Highlight of the Riverwalk
The tourist trap.
We know it when we see it. Located in a prime location within a destination city’s main visitor area, drawing in walking traffic through curb appeal and an inviting-but-kitschy atmosphere, and designed to cater to the masses, but ultimately disappointing those with a more refined palate or a desire to leave with some money still in their wallets.
The San Antonio Riverwalk, for better or worse, is littered with such establishments. But among them, there are still a handful of hotspots that offer a genuinely unique experience, solid food, and consistent service.
Enter Boudro’s, a Riverwalk mainstay since 1986. I stopped in with a few friends on the Sunday evening before the college basketball national championship game, an unusually crowded and lively Sunday. We didn’t have a reservation and were quoted a 75-90 minute wait, but we were able to commandeer a high-top table in the upstairs bar area that was first-come, first-served.
As we ascended the outdoor stairs, we passed diners enjoying everything from steaks to crab tostadas to coconut flan. The weather was crisp and cool with a periodic breeze, so Boudro’s had adorned each outdoor seat with a light blanket. Nice touch.
Boudro’s is perhaps best known for its tableside guacamole service. Having eaten a large barbecue lunch, it’s exactly the kind of light snack we were looking for.
A waitress quickly arrived to prepare our guac, laying out a tray of chopped jalapeños, kosher salt, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes & red onions, limes, oranges, and the signature avocados. The precision of the process, from scooping the avocado from its skin to determining the proper mix of each ingredient, was both an impressive display and a fun experience.
I got talked into washing down the chips, salsa, and guacamole with Boudro’s signature prickly pear frozen margarita, ignoring the haters within my own entourage. Others in our group sampled the house ranch water and an Old Fashioned to prove their manliness.
Both the food and the cocktails lived up to the hype and were worth the Riverwalk pricing in terms of taste, service, and experience. Each item was simple, yet well-prepared, layering common ingredients and flavors in just the right balance.
While I can’t speak to the full sit-down dining experience, the impression from our simple “meal” of guac and cocktails is that Boudro’s must be within the top handful of restaurant experiences on the Riverwalk. The service, quality, and attention to detail all belied the connotations typically associated with a “tourist trap” designation.
Now if we could just do something about those tourist trap wait times…
CFB Travel Guy 