Hi-Tones

Two words: Outdoor heaters!!! I would be so much happier enjoying a taco or drink outside if there were heaters outside. The drinks were good & reasonably priced. My favorite part of the night were the street tacos. Yummy!
The music was not to my liking. The DJ was okay, but I prefer music with lyrics and not just a bunch of thumping and bass.

The chamoy shots here are the best!
Every once in a while they have a bad dj but for the most part an cool time. Super cheap drinks! This is a super hipster place to hang out so sometimes it’s a weird place to hang out, but the prices are so worth it. I had been going for years and stopped but I recently went back and seems like they got a new sound system. Which is great cause their old one was Terrible! Great place to chill outside and drink!

Good prices on our drinks. A good mix of people of different ages and cultures, which is good. Good throw back music. Just a little small. Not really my type of place, but, definitely cool for a younger crowd. Also, had a little bit of a hard time finding parking.

Made a Unilocal account just to give this place the terrible review it deserves. Door guy tried to rip my entire group off after charging a $ 5 cover each and not giving us change for $ 20’s. HI TONES made me feel sad just being there. Crawling with scene hipsters circa 2001 who havent cut their hair since the first Hawthorn Heights album came out. Only reason I gave this place 1 star was because of how damn good the chamoy shot was. We stayed for a single shot and got TF out. of there.

This place is my new favorite bar. I wish I lived closer, and while I’m wishing for things, I wish they’d open earlier! I’m getting old and my bed time is 9.
Besides all that, this place is the bomb. The exterior is super cool looking, and they have a nice patio outside. Inside is dark and mysterious, but we usually take our drinks to the patio.
The best part: drinks are sooooo cheap! Which is freakin’ awesome! My hairstylist told me to try the Chamoy-​lada (I think that’s what it’s called) that comes with a Tecate. It’s only 5.50 and delicious. It’s pretty sour and topped with pickles, but the second time I ordered it I had the bartender add some mango juice/​nectar and it made it even better. They also have pickle shots, which I have not tried yet but it’s on my list! They also have tons of other drink choices, all for great prices.
The bartenders are super great as well. Shout out to Manny (at least I hope that’s his name) who I want to compliment for putting up with my stupid requests! Thanks for making us some yummy drinks. Everyone here is always friendly, which is always nice!

Cool hidden gem in SA TX /​Tobin Hill area.
This location is a bit hard to find, and they open at 9 pm. The bar inside is super chill. The night we went, the bar inside played cool old school rap the entire time.
Service: Service with a smile. The bar tenders were friendly and helpful.
Drinks: Drinks are super cheap and interesting. I ordered a Raspa drink — pineapple flavor. Delish!
The place was not too crowded and had a very chill vibe.

Livin’ the Hi-​Life!
This place is so much fun! There’s always something going on here. They have live music regularly. They play inside, and that place gets loud in there. They usually show local bands, or some smaller group that happens to be touring through town.
The place has some cheap drinks! Gotta love the ice cold Lone Star Beers, and cheap shots! They specialize in pickle shots, and chimoy shots. Those really aren’t my thing, but they seem to be the most popular drinks on the menu. They have one that is made of pineapple juice and rum that’s as delicious as it is inexpensive.
The décor is funky. The walls are lined with old photos, picture frames and religious candles, giving you the feeling that you’ve walked into some sort of unholy shrine.
The outdoors area is nice, with lots of picnic tables and an extra beer line.
They usually start charging cover after about sundown. If you get there early, you can get in for free.
The bathrooms are gross. They smell, and are covered in graffiti and bumper stickers. Try to go before you arrive.
The bartenders are always fast and friendly, pouring with a heavy hand. There’s hardly ever a wait, and they crank out the drinks.

Visiting my brother here in San Antonio and decided to go to a show (since we rarely have bands come to Hawaii). $ 3 cover for four bands?! I’m amazed! Tried their famous pickle shot. I didn’t even know a concoction like this existed… Interesting…but delicious! My boyfriend loves pickles so he was very stoked. They have tons of cheap drinks… if I lived in the area, I’d probably frequent this place.

Hi-​Tones is one of my favorite spots. They have a very friendly and respectful staff which I appreciate. Chill spot with cheap but delicious drinks. If you like chamoy, raspas, and all that good stuff… Then you must try this place. They also have the BEST pickle shots which are ONLY $ 2. I recommend their raspa drinks, you can’t go wrong with those. The thing I don’t like so much about this place is that they only have one restroom which can be very inconvenient when it’s super busy.

