El Colegio Bar is the bar in the Omni La Maison Hotel in San Antonio. We went there to catch the Monday Night Football game (Fly Eagles Fly) and get some drinks. We did t plan to stay for dinner, but ended up there with dinner, till closing. Though a very small dining menu , The appetizers and entrees were all good. The lava cake desert was great. But the highlight were the old fashioned drinks- among the best I have ever had. And I did have too many.We got the meat and cheese plate for a starter and picked several other items that e ended up filling us up.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Patti P
We sat in this bar looking at TV screens broadcasting professional corn hole tournaments (didn’t even know there was pro corn hole) wondering what we were doing inside watching such silliness when the Riverwalk was right outside and full of sights and sounds which offered fun! We downed our drinks, paid the bill and left for better entertainment! Which wouldn’t and didn’t take much.
Derek W.
Even though El Colegio pales in comparison to Four Brothers, it wasn't a bad choice when I was feeling hungry on a Friday night.El Colegio is a cocktail bar located inside the Omni La Mansion del Rio, the hotel I was staying at during my recent trip to San Antonio. However, they also offer eats, and they're pretty good. Maybe not as good as Four Brothers, but a solid choice when you want something less extravagant for a cheaper price point.First, I was kind of annoyed that the menu I saw on the Omni Hotels website wasn't the same as the menu I saw in person at the time of my visit. Like, for example, the hot chicken sandwich wasn't offered anymore. I know the weather was hot and all, but given the recent craze in Nashville Hot Chicken sandwiches, I would have been willing to give one a try, especially since San Antonio isn't that far from Nashville.They did, however, have a Smash Cheeseburger, but it was priced $2 higher than their website menu on my first visit. You could opt to have the impossible patties instead of the regular Double Angus patties, but that would be an additional $4 on today's menu; the website menu stated a $2 upcharge back then. Pretty disappointing that I came at the wrong time. Who knows? Maybe if I had gone the previous week, I could have spent the same amount for their Smash Cheeseburger with impossible patties as I did for the same burger, but without the upcharge.The bar wasn't nearly as full, especially for a Friday night; I suppose there were other bars on the Riverwalk that were much more conducive to a larger crowd.Anyways, I waited about 20 minutes for my cheeseburger, which wasn't too bad. It had a pretty bold taste, and I also liked the fries, which were seasoned with barbecue. A little too salty overall, but I'd give that visit 4 stars overall.However, the second visit was where I had to drop one star. I came in the following Thursday night to order a Brisket Quesadilla. Isabella, the bartender, told me it would take about 15 minutes to prepare my quesadilla. However, it actually took double that! I was so annoyed that I had to wait twice as long for the food, especially because I was getting really thirsty, and I wasn't in a good mood either. I could have asked for some water, but Isabella was way too busy serving the other customers.Also, they gave me a utensil pack to go with my quesadilla, but the utensil pack had a hole in it, so the salt & pepper came out prematurely. Really now? Quality control must have been lacking this time around.The Brisket Quesadilla was about as good as the Smash Cheeseburger. It came with a cup of sour cream and a larger cup of salsa, both of which were great supplements to the quesadilla, though the salsa could have been less watery and more flavorful.I don't know where the food was cooked, however, but I did notice an employee walking in from the main entrance with my brisket quesadilla in a takeout bag, and Isabella had to tell him that was for me. I would have guessed there was a kitchen directly behind the bar, but maybe not?Service wasn't bad, but it also paled in comparison to Four Brothers, which I thought was borderline over the top friendly.There are a handful of tables inside, and in the very back of the bar, there are a couple of TVs where you can watch some games while sipping on your drinks, which I can't comment on since I don't drink alcohol. However, the eats were good enough for me to recommend. I just wish they were more accurate on their waiting times or at least offer me some water while I wait. A couple minutes over isn't bad, but 15? I should at least have been notified; otherwise, I could have just chilled in my hotel room and waited for the phone call that my order was ready, something that Four Brothers actually had the courtesy to do.
Maestas F.
Best margaritas in the district by far!!! After walking the river walk, finally decided to yelp the best margaritas and was not disappointed! Definitely worth the short walk
Basil Sattler
Service is great! Bar tender Ross is funny and makes the best old fashioned!Only gave 3 stars because the heating seems to be dead and blowing cold air right on the bar. Burrrrr
Siyao G.
