We are visiting San Antonio for a third time in 5 years being in Texas. Never been to Rosario’s until today and the visit was based on a recommendation and looking at the reviews.

I cannot help but compare the place to the other regular eateries 250 miles north of here where we go more regularly; chain corporation brands and family run businesses.

I’ll keep this objective and start at the beginning and run thru it to call out positives as well as the improvement opportunities:

• It’s a popular place, so do plan ahead

• They have a good system for wait list management. You check in on arrival with the host and they send a text to confirm, and another text when your table is ready. It works very well.

• The bar/waiting area could be very busy like it was when we arrived. There was space at part of the bar to stand, and there was a sign saying no bar staff serve there. I thought, no problem, I’ll go to the other side and bring my party of 3 drinks over. But a waitress said we cannot wait there, which was not what the sign said but hey-ho whatever.

• Drinks we’re good. Soda very low fill on the glass (12oz maybe in a 16oz glass… how expensive is Diet Pepsi syrup really?) They did refill later without charge. -An hour almost waiting. Not a complaint. They were busy. Well managed waiting list process.

• We we’re seated in the “back” area which is a bit of a plain overflow room.

• we were given one menu for three of us. There was a QR code but that opened a web page an it is not very clear where to go after that (north/south restaurant?)

• Asked for help what menu we should look at. They brought us extra paper menus. Unfortunately mine had pieces of food stuck on it. Not great!

• We ordered and waited. Salsa very nice although it was served in a plastic pourer that had a white line on the inside - either a crack (unhygienic) or some deposit on the inside?

• Tortilla chips served in a small bowl for 3 of us but was replenished when asked. Queso very tasty. My second or third favorite queso in the US!

• Opened my silverware napkin to find it had paper stuck to it. None of the silverware looked really clean but I think that’s “Hard Water” causing that. Requested exchange which I received after a bit of a wait.

-enjoyed my Chicken/Polo a la Maria up to a point. The sauce (pumpkin seed pesto I think, was fantastic) but then I poured remaining queso on my chicken and continued to enjoy it until I found I was struggling to eat something and it was a reasonably large piece of clear plastic. About 2 inches long, between 1/4 and 1/2 inch wide. I left the remaining third to half of chicken and queso.

We decided to call it a night and not consider dessert after all.

• Pico de gallo was fresh and tasted great

• When the check was presented they had not removed anything at all, not even the tortilla chips or queso with plastic ingredient (normally chips themselves are free at other restaurants we dine at north of San Antonio near home, but they were good and the menu did show a cost when we ordered them)

I actually feel pretty bad for not leaving any tip/gratuity. It’s not something I’ve done for the over 6 years we’ve been in the US. I did tip at the bar for drinks we had waiting , but honestly, it was a poor experience at the dining table and not like the many good reviews we saw that lead to us visiting here tonight.

Do give the place a try. Everything says they are usually good. Maybe tonight was an exception.

Pictures attached of the good food. Including the free food stuck to the menu! I did not take a pic of the plastic. The server said it was probably from the queso, as that is supplied in bags. Really should not be served to customers!!

Edit: My mother in law did add that the female restrooms were not clean. We did not visit the mens’ restroom so can’t comment what they were like.