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Zuni Grill

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Jeffrey
Jeffrey
First Reviewer
3 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
3
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Editor Pick

The Zuni Grill

  • August 17, 2006
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Idler from Poolesville, Maryland
The Zuni Grill

In a city renowned for its Mexican restaurants, the Zuni Grill wisely avoids head-to-head competition by focusing on Southwestern cuisine, with a menu that looks westward rather than southward.

Without setting out to do so, I ate breakfast at Zuni on three separate occasions. And while I can’t speak with any authority about lunch or dinner, I can testify that breakfast is a very popular meal here. Part of the appeal is the location – right along one of the busiest stretches of the Riverwalk, in a picturesque spot near a lovely stone bridge, where putdoor tables are set up in the shade. Crested herons perch in nearby cypresses, and interesting snatches of narrative from tour boat guides echo across the river. In fact, I’d say it was this appealing outdoor scene that brought me back a second time. I’m a creature of habit when it comes to breakfast; once I find a comfortable spot, I feel no compulsion to look further.

Zuni has a number of signature breakfast dishes, such as Chilaquiles (pronounced ‘chile killies’), which I ordered the first time I ate at Zuni. This is also known as Scrambled Eggs San Antonio style, with strips of corn tostadas cooked with the eggs, then topped with Monterey Jack cheese and salsa verde. The texture of the corn tostadas, softened by cooking them with the eggs, was intriguing, and the generous portion was accompanied by skillet fries and a cup of diced fresh fruit.


While I was tempted by the breakfast tacos on my second breakfast, as I’d heard they were very good, I caved in instantly once I saw the weekend buffet breakfast (served from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) There’s always a danger of becoming satiated to the point of stupor at these types of spreads, but Zuni reduced the odds by including generous amounts of fruit and other light fare, balancing out the sausages, waffles, and other indulgences. One thing that struck me as slightly odd, though, was that juice was not part of the buffet and needed to be ordered separately.

I’d planned to branch out for my final breakfast in San Antonio, honestly I did, but when a friend who lives in town suggested we meet for breakfast, she said she knew "just the place" to go.

"Where might that be?"

"The Zuni Grill."

Who was I to argue with a locals choice? After all, I hadn’t yet had the breakfast tacos. As it turns out, I still haven’t had them, as I was instantly overtaken with an intense desire for "applewood smoked salmon on a cream cheese bagel with capers and lemon" once I spotted it on the menu at my third and final breakfast at Zuni. I enjoyed every savory bite as we sat chatting and watching the river boats drift lazily by.

Guess I’ll just have to return to Zuni for those breakfast tacos the next time I’m in town.

From journal San Antonio Traditions

Editor Pick

Zuni Grill

  • February 18, 2001
  • Rated 2 of 5 by Mary Louisa from Wilmington, Delaware
Zuni Grill

The Zuni Grill is part of a restaurant group including Paesanos and Rio Rio on San Antonio's Riverwalk. If you like corporate atmosphere (it sells and displays its own tee-shirts, salsa, baseball caps, etc.), you'll probably be satisfied with this place. Its Riverwalk location gives you a nice chance to people watch, and even within the multi-tiered interior, you can get a good view of everyone and everything going on.

Most of us got the $5.95 Caesar salad, which was mighty plain--not much dressing on giant Romaine leaves, topped with small, hard croutons. The vegetarian entree, "The Gardener and Gatherer," was some grilled and roasted veggies along with a ubiquitous San Antonio side, garlic mashed potatoes. The plate was uninspired looking, decent tasting, and the only choice for a non-meat-eater.

The desserts were inconsistent. I ordered the special dessert of the night, pecan turtle cheesecake, which turned out to be of the frozen/thawed variety, with a slick layer of chocolate and miniscule crumbled nuts on the top. It was nothing special, and a mighty small slice for $4.95. The triple chocolate terrine, however, was large in scale, with three layers of dark, medium, and white chocolate mouse. A filling end, said my companions. Another special, mango sorbet, was beautiful and flavorful.

From journal San Antonio in Brief

Editor Pick

Zuni Grill

  • January 26, 2001
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Jeffrey from Plano, Texas
Zuni Grill

The Zuni Grill was great fun. It is a very cool contemporary southwest (not Tex-Mex or Mexican) restaurant. It has an entrance and patio that is right on the Riverwalk, and a street entrance to the upper-level.

I really like the colorful cool decor and art they use. The architecture and layout are neat too.

As with the decor, the menu is contemporary southwest cuisine. The Zuni Grill serves a small breakfast menu and buffet ($5-$8) that is very hearty and good. Lunch and Dinner Appetizers ($4-$10) included soups, nachos, salads, and seafood dishes. Lunch Entrees ($7-$9) included sandwiches, pizzas, and quesadillas. Dinner Entrees ($14-$25) were a wide mix of beef, veal, seafood, and pasta dishes.

I have visited the Zuni Grill numerous times for breakfast, dinner, or just drinks, and the service and food are consistently good. You are always given fresh chips and salsa after you are seated. Order some of their guacamole to make them even better, and try one of the specialty margaritas...they are great.

I also like their Corn Chowder soup, whose presentation (see picture) and flavor were terrific. My dinner entree was an "Angus Rib-eye" steak with a southwest twist, served with grilled potato-onion quesadillas, blue cheese cole slaw, and steak sauce. I didn't care for the unusual cole slaw, but enjoyed my meal overall.

For me, the draw is the neat southwestern colors and art. The setting of Zuni Grill on the Riverwalk is very nice.

From journal San Antonio

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