People here are SO nice! Classic cocktails and casual but sophisticated atmosphere makes this a amazing bar for both hotel stayers and locals alike. Also, AMAZING pastries!
Pakito Bentz-Gomez
What’s the point of having a Bar if you can’t get a cocktail drink at 11:30am… I found it really weird. I was only allowed to get beer - Disappointing. On top of that… place has no view, nothing modern. Feels like a Cigar lounge or a vintage style smoke room minus the excitement.
Z8912USamym
We tried twice to get a drink while we stayed at the hotel, and the service was comical. There were two people in the bar, and 3 employees. A waitress approached us and said, “if you want something, you’ll have to come over get it - I don’t have time to be walking over here and like talking to you and bringing stuff.” She made it very clear she was not planning to help us from behind the bar, either. We watched another customer bravely try to order a smoothie from someone else. When they were out of the fruit he wanted, he was told, “whatever, just get the other flavor - they’re all exactly the same, anyway.” He said, “I’m pretty sure that’s not true. Um, I hope not, anyway.” The staff all stood their ground, united in their disdain, and glared at us till we left.
Kevin Hebert
Argentina and Ross at the El Colegio bar in the La Mansion hotel make the best old fashions in San Antonio! They were also great fun participating in our off the wall conversations. Great place to hang out for good drinks and better people.
Fireplace cozy with a inviting atmosphere. Calm, cool and Zen like. Large screen Tv to watch the game or have a quite conversation….this is the place!
Amy Graff
Great bar with a menu. The wine prices were fair. We had the burger and fries. Both were excellent and very hot when delivered to our table. The service was just the right pace.
Depplep
I had read that they had the best margaritas on Trip Advisor and they did not disappoint. There is a menu to choose from but we had regular with Patron. I wish I had asked what mix they used because it tasted like no other I've ever had. Top quality ingredients and this funky grilled? dried? I don't even know what they did to the lime slice but the drink was well worth every dollar paid. Excellent service and atmosphere as well. If only I lived closer!
Calley R
Not a lot of options. The drinks that we ordered were pretty good but they were expensive. The bar tender was very nice.
Kristi Beler
Nice rooms, great location just off of the Riverwalk, friendly service and loved that we could use the fitness center of sister hotel across the street!
El Colegio Bar is the bar in the Omni La Maison Hotel in San Antonio. We went there to catch the Monday Night Football game (Fly Eagles Fly) and get some drinks. We did t plan to stay for dinner, but ended up there with dinner, till closing. Though a very small dining menu , The appetizers and entrees were all good. The lava cake desert was great. But the highlight were the old fashioned drinks- among the best I have ever had. And I did have too many.We got the meat and cheese plate for a starter and picked several other items that e ended up filling us up.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
We sat in this bar looking at TV screens broadcasting professional corn hole tournaments (didn’t even know there was pro corn hole) wondering what we were doing inside watching such silliness when the Riverwalk was right outside and full of sights and sounds which offered fun! We downed our drinks, paid the bill and left for better entertainment! Which wouldn’t and didn’t take much.
