The Lodge Restaurant of Castle Hills

First time was for my birthday and got hooked. We watched which menu sounds like food we would be interested in trying or we know we will love. The wine pairings usually are spot on and the food is fantastic… I am allergic to chocolate so when that is the desert, they have accommodated me with something quick on the spot and never fails to be great no matter how simple and I thank them for that. Abita beer did a pairing and it was an awesome experience. Highly recommend this place.
Sadly they have closed since I wrote this in 2011

I can see why this place closed, but it is a shame. The location and experience is quite unique given the house in which the dining experience take place. However, I just got the sense that it was not a profitable gig given the amount of space taken up by few tables (ratiowise).
Anyway, I’m anxious to see Chef Dady’s other restaurants when I return to S.A. The beef tenderloin was phenomenal and I have not had a better scallop before. Perfectly seared. Every sauce was perfect for the dish. The only disappointment was the waiter.
We had the 8 course pairing, and while I don’t expect a waiter to expound much further than what is on the card in front of me, I do expect to get more information than the name of the paired wine. Every time I queried, he just mentioned that yea… it is from Spain. No kidding, a Rioja from Spain?
Paying that much for an 8 course meal should include a more competent staff. Maybe they knew the place was closing too and just wanted to phone it in. Either way, I’d go back. The food was that good.

The meal I had here was the best I’ve had so far in life. I came here with a friend for a celebratory dinner, and we dove in with the full 8-​course tasting menu with wine pairings. One of the courses is a palate-​cleansing sorbet, so it’s not as decadent as it sounds, but it’s still pretty indulgent. Everything we had was amazing, and the wines were all excellent. They were great about subbing the dessert for my hazelnut-​allergic friend, and that gave us a chance to taste the equally excellent deconstructed key lime pie.
The restaurant is in an old house, so it’s divided among small dining rooms with 3 – 4 tables in each room. We were definitely the rowdy bunch that night, the crowd leaned towards the quiet special occasion type. I got a kick out of the bathroom – a total flashback to my grandmother’s décor.
It was very spendy – the bill was about $ 300 for the two of us.
I’m sad to hear that the place is closing. It’s a real loss to San Antonio.

We visited The Lodge for a celebratory dinner and a farewell to the restaurant which will be closing at the end of the year.
The valet may have been the most professional staff member of the evening. The hostess tried, even confirmed our order of the Vegetarian Tasting Menu but then delivered scallops as our first course.
Our waiter was aloof and very slow to greet us and was quite confused by our very presence at his table. In fact, the table next to us, who were seated after us, had their bottle of wine delivered before we were even greeted. Upon being greeted, my husband and I tried to determine if he was startled or had just woken up.
After being served the scallops, my husband and I stared at each other trying to decide if we should cork our wine bottle and leave. We were really rubbed the wrong way with the wait and the confused service.
Our table was never crumbed, my husband’s napkin went unfolded during a trip to the restroom and at the end of the night the waiter started a conversation with us which lasted nearly 10 minutes while holding my credit card hostage. The latter is a sure sign of trying to leave a good impression on a patron who will be signing the tip line.
We had outright purchased a $ 50 dining credit at a silent auction for charity, perhaps our waiter thought we were not going to take the credit into consideration when leaving gratuity?
Most of the 8 courses were very good, the only complaint would be that some were not as hot to the touch as they should have been. My favorite by far was the ‘soup-​salad-​sandwhich’.
Either way, I hate having to use the words «$ 300 dinner» and «not impressed» in the same review. Especially when I am the one doing the paying and the writing.
Go. Visit before they close, but just make sure you get a waiter who has not already checked out.

I’m really glad I went here before it closed. We didn’t do the full tasting — nothing personal but chipping away at some of the stuff I’ve already had at other Chef Dady places left us with more options on the other side of the menu.
At our table we had the pan seared scallop, mixed green salad, and tomato panzanella for «the beginning». All were great. As a bonus, they also brought out some samples from the 10 year anniversary menu that they are preparing for a limited time. So we got way more than we bargained for before «the middle». For that course, I went with the beef tenderloin, my wife opted for the duck. Both were done to perfection. For desert, the deconstructed banana split and tropical cheesecake. Long argument about which was better.
The thing that stand out is how great the ingredients were and how well prepared everything was. That’s the biggest difference between here and other places –you can tell there’s a lot of quality on the plate and the standards are high.

