Firewater Grille- 26108 Overlook Parkway, 78260

We live within walking distance of this restaurant, and were excited to have a place so close to take the kids on nights that we just needed a night off. We have been here five times, and each time was a big disappointment. We will not be returning so this review probably won't get an update.

Atmosphere: C

The location was obviously a plus, and then decor of the restaurant is nice, trying to be very modern, they have a waterfall wall that changes color and concrete floors. There is also covered outdoor dining that is not right by a highway, so it is an enjoyable area. They have a screen that they are intending to use for Spurs games and family movie nights, however we have yet to see it actually be utilized. We have usually gone on week nights, only once did we go on a weekend, but each time the restaurant was in need of a broom and mop and some of the tables were dirty. On the weekend night we were quoted a wait time of 20 minutes, and were sat in 50 minutes with no apology. The other times that we have been the restaurant was slow, but we still waited twice for about 5 minutes for them to wipe a table off. When you have kids, every minute of wait is equal to about 5 for a child, and it gets more painful the longer it goes on. We have been a couple of times when we did not get a high chair because they were out of them, and there is no kids menu at all. The waiter had to spout off the options that they had for children, and of course when that happens the prices are not mentioned.

Service: D

Each time we have visited the service has been less than acceptable. Greeted very late, one time we even had to flag down a server to get noticed. They consistently brought the wrong item out, and when you tell them that is not what you ordered, they actually have told us that they were out of what we ordered so they just subbed in another option! The food has not been all that tasty, I feel I could easily top them in my own kitchen with not much effort. The kids meals, oh the kids meals. Three different times I had to share with my daughter because her food had been sitting so long under a heat lamp it was dry and inedible. When we pointed this out to our server, they just said sorry! So now we have a dish that someone cannot eat (and the dish was ready to burn her skin off), and my husbands dish was cold. Never has a manager even been seen, let alone come by and visit the table. When I need a night out, a night off, leaving feeling more frustrated than I do a horrible day at work is not what I am in search of!

Value: C

I realize that this is a local establishment and not a chain, so I expect the prices to be a bit more, and I can appreciate that. However, this place is overpriced a bit. The menu descriptions of the food make it sound appropriately priced, but the reality is the food doesn't taste like it sounds. When you order something and it is not really edible, it should be taken off the bill, in fact good customer service would have been to comp another meal, or offer free dessert, none of that was even an option.

Selection: C

I have to give this area an average rating, because I don't remember all the items that were rattled off to us that were kid fare, and I cannot even find a list on their website. I do however remember that they had more than chicken nuggets, burgers, and Mac and Cheese, so that is why I am giving them a C.

Entertainment: F

Remember this is a blog about kids, not entertaining adults, and I am afraid that a waterwall doesn't count. There is nothing that this restaurant provides to fancy a child. I had to laugh when I saw on Urban Spoon that they mention they are kid friendly, not even the servers were friendly with my children. We were constantly trying to keep them occupied as nearby patrons looked on, some with smiles, others with scowls. I have no problem keeping my kids busy during a meal, we come prepared, but the dining experience there always has last almost 90 minutes, and I believe that even Mr. Rogers would struggle with a hungry kid and that time frame.

So basically this restaurant has been a local disappointment. I hoped that they did poor in the beginning and would get better with time and experience, but recent visits have proven that wrong. Overall this restaurant has earned a D.

-The Thomas Troop

Buffalo Wings and Rings- 203 N. L. 1604 W. Ste #100, 78232

This review is compiled over a few visits. We have been there with the kids a couple of different times, and each time has gotten a bit better. This establishment is fairly new and they are expected to have some growing pains.

Atmosphere: A

Each time we have been to this place, there was no wait, the only time we waited was while they were pulling tables together to accommodate our larger party with kids. The restaurant is very clean, this could be because of just opened luster has not worn off, I hope they can keep the shiny gleam up. The noise level is medium, just perfect for some kid babble that doesn't overpower a normal conversation. There is also an outdoor dining area, but we have yet to experience it since it opened in the winter months.

Service: B

This is the area that has not been consistent between visits. The first time we ate here, the service would have earned them a solid F. The server showed up very seldom, our order was wrong when it arrived 25 minutes after we placed the order on a less than busy night. When it was discovered that the order in fact was inaccurate, they just took the food and told us a new order was being made. So one of us got to sit and wait while everyone else was nibbling their order. We were never visited by a manager either, the overall service experience was less than desirable. The following times have been their redemption. The service was prompt and courteous, our server engaged with the kids and teased them while taking orders around the table. She also had another server help her deliver the food so that everyone could begin eating at the same time. The manager came by twice to ensure that everything was up to our standards and that we didn't need anything else. The later visit redeemed their service grade big time.

Value: B

The kids menu is priced at about $4-$5 per menu item, however the great thing here is that on Monday evening it is kids eat free night. For each adult entree that is ordered you get one free kids meal, huge bonus in my eyes, makes dining out a little more budget friendly, and gives me an excuse to take the busy Monday off from the "What's for dinner?" question I so love. The taste of the items is good, and the adult selections are pretty tasty as well. If you are on a low sodium diet though, I would probably skip this place.

Selection: B-

This is the weakest area of the Wings and Ring experience. The selections are the usual friend chicken, hamburgers, Mac N Cheese, corn dogs, or grilled cheese, the saving grace of their kids selections are the side items, although it is not on the online menu, you have a selection of steamed broccoli, salads, apple slices as well as french fries, good way to add some nutrition. The kids meals also come with either soda or milk, but there are no refills on the milk, but on a positive side they do have actual kids cups, so that spills are not a huge worry.

