The Bar at Bohanan’s

The best vanilla crème brûlée paired with the most amazing dessert cocktail «bees kiss». Stellar customer service and atmosphere. Alexander our bartender did an amazing job showing us his skills in mixology.

After starting the night off at a startlingly disappointing happy hour at Luke and an equally underwhelming downtown bar crawl, we salvaged the night when my friend insisted that we stop at the Bar at Bohanan’s.
It became apparent why my friend wanted to stop here as I ordered drinks next to two classy young women on my left. We broke into conversation while the bartender began to prepare a Sazerac.
I love cocktails. I love Sazeracs. The Bar at Bohanan’s makes a good Sazerac. Using rye whiskey and an absinthe bath, the drink is accented with bitters, a lemon twist, and just the right amount of simple syrup. Indeed, while it may be America’s oldest cocktail, it remains one of its finest creations.
Continuing down memory lane, I ordered an Old-​Fashioned. This classic experienced a renaissance in popularity years ago during the heyday of Mad Men. Using New York’s finest Hudson Baby Bourbon whiskey, Bohanan’s version is well-​balanced and boozy.
If you are looking for old school cocktails made properly, then the Bar at Bohanan’s should vault to the top of your list. After some absolutely horrific early experiences with the San Antonio cocktail scene, it looks like I’m finally finding some places that satisfy my moderately fickle palate.

The service is spot on! I came in for a drink and a bite at the bar and was not disappointed. The lobster sliders were tasty and a little peppery– great flavor. I ordered the Marie Antoinette and the Poire De’ Liz; I highly recommend both!

The Bar at Bohanan’s is a shining star. After a disappointing dinner at another establishment, we decided to take in some live Jazz at the Bar at Bohanan’s. The host sat us at a two-​top about fifteen feet away from the stage area — the mood and setting were superior. We sat while enjoying our drinks and satisfying our stomachs with a wonderful selection of meats, cheeses, and fried brie.
The Bar at Bohanan’s, as well as the main restaurant, is definitely a guaranteed stop for us whenever in town. I would highly recommend both to anyone I know!

I had the aviation cocktail, my wife had the Gershwin. Mine tasted like the color sky blue, if you get it you’ll know what I mean. The Gershwin was light, like drinking a rosey drink with a hint of thyme. Would recommend both drinks.

Customer service is a top priority for the bartenders. They stay on top of the cocktails without interrupting conversations. The personally crafted cocktails are delicious.

So we came early for our reservation and decided to grab a drink at Bohanon. Horrible service! The servers in the bar were so inattentive th at finally after TWENTY minutes of not being served we gave up on trying! After dinner our plan was to go back to the bar, but not after that-​those servers downstairs in the bar need attitude adjustments on good customer service!

Bohanan’s reminds me of New Orleans, or a world where gentlemen still sit and smoke a cigar while ladies sip champagne cocktails and everything is nicer and simpler. The chairs are comfy and inviting, the lighting is soft and warm inviting you to sit and forget your cares, and the drink making is an artistry. I opted for a Regal 75, feeling festive and enjoying the idea of a champagne cocktail. Billy ordered a Michter’s old fashion, and is still marveling over his giant, round ice cube. Eating dinner here is the highlight of any trip to San Antonio, and you should always leave time to start with a cocktail in this beautiful bar.

This is a very unique bar. It is old fashioned, has a piano in the front and live jazz. The seating is arranged like a lounge, with comfy red single seater couches paired with wooden chairs. The staff is very friendly but the service isn’t the best. I do love this bar though, it’s very classy and it brings you into another era. Drinks are good but only if you know what you like.

What a great place in San Antonio! I found Bohanan’s thanks to Unilocal (of course!), and I am so happy to add this to my list of must visits when I am in SA.
This was such a great place. the décor, atmosphere, crowd, drinks, service, EVERYTHING. We sat at the bar as we arrived very early for our dinner reservation upstairs. The bartenders were wonderful– very helpful with great personalities. All of our drinks were fantastic– they have a great craft cocktail drink menu! They have a really good list of appetizers and light bites.
The crowd was an eclectic mix of older and younger people, everyone was dressed nicely and was seemingly having a great time. There was live jazz music on Saturday night, but was really at an appropriate volume– you could have a conversation still very easily.
I will definitely be back!