We were here celebrating our third anniversary and my 30^th birthday. We had heard terrific things and we were not disappointed when we drove up to a beautiful old home, trees decorated with hanging lights. It was so pretty and we were excited.
The ambiance outside was where it ended for us though. Although the idea of eating in small rooms in an old house is kind of cool, our room was very hot. And very brown (like a milk chocolate color — walls and ceilings). There were only two other tables and so you lose the ability to people watch. The bathroom was covered in a hideous wallpaper. It didn’t look vintage or retro — it just seemed old, outdated, and kind of unsanitary.
Like I said, we were celebrating and so we decided to have the «true» experience of the restaurant and do the eight course tasting menu with wine pairings. Yes, I said eight courses. Maybe our first mistake. But I figured the menu would be appropriate for the average eater. Intersperse some light, small plates with some more substantial ones. Boy, I was wrong.
It was WAY too much too heavy food. And much of it was over salted. The wait staff did little to no explaining the courses and the wine («this is a Spanish red» for instance). There were great components. Although salty, the salmon was terrific. All of the salads and greens were delightful (though sparse. There was no actual course of just a salad. Perhaps the greens were so delightful because we were searching for something light). And I was a sucker for the novelty of the Gin and Tonic sorbet as a palate cleanser. Although I might have just been excited not to be shoving salty meat in my mouth.
Dessert is my favorite but the nutella inspired soufflé was dense and too rich for the end of eight courses. I liked most of the wines, my husband did not.
When I stood up at the end of the meal, I felt like I had concrete blocks attached to my feet. I think I drank about 17 glasses of water to curtail the salt… and so I felt… well, blah. I didn’t even eat the quail or the beef tenderloin (the 6^th and 7^th courses because I was WAY too full to even taste them). (I did take the beef home and eat it the next day. It was really tasty).
On a side note, the wait staff asked the table next to us to leave about three minutes after they got their check. They said they were welcome to stay in the restaurant (where? In that sorry excuse for a lounge downstairs?) but the table was reserved for another party and they needed to move.
Also, in one of the best moments of the night, a guy next to us said, «I’m really exhausted from trying to reconstruct all these deconstructed dishes.» My thoughts exactly.

The lodge is delicious! I went with a friend to celebrate a new job and we did the full Lodge experience with multiple courses paired up with wine. It was delicious, creative and fun! We were probably a little loud for the place, especially after many glasses of wine, because it was full of special occasion celebrations (anniversary, meeting the parents, engagements, that type of stuff). We were just there to eat some food and drink some wine. I almost wish they had a dining room for rowdy foodie types :)
The lodge is also pricey but worth every penny. I think I dropped $ 300 on dinner for 2 (but that was the FULL monty w wines, etc). So, unless you’re one of the Spurs or some high falutin type, be forewarned.
Now, the lodge is in an old house so its got a quaintness about it ie-​ancient looking bathrooms that look like my grandma designed the color scheme. But, you’re not here for the hand washing and mints – it’s all about the food!

The best restaurant in San Antonio.
I’ve ordered off the menu. I’ve had the multi-​course chef’s choice experiences. It doesn’t matter. You just can’t go wrong here. There is no point in telling you what I ordered because anything you order will be outstanding. There is no point in telling you who my server was, because yours will be outstanding.
I have two regrets about the Lodge. First is that I didn’t find it sooner. Second is that I didn’t buy a wonderful painting that was over my table the first night I was there. Fine dining in a living, breathing art gallery? Delightful.
It’s difficult to get a reservation for a reason. It’s difficult to find parking at times for a reason. Any angst you develop in getting to the front door will be long gone when you take your first bite.

This place is amazing. My husband surprised me with a six course meal for Valentines. It was the best! The service was great and our waiter, Dwayne, provided great service. I wasn’t fond of one of the dishes, sweet bread, so he replaced it with something else. I give this place give stars along with all the other Chef Dady restaurants.

Love this place! The only negative thing I would have to say is the parking situation is/​can be annoying. There isn’t much they can do about it as this was originally a residential home. My wife and I had our rehearsal dinner here and the staff/​food/​ambiance was simply stunning. If you are looking at venues for something similar, look no further. Reasonable group prices and EXTREMELY accommodating.
Guys…this is a great first date spot. Take your lady here and seal the deal!

