Bin 555

The crab croquettes were amazing. Light, and sooo delicious. My daughter had to stop me from licking the plate. Lunch service on a cold rainy day, nearly empty. Food cane out fast but the server was slooooow. When I
Go places as a single woman or woman with children I am tired of being treated like garbage because it is assumed I won’t tip well. However everything was delicious.

Hate to see a good friend go away, well not so much go away as change concept. Their announcement on FB today:
Official Announcement: If you haven’t heard the news yet, we will be entering a NEW chapter at BIN 555 and welcoming our NEW concept Umai Mi, a take on all things Asian. Umai Mi will officially take over BIN 555 in January 2014. Don’t fret BIN lovers, until then you can eat up ALL things BIN 555 with our BIN bye bye bye menu that will offer ALL of your favorite BIN menu items, new and old. Also, don’t forget we still have a few thanksgiving eve seats available, call today 210−496−0555, which will be OUR LAST BIN 555 seated dinner, so HURRY and call!

Love the sriracha and bacon Bloody Mary ! Ask if the drink can be doctored if your not a fan of spicy drinks!
Servers were very friendly for brunch!

Service was terrible. The server was overwhelmed with 50% of the restaurant full. Was told no when I asked for an order of brussel sprouts. Could have said they weren’t available, haven’t come in, or something other than just no. Ran out of burgers before 12:30. Another table next to us was told no about something as well that they wanted to order. Coffee was offered as they were clearing the table from our desserts. Everything was off and hoping this isn’t a habit starting to form.

Two part review: part 1
Waiting for wait staff to take our order. Went up to ask if we could have wait staff take our order sand got this response «We’re kind of busy it’s restaurant week». Restaurant is half empty!!!

What a waste of time, calories and money.
I was excited to visit Bin 555 for restaurant week but boy, was I disappointed. I’m afraid to narrate the experience because I know it will turn into an unbearable novel. I’ll outline the disaster:
1. Don’t bother making reservations. You will wait no matter what.
2. Phew, got a table, now let’s send smoke signals to the wait staff.
3. Wait, where’s the wait staff?
4. Like what you see on the menu? Good luck getting it on your plate.
5. Yay, watermelon gaspacho! But you can forget about getting a spoon to eat it.
6. Has anybody taken our drink order yet?
7. Lamest and smallest Caesar salad ever.
8. Ooops, they forgot to add the croutons.
9. That’s right, the spicy fries ended up being plain fries.
10. The ground brisket burger was decent, tho.
11. Wait twenty minutes for your check.
12. Wait ten minutes for your receipt.
13. Pay 20% gratuity for the non-​existent service.
It’s such a shame when bad service gets on the way of good food. I feel sorry for the guys at the kitchen because service at the front, or lack thereof, is ruining the experience.
After we waited for about twenty minutes for signs of life, someone in our group went to the front to ask for assistance. The person at the bar replied: «It’s restaurant week, Sir. We’re kind of busy.» The place was half empty.
If you are going to list your restaurant for restaurant week, be prepared. Make sure the waiters are familiar with the menu. Pay attention to detail. Don’t over promise. Make sure you are not under staffed. Don’t use the rush of restaurant week as an excuse for lame and slow service.

My parents and I came here for brunch and we left disappointed. My fathers comment was that the highlight of his meal was the ice water.
I was on guard when we walked in and the place was only a quarter full at 11:30. Any decent brunch place should be packed at that hour. When we mentioned that we had reservations, the server looked surprised, also not a good sign.
We ordered coffee. The cream was curdled. The coffee was weak, weak, weak.
Our food came out. My parents food came out cold. My mother had ordered the Chicken and Waffles which came with chicken wing for some reason rather than drumsticks or a breast, which you’d normally expect. I’d ordered the ‘breakfast pie’ which I’d expected to be an actual savory pie. Nope, it was a pizza. Might want to clarify that on the menu.
In short, it looks like they’re trying this out and doing it poorly. Definitely not recommended for brunch.