Lovely upscale moody bar. Live music on Friday nights. Extremely fair prices for the downstairs menu.
We came in at about 10 PM on a Friday night, hoping to eat in the main dining room upstairs, but they were no longer taking walk-​ins. Undeterred, we decided to check out their downstairs menu. Expecting the prices to be insane, we were impressed to see they were very reasonable when compared to the upscale, speakeasy feel of the place.
We opted to be in a tucked away private corner away from the live music and the actual bar itself. Service started out pretty good, but at the end of the night when it got busier, we noticed it got a lot harder to get the attention of our waiter.
I was a bit thrown off by how all of the entire waitstaff was dressed like they were the Secret Service, but it definitely enhanced the overall experience.
We decided to go with the Olive Medley and Hummus Trio to start. For their prices, the servings were plentiful — almost too much for two people. The Steak Tartare was really great.
The Tall With Soda cocktails were really fun. We had the Morning Glory Fizz and the Blackberry Rickey. We could’ve stayed and tried all of the Tall with Soda variants, but our old butts were tired.
The crème brûlée dessert was a perfect way to close out the evening.
Really nice atmosphere for a fun and relaxing date night out.

Nice selection of spirits, well trained bartenders clad elegantly in black and white and knowledgeable about spirits and mixology, classic big northeast city décor, The Bar at Bohanan’s almost seems out of place down here in San Antonio, yet at the same time, it feels like it’s been here forever. Not cheap, but a great, sophisticated (if that matters to the narcissists among you) boozy experience.

Excellent Jazz Quartet. After dinner drink and coffee with some jazz. Perfect evening!
Unilocal Star Rating
5 stars: I loved it. Will be back and bring others to try it.
4 stars: I liked it. Will be back and suggest others to give it a try.
3 stars: It was good. Will be back but there was something that wasn’t just right.
2 stars: It was okay. Would return if others wanted to but won’t drive far.
1 star: Will not be returning.

This is the second time I have been overlooked while sitting at Bohannan’s. Is it that I am a Single woman, a Mexican American woman? I love this place but they seem to cater to white business men in suits or the Women with them. They need a cultural diversity lesson. My money is the same color.

Now, I love me some fancy things. What I don’t love is atmosphere which feels. old and stuffy. Like «I wouldn’t be surprised if they had to air out the mothball stink daily» kind of stuffy. I was a good. 30 years younger than any other bar patron and I half-​expected JR from Dallas to walk through the door any minute and ask for brandy or whatever it is old people drink.
Atmosphere is definitely not for the young but hey, I’ve been in bars where I clearly don’t belong before and after a few drinks, who cares? Seated myself at the classy bar and was handed three menus. Um. ok. Thinking I could bypass all this reading, I asked the bartender what he’d recommend for a first-​timer and he rattled off about tartare and aged whiskey. When I mentioned that I’m more of a beer gal, he pointed to the taps almost as if he was disappointed. I see The Bar at Bohanan’s is priced as «moderate» when really, it should be «wtf expensive.» A $ 12 glass of Matilda that I can get a bottle of at a convenience store mark-​up of $ 9? WTF. Flipping through one of the books, I came across their excellent cheese selection but not much else in terms of «bar» food. I asked to take a look at the apps on their full menu and the bartender informed me that they don’t serve that food at this bar and that the upstairs bar is full unless we had a reservation. I think I may have let out a signature long sigh but gah-​damn, can a girl get some real food up in here? After my first beer, I was ready to go.
The Bar at Bohanan’s may be your place if you struck it rich in oil, have an AARP card or are a high-​quality escort and need a place to find Johns. If you’re like me and a lot more laid-​back than all that mess, I’d recommend you steer clear.

The fiancée and I made our way through downtown San Antonio looking for good cocktails. Our walkabout took us to the Bar at Bohanan’s, a well-​appointed, very classy establishment, that looked like a place you’d expect to see rich Texas oil men or ranchers sitting in the leather bound chairs smoking cigars, and drinking fine bourbons or scotch. Well, it probably wasn’t THAT hoity toity since they let me in the door, but it was still the classiest bar I set foot inside while in SA.
The pedigree behind Bohanan’s is impressive. Bohanan’s touts that its staff was trained and the cocktail program consisting of modern takes on cocktail classics was created by renowned barman Sasha Petraske, who opened the equally renowned NYC bar, Milk & Honey. Still, pedigree will only get you so far. Fortunately, the training stuck as bartenders, Zach and Trevor, executed our cocktails smartly. I had the Creole Cocktail ($ 11) made with rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, amaro, and Benedictine. It was boozy, nicely balanced, and pleasantly sweet, but not sugary. It was a winner! The fiancée had the Left Hand Cocktail ($ 11) made with bourbon, Campari, sweet vermouth, and chocolate bitters. It was even tastier than my drink, as it was boozy and bitter, but possessed very subtle milk chocolaty, creamy notes. Simply delicious! Had we stayed for a second round, I may have been tempted to have a glass of Pappy Van Winkle 10, 12, or (be still my beating heart) 23. Alas, we stopped at one.
The Bar at Bohanan’s offered up a very pleasant surprise in terms of its craft cocktails at fair prices, its spirits selection, and the skill of its bartenders. It’s easily in the discussion for the best cocktail bar in town. Without a doubt, it’s a place that we’ll revisit the next time we’re in San Antonio.

