Iron Cactus — Mexican Restaurant on the San Antonio River Walk

Table-side guacamole first. It is made at your table in a molcajete — avocado, serrano, lime, cilantro, onion — spiced to whatever level you ask for, and it sets the tone for everything else the kitchen sends out.

Then fajitas. Certified Angus Beef, chicken, shrimp, veggie or the combo, marinated and served on cast iron so they hit the patio still sizzling. Brisket enchiladas, stacked pork enchiladas, baja fish tacos and the queso compuesto are the other regulars' orders, and vegetarians and vegans have real plates here — vegan tacos, veggie fajitas, veggie enchiladas — not an afterthought.

The kitchen cooks with avocado oil and butter and no seed oils at all, which is unusual for a high-volume tourist corridor and noticeable in the fried items. Sunday brunch runs 10am to 3pm on the River Walk, and the full food lineup with prices and photos is on the lunch and dinner menu.

More than 100 tequilas and mezcals sit behind the bar — blanco, reposado, añejo, extra añejo and a rotating set of small-production bottles — and the staff will happily walk you through a flight rather than sell you the most expensive pour on the shelf.

Margaritas are fresh-squeezed lime and real agave, no sour mix. The classic on the rocks is the benchmark; from there the prickly pear, spicy mango, jalapeño and Cadillac are the ones that leave the bar most often. Order one on the patio around sunset, when the barges start their evening runs, and you have the whole reason people come to this stretch of the river in a single glass.

We also run the Tequila Cruise — a private tasting on a River Walk barge — as a group experience. Full list on the tequila and drinks page.

Convention groups, rehearsal dinners, Fiesta parties and reunions all land here for the same reason: the address does half the hosting. We have private dining space inside, semi-private sections on the river level, patio areas that can be reserved for a group, and the option of a full buyout during peak weeks.

A coordinator handles menus, bar packages and timing, and can add the Tequila Cruise as a pre-dinner activity. Capacities, layouts and the inquiry form are on the San Antonio private event spaces page.

The address is 200 River Walk, San Antonio, TX 78205. We are on the river level below the Aztec Theatre and directly next to the Mokara Hotel — take the stairs down from North St. Mary's Street at Crockett, or follow the walkway along the water from the Shops at Rivercenter. The Alamo is a five-minute walk east, the Henry B. González Convention Center is about seven minutes along the river, and the Majestic Theatre is three blocks north.

If you are arriving by barge, the Aztec Theatre landing is the marker to watch for; boat tours pass directly in front of the patio. Driving, the nearest garages are under the Shops at Rivercenter and along St. Mary's, and most downtown hotels are close enough to walk. Rideshare drop-off is easiest at street level on Crockett or St. Mary's.

Hours are Sunday through Thursday 11am to 10pm and Friday and Saturday 11am to 11pm, with Sunday brunch served 10am to 3pm. Reservations are recommended for patio tables at sunset and for brunch; the bar takes walk-ins.