can talk to them during their break. Parking is free after 6 on the weekend across the street which is super convenient. By looking at the place from outside i would never think it would be so good. We will be back for more for sure. Recommend.

You HAVE to go. bring cash for cover charge, but WORTH it! I was shocked the place wasn’t packed with a wait. We got there around 8pm on Saturday and were told there were going to be flamenco (I had to look that word up lest I spell it «flamingo»). So the cover was $ 15, we got a table up front. The food was AWESOME, make sure to try the queso fundido and a pitcher of sangria. We will go again when in town!

This place is amazing! If you’re the type who is looking for something off the beaten path check this place out! Food was amazing and the entertainment was phenomenal! Loved the Flamenco! It was the perfect date night! Cozy and intimate! Love love love! We paid a $ 15/​person cover charge to get in but it was totally worth it! The experience was one of a kind! I’ll definitely be back!

Jeff K is an idiot. Giving one star to a place he was too cheap to enjoy is such poor form.
Carmen’s consistently has the tastiest food down town and by far the best acts. Pork Milanesa was incredible on a recent visit and the empanadas have no peers in this town.

Went to eat dinner at 6:55pm. The place was empty. Was told if we were still eating dinner at 730, we’d be charged $ 10 cover charge for band that was setting up.
We left…
Never heard of this policy… oh well good luck.

As a tourist, this is not just a Unilocalers hidden gem but a truly amazing, classy, tasty, fun place and a MUST visit for locals and visitors alike. Enjoy an array of tapas bathed in flavors and served with a genuine passion and top notch presentation.
The owner was so much fun to chat with and the team of employees genuinely seemed to care about the meal from start to finish.
GREAT selection for that «off the beaten path» options.

This place truly is a gem! I’m so glad my friend took me here because it’s her favorite spot in town and she wanted me to experience it. Now I can totally see why.
I’m surprised they only have a few reviews here but I kinda secretively wish to keep it that way so we could keep this place all to ourselves. I think they were at a different location for a long time but recently moved to this spot b/​c the owner wanted to be closer to downtown.
It doesn’t look much from the outside but the inside is another world. It instantly makes you feel that you have traveled beyond San Antonio or even the US. The ambiance is intimate yet fun. The clientele seemed much more interesting than you typical San Antonians. The owner Carmen always runs around serving food and making sure people have a good time.
The food was all pretty decent. We shared four different dishes. My favorite was the steak and the potato tortillas. Very well made and delicious.
The star of the night was without a doubt the flamenco dance performance. I had never seen such a show in my life. It was absolutely breath taking! I was amazed by the moves of the dancers, the music, and the beautiful voice of the singer even though I could not understand a thing in spanish.
You just have to see for yourself to understand the charm. It’s contagious! I think they have different shows on different nights. For the night we went which was a Friday, they had two flamingo dance performances at 8pm and 10pm. The show costs $ 15 per person. It is totally worth it for this one of a kind amazing experience IMO. You can order food or just share a pitcher of sangria with your friends while enjoying the phenomenal show. It was a whole new experience for me. I loved it a lot and would gladly return.
I’d say it is one of the best places to catch a late night show on a Friday night to relax and rewind or take out town friends to wow them. Don’t tell anyone about it though. It’s best to keep it as a hidden gem!

Holy Crap!
This place is a real Unilocaler’s dream — a hidden local gem in downtown San Antonio that offers some impressive jazz on Thursday nights.
Somewhat reminiscent of a San Francisco art bar, this small, intimate hip club is a «must do» if you are in San Antonio on a Thursday evening (or any evening, really) and crave a smoke-​free, adult experience with some great professional entertainment.
Face it… at this point, you are probably sitting in your hotel room trying to figure out your next activity (and probably tired of the Riverwalk and all the corporate food there!), so either walk or drive a little bit to Carmens De La Calle. You will be leaving your fellow tourists way behind when you step through the door and its an easy walk from the Riverwalk.
And when you do step through that door ($ 10 cover for the live music — a real bargain) you are transported to a quaint living room like environment with a wonderfully cute little bar. The spouse and I were very pleasantly surprised with the cool vibe of this place. We only had a few drinks, but they also serve «farm-​to-​market» style food which we will check-​out on our next trip down.
The jazz is first-​rate. We saw the King William Jazz Collective Big Band, which was really a traditional jazz quintet that also featured occasional vocals from local jazz vocalist Joan Carroll.
Local food, local ownership and local musicians — a Unilocaler’s paradise I say. A lovely evening indeed!