Brick's River Cafe - American restaurant in Bandera - 1205 Main St, USA

(This is an updated version of my review) We went a little after 12 and it was not busy at all. We ordered the potato skins ( photo below) and it was delicious there was 6 of them but I forgot to take a photo of that and only have the one. I got the pulled pork sandwich and it was the the best pulled pork I have ever had ( as long as I remember). I got shoestring fries and mac and cheese with the pulled pork, there were really tasty. Three members of my party got the buffet (does not happen all the time and photo below) and they said it was really good. The second time they went back some of the chicken was a little undercooked but we hold them and they quickly fixed it. The buffet consisted of chicken, corn, mashed potatoes, green beans and gravy. My sister got the cheeseburger (kids cheeseburger)she said it was really good but was smaller than she would have liked. She got ice cream after it was vanilla and it was really good. I got pictures of the menu and the sweet tea was tasty not crazy sweet. The waiter was mostly on top of the drinks and he was nice. The bathrooms are a little small but they are clean. It can get a little busy here but it is worth it, I recommend coming here.

I'll start with the good part! The service was great and the atmosphere was amazing. They are located a little ways off of the mainstream where a lot of shops are located and you can get a nice quiet river view dining experience. Amazing. I love chicken fried steak but it wasnt done properly. The steak inside had zero work done to tenderize it and came out like a hockey puck. The breading was soggy and peeled off the steak like wet paper that disintegrated. Next time, Hit that steak flat with the tenderizer, score it, pat dry, then hit with the seasoned flour and buttermilk! Coleslaw was old and mushy. The saving grace was the mashed potatoes. That was good. Go else where if you are looking for chicken fried steak.

Our visit is a tale of 2 experiences. Our first 20 minutes was a definite 0 star. Beautiful afternoon to sit out the deck overlooking the ravine and river. We were on the deck with 3 other tables being serviced, however, TWO waiters completely ignored my family and I as we patiently waited to be acknowledged and waited on. Never happened. Even when the patrons at the three tables left, we sat out on the deck alone and nobody ever came back out. I say it was 20 minutes, my spouse says 30, that we patiently waited. I walked inside and talked to Daniel, the first waiter I saw, to order some drinks. Daniel was awesome and saved the day for us. Turned an awful experience into a satisfactory one. He took care of us from then on and gave us the attention and courtesy anyone would expect at a restaurant. The food was delicious and also a savior which was the reason we went to Brick's in the first place. Home cooked fried chicken and chicken fried steak were moist and flavorful. Smashed potatoes are a must try! Fried pickles and their jalapeño ranch are a great appetizer. Kids had grilled cheese and chicken tenders which they devoured. In Brick's defense, they are short on wait staff and are overwhelmed. However, a simple acknowledgment from the wait staff would've sufficed. Completely ignoring a patiently waiting family of 4 is never acceptable. The manager spoke with us and apologized for the lapse in service which we appreciated. I would return because Daniel was awesome and the food was delicious.

Where to start.....🤔 I'll just dive right in to the waiter bringing our drink order and then in a hurry saying, "just to let you know, the foods gonna take 45 min to an hour to come out." We weren't about to get up and leave after already waiting for our drinks so we stayed and ordered. So off the bat they're OUT OF LEMONADE. My daughter ordered mac n cheese, they're OUT OF MAC N CHEESE . After about 30 min, waiter comes out and says we're OUT OF SHRIMP, we only have enough for one order - we had two orders. Last but not least, my wife told staff the ladies bathroom was OUT OF SOAP, and they said they'd get to it. After the meal they WERE STILL OUT OF HAND SOAP IN THE RESTROOM. She went back out and asked again and they brought her a pump bottle that had about a 1/4" of soap in it and said, SORRY, THAT'S ALL WE GOT, WE'RE OUT OF SOAP. 😵 We were OUT OF LUCK! The Food: My chicken fried backstrap was good and well portioned, fries & green beans, ok. My poor wife's fried fish and chips plate looked pathetic! (See pic below) That's exactly how they brought it out. Looks like they were running OUT OF FRIES! Batter was crispy, fish mushy. The "KIDS CHEESE BURGER" is ONE slider with shoestring fries. My 7 year old just gasped as she, and the whole table laughed at the size of it, including the waiter. The Broasted Fried chicken my bud ordered looked and tasted good according to him. I did get a laugh that they hollowed out a crater in his mashed potatoes only to leave it empty 🤔 The Gulf Shrimp were large and looked tasty. Big burrger looked good and got a thumbs up but the chicken fried steak was apparently undercooked and chewy. Last but not least, THEY WERE OUT OF ICE CREAM that came w kids meal but made up for it w some cake dessert from the fridge - thank you. Don't know what was going on this day, but I don't want to come back to find out. It's a shame, too. It's a great location on the Medina River but too bad they can't capitalize on it. NO SOAP FOR YOUR RESTROOMS??? REALLY???? 🤢 HOPE YOU'RE SAVING IT ALL FOR THE KITCHEN? Do better.

Not the best we’ve tasted, but definitely still unique and has wonderful food! Overlooking Medina River, the restaurant is decorated nicely and with a nice view. The wait staff is quick, kind, and reads minds. The food portions were large and prepared well, and the gravy was the prime topping to the entrees. It’s hidden behind a motel and is a fantastic place to stop on by when passing through Bandera.

Good hometown American food. My wife ordered chicken fried steak with some cabbage that was very delicious. I ordered a Dr pepper barbecue burger and the Dr pepper barbecue sauce was amazing. They do sell a full bar and beer they don't have any signature drinks. You can walk behind the restaurant down a path into an open field right by the river.

Thanksgiving dinner at Bricks with extended family. Food was delicious and more than filling. A great time.

Great puppy friendly deck and the service and food were amazing! We had the taco salad🤤!!