The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

The Flying Saucer Draught EmporiumThe Flying Saucer Draught Emporium
The Flying Saucer Draught EmporiumThe Flying Saucer Draught Emporium
Bar, Eatery

11255 Huebner Rd
Ste 212
San Antonio, Texas, 78230-1685
United States

(210) 696-5080 | map
beerknurd.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.16
Reviews:
36
Ratings:
64
pDev:
12.5%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by YonderWanderer:
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Reviewed by YonderWanderer from Colorado

4.13/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
The Flying Saucer, one of the few great places to go for beer while visiting San Antonio. Unfortunately I only made it out here once, but it was well worth it. A huge wall of taps line the room behind the bar, offering a great mix of locals, micros, and various quality imports. The atmosphere is nice, and on a Sunday night, it wasn't too crowded, and the service was good. The waitresses were all beautiful too, which is a great bonus in addition to all the good beer and food. The food was solid as well. I recommend the pretzel with bratwurst and cheese. The price was quite reasonable, and I would gladly visit here again.
Mar 12, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.03 by Sirnickatnite from Texas

Dec 22, 2017
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Reviewed by MusaJames from Texas

4.6/5  rDev +10.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
I'm not a person that enjoys craft beers so having such a a great selection of German/English/ Belgian beers on tap makes me very happy. The Saucer is an enjoyable place when it isn't so crowded. The food is pretty damn good and I have eaten there plenty of times. Food prices are not my favorite but oh well.

What I don't like about the place is the damn crowd that can pack the place on the weekends.
May 09, 2016
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Rated by SemperIPA from Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -13.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.25 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.75
Good chow. San Miguel Burger was legit. Beer selection better than average. Pretty good place!
Apr 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.76 by bigchiquilin from Texas

Feb 05, 2016
 
Rated: 3.85 by SergeLowpz from Texas

Aug 26, 2015
 
Rated: 4.26 by Texasfan549 from Texas

Jul 06, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by Devil_Doc from Texas

Mar 08, 2015
 
Rated: 4.53 by blastoderm55 from Texas

Feb 01, 2015
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Rated by bauerodb from Texas

4.65/5  rDev +11.8%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 3
Great beer tasting spot. Huge selection.
Jan 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by Magery from Kentucky

Dec 09, 2014
 
 
Rated: 4.75 by gbarbee from North Carolina

Nov 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by msanborn from Texas

Oct 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by StephRai from New York

Sep 26, 2014
 
 
Rated: 4.75 by Leschber from Texas

Aug 11, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by NatChris from Texas

Aug 10, 2014
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Reviewed by mattvaletudo from Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -26.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
Not so much a major craft brew place. More of a sports bar and place to go to be seen/hook up. A trendy place - not for craft enthusiasts. The pub food is pretty decent and reasonably priced. They have some happy hour specials from time to time, usually on beer that isn't that good. Go for lunch and avoid the douche factor that exists on a busy night. Right next door to the movie theater so it is nice to grab some grub and a couple of cold ones before you go check out a flick.
Aug 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by johnnyringo013 from Texas

Aug 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by SavageHopHead from Texas

Jul 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by wtkphoto from Michigan

Jul 13, 2014
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Reviewed by Andyyyyyy from Texas

4.54/5  rDev +9.1%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.75 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Great bar with a great drinking atmosphere. Most impressively is the waitress knowledge of beer. I have been twice in the last week and Lauren has listen to my likes and provided me some great beer I would have not known about. Not to Kenton the girls are a plus!!! Definitely like the place and will continue to visit throughout the years!
Jun 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by kgrichards from Texas

Mar 30, 2014
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Reviewed by Preisman from Texas

5/5  rDev +20.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
I would go weekly and enjoyed myself every time. The selection is better than none. The food is great. The staff is friendly and always have great advise. A few waitresses that knew my preferences and always had a taster waiting for me. And more often than not it was a great choice. Parking can be bad, but if is not impossible to deal with. Of all the Saucers I have been to this is my favorite.
Mar 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by bkeller04 from Texas

Feb 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.7 by jandadeboer from Texas

Feb 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by kjkinsey from Texas

Jan 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by vmdominguez from Texas

Jan 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by MikeH210 from Texas

Jan 03, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by strangebrew1981 from Texas

Nov 13, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by videofrog from Texas

Oct 23, 2013
Photo of champ103
Reviewed by champ103 from Texas

2.8/5  rDev -32.7%
vibe: 2.75 | quality: 3 | service: 2.75 | selection: 2.75 | food: 2.5
I seem to always hit up the local Saucer, where ever that might be. It is not my favorite franchise, or beer spot by any means. It is just usually solid. This location might be one of the lesser ones out there.

