San Antonio restaurant recommendations?

Sorry if this is a duplicate thread but I didn't find anything in my search.

Anyone have any restaurant recommendations for San Antonio? I'm going this weekend so the sooner you reply the better!

I'm looking for one Texas style barbecue place and one upscale (to a point) type place. Your help is appreciated!

I have some other recommendations but chew on this first:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4306&hilit=san+antonio

Liberty Bar
Very unique atmosphere, quail with green mole, wild boar sausage, buttermilk pie. Oh, I can't go on, my stomach is starting to growl.


http://www.liberty-bar.com/index_frameset.html

Here is another thread.

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.ph ... io#p179792


Breakfast recommendation:


Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery
218 Produce Row,
San Antonio (Market Square)

We went there with lower expectations as this would be considered a "tourist spot" that makes all the guide books. What we found was a fine Mexican restaurant that served an excellent breakfast that catered to many large family groups. We did the Machacado which was a great omelette that was made with beef jerky. It was a great dish with a good deal of heat offset by the eggs. My wife had the Chilaquiles Famosos which was quite good. The service was very homey and attentive.

Outside the dining room is a bakery. We picked up a few pecan pralines and a candied sweet potato which was unique but tasty.

For BBQ, I would 60 miles northeast to Luling, TX and head to Luling City Market which has excellent brisket, good homemade ssausage, and good ribs. Other wide, head an additional 12 miles north to Lockhart, TX and try one of those BBQ joints:


Luling City Market Bar-BQ
www.lulingcitymarket.com
4726 Richmond Ave
Houston, TX 77027
(713) 871-1903

http://www.lockhart-tx.org/web98/visito ... Content207

I am not saying that there isn't good BBQ in San Antonio. I have never had a bad meal at County Line or at Bill Miller's. I am just saying that the food in Luling and Lockhart.

Hope that helps.

For Texas bbq and a fun experience I'd say go to the original Rudy's BBQ - the Leon Springs location. Remember, you're in Texas so stick with the brisket. Being from Chicago I insisted on trying some baby back ribs - next time it's brisket only (maybe a hot link). And, please, do yourself a favor and get the cream corn - it's better than the brisket and the brisket is pretty damn good.

For upscale but not really, we like Boudro's on the riverwalk. I know some people think the river walk is a tourist trap but if that's the case it's one of the nicest tourist traps in the country. Take a ride on one of the boat tours and the tell you about all the great kinds of food they have down there: Italian Mexican, French Mexican, Cajun Mexican, Chinese Mexican, Thai Mexican..........

I think someone mentioned El Mirador - great for Mexican Mexican and Mi Tierra Bakery is worth a visit also.

Have a great time in one of my favorite cities.

www.rudys.com
www.boudros.com
www.elmiradorrestaurant.com
www.mitierracafe.com

Thank you everyone for your recommendations. We will be staying close to the river walk so I'm glad to hear it's not the worst tourist trap in the world.

Anyone know of other activities to do there? Here's what I'm considering and have come across. Let me know what's worth it and what's not as we only have 2.5 days there.

La Villita - historic Arts village
Alamo - obviously going there
Tower of the Americas - supposedly an awesome view of the city with a cool rotating restaurant but it might be out of our way
Riverwalk cruise - considering taking the Cafe Ole fiesta dinner cruise for some extra fun, anyone been on this?
Natural Bridge Caverns - 30 min away from the river walk, hoping there is decent transportation there?

Also...I've found these restaurants that haven't been mentioned yet. If you've been to them, let me know your thoughts:
La Reve
Biga on the Banks

Thanks in advance!

chewonthat wrote:Thank you everyone for your recommendations. We will be staying close to the river walk so I'm glad to hear it's not the worst tourist trap in the world.

Natural Bridge Caverns - 30 min away from the river walk, hoping there is decent transportation there?

The Riverwalk is a nice walk, narrow at spots but well worth the walk. As for the restaurants along it, I have NOT had much luck. I have eaten at three places and two were bombs and the third ordinary - and they were relatively expensive.

http://sanantoniotourist.com/attractions.cfm

We enjoyed the botannical gardens and we walked around the town a lot.

My wife always finds weird places to visit. One place was the US Army Medical Museum at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. It is worth an hour to see all the developments in medicine from the Revolutionary War to present.

