The Winchester

My stop at The Winchester is always unique but mostly satisfying. I enjoy people watching, but the ambiance is a bit more reserved than the Twin Peaks or 54th Street eateries. The wings are darn good, and their THICK cut bacon (which is in several of their menu items) holds its own quite well against many of the diners and food stops in San Antonio that I've sampled; it blows the doors off of Twin Peaks bacon offering. An assortment of enticing burgers will also satisfy a peckish appetite. The staff is friendly, with a great atmosphere, and with a buffalo's head on the wall across from two Winchester repeating rifles above the bar, it is just a nice place to spend some time from one's busy day. Enjoy!

We have come to this location twice now because it's atmosphere is just great. I also love the location. Cruising through Broadway is always a plus. But the food, oh my, not appealing. I understand having to wait for food on a Monday with the steak night promotion, but having to wait an hour with temperature and side errors is a big NO. So I tried something on the menu this time. Chorizo Mex-Scotish Eggs were tiny and absolutely flavorless. I tasted zero Chorizo flavor or even salt although cooked to the perfect temperature. The Chicken Schnitzel was terrible. Huge in portion but no flavor whatsoever. The gravy was wonderful but sadly served so cold it was now thick and matted looking. Mashed potatoes were equally cold. Having to wait for food for a large group is understandable, but having to wait that long for cold food is just disappointing. Our server never brought napkins, refills, nor takeout plates. Just not the best experience.

I didn't expect it but Winchester has an extensive menu. I am especially fond of their Chorizo mexi-scotch eggs. We had their brussel sprouts salad as well with buffalo wings and fries. Great selection of beers on tap, I love the Pint house Jellyfish and found it on tap there. Dart boards, TVs, pool tables and a jukebox. They serve food until 11p. What else could you ask for from a local bar?! The only downside was the service that night. Definitely would recommend they spend some time training on customer service and acting with more urgency. I will still be back but I hope the service improves.

I'm only giving 3 stars because the atmosphere was unique and the food was ok. Sat for over an hour to get a bacon and egg sandwich. There were 2 other tables while I was there, and only one ordered food. The one that ordered food had come in after we did, ordered after we did, and ate about 30 minutes before our food touched our table. There was absolutely no reason why a bacon and egg sandwich should take an hour. I was looking forward to eating here and was excited when I walked in, and it looked like a genuine pub. Thought the food would be as good as the atmosphere. I don't recommend going here unless you have time on your hands to spare. Unfortunate. They did have potential, but it was ruined with the wait time.

Sadly, this place has gone down hill in both customer service and food quality. Our orders tonight did not come out together and when I asked about it, server blamed the kitchen and said they didn’t “drop” our orders correctly. We had a group of 4 and 2 of our party had to wait 30 minutes after the rest of our table was served. Last time we visited Winchester, our fish and wings were both undercooked and had to be sent back. Winchester was a favorite place on our rotation for several years and sadly, they’ve gone down hill and we won’t be back. Owners should really get involved and get this place back on the right path. It’s a great venue and location but the failures of late prove that the leadership and accountability are lacking. Life’s too short to spend your hard earned money at establishments that just don’t care. Buyer beware! To cap it off, before we left, my wife and daughters went to the women’s restroom and there is a sign that says do not flush any paper down the toilet due to plumbing issues. There was literally a trash can next to the women’s toilet filled with TP that had piss on it from all the female patrons. Disgusting and has to be a health code violation. The owners just don’t care!