Entertainment: B+

There are some great options to keep your kids occupied while you are enjoying an evening or afternoon out. There are TV's all over the restaurant, not one seat in this place is without a TV view, so you can keep the kids and husbands busy for a bit. They also provide kids menu's that are coloring/activity pages, good for some distractions. Free Wi-Fi is also available, so if you need to open your Netflix and get a video going, easy to do. Also they have a small arcade space in the corner that is convenient for the older kids to check out.

Although they have experienced some growing pains in the beginning, it seems that Buffalo Wings and Rings off of 1604 North is going to be a good option for family dining. Guys get to watch sports, gals can chat and kids can enjoy the outing too. Overall we give them a B+, with more visits this grade may change to an A.

-Thomas and Sitzman families

Texas Road House- 16915 San Pedro Ave, 78232

This review is from a couple of visits. We have been to this establishment a few times, and it seems that they are pretty consistent when it comes to family dining.

**VERY IMPORTANT**
If your child has a nut allergy DO NOT go here. They have a barrel of peanuts right when you enter the door and customers are encouraged to throw their shells on the floor. Very dangerous environment for a child with a nut allergy!!!

Atmosphere: A

We have a tendency to get to most places around 5:30 pm. Each time that we have been here, the longest we have waited is 5 minutes, perfect for kid time. There is a large area that the kids can let some energy out without annoying too many people in the process. The restaurant overall is very clean, there are peanut shells on the floor, but the table and high chairs and booster seats have always been clean. The noise level is adequate, but not too high, perfect for letting kids be kids without having to shush them constantly. The staff here always seems to be clean as well, dressed in t-shirts and jeans, but always well groomed. Another note for the peanut shells that encompass the floor, a big plus for the goldfish and other items that join them later, you don't feel so guilty about leaving a bit of a mess.

Service: A

The staff here has always been very friendly to us and our children. We have had servers that engage with the kids one on one and make it a point to make them part of the customer base as well. They have never run out of high chairs or booster seats. We have never been sat at a dirty table, and we have always been greeted within minutes of sitting down. The food has always come out quickly and has always been accurate.

Value: A-

Most of the items on the kids menu are fair priced. The reason that I gave them a minus is because I just have a hard time paying almost $4.00 for half a box of Kraft Mac and Cheese when I or any other parent knows the exact price of this at their local grocery store. The amount of food that is in each meal is abundant, and the food quality is always good. The chicken tenders are actually handmade there from breast meat. The steak selections are good selections of meat, just mini sized for tiny lips and tummies. Overall the menu is moderately priced, including the adult meals.

Selection: B

Other than the steak selections on the menu, they have the standard kid fare. Most of it isn't really that nutritious. The side selections provide more of a nutritional variety with having vegetables and beans join the usually starchy treats, but let's face it most of our kids will prefer potatoes over cooked carrots. There are two sizes of kids meals, there is a small diner option and then the "ranger meals" selection which are a bit larger in portion and cater to an older palate. The chicken finger meal is just perfect to split between two kids, and they don't charge an extra fee to split it up.

Entertainment: B

They do a fair job of keeping the young ones entertained. There are activity place mats that are dispensed with crayons to keep them busy for at least ten minutes. The environment is upbeat though, and every once in a while certain songs will play that force the staff to do some line dancing to keep things lively. The only way a restaurant gets an A in this category is to have a kid friendly area that they can just get crazy in, but it has to be clean as well.

So the Texas Road House off of 281 and 1604 North is a highly recommended place to take your offspring to. Overall this restaurant gets an A. Well done to the staff and managers for making this a consistent experience.

-The Thomas and Sitzman clan

Welcome!

Just because you have kids, doesn't mean you have to be a prisoner of your home. Although it is more effort than it used to be to get out for the evening and go eat, it can be done and the effort should be rewarded by a positive dining experience. In a perfect world every place would be kid friendly and provide us with a great experience every time we entered their establishment, but we all live in the real world. I am the parent of two children, one of school age and one is a toddler, and my sister has twins that are a year old. We have decided that it would be nice to have a place to get some information from parents regarding what they thought and have experienced at local eateries (San Antonio, TX). We will be rating the establishments that we visit by a number of factors.
First we will begin with the atmosphere, was it clean, too quiet, too fancy? Anyone with small children understands the need of some room noise so you don't get "the look" from nearby patrons, and no parent wants to ruin some one's fancy outing because you brought your munchkins to a place that really doesn't cater to small peeps.
The next category that will be evaluated is the overall service. Are they good with kids? Did the food come out 30 minutes after you ordered and your kids are having a massive meltdown? did the manager come visit the table? Was anything done above and beyond your expectations that made your experience more memorable or more pleasant?
Now let's get to the value of the meal. Did your kids get two overcooked chicken nuggets for $7.99 or did you get a decent amount that tasted like chicken instead of cardboard for your money? Do they have a kids eat free night or option?
If you are a parent (and if you are not I have no idea why you are reading this), then you understand that value is just as important as selection. Did they have three options on their menu, fried, fried and fried? Do they have options for sides other than french fries? What about the drink selection?
While you are sitting at the table are your kids entertained enough so that you can have a conversation with the other adults at the table? Should you plan on loading up your iPhone or coloring books so that the kids can make it until the food comes out without you having to walk them around the restaurant pretending you are interested in the decor when you would rather be sipping on your glass of wine that is calling you from across the room.
Each category will be rated on a typical school grading scale, with C being average. Each vicinity will also have an overall rating.
We welcome feedback, but please understand that we are just expressing the details of our experience. If you have a particular place that you would like rated, please let us know, we are always willing to pack up the rugrats and head out to try new things. Also if you have experiences you would like to share with us, please let us know and we can add them to our ratings as well. This is for enjoyment and just a parent to parent review!

-The Thomas and Sitzman clans

if you would like to contact us, you can email me at oakley518@yahoo.com