Phoenix Saloon

This doesn’t even deserve the one star I have to give it.
It’s a Tuesday night & my best friend and I decided to do something different and try the Phoenix Saloon. According to Unilocal,it was a good place to try. Well that was so so so wrong. As someone who has spent a few years in the food industry I am ABSOLUTELY appalled by the lack of customer service we received. There were maybe a whole 6 people sitting at the bar, and we chose a table. Not one employee welcomed us in, said a single word, or even acknowledged that we were sitting there for at least 15 minutes. We were finally so angry (and super hungry) that we marched on out. So I really hope this review gets some attention and that the employees of the Phoenix Saloon have some sort of scolding on their lack customer service skills. It was no where near busy enough for us to have been ignored to the point of leaving.

I love their chili and cornbread and the burgers are great too. I bring friends and family here to drink the beer on draft and try the fabulous food in a unique atmosphere.

Awesome. Cool atmosphere, friendly bartenders, and a healthy selection of local/​TX craft beer on tap! I had the white shirt chili burger and it was delicious. We went during the day on a weekday, and they were pretty busy. I bet this place is hoppin’ on a Friday night!

Most amazing chili and burgers! Love the staff!!! No fast food frozen stuff here like most places ! Pure quality! Worth the wait! Amazing music selection. So unique!!! Love Gruebe hall but this is my new favorite music venue !!!

This place was a real treat for the history, ambiance and tasty food. I had the bacon and blue burger and the xx chili. Loved the chunks of sirloin in the chili, which is heavy on the famous Phoenix chili powder. We got a side of the ring of fire and used for an xtra kick. The only thing is one waiter worked the bar and the whole place – 5 tables and 10 individuals at the bar. Not sure how he is managing but he is! A bit slow but great food and music and you can have a beer or cream soda and enjoy life while you wait.

I always get the Ring of Fire because I like the heat. Never disappointed! Also the blue cheese vinaigrette on the house salad is the way to go. Mario is always very friendly and a great bartender.

Came for the chili and history.
They have 4 heat level chilis. They all start from the same base chili and then peppers are added ranging from jalepenos to ghost chilis. I stopped at habanero. Not blazing but good heat.
The toppings are pricy at $ 0.75 each for small amounts of onion, cheese, sour cream, etc. it adds up quickly.
The chili flavor is tasty. Large chunks or as they say hunks of browned sirloin (seemed like chuck) are widely dispersed in a thickened chili sauce. I prefer 80% meat with just enough reduced chili stock, theirs is more like 50:50.
Moved on to the blue burger. Menu says stuffed with blue cheese but it is actually mixed in the meat. It was well prepared and tasty.
The atmosphere is super chill and the Night Owls were on stage tonight, I’m impressed! Service is mostly order at the bar.
I’m pretty much a chili snob, I only like my own creation but theirs is pretty good if someone else is making it for you.

Love this place! Day or evening the bartenders are great, food is beyond delicious and their beer selection is dope AF. I recommend the thirsty goat for a beer and their chili cheese fries for food. But whatever you order you will not be disappointed.

This is our go to place in downtown New Braunfels. The inviting atmosphere sets the tone for the day or night. The eclectic music and the friendly knowledgable bartenders help make this a great place to meet up with friends for happy hour or hang out on a weekend night. We love to sit out front along San Antonio Street and talk with the local folks walking by.
If you want a unique local NB experience this this the saloon to visit. Prost!
P. S. Be sure to read about the history of the The Phoenix Saloon on the historical marker right outside the front door.

I tried this place after seeing on a TV show about how great their chili is. I was not impressed with the chili or my burger. The burger is one of those preformed processed hamburgers and they ALWAYS have a funky flavor. This burger was no exception. I don’t think I will ever go back. Disappointed.

Such a neat find… we had chili, fries, & a hot dog at our table. All was fantastic! Let it be known you will not have a waiter/waitress…all food is ordered directly from the bar. It is first come first serve so keep that in mind if they are busy. Will return for sure.

So I have never given three stars before, and as much as I tried to like it, I couldn’t. The cornbread was dry, the chili meat was tough&lukewarm and the salad looked a little old. The Rootbeer was good and so was the atmosphere. I would come back for a beer, but that’s about it.

Finally tried these digs on the advice of a friend. Was a little disappointed. Granted, it was a Sunday afternoon, but there were countless children shrieking and whizzing about with wreckless abandon like free radicals in a science experiment. Distracting — parents and manager all absent. But after a few close calls, we carefully navigated ourselves to a safe table, as there was no door host present and then after a couple minutes, sneeked over to the bar after no wait staff emerged. No problem, but it was almost a combat situation.
Had the Bleu burger and the Frito Pie. Both fell a little short. Burger meat was overdone and the bun was cold and doughy. And C’mon, a few measly small morsels of spiced sirloin on my chips was an insult to the old «Frito Bandito» within me.
But the beer was frosty and the environs were cool, although this joint needs a little more taxidermy or some type of additional nostalgia on the walls. The impressive but lonely buffalo head needs some company.
Concluding, a place of this historical proportion can do better. And I’d say, with a little fine tuning, ya just might look up one day and see Anthony Bourdain, Alton Brown and Guy Fieri all sitting at the same table next to you. Here’s hoping…
Scott H.

The perfect bar…
Whether you rode up on a Harley looking for a shot of whiskey or you hipster wanting a craft beer or if your on a date and want a fun atmosphere where you can still hear each other talk Phoenix has it all and good food too I like to get my beer and food and go down to the basement bar most people don’t even know is there but it’s a cool place to hangout over all the best bar downtown.

This place is great, come for the chili stay for the live music and karaōke every Thursday.

Admittedly this is a place I visit 1 – 3 times a week EVERY week. I had the Frito Pie for lunch today. It was served with the Mild Chili. It’s good and I’ll have it again but it’s heartburn for me afterward. I go here mainly for drinking (a ton of selection on tap) and fraternizing with all the local downtown NB peeps. Thursday’s karaōke is always a blast! Mario the GM is the man to see. Always has a smile and excellent customer service.

We brought our family of 6 tonight. The food was AMAZING and the service was great. The only reason we didn’t give 5 stars was because they didn’t have a kids menu and you have to order your food at the bar, which is hard for a family of 6!
Burgers were perfectly cooked and the chili is the best I’ve had! The local beer selection was nice too!

Always a good place to sit and enjoy a cold beer. Did not eat here this time, but never disappointed in the past with the food.

Enjoyed a down time moment here. Enjoyed the Blue Burger and an Iced Tea — Great and courteous service /​tasty food /​and a nice chat with a few locals. Great to see that downtown New Braunfels is thriving. Cheers***

I had the double shot white — shirt chili burger and I have to say that it’s the best burger I’ve had in a long time! For those who love spicy food, this is the place to go. The saloon gives your three options of hotness: single shot, double shot and ring of fire. I love spicy food and the double shot kept my mouth on fire! Good luck with the ring of fire for those who choose to do it. I also had a Shiner and a Blue Moon which in total cost me around $ 20. The staff was attentive and friendly. It was worth going here.