Even though El Colegio pales in comparison to Four Brothers, it wasn't a bad choice when I was feeling hungry on a Friday night.El Colegio is a cocktail bar located inside the Omni La Mansion del Rio, the hotel I was staying at during my recent trip to San Antonio. However, they also offer eats, and they're pretty good. Maybe not as good as Four Brothers, but a solid choice when you want something less extravagant for a cheaper price point.First, I was kind of annoyed that the menu I saw on the Omni Hotels website wasn't the same as the menu I saw in person at the time of my visit. Like, for example, the hot chicken sandwich wasn't offered anymore. I know the weather was hot and all, but given the recent craze in Nashville Hot Chicken sandwiches, I would have been willing to give one a try, especially since San Antonio isn't that far from Nashville.They did, however, have a Smash Cheeseburger, but it was priced $2 higher than their website menu on my first visit. You could opt to have the impossible patties instead of the regular Double Angus patties, but that would be an additional $4 on today's menu; the website menu stated a $2 upcharge back then. Pretty disappointing that I came at the wrong time. Who knows? Maybe if I had gone the previous week, I could have spent the same amount for their Smash Cheeseburger with impossible patties as I did for the same burger, but without the upcharge.The bar wasn't nearly as full, especially for a Friday night; I suppose there were other bars on the Riverwalk that were much more conducive to a larger crowd.Anyways, I waited about 20 minutes for my cheeseburger, which wasn't too bad. It had a pretty bold taste, and I also liked the fries, which were seasoned with barbecue. A little too salty overall, but I'd give that visit 4 stars overall.However, the second visit was where I had to drop one star. I came in the following Thursday night to order a Brisket Quesadilla. Isabella, the bartender, told me it would take about 15 minutes to prepare my quesadilla. However, it actually took double that! I was so annoyed that I had to wait twice as long for the food, especially because I was getting really thirsty, and I wasn't in a good mood either. I could have asked for some water, but Isabella was way too busy serving the other customers.Also, they gave me a utensil pack to go with my quesadilla, but the utensil pack had a hole in it, so the salt & pepper came out prematurely. Really now? Quality control must have been lacking this time around.The Brisket Quesadilla was about as good as the Smash Cheeseburger. It came with a cup of sour cream and a larger cup of salsa, both of which were great supplements to the quesadilla, though the salsa could have been less watery and more flavorful.I don't know where the food was cooked, however, but I did notice an employee walking in from the main entrance with my brisket quesadilla in a takeout bag, and Isabella had to tell him that was for me. I would have guessed there was a kitchen directly behind the bar, but maybe not?Service wasn't bad, but it also paled in comparison to Four Brothers, which I thought was borderline over the top friendly.There are a handful of tables inside, and in the very back of the bar, there are a couple of TVs where you can watch some games while sipping on your drinks, which I can't comment on since I don't drink alcohol. However, the eats were good enough for me to recommend. I just wish they were more accurate on their waiting times or at least offer me some water while I wait. A couple minutes over isn't bad, but 15? I should at least have been notified; otherwise, I could have just chilled in my hotel room and waited for the phone call that my order was ready, something that Four Brothers actually had the courtesy to do.
Best margaritas in the district by far!!! After walking the river walk, finally decided to yelp the best margaritas and was not disappointed! Definitely worth the short walk
Service is great! Bar tender Ross is funny and makes the best old fashioned!Only gave 3 stars because the heating seems to be dead and blowing cold air right on the bar. Burrrrr
People here are SO nice! Classic cocktails and casual but sophisticated atmosphere makes this a amazing bar for both hotel stayers and locals alike. Also, AMAZING pastries!
What’s the point of having a Bar if you can’t get a cocktail drink at 11:30am… I found it really weird. I was only allowed to get beer - Disappointing. On top of that… place has no view, nothing modern. Feels like a Cigar lounge or a vintage style smoke room minus the excitement.
We tried twice to get a drink while we stayed at the hotel, and the service was comical. There were two people in the bar, and 3 employees. A waitress approached us and said, “if you want something, you’ll have to come over get it - I don’t have time to be walking over here and like talking to you and bringing stuff.” She made it very clear she was not planning to help us from behind the bar, either. We watched another customer bravely try to order a smoothie from someone else. When they were out of the fruit he wanted, he was told, “whatever, just get the other flavor - they’re all exactly the same, anyway.” He said, “I’m pretty sure that’s not true. Um, I hope not, anyway.” The staff all stood their ground, united in their disdain, and glared at us till we left.
Argentina and Ross at the El Colegio bar in the La Mansion hotel make the best old fashions in San Antonio! They were also great fun participating in our off the wall conversations. Great place to hang out for good drinks and better people.
Bartender was great.
Restaurantji Recommends
Fireplace cozy with a inviting atmosphere. Calm, cool and Zen like. Large screen Tv to watch the game or have a quite conversation….this is the place!
Great bar with a menu. The wine prices were fair. We had the burger and fries. Both were excellent and very hot when delivered to our table. The service was just the right pace.
I had read that they had the best margaritas on Trip Advisor and they did not disappoint. There is a menu to choose from but we had regular with Patron. I wish I had asked what mix they used because it tasted like no other I've ever had. Top quality ingredients and this funky grilled? dried? I don't even know what they did to the lime slice but the drink was well worth every dollar paid. Excellent service and atmosphere as well. If only I lived closer!
Not a lot of options. The drinks that we ordered were pretty good but they were expensive. The bar tender was very nice.
Nice rooms, great location just off of the Riverwalk, friendly service and loved that we could use the fitness center of sister hotel across the street!