If you are relying on public transportation to get around, you will find yourself somewhat limited. SA is more geared to driving around.

Best food I've had in San Anontio was from a taco trailer next to a gas station on the west side. There's a little local chain called Los Palmas that we call "The Mexican Denny's". Had many good breakfasts there. Chilaquiles, Huevos con Chorizo, etc. Reasonbly priced and usually well prepared in a Latino Denny's atmosphere. Good sweet breads and cookie things at the counter too. Thry're from a local Panaderia, but I don't know which one. I think there's about 5 or 6 Las Palmas locations, mostly in the northern half of the city.

Best meal(s) I've ever had at the river walk were at The Fig Tree. Nice little terrace and interesting dining rooms in a converted residence. Respectable wine list too. They do bill themselves as a fine dining establishment.

The Fig Tree Restaurant
515 Villita
San Antonio, TX 78205
(210) 224-1976
http://www.figtreerestaurant.com/menu.php

I'll second Schuyler's rec. of Liberty Bar (I think I also mentioned it--and puffy tacos--in the other thread). We only walked the RiverWalk--the restaurants seemed more geared toward tourists and, compared to the quality of the food at Liberty Bar for the same or less, appropriately overpriced.

S.A. has a thriving and funky arts community, which now includes friend and Chicago expat Kimberly Aubuchon's Unit B gallery. I highly recommend dropping by the Blue Star Arts Complex (also very close to La Tuna. The place is hopping on First Fridays, but there may be some action this weekend.

Also...for event listings, restaurant reviews and other local info., check out the Current, San Antonio's local weekly.

Thank you everyone for your recommendations! As I mentioned, we were without a car and therefore very limited to the Riverwalk. So here's where we went to eat:

Friday night:
Boudro's Bistro - very nice atmosphere! Excellent margaritas and guacamole. The menu was very interesting but I thought our main dishes were a bit overseasoned. Totally worth trying though!

Saturday morning:
Mi Tierra for brunch, I had the beef jerky omelette and my boyfriend had the chalupas. I liked my omelette but I liked the churros we had from the bakery even more!

Saturday night:
-went to the Tower of the Americas for appetizers and drinks at Bar 601. We had the shrimp and crab fondue and some awesome cocktails.
-went to a late dinner at County Line BBQ on the Riverwalk. I had the beef brisket platter - it was so tender and delicious!

Sunday:
Believe it or not, we went BACK to County Line BBQ. We were craving more and it was the only nearby open place on Sunday.

Thanks everyone for your recs and help!

chewonthat wrote:La Villita - historic Arts village
Alamo - obviously going there


Thanks in advance!

La Villita is OK, touristy though. The Alamo is an experience. To go through it with a Mexican (my wife) gives a different perspective. "WHAT? He did WHAT? Why didn't they get some real men in there? Acchh!"

The spots along the River Walk are pretty bad, but once you get out in the town there are good things to be had.

I'm in San Antonio right now...staying in the King William area. Lots of decent local restaurants and cafes, including:

Tito's Tacos
955 S. Alamo

I'm sure you could get more authentic Mexican/Tex-Mex fare in the outer reaches of the west side, if you know where to go, but I'm still feeling my way around the city.

Had lunch yesterday at Bay-Sea's "You Buy, We Fry" on the East side. Fried fare was decent, but not worth a return trip. The seafood gumbo is a different story--a light, spicy, crab boil infused broth/roux, loaded with seafood (although the shrimp were kind of tough) and tasty. The restaurant is 2-in-1, with Hill's Soul Food Kitchen sharing one side of the restaurant. Looked like they had a decent soul food buffet going, but I was there for the seafood.

Bay Seas Seafood
6934 W Military Dr
San Antonio, TX 78227
Phone: (210) 674-9221

Went to M.K. Davis last night for dinner...something of a San Antonio institution, with red velvet flocked wallpaper, burly wood tables and chairs, and a distinct, old-school, basement vibe. Food was solidly mediocre, but the beers served in gynormous "schooners" and a punchy, well-spiced house michelada made up for it. Don't take the bartender's recommendation for chicken fried steak. Fried oysters are the specialty, and they're neither bad, nor great.

We were told that the Sand Bar (location tbd) has a great raw bar, which we plan to explore for Happy Hour on Friday. Pictures and details to follow...

