Bohanan's Prime Steaks & Seafood

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Downtown San Antonio Institution Since 2002

On historic Houston Street, directly across from the Majestic Theatre, Bohanan's Prime Steaks & Seafood has anchored downtown San Antonio's fine dining scene since 2002. The upstairs dining room carries the warm, unhurried feel of an old-world steakhouse — dim lighting, plush seating, considered décor — while the street-level Bohanan's Restaurant & Bar offers a more relaxed take on the same standard, complete with a newly expanded courtyard patio and live jazz on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Chef Mark Bohanan

The restaurant's identity is inseparable from its founder. Chef Mark Bohanan grew up in Jourdanton, a small South Texas town about 50 miles from San Antonio. His mother and grandmother taught him to cook from scratch; his grandfather, by the family's own account "the king of barbecue," passed down a deep, regional knowledge of meat and smoke. That upbringing — practical, rooted, ingredient-focused — shapes everything that comes out of his kitchen. As Zagat put it: "A classic steakhouse done right, this much-loved downtown restaurant exceeds expectations with outstanding beef and an old-school vibe."

The Food and the Cellar

The menu centers on custom-cut, prime aged beef, including Akaushi beef — a richly marbled Japanese-heritage breed raised in Texas — alongside seafood flown in fresh daily. The wine program earned Bohanan's the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence, a recognition that reflects the depth and curation of a list carefully matched to the kitchen's ambitions. Guests frequently note that the staff guides them through both the wine selection and the menu with genuine knowledge rather than rote recitation.

Two Experiences, One Address

The upstairs Prime Steaks & Seafood room maintains a dress code — collared shirts for gentlemen, no gym attire — signaling the register of the experience. Downstairs, the Restaurant & Bar keeps things more informal without sacrificing quality, and its courtyard has recently been redesigned. Both venues are open seven nights a week, and the building accommodates private dining for larger groups, making it one of the more versatile fine dining addresses in the city.

The consistency across years — the DiRoNA Gold recognition, the Wine Spectator award, the repeat guests who describe it as "at or near the top" of every fine dining list they've compiled — speaks to a kitchen and a front-of-house that have chosen depth over novelty, and kept delivering on that choice.