Gilberts Mexican Restaurant LLC — Restaurant in San Antonio

Through the front door of this small neighborhood restaurant and I thought I had fallen into someone's back porch add-on. The room looked like it had been there for a few decades with out much updating. There was just enough room for the kitchen and counter on one side and a row of booths on the other with tables turned lengthwise in the middle so as to be able to narrowly navigate the passages between. The kitchen side wall was papered with conjunto and tejano bands and singers posters and as close to an Hispanic music ofrenda as I have seen. In the middle of all those faces and Hispanic music homage was a slit of a kitchen window which continually belched plates of steaming Mexican food. From there, a busy choreography of no more than two waiters conducted a pas de deux of plates between the window through the narrow passages and gracefully to their final destination, the diner. It reminded me of bees making endless trips between nectar sources and that central entry point of a hive. Javi's Special had my name on it touted as their most popular plate with two carne guisada filled enchiladas, rice and beans. With that kind of introduction, just what is a first time visitor supposed to order?! I have always liked beef enchiladas with shredded beef rather than ground like picadillo, but locating a kitchen that does this (other than my own) is problematic. Carne guisada? Close enough. Mild cheese and gravy covered the red corn tubes identifying the familiar Tex-Mex genus, but not divulging the species of the contents within. One bite and this became immediately clear with dice sized hunks of tender beef and an earthy taste of comino ringing through clear as a bell. This was a very decent plate of enchis. Rice and beans were sincere in rendition, but nothing that would make them more than secondary to the enchilada main attraction. The flour tortillas were flexible but sturdy when pulled from their heated repose in a typical red plastic tortilla warmer. Once they began to cool, these flour folders mummified a bit and required a jerky type chaw to rend a piece from the whole. Check out was slow with Gilbert chewing the fat with old time customers and me biding my time listening to the cooks in the adjacent kitchen quarters twittering some random bird call on a one track loop. I must have had a look of nostalgia on my face as I handed Gilbert my check and a $20 bill. He smiled, made a little small talk and then handed me a piece of hubba-bubba bubble gum along with my change. I had not had a piece of that jaw workout in a blue and yellow wrapper since my last barbered crew cut in my pre-teens. Divey digs, friendly folks, comfort cuisine, and bubble gum. Nowhere but...

Decided to visit this place because it was all over my Facebook feed. I made the biggest mistake by NOT reading the reviews first. It was very busy when we arrived. My fiancé ordered a tamale plate, beans and rice with a side of carne guisada. I ordered a beef enchilada plate. The order took 35 minutes for our order. Once it arrived we immediately noticed the tamale plate was not looking good. The beans were all dried up, and when my Fiancé put the fork into the tamale it was so dry it crumpled. Informed the waitress the deficiencies and we will not want another. She replied that she will take it off the bill. The carne guisada, on a bowl, was absolutely cold like someone took it out of the fridge. I finished my ok plate of enchiladas and decided we needed to leave immediately. Once we walked to the front to pay our order this lady looked already mad at us with a frown on her face. We informed her we will not pay for the tamale plate and she responded; I am still going to charge you for the enchilada plate. Well of course, I informed her. I am not here to receive free food. Guess she thought we were trying to get free food today. I then informed her that the side bowl of carne guisada was cold and please do not include it on our bill. With an attitude she said; The meat costs a lot of money. I informed her that has nothing to do with the fact you and your cooks failed us. You need to go talk to them. We left and were charge a gratuity. A GRATUITY???? For bad service? I am not going to say this place is phenomenal but what you see on Facebook where people are talking this place is amazing is an understatement. Do yourself a favor: DO NOT COME HERE!!! This place is so over hyped. When we paid for our order ask me if she apologized for the bad service and food??? Absolutely NOT. I do hope people read reviews before committing. My fiancé do a great job in reading reviews when we purchase anything but since I saw the posts on Facebook about this place - OUR MISTAKE!!! Save your money and go elsewhere. I will make sure I inform ALL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO STAY AWAY!!! You’ve been WARNED!!!! 1 ⭐️ SERVICE!!! And that’s because that’s the lowest I...

I visited this restaurant last week and ordered 1 carne guisada with cheese while I was doing laundry next door, it was really good! So today my partner and I wanted to do breakfast and I suggested we go there. We sat ourselves, the waitress ask what we would like to drink, she came right back with it and then the menus. Less than a few minutes she can back, really not giving us much time to decide, we asked for more time. I had to ask for chips and salsa. As we are eating it I discovered what looked like a grey hair in my salsa. (Run the camera back to see us examining it). I did not make a deal about it, my partner was like maybe it's just the blended veggies from the salsa (it was definitely a grey hair).

Moving forward the food comes out, I took a couple bites of the chicken enchiladas and did not like it so I asked could I just get a side of carne instead (assuming she would make it right). Literally we left 90% of the food on our plate because we just didn't enjoy our meals. I get to the register and the woman asked how was it, I said I didn't not enjoy the chicken enchiladas plate. (She seemed to be offended by the expression on her face but hey people like what they like). She said NOTHING, she did not once offer a discount, apology, or a replacement for something else but she read me that total of $33.89 thought. I just could not believe I was charged that much for food that we didn't really eat nor enjoy. I definitely will never eat at this restaurant again based on this poor customer service.

Sidebar I was charged an additional $4.83 for gratuity. How are you going to make someone tip for...