Francis Bogside

This is a great place to grab a snack and just about any specialty drink you can think of. They could use more bourbon. Excellent bartenders and the chefs know what they’re doing in the kitchen, for sure! Even the door guy is very friendly! We had some home fried chips with curry powder last time we were there. Try dipping them in the delicious garlic aioli! Yummy
I’m GF and I miss beer so I was looking for a refreshing beer-​like something. Our bartender said he wasn’t really sure what they have that actually is, even just guessing about the cider. Not all are GF, by the way, because of cross contamination. I just looked it up myself. They weren’t busy so he could be a bit more helpful. Originals was the way to go. Although there is a pretty awesome bartender (but they’re all super nice and this place has excellent service!), I wish I’d caught her name because drink after drink, she was nailing it!
You can tell everybody that works there gets along really well. Fun banter between them started some lively conversations!
Oh they have Galaga AND Mario Brothers! Saweet! And we dig the music. Really a great place to frequent!

I really like this place. I don’t have anything bad to say. I have been several times, my first day being St. Patrick’s day. The waiter was great, and there food and full bar meets expectations. Also, they have a good lunch menu during the week.

Looking for a local place for drinks on a Wednesday night, so awesome for Francis Bogside to be open!

Bogside burger served with beer battered fries (9) — This burger is so delicious, it has a nice spongy bun and the beef patty had a circumference larger than the bun so it stuck out a bit (no complaints here). It also comes with bacon and cheese and thick pieces of pickles (3). I would recommend this if you’re not sure about anything else. You cannot go wrong.
The green curry (comes with shredded chicken) was SPICY but the flavor is so good! I only had a few bites because I couldn’t handle the kick, but my friend said it was amazing.
Crawfish E-​something (12) — highly recommended by my friend. It is spicy tho. Do note, add the sauce to the rice. You can always add sauce, but can’t take away overly sauced food :)
Perfect place to grab a beer and watch the game on the projector screen. It can get pretty loud in here and make it difficult to hear the game :(There are even arcade games that you can play for free!

CHEAT SHEET for the now technically expired late night menu (RIP): *All cocktails are $ 5*
–Bramble
–Bees knees
–French 75
–Fitzgerald
–Gimlet
^^These are the ones that I can remember, most of them are Gin drinks since that’s what I usually ordered.
A few months ago I would have given this place 5 stars, but the only thing that changed recently is that they ended the «late night menu,» which hosted a variety of great cocktails for only $ 5. Now I know there are several pubs in the city that serve $ 5 cocktails, but these were well made drinks with pretty high quality liquor, plus great atmosphere that is classy but moderately casual. The late night menu, their own version of reverse happy hour, was my favorite thing about this place, and the biggest reason it drew me back over and over again. Unfortunately, this past weekend we discovered that this phenomenal deal is no more, which was pretty disappointing. BUT, since the bartenders/​servers/​owners of this establishment take customer service to heart, they have decided to honor the late night menu deal for the next 3 months for those loyal customers that remember the drinks off the menu. Above, I have listed all the ones that I can recall, so hopefully that will save others some bucks! Oh, and they also offered us free shots because the service was kind of slow on a busy night… another example of great service, which isn’t all that common at packed bars!
P. S. They do have food that is served from the Brigid kitchen next door. The restaurant itself is pretty solid, so I imagine the food they serve at the bar would also be great! Definitely would like to come back and give it a try.

***Review only for Drinks
My friends and I have been here for mainly the Late Night Menu which is a long list of drinks of all kind that are $ 5 — such a rare find for drinks to be that price at night! That menu and the bar atmosphere is why I’m giving this place 5 stars.
Unfortunately, when we went a couple days ago, the waiter mentioned to us that they were getting rid of that menu and coming up with a new menu (which I wasn’t sure will be a late night menu of $ 5 anymore). They, however, were going to honor the $ 5 menu if we could remember the names of the drinks (which turned into a very funny guessing game) and after a while they just showed us the previous menu — which was very nice of them! I’m so sad to hear that the late night menu might be disappearing. I wish they would keep it around! It was such a good idea.
Also 5 stars for the extremely friendly and accommodating service! Our waiter thought he was rather slow in getting back to us and gave us complementary shots on the house! Very nice of them!
Regardless, I’ll still be back for the good drinks and to try their food menu!