A small, awkward, and crowded bar. Along with a large dinning/sitting area. The typical penny lined tap wall and metal bar. The service seems clueless, which would be one thing. Though they also don't seem to care. At least when people are trying to get beers at the bar. Maybe I can't blame them when most everyone sitting at the bar is texting on their phones? Anyway, it takes forever to get noticed here.

I felt the beer selection was very substandard for the franchise. Certainly some good beer on the wall, but overall it just left me flat. There are probably 10 beers I have never had on the wall at downtown Houston. Here, they had 4 new beers total. Scrimshaw, Rodeo Clown, Karbachtoberfest, and some Euro lager. While the first three are great, just something I would expect them to have all the time (granted Karbach is relatively new here). The selection seemed more geared toward Euro beers, which is a mixed bag. I was really put off when they did not have anything from Live Oak, and no 512 Pecan Porter. No excuse to not have those.

Food is the same generic stuff at every other location. Basically the exact same menu.

Maybe as bad as the Little Rock location. Which is not good. I was not impressed here.
Sep 21, 2013
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Reviewed by CDRSchafer from Texas

4.13/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 3
I don't like places with crowded parking lots and SRO, that's why I moved to San Antonio from DC.

That being said, even though it's pretty crowded there, I generally like it. People in this town are respectful of your personal space. The tables are far enough apart to make me feel comfortable.

The beer selection could not be better. You can find most everything here.

The one quibble I did have is that they are seemingly unaware of the proper glassware as in you don't serve a Hefeweizen in a pint glass, that's just foul.
Feb 10, 2012
Photo of cfergusn
Reviewed by cfergusn from Texas

4.4/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Depending on the food and beer you get, the price can be reasonable. Food is overall good, standard bar flair with a slight twist. Selection of beer is large, which encourages you to try new types and open your taste buds. If you haven't joined the UFO club, its worth the membership. Service is hit or miss, but my beer goddess is knowledgable, as she has earned her plate. Quality is good, as there is no cheap seats, but the patio and indoor area give it a great atmosphere. Lots of medical, young professional, and at later hours, college kids visit. This is not the drink till you puke place, as most people here are responsible and respectful.
Dec 26, 2011
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Reviewed by elNopalero from Michigan

3.64/5  rDev -12.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Can’t comment on the food since I’ve only come here for beer. The waitstaff here runs the gambit, from servers who are friendly, attentive and welcoming, quick to offer you a taster if you’re undecided—there’s a good number of taps here, and no list or easy way to find out what’s pouring unless you look (and squint, if your eyesight is as crummy as mine)—to those who are standoff-ish, inattentive, or (with some of the guys) running at an energy level that exceeded my espresso intake for the day. The place can definitely pick up a fratty/dude vibe, especially when it’s hopping. Sundays are quiet and Texas pints are $3 so that’s become my go-do day for sneaking over here to work. Mondays are a madhouse until after midnight since the majority of their taps are $3. It’s a mixed bag, as you can’t always get what you want (to borrow the phrase). Last time I visited on a Monday night I noticed all the pours came with easily a finger and change of foam on top. When you fly solo and hang around the bar you notice these things. Not cool guys.
Nov 02, 2011
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Reviewed by jamescain from Texas

