Hank's San Miguel de Allende — Restaurant in San Miguel de Allende

I wanted to dislike Hank's. Word-of-mouth was that this was a touristy gringo pickup bar so Stacy and I have avoided it for the past 10 months of living in SMA. Fortunately for us we were pressed for time and decided to give it a try since we were in the neighborhood. I can honestly say my preconceived notions about Hank's were totally wrong.

We were promptly seated in the main dining room and had excellent seats by the window. While the bar can be somewhat noisy, the dining room was much quieter and a very pretty atmosphere. Antonio, our server, promptly took our drink orders and brought out some delicious bread and butter.

Shortly thereafter Antonio took our food order. We ordered a half dozen oysters as an appetizer. Stacy ordered the four cheese soup and I ordered the popcorn shrimp po'boy. Antonio asked if I wanted the whole sandwich or a half sandwich (shortly thereafter I learned why). I ordered my sandwich with onion rings on the side, although other options were available.

The oysters were delicious. I was somewhat dubious ordering oysters in the middle of a landlocked desert, but I was pleasantly surprised. They were very fresh (not huge, but not tiny either) and their own brand of pepper sauce was a nice addition.

Stacy's four cheese soup was huge and served in a giant bread bowl. The soup was rich, creamy, and perfect for those cold SMA evenings. Definitely a winner.

My shrimp po'boy was enormous. No I know why Antonio asked if I wanted a half sandwich. The shrimp were perfectly battered (light, crispy batter) and the sandwich had just the right amount of lettuce, tomato and sauce accompanying it. The bread was fresh and perfectly toasted. As hard as I tried to finish it, I just couldn't, it was simply too big. The onion rings were OK, but the sandwich was so good I focused on it.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the service. Stacy and I eat out a lot. We have eaten at literally dozens of restaurants in SMA ranging from street food to gourmet style food. Overall, our experience with servers has been excellent overall. Antonio deserves special mention. He is by far the most professional server we have had in San Miguel. He keeps a watchful eye and anticipates diners' needs. Drink gets low? He is quickly there for a refill. Drop a napkin on the floor? Before you can pick it up, he is there with a new one. He doesn't hover, but he is a true professional.

My only regret is that we didn't try...

A lively fun spot with high ceilings and a classic grand bar entrance that immediately makes you think you've been here before (even if you haven't). Hank's is definitely on the list as a San Miguel treat you should not miss! Great bartenders and friendly staff that pour two-for-ones that you can't beat! The quality of the dining experience may surprise you! I dined there for U.S.Thanksgiving a week ago. Enjoying turkey & all the trimminga was actually better than any I have ever experienced n the states when my choice has been to forget the ordeal of creating Gobble Gobble at home but finding a suitable restaurant in a foreign country. IT WAS A GREAT DECISION! Hanks supplied a private dining room with a great table overlooking one of San Miguel's beautiful cobblestone streets (No auto traffic allowed) while the absolutely beautiful meal was served by the classic white shirted male waiters. Starting with Mexican creama de calabasas soup to roasted turkey & gravy that practically melted in your mouth. Desert was a small but impeccably prepared slice of pumpkin pie that let us know that Hanks has "Foodie Chefs" in the small kitchen who compete with SMA's best chefs. In our case, we were so happy that our compliments were given to the kitchen who in turn sent out the lady chef who was delightful in explaining the spices used in our delicious pie that she had created. The 5 course prefixe meal also included a very good bottle of red wine. Nice having the ordering decisions already made for you. After a stroll through the adjoining world famous Central Jardin, we went home satisfied that this restaurant was a great choice for our holiday meal celebration. Can't wait to see what is planned for Christmas in...

The place has a good ambiance, the bar area has a fun vibe, comfy and cozy. Our food however, was so so at best. Over cooked, dry chicken in the Bourbon chicken dish and over cooked, dry fish in the trout dish. I could over look that except that our waiter, who was seemingly very personable turned out to be a fast talker, to be nice. First he tried to sell us a 2100 peso bottle of wine, (didn't give us the price until we finally got a wine menu and looked it up), then he brought and poured us Perrier water without us even asking for any water. Finally, he added a side dish and a dessert to our bill that we didn't order. We did like the place itself and even bought a little shot glass for my brother in law (his name is Hank), but didn't appreciate the attempts at...