I am in a strange spot rating this place. When they are on. they are ON. Case in point: The creation of a fabulous rabbit Kiev with an Asian twist. The beautifully crispy fried pieces of rabbit, with an earthy butter on a light soy miso broth with honshimeji mushrooms and bok choy: I mean if you took the time to compose a bit you got the beautiful mild gaminess of the rabbit with a crisp outside with the richness playing off beautifully against the slightly salty vegetal broth and the mushrooms adding a satiny textural element in your mouth. The serrano wrapped dates with the sweet salty interplay, a decent pork belly and the Nutella tort… but then its countered with spotty service which at times can be almost offensive, bar people who ignore you while you are sitting at the bar with no-​one around and the unpredictable blue crab fritters and the disappointing 24 brisket or the time when you had a friend along who wanted the salmon cooked through and they give you a glare and overcook it. *sigh* What’s a person to do… but knock it down a bit for all that.
Oh and not to mention that you offer an oyster specially from 5 – 7 and are out of oysters at 6:00. Seriously!
I am somewhere at the 3.5 star line but since there is no half star system… its 3 stars. I absolutely still do take people there because of the locale and the fact that when the kitchen in on and the servers are wanting to treat you like a customer, this place is great!

Just got home from Happy Hour at Bin 555, and boy was I impressed. I have heard so many great things but this was my first time visiting. And after tonight, I know I will be back for a full dinner.
We started with a cheese plate. It was great. There were four cheeses that were featured with some almonds, strawberry jam, honey comb and some crisp/​crackery things. It was soooo good. I want to go back and try some other cheese plates as I hear that there are many options. We also tried the prosciutto wrapped dates and the brussels sprouts. The dates were very good, in fact one of my co-​workers described them as tasting like a crispy pancake. Very sweet but that prosciutto really gave it a good meat flavor. The brussel sprouts were amazing as well. I think I am really becoming as a brussels spouts fan as I feel a lot of resteraunts in San Antonio are starting to do them well, and Bin 555 is at the top of this list. I cannot wait to try the full dinner menu and really explore more items!

Came with a girlfriend to enjoy a light dinner. I loved the ambiance of The Alley on Bitters and was impressed with the feel and décor at Bin 555. However, the service was sub-​par at best. The host was inattentive, even though there were several open tables and many guests waiting to be seated. Furthermore, our server was hasty and disingenuous. We shared the Brussels sprouts and Heirloom Tomato pizza, both of which were very tasty!
I will definitely come back for a second try especially since the rest of the Alley on Bitters seems amazing, but for now, Bin 555 is not a favorite.

We had the crab croquettes, dates, and naan to start. My world traveling, fine dining friend said, «There are the best croquettes I’ve ever had.» The chef comp’ed us another serving of croquettes – maybe he overheard her comment!
The menu is small and wonderful, I love that they really focus on making each meal well balanced and rich. I had the duck confit with preserved lemon, capers and israeli couscous. It was amazing. My daughter loved the little grilled cheese sandwiches with a bowl of gazpacho. The salmon with gnocci was also very nice and the other kids in our party loved the pizza.
Nice atmosphere, decent service. All in all a very enjoyable experience.

Let me start by saying I REALLY want to like this place. I am a huge fan of Jason Dady’s style and his other restaurants are top notch. I just can’t figure out why Bin555 is such a disappointment every time I come here.
My husband and I came here for a date night. We have 2 children under 4, so its nice to have an adult evening to ourselves every once in a while. This last date night we decided on Bin 555. We arrived at 8pm. The place was dead, with tons of open tables. We were promptly greeted by the hostess who told us we could have a seat in the entry area or at the bar due to the 15 minute wait. We were a bit confused by this, but decided to have a drink at the bar while we waited for one of the 15 open tables to become available. We each waited about 10 minutes at the bar for a bartender to recognize that we were ready to place an order. The first drink I wanted (a Pimm’s Cup) he said he could «look up» how to make it, so I opted for an overpriced glass of red wine. My husband ordered a vodka with olives. After another 20 minutes we were closed out and shown to our dining table.
We had already decided on what we would order as we had looked over the menu during our time at the bar. We decided to order appetizers as everything on the dinner menu is pretty heavy. We were ready to order the french fries (with garlic aioli), a charcuterie plate, fried brussels sprouts, and flat bread. We waited 20 minutes before a waitress came to greet us and take our initial drink order. We immediately asked to place our entire order as we had already been at the restaurant closing in on a hour with very little staff interaction. (Another couple had arrived at the same time we had and was finishing their meal before our drink order was even placed). Our waitress honestly seemed stoned (in her defense it was ⁴⁄₂₀)???
To make a long story short here, the food was at best ok. The charcuterie was only cheese and some honeycomb served with flatbread coated in more honey. (I am not a fan of honey with my cheese so this was not very appetizing). The brussels sprouts and fries were wonderful, but a bit overpriced considering they were brussels sprouts and french fries. The flatbread was again nothing to write home about. It took us 2 hours to have a drink and enjoy some appetizers. I now understand why this place was so dead on a friday night!

