Ida Claire — Restaurant in San Antonio

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The Good: I was so happy with this experience. This place delivered on providing quality southern comfort food. Everything is made in house, so it all comes out tasting super fresh and absolutely delicious. The waffle benedict had some beautifully cooked braised short rib along with Fresno peppers, spinach and hollandaise sauce. This dish packs a punch. If you enjoy a little heat, this might be the dish for you.

However, my hands down favorite was the chicken and waffles. This was some of the best chicken I've ever had. The breading was well seasoned and perfectly flaky which complimented the chicken instead of overwhelming it. It's a plate I would gladly and repeatedly go back for. We also got the crawfish corn beignets. Good flavor with a strong mustard remoulade dipping sauce. (I'd probably try something else next time but I wouldnt be against getting these again.) .

Side note: The tea was some of the best I've had too. 😋👌🏼

The Bad: The bacon waffle was pretty standard. Have nothing against it but it didn't hold a candle to the rest of the meal.

The Aftermath: Excited to come back! We're doing a follow up for lunch to see how it compares. This place was well worth the visit.

**For this review and more follow my insta 😊 @dish_360

Dinner Update*

We promised a follow up for this location to get a feel for the food outside of breakfast. While we didn't have a bad experience this time around I'll admit, I still favor the breakfast selection.

The Good: The highlight of the meal was the appetizer. It was off menu but I hope they make it a permanent offering. Sweet potato chips, flavorful shredded duck and sprinkled with goat cheese. On top of it all sat two sunny side up eggs. They got some extra style points when they did a quick pour of duck fat over the dish and it was love at first bite. The only thing I wondered about were the sweet potato "chips". I'm not sure if it was supposed to be crunchy but ours came out really malleable. I still thought it was delicious but I wasn't sure if it was executed that way intentionally.

The braised beef short rib was cooked beautifully. No knife needed 👌🏼 I wish it had been seasoned more but the potato side was and that balanced it out.

The Bad: The shrimp I enjoyed but the grits just didn't hit the mark for me. Took a few bites and called it quits.

The big disappointment was the Nashville hot fried chicken. I was excited because their breakfast chicken strips were incredible. This chicken was greasy, underwhelming presentation and the taste was offputting. If this plate had been our first it would have also been our last.

The Aftermath: Overall, we agreed that it's a better quality than would be expected from most franchises. The majority of our dishes came out beautifully and exuded the southern comfort vibe. While we may not come running for dinner we're still very much sold on breakfast....

We booked a party in the air stream a few weeks in advance. We had too send multiple emails to get them to follow up or respond. We arrived at our scheduled event, and they did not have the menus printed. We were told the person who handles ift was on vacation. They assured us that if we let them know they will make it right. We were seated in the Airstream we booked, and AC was not working in the venue. The waiter said oh yeah this doesn’t work (he knew it was out), but it’s nice outside so you will be okay - 74° F and 72% humidity. We had 14 people inside an airstream with no fans or AC. We were told by the assistant manager or manager Tristan S or Casey C. I don’t know the names as they were never introduced, and we were just given cards at the end of this atrocity and told it doesn’t matter people love us. But I digress, the horror continues as our waiter Zach R or Fabian M takes drink orders and pass gas in the middle of a closed in Airstream with the AC broken. Then he starts telling a bunch of 17 year old females that he had a rough night hence the sun glasses. Then the waiter proceeded to hit on and flirt with the underage girls through out the service after being told their age and that most of them have boyfriends. The brunch continued with a general lack of attention and service. The food was blah as it was all brought out cold and there were 3-5 minutes of wait time before the next guest received food. We paid the $769.50 bill in full but have contacted the police and our attorney and plan on prosecuting the wait staff and seeking civil remedies from the establishment. While bad service and the employees actions may not be the responsibility of ownership the lack of professionalism and lack of training resulting in the worst experience we have ever experienced is. The way management handled this and while being a complete screw up is not against the law the innuendoes and way the staff made minors feel is. We not only give this place 1 star we will be following up with every legal means available and plan to seek a full refund plus attorney fees and court cost. Front Burner Group is well versed in franchise and individual industry ventures and at this point should step away from counting his money and start looking at what is actually happening at ground level.

Quick update. The actions of the wait staff were not criminal after review of the video. The innuendoes to a minor while disgusting did not cross the line because he did not actually solicit. The health code violation was of interest to the authorities.

Management was given a chances to correct this They did nothing. Fortunately the video of the mold in the restaurant and the OSHA violations are of interest to state authorities.

Shame the management didn’t feel this was an issue they should at least apologize for. Guess it will rank as an interesting story. The saga...

Ida Claire – A Fantastic Date Night Spot! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

While visiting San Antonio for a business trip, I went on a date night with a local, and we decided to try Ida Claire. Though it was a bit of a drive from downtown, it was absolutely worth it!

Parking & First Impressions • We parked in the back lot, which I do wish had better lighting—it felt a bit dark. • Walking inside, we were seated quickly despite arriving close to closing time. Ambience & Atmosphere • Bright, spacious, and beautifully designed, the restaurant had different seating areas for singles, couples, and families, making it feel very inviting. • The bathrooms were spotless—always a great sign!

Food & Drinks • I started with a Belgian white beer, which the staff allowed me to sample first—a nice touch since I’m from New York and wasn’t as familiar with the local beer flavors. • We ordered two appetizers: ◦ Biscuits with pork gravy, strawberry preserves, and butter—all delicious, but the pork gravy was the standout! ◦ Crabcake with a seafood yellow cream sauce—not typically my go-to, but it was surprisingly good, even though it had more of a tuna-like taste than crab or salmon. • For the main course, I was torn between chicken & waffles (which I had never tried before!) and the seafood pasta. Since my date was getting the seafood pasta, I decided to join in and customize mine: ◦ I asked for red pepper chili flakes and a side of Cajun spices to kick up the heat. ◦ The waitress was wonderful and accommodated it without hesitation, making it into a Cajun-spicy seafood masterpiece. ◦ My date loved the idea so much that he did the same!

Service & Special Touches • Our waitress was incredibly kind and took the time to chat with us. When she found out I was visiting for work and leaving soon, she surprised me with a free sample of biscuits and sides to take home! • Such a thoughtful gesture, and one that made me appreciate the hospitality even more.

Final Thoughts • The food, service, and overall experience were top-tier. • We spent between $70 and $100, which was reasonable for the quality and portion sizes. • Highly recommend this place—whether you're a local or visiting, do yourself a favor and go!

⭐ Final Rating: 5/5 – An amazing Southern-inspired dining experience with delicious food, excellent service, and a...