A Yuppie's Review: Josephine Street Café

What’s a good mixed drink that has whiskey in it?

Seriously, it’s still kind of bugging me that the best I could come up with was the frat-boy staple “Jack and Coke”. The white neon signs in the front windows of this old building invite you for “Steaks” and “Whiskey”, and I felt the need to sample both.

Whiskey sour would have been a better choice, but in a convincingly authentic place like the Josephine Street Café I should have been a man and ordered it straight up.

This place is all about atmosphere. Despite being only a stone’s throw from San Antonio’s urban core, it’s amazing how easy it is to forget your proximity to the freeway (the restaurant’s parking lot is underneath 281). After entering through the side door and admiring the plethora of old dirty trucker hats mounted over the bar, my Miata outside transformed into a trusty old F-150. I felt conspicuously bootless.

Now that’s not to say that I was alone in my bootless-ness. There was quite an eclectic mix ranging from bikers to yuppies and everything in between. It’s especially gratifying during this polarizing Obama vs Palin political race to see a bearded hippy sitting adjacent to a conservative sexagenarian couple. Isn’t gentrification great?

Did I mention there’s a tree in the middle of the restaurant? Yup, a tree. And I’m not talking about one of those “let’s plant a tree on arbor day” kind of trees. It’s one of those “Paul Bunyan better clear his calendar” kind of trees.

After a one-drink wait at the bar for the staff to get a table for seven together, we were seated near the window and the 500-year-old sapling. A couple of differently sized card tables were assembled to create our altar of fine dining.

Chips and Queso were expectedly tasty but nothing special. My chicken fried steak with a side of mashed ‘taters was also good but forgettable. It was probably one of the better ones that I’ve had, and it was very reasonable on my wallet. At $8 for my chicken fried artery clogger I feel as though I got a bargain, although my future heart surgeon may disagree.

But really you're here for the ambiance. Prices are good, food isn’t bad, and the floor is appropriately slanted. Don’t go here expecting to be coddled while being spoon-fed veal.

The waitress got the job done efficiently on a busy Friday night and didn’t even complain when we creatively divided the check. I didn’t get any warm fuzzy feelings from her, but this isn’t the sort of place where you expect anyone to kiss your ass. All business, just like my Miata...umm I mean…my F-150.