I love this place! Chef Dady is my favorite chef in the city and this is my favorite of his restaurants (since my beloved The Lodge closed at the end of 2011). The ambience is fun, whether you sit inside at the bar, in the main dining room our outside on their fabulous deck. Every time I eat here, I have to order the grilled cheese – divine!!! The serrano wraped dates and blue crab croquettes are absolutely delicious as well! I also enjoy the brussels sprouts.
Hubby recently had one of their Damn FIne Old Fashioned and it has created a thirst for Old Fashioneds every weekend because it was than damn fine!
On our most recent visit, hubby had the Lamb & Pumpkin Bolognese w/​gnocchi and I had the Pumpkin Pie Pizza. Both were so good that we’ve been wanting to go back to re-​order those items. Alas, we should try something different but that may not happen.

I have been here in the past with mixed opinions. My problem was that I ordered the wrong things on the menu.
This time I didn’t make the same mistake. Ordered a bottle of the Copolla Pinot, with the lamb gnocchi and lamb sausage pizza as entrees with a side of Brussels sprouts. The food was exceptionally good, apparently homeboy Bin 555 knows what’s up in the lamb department. The Brussels sprouts were similarly remarkable, perfectly cooked, crispy and oily goodness.
The service was meh, and that is why it is not 5 stars right now. The waiter was awkward and just not very accommodating. The good food and proximity to the house will bring me back here though.

Fantastic hidden gem in what used to be Artisan Alley — I think they call it The Alley, now.
Regardless, it is a fantastic little spot! The hubby and I tried it for our anniversary. Instead of going the way of a «normal» meal, we did our little trick of appetizers.
Food —
Grilled goat cheese with preserves! Wow. I wanted more. In fact, I’ve already tried it at home. Thank you for inspiring me!
Sea Salt Frites — We chose the spicy version. INCREDIBLE. I have never been to a nicer restaurant and actually liked their version of fries. Usually, they seem so out place, but HERE: NO way. They had the perfect crunch. The perfect spices. The perfect aioli. I had visions of my trip to Europe while I ate these!
Serrano Dates — Perfect selection to go with the Riesling we had selected (from their actual 555 bin, no less).
Artisanal Charcuterie and Cheese — Get it. Wonderful combinations of textures, taste, and richness. SUPERB.
Drinks —
The wine list is vast. We were very happy with the Riesling we selected.
We also tried the Sangria. Good, but all in all, probably my least favorite thing.
The Da*n Fine Old Fashioned was exactly that! I was sneaking sips of my hubby’s!
Service — The service was thorough and unrushed. The waiter offered insight to the menu and drinks without being overbearing or condescending. Fred, you were a great waiter!
All in all — Can’t wait to go back!

The restaurant info says Spanish food… But I don’t think it is… They did have Gipsy kings playing in the background that set the mood for the almost rustic looking décor.
I was expecting the place to be packed and full of people based on the reviews even if it was only Monday. :) good for me… I hate waiting around for a table or long wait service. Everything on menu looks good! Makes me want to come back again to try other dishes. I started off with vodka with muddled raspberries cause they didn’t have flavored vodka I wanted and it was cute the server made that for me.
The blue crab croquettes with lemon aioli sauce– very good you may get some pow of saltiness on some bites maybe from the crab.
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with goat cheese and daily jam– not gonna lie this was bomb! Made me feel like I was eating healthy lol
If you have been following me with my reviews it is no surprise I ordered my favorite animal to eat…
Wood Oven Roasted Duck Confit — must try dish, I loved the crispy ‘part of the duck, the meat inside was tender, and cooked perfectly.
Then finished evening with…
Nutella Torte with Raspberry– chocolate goodness
I would recommend this place for people who appreciate artistic small plated foods and wine lovers. If you’re looking for jumbo meals, kegs of beer, and picnic style seating then this is not for you… Just saying bro.