Apparently The Lodge has been voted the most romantic restaurant in San Antonio. I went… for a Tuesday lunch with a friend. Clearly, not the typical Lodge experience. We spent part of our meal bemoaning the fact that we planned our respective weddings pre-​Lodge, since the old house and grassy surroundings are lovely. We spent the rest of the meal gulping down our yummy three course meals.
If you are choice-​averse, this is a great lunch spot. You can choose to have either two courses or three courses, with two choices for the app, three for the entrée, and two for the dessert. This makes ordering– and getting food out to patrons– suprisingly quick, so if you’re thinking that The Lodge is only for the leisurely, think again.
It’s also shockingly cheap. Like, your lunch at [name your chain] could end up costing you more cheap. The two course option is $ 12, and the three course option is $ 16. I would highly recommend the three courses though; while the salad and entrée were delicious (but not exceptionally noteworthy), I will have dreams about the Nutella mousse accompanied by flourless chocolate cake. I should probaby note, though, that I happily eat Nutella out of the jar.

A unique dining experience for date night, parents in town, or whatever your heart desires… The Lodge provides a fantastic experience that you MUST try.
After driving through a whimsical gate, up a magical path and had my car valeted by a handsome I was curious to see what this notorious restaurant called «The Lodge» was really all about.
Once inside the large, wooden door of this old world house we moved over to the bar which was just the start of this welcoming venue. After our drinks we were escorted upstairs to a bedroom/​small private dining area. the menu was set with 2 different sequences to choose from. Chef Dady was amazing with his selections and the servers even brought little teaser tasters off the other menu.
My entire party left with their pearly whites shining for all of the staff to see.
The End.

I knew it was going to be good when the valet didn’t stall out my car given the incredibly difficult clutch.
I wondered after my first interaction with the hostess, though…
Hostess: So? Where did you hear about us?
Nuri G: A website called Unilocal dot com, of which I’m a proud member!
Hostess: I’ve never heard of it.
Although the hostess may live under a rock, My dining experience at The Lodge has taken the proverbial cake as far as restaurants in San Antonio are concerned. In the past eight months, this is the kind of place I have been looking for but for one reason or another have been disappointed. The service was impeccable, the manager payed personal attention to us (and stopped by to ask about my pescetarian diet), the food was utterly delightful, and the experience was intimate.
If I had to critique something (it wasn’t easy) it would be the wine list. It wasn’t terrible, it just wasn’t exciting.
Highlights:
* Parsnip Agnolotti — Sweet, savory, in a Meyer Lemon crème fraîche
* Moroccan Inspired Salmon with Meyer Lemon Couscous — the salmon had an incredible crispy top layer, and everything else had a mildly sweet flavor for probably one of the most incredible salmon dishes I’ve had in over a year…
* Cheesecake with strawberry lime consumme and micro cilantro — Oh Dear Sweet Cheesecake Christ this was good. All I needed was a shot of tequila in there to make it perfect…
(btw, I totally want royalties if you do a strawberry margarita cheesecake)
To top everything else off, we were dining in a room by ourself. The Lodge has many small rooms with two or three tables in it, and no one else was sitting with us. We had a beautiful panoramic view of the estate, turned the lights down a little, shut the doors, and felt like were were in our own private dining room.
I asked the server what happened, and he mentioned that a ton of people nixed their reservations between 4p and 6p that day. Being someone who had tried to get a reservation day of, unsuccesfully, two weeks prior, [PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT] I’d just like to let everyone know that it’s a dick move to cancel your reservation at an exclusive restaurant just hours before you’re scheduled to eat. This takes away the chance for people like me, who like to live dangerously and not make reservations at restaurants weeks in advance, from potentially grabbing a spot middle of the afternoon the day of. Boo on you, respective sirs or madams. Boo on you. [/​PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT]
Hooray on Jason Dady. You’ve got yourself quite a restaurant empire, sir. Thanks for breathing some culinary life into an otherwise lackluster city.

