Hot Joy — Restaurant in San Antonio

Hot Joy has done it again! My grown kids have been to Hot Joy on multiple occasions, but this was my second visit to the Asian-fusion regarding and my first visit to their new location at 1101 Broadway, Ste 140, San Antonio, TX. Let me tell you, the restaurant, decor and the food were nothing short of fabulous!

I visited the restaurant on a Sunday afternoon around 12:30 p.m. I did have to drive around the block a couple of times to find street parking, but the parking is free. I then walked a block to the restaurant; I noted that the exterior of the building is brick with a garage door on the side. The Hot Joy sign was visible, but I found myself wondering where the entrance was. After a moment of walking on the sidewalk, I spotted the outdoor seating area adorned with festive lanterns, and voila! I found the entrance. When I entered, I saw that there are stairs and/or a ramp. I walked up the stairs, but I found that the first step is an illusion, and it is flush with the floor, so I took a false step. I only mention this because I thought it was me, but I heard somebody else talking about the first step, which really isn't a step.

Once inside, my family had already been seated and were perusing the menu, although my grown kids have been to both locations, so they already knew what they wanted to order.

The ambiance of the restaurant was festive with colorful lanterns hanging from the ceiling and a striking mural of a tiger that added an extra touch of flair. The bar area beckoned with its cozy charm, while the open meal preparation station offered a fascinating glimpse into the magic happening in the kitchen.

Now, onto the food—oh, the food! We decided to go all in and ordered Spam Fried Rice, Twice Fried Wings, Shrimp Fried Rice, and Pork Belly, but I cannot remember the exact name of the pork belly dish. With four of us at the table, sharing was the name of the game, and each dish delivered a knockout punch of flavor. The Spam Fried Rice was a delightful surprise, packed with umami goodness and the perfect flavor. The Twice Fried Wings were crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and coated with an irresistible sauce that left us craving more. My daughter told me that they have wing specials during the week, and I will definitely be visiting during the week for more wings as I could have made a meal out of the wings alone. The Shrimp Fried Rice had plenty of shrimp and seasoned well. And let's not forget the Pork Belly—rich, succulent, and bursting with mouthwatering flavors. I'd like to circle back around to the spam fried rice. Honestly, I thought it did not sound appetizing, but OMG it was amazing. The spam, pineapple, rice and seasoning were perfect!

From the attentive and friendly service to the inviting atmosphere and the downright delicious food, Hot Joy's new location is a definite win. Whether you're a longtime fan or a newcomer to their Asian-fusion delights, this spot is a must-visit.

We did not try any mixed drinks while we were there, but the bar area was inviting and I will definitely go back in, sit at the bar and have a drink... probably while enjoying the twice fried wings or the spam fried rice.

Hot Joy, you've won our hearts (and our taste...

I used to eat here more often with my group of friends. They recently changed the menu and you can only order Ramen on a certain day of the week. Boo. I was unsure of who my actual waiter was since at least 3 different people came to my table and we were seldom checked on. Staff was not as friendly as I remember and came off like they didn't actually want anyone in the restaurant. I was hoping for a better experience since this was the first time I brought my new partner here - at least the artsy atmosphere didn't change. And my "table" was some rickety bamboo thing that was barely wide enough to fit our two plates of food on. Again, boo. To the abrasive female bartender: it's ok to smile. To the hostess: I was perfectly fine waiting for a table until you made it seem like it was a bother to have us there in the first place. I genuinely hope management hires better staff before I decide to take anyone else there. Super disappointed - this used to be one of my favorite places to take visitors when frequenting downtown. I've worked in the service industry and I have to say this was just awful service, hands down. No excuse for treating good customers like they are unwanted before they've even had a chance to sit down.

Update: My brother decided that he wanted to have his birthday dinner at Hot Joy yesterday. Considering my last experience (see above), I was naturally hesitant to accept the invitation, but I went with my boyfriend, mother, brother and his girlfriend. Upon arrival, we were told there would be a 30 minute wait, but then... the hostess went out of her way to find out if the large party before us was still coming (points). She then let us know that they had canceled and nicely asked us to follow her to our booth. Our server was Russell, who was very attentive, informative, and personable (points). He was also pretty funny - when I told him I was allergic to pretty much everything and wanted a non-alcoholic drink with no coconut, he made an informed decision to bring me a "virgin sacrifice". That drink is SO delicious. I definitely recommend trying it if you like pineapple (points). Our food came out in a timely manner and he checked on us just the right amount of times to make sure we were doing alright and ask if we needed anything (points). Overall, this was a MUCH better experience. Oh! And they also changed their menu - more options (points). I don't know if it was a plethora of bad reviews or if they were just having an off day during my last visit, but I WILL be recommending Hot Joy once again. Thank you, Russell, for making it a...

Hotjoy normally never disappoints. Last night I had the worst customer service thanks to my waitress Sophia. She had no sense of urgency, energy, and a whole bunch of attitude from the beginning. when she did not hear my full order I asked her about the other food remaining. She told me I didn't hear that. And I said OK well, I still want the wings that I ordered and her reply was "I'm just letting you know I didn't hear that" with her finger out in my face, instead of apologizing and putting in the order of what I needed. I didn't care if she heard or not. I still wanted the food. Even after arguing with me I still had to tell her to please put that in, I had to ask for food runners who were more helpful three times to get her to come back so I can get the cup of iced I asked for 3 times since she served me a hot big red with a straw in it. I also wanted to try they're yummy dessert, but she was helping every table but hours. Then came to our table at 10:02 even though I asked for her help before 10 o'clock to put in the order. She looked at her watch and said, sorry we don't serve that anymore it's after 10, trying to make it right and seeing if the Cook would put in the order because SHE wasnt around so I could place my order on time. She told me no it was too late and no one would make the food. I was so upset. I asked to talk to a manager because the attitude was the worst I've ever gotten before from a waitress and I had a really peaceful night until dealing with her directly. I went to the front desk asking for a manager who was supposed to come and talk to me and never did. Kyle never said sorry or took responsibility for the poor service that his waitress had that killed the overall experience. The food was great, and I would've love to order more if I had a proper waitress attending to me was enough amount of time Even if there is a cut off in the kitchen as a waitress, you should go and double check all of your tables before it closes to make sure that you can maximize each ticket. Food was great. The food runners were better. Sophia was the worst and Kyle obviously does not hold his team accountable or care to make it right, I got up to request a manager twice and not even and "I'm sorry" except from the front hostess. And normally, I'm a great tipper and even with poor service I would've tipped, but I didn't because nobody even tried to make the situation right after we got her bill, we never saw Sophia again. I could've walked right out without paying and no one would've even noticed. Do better...