I went here with high hopes and was rewarded with what amounted to, at best, a three star meal.
Overall, here were the high points of the place during our visit:
(1) Ambiance — we sat outside under the live oaks and it was very, very pleasant. The restaurant is secluded and the entire complex there is quaint, clean, and unique. Me likey…
(2) Brussels Sprout — my wife didn’t like that they were mostly charred but this is frankly the way I like my Brussels Sprout and Bin 555 knocked it out of the park. Very well done dish…
Sadly, there were quite a number of items wrong when we ate dinner there:
(1) Way Too Salty — everything was just over salted (with the notable exception of the Brussels Sprout), especially the pizza.
(2) Hardly Saw the Server — we sat outside and I think we saw our server twice — must have been on his way to and from his hourly smoke break. All in all, you just don’t get the customer oriented vibe here…
(3) Way Too Pricey — seriously, I dropped $ 60 for the tiny (over salted) pizza, the three sides, and the one entrée?! For the record, my wife thinks it was fairly priced and so maybe I am just revealing my underlying cheapness here…
(4) The Yukon Gold Potato — this was just basically a Yukon gold potato you can get at H-​E-​B, sliced in half, and then baked. They say it is soaked in duck fat but that must have been the skinniest duck ever because it tasted just like a dried potato to me. Not *bad* by any means but just sort of plain…
At the end of the day, Bin 555 was uninspiring and not worth the cost, in my opinion. I think it sort of wants to be a quasi Spanish-​based version of The Monterey (I know it has been around a lot longer than The Monterey, I am just referring to the eclectic menu and the general shout-​out to a specific food type as a base) and I think it could easily be that if the salt shaker malfunctioned.

I really wish that I could give this place 3.5 stars. I originally ventured to Bin 555 for Restaurant Week 2011 and was overall pretty happy with my experience, save the GM that was far too interested in flirting it up with a group of female patrons to even bother seeing if I needed anything. I had some sort of curry soup, the korean short rib BBQ tacos, and the most devine pound cake with lemon chantille cream I have ever tasted. I have dreams about this pound cake. Heavenly. The BBQ tacos were also a hit.
I decided to go back for a light dinner with a few other people and although we didn’t understand the menu at the time of the reservation apparently for dinner things are served tapas style. The crab cakes were a big hit, albeit slightly over salted. The BBQ tacos that I had been raving about were dry and the torilla was cold, and when I told the waiter he didn’t seem to care all that much. The pork belly spring rolls were an epic fail in my book, although others didn’t think they were that bad. The scallop had nice flavor and was presented very nicely but unless someone does something unheard of when it comes to cooking them I usually don’t sing their praises for that alone. The DUK steamed buns were different and really quite good, almost like Dim Sum. To top off all the hits and misses, the same GM made his way to every table in the dining room (3 not including ours) EXCEPT for ours.
All in all the dining experience was just okay. The consistency of the food and the lack of concern for a poor product without trying to make things right also don’t sit right with me. There are pros and cons to this place and inevitably I will go back because some of the things that I’ve sampled there merit it but I do hope that they work on a few things… mainly the GM.

I came here for lunch a couple of months ago with a gift card that was given to me at a BMPR event. Bin 555 is a really nice looking place, compared to the usual places I frequent for lunch. I ordered the Three-​Course meal it came with a caesar salad, Hummus, and wood baked shrimp for $ 14. I liked the shrimp, it was the first time I had eaten shrimp preparred this way. It was also the first time I had tried hummus. I thought the hummus was good, but I don’t see what all the hype is. I mean you say hummus around some people, and their eyes get all big like a kid about to receive one of those king size lollipops.
I thought the lunch menu was kinda simple, but above my price range: Pizza for $ 13 Roasted Chicken Caesar Sandwich for $ 9 and a Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Soup for $ 10. Although this lunch was free; I don’t see myself paying $ 10 for a grilled cheese sandwich. Not even if it was made with that blaak cheese the Beekmen Boys make. Overall I just wasn’t impressed with Bin 555, or maybe its just not my cup of tea. It takes more than a nice place, and hype to make me like enough to return to a restaurant. I give Bin 555 two stars.

The idea behind this place is sound. Offer a ton of different wines, and tapas. The execution leaves some to be desired.
First of all, I suspect that using the word, «Tapas» is just an excuse to give out tiny portions.
Next, their wines can all be found at a fraction of the price at HEB. They could stand to get some rarer, hard to find wines.
Also, this place has fruit flies, or gnats, or some little airborne bug. I was sipping my chardonnay leisurely, and by the end of the glass, I found a few guys swimming around in there. I called the waiter to inspect this, he apologized, and brought me a fresh glass, which was nice. However, by the end of that glass, I had more flies in my wine. I couldn’t win.
The «tapas» were small, but flavorful. I ordered an asparagus and hollandaise sauce, which was tasty.
Overall, I wasn’t impressed.