Chef Dady hosted a «limited seating» Maine lobster menu/​event at the Lodge this past Sunday night that we were lucky enough to catch wind of…
Cute old house tucked and hidden away next to the Starbucks strip center/​across the street from Walgreens on Lockhill Selma & Blanco. Take a walk around outside: lovely vegetation, a garden, stones, etc.
Valet parking for all… bonus!
Everyone mingled around for a reception from 6−7pm. 3 appetizers were floating around: a zucchini fried cake (yum!), some marinated beef on a stick (double yum!), and a lamb rib (meh, I had a bite but I’m not a lamb lover). Also served was a delicious Dady-​esque cocktail: pressed mint and basil with simple syrup, strained, then added to vodka. Very summery and refreshing.
We were seated for our 4-​course dinner. It was $ 50 per person, add $ 20 for wine pairings.
First course was a cold lobster salad… tasty, and paired with a yummy crisp white wine (can’t remember which one on any of the wines, sorry!). My only complaint was I had to spit out a few pieces of lobster shell.
Second course was our table’s favorite: a lobster sandwich. Chef Dady said he planned on using a different type of roll, but ended up at a Filipino supermarket and bought the rolls for the evening: thank you! The rolls were sprinkled with some sugar, which added a nice flavor to the overall effect.
Next was the lobster tail atop a ravioli with other fun stuff drizzled on/​garnishing the plate. The tail was good, but a bit chewier than i would’ve preferred. Regardless, I waxed it all off.
For dessert was peaches and cream. In true Dady style, it wasn’t just peaches and cream. There was some texture and fun garnished and complimenting throughout: granola, some «tofu» looking vanilla piece, etc.
Service was great, and Chef Dady personally came by each table. Nice!

Took the in-​laws for a special occasion. The Lodge did not dissapoint. The lodge itself was interesting and had some history. The staff was nice and helpful. The beef tenderloin was amazing, as was the rabbit. The Halibut wasn’t so good — crispy, a little hard and lacking flavor. The Nutella dessert and the cheesecake were both a great finish to a fine evening (along with a french press of coffee).
Only downside was the service was a little slow at times.

I’m seated, the waiter introduces himself, and holds out his hand. I twitch, but shake, and while grasping my hand, he asks «And you are???» Yuk.
The food was actually pretty good, if salty. The baby romaine salad I liked a lot, and the beef tenderloin ragu was well composed. And I must give appreciation for a $ 12 two-​course prix fixe. Smart! But the service is just so slimy! I had to wash my hands before and after the meal, cos he insisted on shaking twice… with clammy hands. And he narrated each dish after they put it down like they’re running an auction. «Can I eat now? Gee, thanks.»
And then when it’s actually time to do something, like drop the check, he’s shmoozing other customers. Dude, this is lunchtime, not happy hour. Some of us got places to be.
Note: This behavior is consistent between the Dady restaurants I’ve tried. The staff have all clearly been trained as salesmen in one of those art galleries that wants to be posh but can’t tell the difference between quality and the appearance of quality. Smarm up front, but zero follow-​through.

Awesome. Fabulous. Amazing. I need to pull out the thesaurus in order to express how much I love Jason Dady’s The Lodge. I only wish I could come here more often, but this is a special occasion type of place for us.
Although I’ve been several times, I most recently visited for my birthday dinner, which merited the signature tasting. It was 8 courses of scrumptious bite after delicious morsel. The menu did not seem to change a whole lot from the last time I tried it, however, I am certainly not complaining as I loved every course. The new additions included a perfectly cooked salmon served with white asparagus, and the soup/​salad/​sandwich course (a favorite of mine) now features a Thai curry soup that managed to be bold and delicate all at once. Of course the meal was finished with the nutella cake which I personally feel, while delicious, it is a bit too heavy for the end of an eight course meal.
The service is nothing short of phenomenal. If the servers are busy or having a bad day, I have never noticed. Our wine always comes right before the course its paired with, the water glasses are never more than half empty, and most importantly, the servers know the menu and wine list.
Hands down, in my book, one of the top five restaurants in San Antonio.

