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About
Overlooking a quiet bend of the San Antonio Riverwalk, but within walking distance of all Downtown hotels and the Convention Center, Biga on the Banks highlights the daily changing menu of Chef Bruce Auden, the most frequently James Beard nominated Chef in San Antonio. Menu features seafood, steaks, lamb and wildgame with a preference for local and sustainable product, but do leave room for the Sticky Toffee Pudding.With high Zagat ratings Biga is an ideal venue for a romantic dinner for 2 or has impressive private dining rooms to entertain clients.
PRICE RANGE
RM 193 - RM 377
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Dinner, Drinks
CUISINES
American, International
FEATURES
Seating, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Accepts Discover, Reservations, Private Dining, Parking Available, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Gift Cards Available
Reviews (1,637)
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1,607 results
Traveller rating
1,150
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LanguageEnglish
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Traveller rating
1,150
293
113
36
15
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All reviews quail bouillabaisse rack of lamb sticky toffee pudding red snapper oysters salad cornbread mahi mahi potatoes chicken our waiter the river anniversary dinner fine dining great wine list dining experience
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Reviewed 2 days ago

Had a lovely time at Biga. Upscale & Sophisticated is the vibe here. I ordered the price fixe menu.....salad, baked salmon & sticky toffee pudding. Was a bit concerned about portion sizes but not to worry it was all good & did I mention Delicious...yes very. Our server Gill was friendly & helpful. Oh btw my sister had the snapper & from all accounts also very good. Only downside was some kind of mixup in the kitchen whereby I was served my entree before my appetizer which created havoc with my taste buds as I was expecting one thing but got another.More

Date of visit: March 2024
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Reviewed 16 January 2024

We'd never been to San Antonio or to Biga and the restaurant would be a primary reason we'd come back to visit! From start to finish every element of the experience was terrific. We were greeted by friendly hosts, the ambiance is inviting and relaxing,...and the view of the river is great. Key to our dining experience was our waiter Chris who was really personable and knowledgeable, recommending a great wine option and asking questions about what type of food we were interested in. To top it off, the food was fabulous. I had snapper and my husband had steak - both cooked perfectly. The timeliness of food delivery and check-ins with us make the experience all the more pleasant. Dessert of sticky toffee pudding (delicious!) capped off an amazing meal. Couldn't have happened without amazing waitstaff. Loved every moment.More

Date of visit: December 2023
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Reviewed 13 January 2024 via mobile

Wow. Started with the Foie Gras appetizer. Confession, had never tried this delicacy. Incredible, never experienced such melt in your mouth tenderness of meat. My wife had delicious fresh chicken entree, son had the lamb and I had the Red Snapper. All were excellent. Great...sauces and accompaniments for all 3. Lengthy wine and cocktail lists. Nice atmosphere. Go and enjoy!More

Date of visit: January 2024
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Reviewed 14 December 2023 via mobile

Had a large group dinner here on a Saturday night. The restaurant has a nice ambience, and seems like it would be a good place to have a date night. We had a large number of dishes and we were all pleased. Portions we good...and items were fresh and prepared to order. They have a good wine list. Servers were attentive but not intrusive. Worth a visit.More

Date of visit: December 2023
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Reviewed 10 December 2023 via mobile

We loved everything about Biga on the Banks. The location is off the beaten path but that wasn’t an issue. We had a reservation but called to move it back and they were very understanding. My wife ordered the red snapper and I had the...Evan chicken breast. We went with half orders since we were so full from our lunch. It’s great that a fine upscale establishment would offer full and half size portions to choose from. My chicken breast was moist, seasoned perfectly and the asparagus was just as good. The red snapper was just as delicious. We loved the ambiance and Matthew was our server. He did a phenomenal job. We made it after the rush but we thoroughly enjoyed the quiet laid back setting. My wife is a picture person and at least 3 different people took pictures of us and they all did it with a smile. Love Biga on the BanksMore

Date of visit: December 2023
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Reviewed 5 December 2023

Everything was absolutely outstanding. The food was really good as were the wines. Jose, our server, went out of his way to be sure we were pleased. And we really were!

Date of visit: December 2023
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Reviewed 4 December 2023 via mobile

The food was good. Everything interesting, flavorful and expertly prepared and presented. We shared the Spinach and Frisee salad, husband had Seared Beef Tips and I had the True American Red Snapper. We finished with a shared Grand Marnier Souffle and espresso. The dinners were...good, yes some unusual flavor combinations but the standouts were the salad (maple dijon vinaigrette) and the souffle was a knockout (the high salt content added to the initial experience put became too much eventually and we could not finish it). A few constructive presentation recommendations for staff: *crinkled cocktail menu… *Wine list delivered immediately when we sat down then waited for the dinner menus *cocktail and espresso lacked the usual (or any) garnish (lemon peel) and no brown sugar option for espresso *salad accoutrements split evenly will allow both guests to enjoy the full flavor experience What staff did very well: *water filled repeatedly without asking *every item served included a circle back to see if ok *immediate remedy (bev garnishment) Restaurant positives: *half portion options on several dishes Date Recommendation: There is a little round table at the end with a curtain…might be a nice surprise for a romantic date if you request it in advance. Reservations get you window seats, fcfs. Overall, a lovely dinner.More

Date of visit: December 2023
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Reviewed 15 November 2023

