One of the River Walk’s most legendary bars is staying in the family, at least behind the bar top. After 15 years at the helm, architect-developer Chris Hill has turned over The Esquire Tavern to longtime beverage director Stephan Mendez. The move hands day-to-day control to the bartender who helped shape the tavern’s cocktail program and mentor much of its staff. Mendez has said he plans to keep the menu and the historic wooden bar intact while zeroing in on training the next wave of Esquire bartenders.
According to a release reported by CultureMap San Antonio, Hill officially passed the keys to Mendez after reviving The Esquire from a five-year closure and running it for a decade and a half. The report notes that Mendez has served as the bar’s beverage director and is a founding member of the local chapter of the United States Bartenders' Guild. CultureMap San Antonio also reports that Mendez does not intend to alter the menu or the tavern’s famed 100-foot wooden bar.
A River Walk institution
The Esquire, which opened the day Prohibition ended in 1933, is widely regarded as the oldest bar on the San Antonio River Walk and was brought back to life after a hiatus in the early 2010s, according to MySA. Its cocktail program has drawn national attention and was recognized as a James Beard Awards semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Program in previous cycles, per Tasting Table. The basement speakeasy known as Downstairs, along with that long wooden counter upstairs, has become a cornerstone of downtown nightlife, according to San Antonio Current.
A bartender takes the wheel
Mendez has worked at The Esquire as head bartender and beverage director, and the tavern’s own staff bios describe him as a founding member of the San Antonio chapter of the United States Bartenders' Guild, per The Esquire Tavern. As he steps into ownership, he has indicated that his priorities are mentorship and maintaining the core menu and physical bar much as regulars know them today.
"Every person who has ever pulled up a stool here has become a part of what makes this place special," Hill said in a release covered by CultureMap San Antonio. He added that caring for the space has been one of the greatest honors of his life and that he is proud to pass it on to someone he trusts to share that same passion.
What to expect next
Mendez takes over as The Esquire remains part of Spot On Hospitality’s portfolio and continues to serve as a focal point of downtown hospitality, according to The Esquire Tavern. For now, the transition looks more like a handoff than a shakeup. Regulars can expect the same menu and that same long bar, with the new owner signaling that the Esquire’s long-standing traditions are staying put.