I was so incredibly excited to try the Lodge. I was so incredibly disappointed by the Lodge.
Let me set the scene. After a night of traveling from Los Angeles to Phoenix to San Antonio, we lost about 2 hours to time differences, 1 hour to a flight delay, and had no concrete plans whatsoever (well, except for learning to fly a helicopter). So, in the late of night I was scouring Unilocal to find some good eats to hit up. At the top of that list was the Lodge.
So today, we got up early to get a rental car (which we didn’t plan on due to the fact that we didn’t realize the helicopter lesson was outside of San Antonio). We made reservations (for the Lodge) and then we did the flying helicopter lesson. We followed that up with a 1.5 hour Discovery Tour at the Natural Bridge Caverns. We hit up the Lodge to help complete a pretty good day (oh and it was my birthday to boot).
Me and the Company CFO decided on the 8 course tasting menu. Of all the items, I found that I only really enjoyed 3 of them. And of those, 1 (the tenderloin) was undercooked (medium rare, kinda cool in the center).
Here’s a rundown of the menu:
Amuse bouche: ball of goat cheese with wild honey and sitting on balsamic vinegar. The wild honey was good. Did not care for the rest.
First Course: Seared Diver Sea Scallops with Yukon Gold Mousseline, Toasted Brioche, Preserved Lemon and Hibiscus Sea Salt. Scallop just slightly too salty, lemon kind of overpowering at times. But scallop was cooked nicely.
Second Course: «Soup, Salad and Sandwich» which consisted of Lobster and Corn Bisque (bleh), Heirloom Tomatoes with Cucumber and Grape (?) accompaniment (pretty good), and Grilled Goat Cheese sandwich (what’s the obsession with Goat Cheese?).
Third Course: Maple Leaf Farms Duck Confit with Orecchiette Pasta,
Sweet Corn, Italian Parsley and Toasted Garlic Breadcrumbs. I liked it, but couldn’t tell there was actually duck in there.
Fourth Course: Moulard Duck «Foie Gras En Terrine» with Bing Cherries, Marcona Almonds, TLR Garden Arugula and «Butter Bread.» This had the least attractive foie gras I’ve ever encountered (it was rectangular like a stick of spam). Everything else on this dish just simply overpowered the foie gras.
Fifth Course: Palate Cleanser of lime and vodka shaved ice. I really liked it. The CFO’s had a large chunk of unshaved ice in his.
Sixth Course: Grilled Texas Bobwhite Quail with Creamy Blue Cheese Farrotto, Butter Roasted Apple and Red Silk Pear Salsa. I really enjoyed the quail, but I don’t know if the other stuff really helped the dish.
Seventh Course: Cast Iron Seared Beef Tenderloin with Yukon Gold Potato, Turnips, «Salsa Verde» and Bone Marrow «Pudding.» Probably my favorite dish, but again, undercooked.
Eighth Course: «Soufflé» Inspired Nutella-​Dark Chocolate Cake with Creamy Peanut Butter Mousse and House Made Caramel. Note the quotations around the soufflé part because I didn’t and it wasn’t. A bit on the oversweet side for my tastes.
Oh yeah, when they took my reservation, they asked if I was celebrating anything special. I normally don’t mention anything, but since they asked, I told them my birthday. Did they do anything special? Nope. Why ask?
One other thing, the waiter was a bit of a douche.