3.1/5  rDev -25.5%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
When I first moved to San Antonio I was excited to find out that I was living only a few blocks from the Flying Saucer. I had been to the one in Austin and enjoyed it so I was looking forward to living close to another one. Sadly this saucer is not like the one in Austin. There have been a few times that I'm pretty sure they were selling beers using dirty lines. I refuse to drink any beer there unless it was tapped that day, because of that. They very rarely tap "exciting" beers like the other saucers in the state. The feel of the establishment is that of a hipster bar. I have no problem with trendy places, but it is more like a college bar then a beer bar. I understand that I have the ultimate choice whether or not to go, and I choose to not go there. It's disappointing that this location is not as good as the other locations within the state. I've emailed them before, complaining about their dirty line and other various objections, but they just send me excuses and refuse to fix the problems. I'm not the only person that has experienced these problems with this bar before. There food is good though, but that is not enough to make me go there. If I were asked by someone visiting the city, where to go for a good beer, I would not recommend this place.
Jul 22, 2011
Photo of jdense
Reviewed by jdense from Oregon

4/5  rDev -3.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Stopped by afternoon of 4.20.11.

Located in a fancy strip mall about 7 miles NW of downtown, there's no sign on the main street to indicate this is the right location, thank goodness for GPS. The usual SAT layout, good size dog-friendly patio in the front of the building, about a 12 seat bar, and tables scattered not too close together. The usual impressive at first glance beer list, several Texas craft beers, but nothing too impressive. Didn't try the food. To be honest, pales in comparison to the other Flying Saucer I've been to, KC, which had Bell's Two Hearted on tap and on cask. I'm sure there's something for most everybody here, including plaid schoolgirl skirt aficionados, but I wasn't very impressed and if I come back to SAT I won't come here again.
Apr 21, 2011
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Reviewed by kinupanda from Texas

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
This place has become my regular haunt, having come here regularly for the better part of the past seven years, and deserves to be my first location review on this site. Indeed, one of the characteristics high on the list when looking for a new place to live was "proximity to the Saucer." It is just that wonderful, and the quality and service seem to have gotten better as I've patronized it more over the years.

As the beer menu implies, plenty of beers on tap, even more in bottles, with new arrivals rotating in on a regular basis. Beers are generally served at the correct temperature and in the correct glassware; during happy hour I do get something snifter-worthy served in a pint glass, but I obviously choose not to complain, as it is more beer than I'd bargained for. There is a "fire sale" for $3.00, and most beers are in the $4.50 to $6.00 range; considering that a lower-quality beer can sometimes set one back that much elsewhere, the investment is worth it. Also, the lack of liquor sales (some Saucers do sell liquor) means the focus is exactly what it should be, on beer.

The servers are certainly appealing to the eye, but they are more than that: most of the ones who can hack it and have worked there for a reasonable length of time definitely are knowledgeable about the product they are providing. Indeed, I have seen the managers training the servers, and they are tested on their beer IQ based on a thick binder that contains all sorts of knowledge on the styles and properties of beers. Definitely legitimate there. Service is generally prompt, except for when it's insanely packed (as can be expected) or ridiculously dead (an oddity I have yet to figure out, and possibly the only demerit sometimes). Once the first beer is in your hand, though, the servers do a good job of checking on you.

The food is quite good, and has rarely if ever missed. When I'm looking for something light with an after-work companion, a meat-and-cheese tray goes well and adds an air of classiness, with beer and cheese pairings that are often guided by the menu and/or the server and that do not overwhelm the palate. For an actual meal, the Saucer Bratzel (soft pretzel coated with cheese and slices of bratwurst) or the Chicken Philly (exactly what it sounds like... highly recommended with avocado) seem to complement any style of beer well. It is bar food, of course, and probably isn't Weight Watchers friendly... but it is probably better than going to an actual chain bar and only having "wings" or "wings" to choose from.

The atmosphere is very inviting, whether it is filled to near-capacity or waning in the late evening hours. There is a fair amount of seating indoors, either at tables in the front (by the projector, which is often on showing a sporting event), the bar itself, in the Beer Garden atrium in the middle, or outdoors. Plenty of televisions, an open layout, and you can actually hear the people at your table.

Having been to some of the other Flying Saucers, I do wish that certain other beers were served here; likewise, I wonder why some brews from particular breweries are available, but not others. This, however, does not detract, as there is usually something untouched on the beer menu that pleasantly surprises me. Overall, the place does a good job of making one want to come back. After all, the FS model is based on consumer retention. Needless to say, it has worked on me.
Jan 19, 2011
The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium in San Antonio, TX
Place rating: 4.16 out of 5 with 64 ratings