Hi-​Tones appears to be the new Chicano hangout. Thus far, I’ve seen some great local and out-​of-​town bands perform. When you approach the building on St. Mary’s it has a cool, blue presence and you know you have arrived. Parking is interesting and I haven’t been towed or ticketed yet so I’m guessing it’s ok that they turned their parking lot into an outdoor hang-​out with picnic tables, a bar and food truck.
Apparently, they are known for their chamoy and pickle shots. I prefer to get a chamoy/​pickle shot. All-​in-​one is best and won’t leave you with sour face. I was missing LA last month and luckily, there were two bands from LA playing on their trip to SXSW. It was nice to reconnect with the bands and get some of that East LA energy here in San Antone. Admission has been $ 3 or $ 5. Not bad. Free is best given that I lost a $ 20 near the bar on my first visit there. Super sad face! :(
I’ll still keep coming here to hear the latest in the local Chicano/​alt-​rock scene and to support what may be the only venue that features these group on a consistent basis. I wasn’t around for Salute but I hear that was «the» place for Chicano music in town. We passed by the old Salute building after leaving Hi-​Tones only to see a bunch of bearded hipsters in skinny jeans. Very very very sad. We shouldn’t turn into another Austin. San Antonio needs to keep it’s authenticity and not sell-​out to the highest bidder.

They have great music on the strip

Every scene has its own unique crowd and vibe that goes along with it. Some places have a feel that if you were to close your eyes you can sense it. Hi Tones is that type of place. Contrary to popular belief with the exception of cheap drinks I would not classify it as a dive, quite the opposite.
It is located on the St. Mary’s Strip, which means it must be a tavern or a music venue by default. Well, it is kinda both. It is extremely small with little breathing room, or drinking space for that matter. I went to a fundraiser they were having, for a grassroots organization and also as a way to check out the place firsthand.
Firstly it is pretentious, scenester and beyond Portlandia hipster! I don’t mind a hipster crowd, certainly that demographic can raise the level of any establishment. But the too cool for school vibe is in full bloom in the air here, so dense you can cut it with a knife. And sure there is ample space outside to hangout with friends, with picnic style tables to match. It just feels like no matter where you sit someone is invading your space.
For example I sat in a spot presumably away from all the incoming traffic of people. No sooner did I speak that a crowd of loud, sloppy drunk fratboys straight out of an episode of «Selfie» bum rushed the place. They clearly had no concept of personal space, plopping their messy drinks and manners alongside me at the table I was seated.
I know that any spot that sells booze will have an equal amount of obnoxious behavior, certainly that comes with the territory. But to have inebriated, impolite and increasingly belligerent patrons bump against your table, almost toppling over drinks gave reason to pause.
Inside is no different. Since it is so small it is filled to the brim with drunk people or others looking to become that. The place is dark, almost pitch black to the point that you can’t see their menu or for that matter the people walking around you. To stand anywhere in this place is to be in someone’s way, which made my experience here all the more unpleasant.
I did notice on the floor there was a DJ and some entertainment going on, but since everyone was gathered in a faux moshpit it was really hard to distinguish what was going on. Exactly how do bands play in here and how can anybody enjoy them? I left with that impression. After awhile all the nudging, grinding and people bumping into me without the slightest trace of politeness got to me and I decided to leave.
By definition a dive to me has always been a place that despite its rough edges has heart and charm. This place is not that. You have patrons who come here for the cheap drinks and when they have enough of them in their system, can buy fewer when they leave to a more upscale place. If you are into clubs where rockabilly couples, J. Crew fashionistas and bike riders collide but not in an ironic manner than this is your spot.
On the way out I saw two dudes toasting with Lone Star beers in tow. To what, I have no idea.

Pickle
PICKLE
PICKLE!
Now that you’ve read it three times you are now going to forever affiliate Hi-​Tones with some of the best Pickle Shots a bar has to offer.
They’re just so addicting and for $ 2 a piece how can they not be!
For those of ya who have crave something on the tangy spicy side don’t worry they have you covered as well with their infamous Chamoy Shots.
This is one of my favorite places to be with my friends with as the atmosphere is just so laid back and the music (including live bands frequently) is just too hard to pass up on.
The bartending staff is very friendly and always willing to give you drink ideas.
They take pride to being «Home of the Original Pickle and Chamoy Shots»
Don’t worry about Hi-​Tones burning a hole in your wallet as most of their drinks are under $ 6
It’s a smaller establishment but the patio outside is plenty big. So come for the drinks and stay for the music. You’ll be glad you came to check this place out.