I’ve been planning a weekend trip to San Francisco. As I look through the pages upon pages of good dining destinations as determined by the Unilocal denizens, it served as a reminder to just how bleak the San Antonio restaurant scene really is. Not to say that there aren’t restaurants which are doing wonders to elevate food, but when I leave San Antonio — the country’s seventh largest city — my fondest memories are going to largely consist of Tex-​Mex and a bevy of decent burger joints. Perhaps the city is too casual for the sustainment of restaurants that are prefaced with a number of stars (I can only think of one restaurant that required jackets, and it is now closed), or perhaps, like the majority of touring musical artists, restaurateurs seem to think that South Texas ends at Austin.
Every once in a while, though, you get a reminder that there are some chefs that are making an effort to bring educated and thoughtful cooking to the Alamo City. Jason Dady is one of the most successful of these, and his now five-​restaurant army began with The Lodge, his flagship restaurant located out of the way in Castle Hills. And it seriously is out of the way and pretty easy to miss — located in a converted house down a narrow driveway, we weren’t sure if we were at the restaurant or driving down the narrow walkway of some guy’s house. The valet parking answered the question sufficiently.
Most of the seating is upstairs, and we were seated in a bedroom with three other tables. The room wasn’t built to accommodate twelve people, so the echoing acoustics weren’t the best for more than one table. Coincidentally, we happened to be the only occupied table during the meal, so it wasn’t an issue.
Our party came for the tasting menu. We originally intended to get the wine pairings, too, but our server suggested that — for the money — we could instead get a couple of bottles of wine and get more overall. Part of me missed the delicate and intricate flavors that each of the selected wines would highlight in each course, but a bigger part of me just wanted more wine, so I approved of this choice.
Because I have hit Unilocal’s 5000 character limit on more than one occasion in the past, and because the entire menu is listed on the restaurant’s website, I’m not going to describe each course in detail, but rather share some thoughts on each dish:
Amuse-​bouche was steak tartar on toasted brioche. While good…
Course 1: The scallop was perfectly cooked, and was a favorite of at least one person at the table. It was also served over a piece of toasted brioche. I like toast, and it worked in both dishes, but it seemed a little early in the meal to be duplicating concepts.
Course 2: small servings of potato bisque, mixed greens (with green apple, walnuts, and tossed in champagne vinegar), and a grilled goat cheese sandwich. It was nothing earth-​shattering, but served as a nice warmup for the rest of the meal.
Course 3: the creamy orecchiette pasta with corn and parsley that was served under the duck confit was claimed to be a Dady specialty. I thought that was an odd claim to fame, but nice.
Course 4: instead of the artichoke barigoule mentioned in the online menu, it was replaced by one made with cauliflower, citron, and candied carrots. It was earthy, homey, and complimented the wonderfully fresh salmon.
Course 5: I don’t agree with a palate cleanser being counted as a course, but the lime-​flavored ice dessert topped with lemon zest had a thin mouthfeel initially, but the zest kicked after a second
Course 6 was the dividing dish of the meal, with some believing the grilled smoky flavor of the quail went too far (I liked it). Between the farrotto, roasted apple, and pear pasta, there were a lot of big flavors in the dish. I appreciated the boldness of it, though don’t think it really fit with the overall flow of the meal. It was cool to learn that the quail was raised just down the road, too.
Course 7 was a simple tenderloin with a grilled tomato, slice of potato, and Espagnole sauce (I think). The tenderloin was a good as it gets, though I thought my potato was underdone.
Course 8: Chef Dady loves his Nutella cake, offering it at four of his restaurants. You can’t go wrong with caramel sauce and peanut butter mousse.
Were we in a different city, I might have to think harder to consider the star rating for The Lodge, but in San Antonio, the meal was unparalleled, and I don’t think I would be exaggerating to claim this to be the best meal in the city. With impeccably fresh ingredients and a trained eye for preparation, it’s easy to see how Chef Dady was able to build a strong stable of restaurants upon the back of The Lodge. There’s nothing wrong with simple home cooking, and I’ve certainly enjoyed my fair share of Tex-​Mex while in San Antonio, but sometimes you need a reminder that food can serve to be more than sustenance — it can be a form of art. The Lodge is this reminder.

Had the Date Night special, which was fantastic! One of the reasons I like The Lodge is because they frequently have specials. The Date Night was 3 courses — a turnip potato bisque or salad, quail, beef tenderloin or salmon, and the nutella and dark chocolate tarte. We both ordered the bisque and quail. The bisque was perfect, velvety and creamy, with a dollop of marscapone in the middle. The quail was perfectly cook, and the nutella and chocolate was as it always is — awesome.
We got a few other dishes too. A strawberry cocktail to cleanse the palate. It was very fresh and light, with fennel seeds to give it a hint of licorice. The salmon and pumpernickel was a perfect bite, and the scallop on brioche was delicious. Pasta with duck confit was surprisingly light despite the pasta and parmesan. Foie gras and brioche was buttery smooth and slightly sweet, thanks to the strawberries on top. Rabbit wrapped in bacon came with carrots and mushrooms (because that’s what carrots eat). It was the perfect fall dish, to match the dropping temperatures outside. Last, after dessert, a macademia truffle, which reminded me of Hawaii.
The staff at The Lodge never fails to impress me. A waiter that we’ve seen before stopped by to say hello, our own waiter kept our wine and water glasses full, and our bellies even fuller. Bravo to chef Jason Dady for helping us explore our palates!