A short cab ride from the Riverwalk, this gastropub is a favorite with locals and makes tourists feel welcomed too. Casual setting with small but tasty menu. Be sure to check the «daily» specials.
Friendly service and bartenders too. How friendly? My dinner companion saw the steak nachos on the «daily specials» board and asked for the nachos but «hold the steak». The kitchen prepared an amazing veggie nacho plate that was as tasty as it was beautiful in appearance. Highly recommended.

Nice bar, food was good (chicken and waffles). Service was below average which made the whole experience disappointing. Bar was not crowded and we sat at the bar. We were pretty much ignored, sitting there with empty glasses. Ordered more food which was never put in the system. After 30 minutes had to ask about the food we ordered. No apologies or anything to rectify their mistake. We are only in San Antonio visiting and won’t go back there. Luckily we have a lot more choices.

yummy! i’ve gone to this place twice in one week. the first time i ordered the hamburger special that came with brie cheese on the burger and fries with a drink. it was a great price too! the burger had a great taste and it’s a good size. the fries are wedge style. the second time i picked up a salad that they have in the cooler. it’s a good size. they have a good variety of salads and dressings too. the staff was super friendly each time. will be back.

I’ve been twice because food and service are outstanding. My first visit would have been not so great, I ordered the steak sandwich, which took about 35 minutes to arrive. I’m not one to complain, but the server comped my meal because it took longer than my friends! I was so shocked, very nice of her. It was worth the wait, everything was cooked perfectly. The Mac and cheese. To die for. I’m a customer for life.

Everything Ranges on a scale of 1 – 5!
Price:3
Atmosphere:5
Staff:4
Happy Hour: 3
(Monday All Day Tues-​Fri 4 – 7 get $ 6 Irish Old Fashion, Ivy Gimlet, or Pimm’s Cup and $ 1 off all wells and drafts)
Food: Yes
Review: Don’t get me wrong. Francis Bogside is a great bar. The bartenders here are nice, and they serve some damn good cocktails. Though they have a Happy Hour, prices are still kind of high. They have cocktails ranging from $ 8-​$ 12. Which is standard for Cocktail Bars, especially in this part of the City. The atmosphere is very chill, reminiscent of an Old Fancy Pub.
I’ve come here on two separate occasions, once the place was packed on a Tuesday. PACKED. On a TUESDAY?!? It wasn’t the bars fault, some office or something decided to make that their place to inhabit for the night and unwind, for some strange reason. The crowd was loud, and drunk. The bartenders seemed mildly annoyed, but there wasn’t really anything that they could do about it, except be friendly to all those that were int he bar and offer great service to everyone, which they did. It was just weird for a Tuesday. On this occasion was when I ordered some of their food, they have AMAZING poutine fries. I’ve heard a lot of the other things on their menu are also hits, but this was the only thing I got that night. Besides the Crowd, the way the Bartenders interacted with one of the bar backs was very strange… at first it seemed like they were joking and picking on the bar back in a friendly way… then the bar back got mad and retaliated, which was when one of the managers/​bartenders, put the bar back in his place. It was also very awkward to watch… while the manager tried to keep voice levels down, (and the large crowd there that night did assist in that), this interaction occurred right in front of me at the bar… The drink was good though, the food was good, other than that interaction the servers were nice to me, so I couldn’t complain. A place I would for sure come back to.
Which I did. The next time I went into the quaint Irish Pub was about a month and a half after the first experience. It was a Monday, I was in the area, and I knew from my last visit that they had Happy Hour all day! So i stopped in.
This time I was pleased to find that there was not a large office party occurring in the bar, though it was kinda of busy, it seemed to be mostly couples and small groups of friends that kept to themselves. I took a seat at the end of the bar, ordered an Irish Old Fashion, and for the most part kept to myself. I looked around, seeing if I could find the bar back from the previous visit, I didn’t see him. Which could mean that he wasn’t scheduled, or that he for some reason or another was no longer working at the establishment. The bartender was very nice. The Old Fashion with an Irish Twist, was good. I’ve had better, but i’m not the biggest fan or Irish Whiskey (I prefer Bourbon) so maybe that was why. The drink, I have to mention, came with the Maraschino Cherry, and instead of having it served on a Skewer, typical of Bars, it was served on a PLASTIC SCREW! I loved this twist and thought it was very unique and fun. At first, I was going to have just that one drink (a girl has to eat after all!). Then, while sipping my old fashion, a couple started talking to me. It was nice, they were friendly and talked well of the bar and the area. We enjoyed a couple of laughs together and thanks to the extra conversation i decided to stretch my wallet and my time a little further and I ordered a Well Drink, since that was also part of the Happy Hour.
They left shortly after, I finished my drink, asked for my bill, and realized that a well drink costs 6 dollars! Which… is pretty expensive for Well when the Craft cocktails are the same price during Happy hour. (And Jameson is ALWAYS $ 4!) So after being a little shocked, I tried to pay my tab. I say try, because for some reason the bartenders disappeared… It took me about 5 minutes to finally see one of them poke their had from out of the back, and come swipe my card and close out my tab. A great manager once told me that you can have the best experience, but if you stand around when you are done waiting to pay, it can turn the whole visit sour.
All in all, Francis Bogside is a a good bar. They need to work a little on the mannerisms that the staff gives off (dont be in the back for 5 minutes, dont reprimand staff members right in front of guests). They also might want to look at well prices? But they do have a beautiful bar, in a great location, with friendly people, good food, and quality drinks and cocktails going for them. So if you want a chill place, with good ambiance and drinks, pay them a visit. Just make sure there isn’t a large business party, and if its Happy Hour? Stick with a cocktail or a Draft.
Drinking in SA