We stayed on Houston to come see the Christmas lights at the RIverwalk. I saw this place on Unilocal and decided we absolutely had to come here for drinks. Boy, we weren’t disappointed.
This lovely, intimate space is definitely upscale and we were glad we were dressed nicely. For $ 25 give or take, we got an hour of downtime and two very nicely mixed cocktails. The jazz band showed up near the end and it became quite a bit more crowded, so we saw ourselves out as people were vying for our comfy chairs.
I had a Linda Rose which was sweet-​tart, like a sparkling lemonade champagne. It was delicious and strong and full of gin. My companion had a Left Hand (being of the left-​handed persuasion) and it was pretty strong on the bourbon, but that’s the case for most bourbon cocktails and I won’t fault them.
I’d come back in a heartbeat — not necessarily for food, but to feel fancy and sip something delicious.

It seems like it is a norm or should I say tradition to get a drink and a bite at the bar at Bohanan’s before catching a broadway show at the majestic theatre. The Bohanan’s is practically the majestic’s annex. Well, I am all about traditions. So I had to stop by this bar before watching my very first musical play at the majestic tonight.
I have to admit that I am not easy to please. I like upscale and sophisticated things just like I like a good looking young man in suits and tie. He has to look sharp, smart and has great taste and manners. Tonight, I had my first date with the bar at Bohanan’s, let’s just call him B. I’ve heard lots of good things about him. We met at the Unilocal’s backstage party and I had not stopped thinking about him since then. I can’t deny that I was very tempted by B. So finally I decided to go on a date with him.
Upon entering the door, I knew right away that B was absolutely my type. He looked so handsome! The ambience was great. My waiter was well dressed and very attentive. I looked around for a bit, people here all looked like they took great care of themselves. I like! Now B definitely gave me a very good first impression!
I worry if B only has good looks. You know, those men who are shallow and empty inside. But it turned out he also has a great personality. I ordered the duck bacon & humbolt fog flat bread appetizer and a dessert cocktail called Ash Wednesday. I was blown away by the duck bacon appetizer, it was unbelievable! Definitely a must try! B sure knows how to impress a lady! The cocktail was a bit too strong to my liking. But it served its purpose and got me buzzed quickly! We were having such a great time!
But I had to end my date with B early b/​c I had a show to catch later that night. I really didn’t want to leave. He clearly is the total package and a keeper! Reluctantly, he kissed me goodnight and said bye. What a gentleman! Now I can’t wait for my second date with B aka the bar at Bohanan’s! See you very soon, Beau!!!

While at Unilocal’s Backstage Pass, my husband and I tried Bohanan’s charcuterie plate. We enjoyed ourselves so much at the Bohanan’s booth that after the event we went straight to their bar to check out the real deal.
The Bar at Bohanan’s is a classic steak house bar that will let you imagine how it might have been maybe in the 1920’s. It’s a beautiful space with dark wooden accents, rich fabrics and a classic but comfy lounge… I even loved the velvet-​lined wallpaper in the women’s restrooms! Although it looks old-​fashioned, its still got the flatscreens, lots of draught beer choices, and a modern menu that we want! The staff is of the highest caliber, sharply dressed, knowledgeable, and fun to chat with at the bar. We were told to ask for Patrick at the bar. He helped us choose the spicy albondigas and the flatbread with duck. Both appetizers told us that we would definitely be back to try the actual steakhouse next time, they were delicious!
Food and service was great, but one of the best parts about the Bar here is the atmosphere. Exceptional live jazz music and a lively after work suit crowd make it the perfect place to relax, enjoy yourself, and do some fantastic people watching.

Not sure if 1919 has the selection available here, no one else would even come close. Atmosphere, superlative service, and a food selection place them head and shoulders above the competition. And yes, it all comes at a price (that I consider offering good value but you may differ). Don’t expect the banter with the bartenders that goes on at our other favorite haunts, but when asked, these guys will offer tips/​tricks that are useful for home application. Live jazz on ocasion, but never loud enough to inhibit conversation.
So why don’t we come more often? In a word, parking. Yes they valet, but I don’t recall it being complimentary. FYI-​Tuesdays are free parking in city garages/​meters.