Biga was one of two fine dining restaurants that my wife and I chose on our extended weekend to San Antonio. The menu was the first feature that attracted our attention. Fine dining establishments limit menus so that they are able to specialize. As vegetarians...we were able to find entrees that fit our diet. Both of us ordered the pre fixe menu which featured salmon. Wow! The salmon was best we ever ate. Flavorful, seasoned appropriately, moist, and flaky with a very light crust. Our entire meal was perfect. Service was excellent being attentive, responsive, solicitous. Also noteworthy is that we were served properly from the left, taking from the right! In San Antonio! The room was attractively decorated and spacious overlooking the river. We enjoyed a leisurely dinner not feeling rushed to turn over a table. Yes, it is pricey, but worth a meal for a special occasion. We hope to return.More

Date of visit: November 2023
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Reviewed 15 October 2023 via mobile

Chris was OUTSTANDING! He was courageous, friendly and knowledgeable. Best steaks we’ve had! The dessert sampler was incredible! Awesome atmosphere and great drinks! We will definitely visit again!

Date of visit: October 2023
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Reviewed 13 October 2023 via mobile

This was absolutely the best meal we had in San Antonio. I would go back just eat here. This is a foodie’s delight place. Great wine selections at very fair prices are to be had. The menu changes almost daily. The wait staff was over...the top fabulous.More

Date of visit: October 2023
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 5 October 2023

Really great. Lovely service great food. Reasonably priced for a fine dining restaurant. Accomodated us on a last minute res after we walked out of awful noisy cacophonous Boudros. This place was so elegantly sublime- wonderful bartender Matt, server Caleb just a kind delight! Gorgeous...decor, -modern sharp relaxing- on the River walk. Their prix fixe is 3 courses for $49 and believe me you dont want to miss the Sticky toffee pudding-havent had the like since leaving England. Saved our Anniversary evening- thank you!More

Date of visit: October 2023
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Reviewed 5 September 2023 via mobile

The food and service here is fine dining. Delicious ingredients, European standard fine dining size plates meaning you can fit in 3 courses. I had a lively shrimp salad to start, the antelope and quail as a main course and the dessert sampler for dessert...plus a couple glasses of bubbly. The atmosphere is refined but not European-stuffy. I turned up in shorts and a nice top and felt comfortableMore

Date of visit: September 2023
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Reviewed 31 May 2023

A few issues with this restaurant, to be clear the food is good. This rating is not based on the taste of the food but on my overall experience. I choose the 3-course meal which was priced at $49, I was charged $56 instead as...the meals were priced separately for a total of $56. Also I requested my lamb to be very well done, it came back with blood in it, they had to take it back wasting another 25mins, to make matter worse, the server came back with the well done lamb and said “this is not how people normal eat the lamb”, very insulting. The other problem is the portion served for the money charged is ridiculously small. I will never go back to this restaurant. Be careful if you choose to go there.More

Date of visit: May 2023
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Reviewed 26 April 2023

What a great place. The food was amazing. We started with escargot, then salad. My husband had snapper and I had mahi mahi. Everything was cooked and seasoned perfectly. We had a table near the window and could see ricer parade from seats or balcony...outside. This was a nice perk.More

Date of visit: April 2023
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed 29 March 2023

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to discover that San Antonio is a wonderful and vastly underrated restaurant town. After all, it is one of the visited cities in the country with one of the most visited tourist attractions, the Alamo. So my wife...and I enjoyed experiencing the many culinary delights that the city has to offer. One is Biga on the Banks, a chic fine dining eatery on the Riverwalk that offers an adventurous New American fare, worldly wines and an ever changing menu. Located at 203 South St. Mary's Street, in the International Center, near San Fernando Cathedral, Biga is a smashing success under the guidance of chef/owner Bruce Anden, a James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef/Southwest. Open from 5 to 9 Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 10 on Friday and Saturday, the menu features several traditional recipes that are familiar to a pair of 82-year-old retirees from Chicago with a pinch of southwestern flavor that makes you realize you aren't in Kansas any longer. We started with a splendid bread service with buttermilk cornbread, pain au Levain and focaccia. Also a bowl of turkey, pinot bean and vegetable soup with sourdough croutons, escargot with mushrooms and red wine garlic butter and a Caesar-like salad with romaine hearts, rd pepper Caesar dressing, croutons and parmesan with chicken breast. For an entree, my wife chose pan seared mahi mahi with potato and leeks, baby carrots, honey dill whipped mascarpone and pickled cucumber. I indulged in a grilled eight-ounce beef tenderloin with au gratin potato, asparagus, jammy tomato and bearnaise and steak sauce. For dessert, we shared portions of sticky toffee pudding with English custard and Guinness apple bread pudding with vanilla ice cream, blackberry compote and honey crunch tuile. And did I mention the spectacular atmosphere with the Riverwalk and downtown surroundings?More

Date of visit: March 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Questions & Answers
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Bixb1121
17 February 2024|
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Response from Bixb1121 |
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travellinjenna
18 February 2019|
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Response from Alabamatripcreator | Reviewed this property |
I was there first of Feb on a Friday night and they had a fixed price menu. We did order from it, but you don't have to do so. You can order from regular menu.
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bobmG7878VP
8 February 2019|
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Response from donovanw870 | Reviewed this property |
We shared everything - Scallops, Burger and Thai Salad. No problems and they split it all for us without us asking. In fact they pointed out the size of the burger as being full size even though it was on the Starter menu... More
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Biga on the Banks, San Antonio - Downtown - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Biga on the Banks

Biga on the Banks is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4.5