***This is only for the cocktails.***
Francis Bogside was the second stop on the wife’s and my cocktail bar crawl. We arrived a little before 6:30pm on a Saturday night. Except for one other customer, we had the place to ourselves. It was an attractive looking space that gave off more of a pub-​like atmosphere than a swanky cocktail lounge. More important to me than its design aesthetics were it’s top-​notch cocktails. Roy, the bartender, was friendly, welcoming, and skilled at making a good drink or, in our case, drinks. I had a Raise Your Luck ($ 10) and then I left it in Roy’s capable hands to make me something with mezcal ($ 11). They were well crafted, balanced, tasty, and far less than what you’d expect to spend for comparable drinks in DC or Las Vegas (and you’d certainly be unable to find anything like them in Dayton). Francis Bogside joined Esquire Tavern in a very select group of my favorite places for cocktails in SA.

My boyfriend took me here this past Friday before dinner and we had an excellent time. We sat at the bar and the bartender Andy was incredibly nice and took the time to explain their bar menu and even offered to give us samples of items on draft. We came during happy hour but decided to try some of their signature cocktails that weren’t on the HH menu. My boyfriend ordered the Harvard Dropout and I sampled The Other Man. Both were deliciously handcrafted and some of the best beverages we’ve had. The ambiance inside Francis Bogside is upscale casual and is the perfect place to meet after work or with friends. I noticed that they also have food so I definitely look forward to coming back.

Went on Saturday evening and the place was pretty packed. I tried to order the poutine, angus burger, cheese plate, and green curry but the waitress said they had ran out of everything (that’s 50% of the menu). I was disappointed that they had ran out of food at 7PM on a Saturday, a time they should anticipate a lot of customers. After seating, there was also a wait to be recognized by the waitress.
I ended up ordering to eat the colcannon potatoes and a charcuterie plate. The potatoes were good; a traditional Irish dish with a lot of flavor. As the charcuterie plate had more than I expected. It included 3 cured meats, garnished with pickled vegetables and a side plate of toasted french bread. I really enjoyed what I ended up ordering and it was worth the price.
The cocktail I had was el Diablo (tequila with lime and ginger beer), it was strong but not overwhelming.

