18 Oaks

"There Is A Lot To Love About 18 Oaks"

18 Oaks is a fine dining restaurant that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  My husband, 2 little girls (ages 4 & 5) and I dined there for dinner on our second night while staying at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa.  We enjoyed the atmosphere and service but the food stood out especially.

ATMOSPHERE

18 Oaks is located in the Club House just off the 18th greens of the two TPC golf courses.  The views are gorgeous and the decor is top notch with a “country club grill” feel.  The furnishings reflect the Hill Country theme with an upscale flare.  Like the other restaurants at the JW Marriott, the bustling kitchen is open and visible to the guests.

SERVICE

From the very start we were greeted with smiles and everyone was warm, friendly and professional.  Our server, Angela T., was very knowledgeable about the food and very attentive to our needs.  We never had a moment where we felt she was ignoring us or not answering our questions.  And when we did have a question she couldn’t answer (such as the name of the dinner rolls)...she went to the chef and wrote down the exact spelling so that we could take it with us.

FOOD

The food...OH THE FOOD...Mmmm...

We were brought Sacaduros which is a scrumptious dinner roll served with fresh salted butter.  I could have eaten about five of these rolls, but was afraid I’d be too full to enjoy the rest of the meal so I managed to resist.  I liked them so much, that when I came home I researched for a recipe online to make them.  After viewing the kids menu we quickly realized that this food was a little too daring for our picky eaters, so we asked Angela if the chef would be willing to make something off the menu and they were more than willing to oblige.  As appetizers my husband started with the foie gras and I had the heirloom tomatoes with house-made mozzarella and 25 year balsamic vinegar.  We sampled each other’s appetizers and agreed both were superb.  18 Oaks is known for their prime cuts of meat  (sourced from a nearby ranch) so my husband and I both enjoyed their great filet mignon.  We each opted for the 8 oz. filet, while eyeing their Texas Waygu 8 oz filet mignon, but at $68 a pop...we opted for the regular $34 cut.  We selected two sides to split consisting of creamy spinach reggiano gratin and goat cheese gratin.  They were both perfect sharing portions.  Before our entrees arrived, Angela brought over a tray of eclectic,  handcrafted steak knives and asked us to select one that appealed to us.  Our entrees were prepared in a reasonable amount of time and presented beautifully.  Unfortunately (for him) I had eaten a good third of my steak before my husband cut into his and realized they had given us each other’s steaks.  This would not have been a problem (again for him) except for the fact that he ordered his rare and I ordered mine medium.  We didn’t make a fuss about it, but I’m sure if we had, they would have taken care of us immediately.  We were so stuffed at this point that we had to order our dessert (something chocolate) to go for later.

OVERALL

I have only two small criticisms, but neither one would keep me from coming back in the future:  1) the restaurant was noisy and 2) the chairs (although comfortable) sit way too low for the tables.  The cost was on the high side, but given the fact that 18 Oaks is a fine dining restaurant and the food was outstanding, the prices were very fair.

Recommendations:  18 Oaks is more suited for an adult crowd or possibly a couple celebrating an anniversary or special occasion.  While we did take our two young children (and thankfully they were well behaved), they were also the only other children in the restaurant.  Fortunately we had reservations at 6pm before the busy crowd and my husband and I both brought our iPhones loaded with games and movies which kept them entertained.  It would have been a great time to utilize the Range Rider’s Kids Club while we had a nice romantic date.

“*This review was based on a complimentary visit to 18 Oaks.  I received no other compensation and the business owner did not state any requirements that I express a particular point of view.  The opinions I express are entirely my own.”