Casa Rio, 1946 430 E. Commerce St., (210) 225-6718, casario.com This River Walk mainstay claims the title of first restaurant on the River Walk, serving up Tex-Mex fare to thousands of visitors every week. According to the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the restaurant sits on land first granted title in 1777 by the King of Spain. Credit: Shutterstock / Sean Pavone

Most residents know that the San Antonio River Walk is largely about putting our best face forward for visitors. But a new study takes that a step further, declaring the historical landmark one the Biggest Tourist Traps in the U.S.

Indeed, the analysis, complied by property management company Casago, ranks the River Walk as the nation’s eighth-biggest tourist trap.

In case you’re wondering what a property management company knows about tourist traps, the study’s methodology is likely to leave you no less skeptical. Here’s how the firm came up with the rankings: it looked at TripAdvisor reviews in which people use the phrase “tourist trap” to describe spots they visit and tallied those up.

At least 304 people who visited the River Walk labeled the pedestrian-friendly paseo a “tourist trap” — and there you go.

Amarillo’s Big Texan Steak Ranch was the only other Texas site to make the list. Credit: Courtesy Image / Casago

Amarillo’s Big Texan Steak Ranch, home of the infamous challenge where your meal is free if you finish a 72-ounce steak in under an hour, was the only other Texas spot to make the list. It landed at No. 6.

California was the sole other state to have multiple so-called tourist traps in the top 10. Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco took the top spot, while Cannery Row in Monterey and Los Angeles’ Hollywood Walk of Fame took the No. 9 and No. 10 spots, respectively.

Whether you agree with the study’s “tourist trap” assessment, the River Walk remains one of the Lone Star State’s most-visited attractions. What’s more, other recent lists have extolled the downtown stretch’s gorgeousness. Last year, luxury travel agency Kuoni named it the No. 5 most beautiful spot in the U.S.

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This article appears in Apr 5-18, 2023.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...