Lisa's

Lisa's Mexican Restaurant
(210) 433-2531
815 Bandera Road


Remember that sitcom Cheers? My honey and I grew up with that show, so perhaps it was embedded in our psyche that we had to find a neighborhood spot where "everybody knows your name." When Lisa's moved from their old location to Bandera, mere blocks from our house near Woodlawn Lake, we couldn't wait to try it out. And we weren't disappointed! We have dined in on at least five separate occasions, including lunch, breakfast, and late dinner (post-9pm). The food and service are terrific. If you are looking for a solid place to take a large group at the last minute, this is it.


My favorite meal is the shrimp nachos, because Lisa's never overcooks their shrimp - they are large, plump, and perfectly pink. My honey and I recently ordered the parilla for two. For $20 we got a huge platter of beef and shrimp fajitas, with corn tortillas that arrived warm. The guacamole that came as a side was homemade, you can tell by the larger size chunks of avocado in there.

This brings me to one of the best things about the food at Lisa's - the charro beans. The fajitas come with a little cup on the side. Tex Mex comfort food at its finest! The smell and the taste of the warm bean broth were right on - I felt like I was tasting my abuelita's frijoles again, que Dios le bendiga. I was spooning it in like soup and savoring every slurp.

Another must have at Lisa's is the michelada. For those of you who don't live in Texas, or do live in Texas except under a rock, micheladas are like Bloody Marys but with Mexican beer instead of vodka. It's hard to make a michelada properly, because without the perfect mix of beer, tomato juice (or clamato), and the right splashes of hot sauce and fresh lime juice, really what you are going to end up with is the way your beer tastes the morning after you drank too much of it. Not good. Lisa's has one of the best micheladas in the City. Plus they serve it in a cold glass with a salted rim. Mama I'm home.

The icing on the cake at Lisa's is that everyone is so darn friendly. Ode to a place where the water glasses are never low and the panza is never empty.

Until next time, Buen Provecho!

FINAL WORD: Modern family spot with authentic Tex Mex, consistently exceptional service.
PANZA RATING: A-