I like this bar, and had some very enjoyable nights there on my last visits to Southtown. But, I don’t _​love_​this bar.
What to like:
1.) Great (and I mean, _​really_​GREAT) tap selection. Every beer poured well and served in the appropriate glass. Also a great mix of Texas, US Microbrew, and imports. Unibroue Fin de Monde? Yes, thank you very much!!!
2.) Fantastic burgers and appetizers. They must put cocaine in the beef, because my brother absolutely would not shut up about it after he ordered one.
3.) Friendly atmosphere and a nice crowd – mostly 20 – 30 somethings. It’s certainly a less rowdy gang than you will find and some of the local ice-​houses, and you don’t have to deal with screaming infants (the worst cocktail garnish evah).
4.) Excellent happy hour
5.) FREE VIDEO GAMES (including Galaga, awesome!) Also, let me take this opportunity to announce that my best friend, Colin Sanderson Burns, for all his excellent qualities, totally sucks at Frogger. Some might say this is not the appropriate forum for this, but someone has to speak out for all those poor pixelated amphibians he keeps kamikazing into trucks and alligators. Frog lives matter, dude.
What not to love:
1.)Service a mixed bag. Some nights I was served right off and I was always treated with great courtesy by my server. But, echoing the comments of others here, I was alarmed at how long, with 3 – 4 staff behind the bar and not on a busy night, it took for someone to take our order or even just to acknowledge us. Here’s a hint to bar owners, train your staff to always, _​always_​, greet a new patron when they sit down, _​especially_​if they make eye contact. Even if it’s only a nod of the head and a quick «I’ll be right with ya.» It might be another 5 before they get there, but that’s what makes one feel welcome.
2.) Some of the food was a bit underwhelming. My salmon cakes were perfectly fine, and the remoulade was quite tasty, but it was lacking anything that made it really stand out.
3.) Seriously, what’s with the perpetual shortage of fries? Just cut some more potatoes, fer chrissakes.
Lastly, and this is a minor quibble, I’m not in love with the name. Bogs are pretty nasty, and I speak from experience. Then again, it avoids the Southtown practice of giving your establishment a one-​word title and expecting people to figure it out from there. I swear on all I hold dear that if they open one more «Bloat,» or «Fleece,» or «Grate,» to serve the San Antonio version of haute cuisine, I will, in a word, «Barf.»

If you are interested in well poured pints of Guinness (the best in town IMHO), great selection of whiskies, friendly clientele and bartenders and good food to boot, then this is the place for you.
Be careful when looking for it, its easy to miss so as a public service I will tell you that it is at the intersection of St. Mary and Madison and they have a small parking lot in the back if you get there early.
A few trips and I am definitely at fan status. The pints are well poured, bartenders can make pretty decent cocktails (don’t get too exotic here, but they know all the good standards), know the whiskies enough to discuss flavor profiles and the short but well crafted menu highlights the time in this place.
Salmon cakes are well made with a perfectly cooked crunchy exterior leading into a tender flavorful filling of salmon with a touch of sauce at the bottom. A small frisee salad caps the cakes and serves to unfortunately working away on the panko coating to the detriment of the crisp coating, but it is still very comestible. Burgers are… we. ll burgers, but they are juicy and very well done overall. Poutine is perfect crisp fries on a bed of what tastes like bechamel… the nutmeg adding a nice spicy (not hot spicy… spice spicy) and floral note that makes the dish very interesting.
Good food+well poured pints+good service = fandom!

I was thrilled to see Francis Bogside open! It was a wonderful addition to the Southtown area. The mixologists are friendly, and if you don’t know what you like, just name your liquor, and they’ll whip something up.
Friendly faces, delicious spirits, eclectic bar food, and free Galaga! What more can anyone ask for?

Nice spot! It has a laid back atmosphere, not too loud or over crowded when we went. The signature drinks were amazing, and they had a better than decent selection of draft craft beers. They have a variety of scotch and Irish whiskeys too. The food looked great and smelled good too, although we only stopped in for a few drinks.
I liked the fact that is was dim in there. Definitely an intimate setting. The bar is huge with plenty of room to sit at and they had a couple of booths and high-​tops as well. They also have some vintage arcade games, although I didn’t see anyone very interested in them while we were there. This place seemed like a well-​hidden dive, which was surprising since it is in Southtown.
It was very clean, but the service was just a little slow for the amount of people in there. I’ll be back for sure, though. Even if its just to grab a $ 4 Jameson shot!

Service was excellent, and very insightful… tasty craft drinks but nothing different Ive ever tasted… Wasnt impressed with the food; had the huckleberry pancakes. not as flavorful as I read on the menu… bottom pancake was undercooked, the middle pancake was burnt on top, and the top pancake was ok. Also had the salmon cakes, nice crispy outside; we also had some fries that came with an egg on top and a few pieces of sausage… good, but typical and not original. Overall, Ill only be back if someone pays for me…

This place is amazing!
Nice and attentive bar staff!
Bar menu after 10!
Great drink menu and music… Did I mention $ 4 Jameson?
Such a nice change of pace for South Town SA!!!