I also found a seafood wholesaler who sells to the public, and a few really good ethnic groceries, including a Korean market on the east side. I'm buying a heap of shrimp and making barbecued shrimp for dinner tonight, so I'll post the name of the wholesaler if the shrimp turn out.

La Villita was like completely empty when we went. We couldn't understand why it's considered such an attraction.
The Alamo was interesting. Boudro's was an experience. Loved their fresh guac and prickly pear margaritas. The riverboat cruise was fun!

Groomer's, the seafood wholesaler we found, turned out to be an absolute goldmine. It's in a nondescript, industrial pocket just north of downtown, and although it looks like they don't sell to the public, they most definitely do. The prices were incredible ($8.50/lb. for 21/25 shrimp) and the shrimp were very good, although not head-on. The same shrimp at Central Market were going for about $12 or $13/pound. We also bought 3 dozen Bluepoints, fresh in that day, and grilled them for an appetizer.

The roster of other fish they sell is too extensive to list here--all of the usual fishy suspects, but also more exotic stuff like barramundi. While we were waiting for our order to be filled, the owner, Rick Groomer, pointed out two HUGE, gorgeous Kona Kampachi lying on a cutting table in the cutting room (there are windows in the office, and you can see into the room where they break down some of the whole fish). Very cool.

We talked fish with Mr. Groomer for at least 10 or 20 minutes, in the middle of a busy order day. Our bill was about $75 (6 pounds shrimp, 3 dozen oysters)--hardly a drop compared to the big orders he fills for restaurants, but he took the time to answer our food-geek questions and talk about his family and the business. Really, a great place, and a great guy. And it's nice to get just one step closer to the seafood source--it's not fishing, but it's the next best thing at a place like Groomer's.

If you're in San Antonio looking for a good seafood market, don't bother with the regular grocery stores or the fancy spots like Whole Foods and Central Market. This is the place to go.

Groomer's Seafood
9801 Mccullough Ave
San Antonio, TX 78216
(210) 377-3474

We had a very nice meal at The Fig Tree. A group of us really enjoyed the escargot, the beet salad and quail appetizer. The quail was my favorite stuffed with pâté, black truffles and served with an apple cider emulsion perfectly prepared and delicious. My wife loved her escargot it was served in a savoy pastry. The beet salad was also a strong choice. My wife's entree was Rainbow Trout Almondine a crusted trout that was perfectly cooked. I enjoyed the Tournedos Rossini beautifully prepared aged primed steak served with foie gras it melted in my mouth. My friend's Seared Duck Breast, Leg Confit was also amazing. A strong wine list and a lovely out door space on the river walk made this meal the most memorable of our trip. The staff went out of their way to make our visit as pleasant was possible. Though we went with a group, this restaurant would be ideal for a romantic night out.

We really enjoyed out meal at John Besh's Luke (that's Luke with an umlaut). The French bistro decor was festive not stuffy. Buttermilk fried quail absolutely top notch, crispy and juicy. I see they serve it at all meals. Outstanding house-made charcuterie plate with rabbit liver pate. Great oysters, Also recall some Alsatian-influenced dishes, though I don't see those on the menu. Added bonus was chatting with the very friendly Chef Besh at the airport the next day, who said, "Come down and see us in New Orleans." Thanks, Chef, we will.

Luke
125 E. Houston St.,
210.227.5853
lukesanantonio@chefjohnbesh.com

Open Daily: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Brunch: 10am to 3pm with live jazz beginning at 11am

Valet parking at Embassy Suites is $7 with a validated ticket from Lüke San Antonio.

I didn't really like Luke too much. It felt too corporate and I was unimpressed with the oysters.

I really enjoyed both of Andrew Weissman's spots located in the Pearl Brewery district at the end of the riverwalk.

Sandbar is a more casual and straightforward version of GT Fish and Oyster. If it were in Chicago it would be a regular stop.

IL Sogno is his Italian spot whic I would consider a much better version of Piccolo Sogno. The atmosphere is a bit more bustling than sandbar - it was a bit loud. Great though.

Chris Madrid's is a great, slight hole-in-the-wall burger joint. It's typically packed and there is essentially zero service but well worth it. And those nachos.....mmmmmmmmmm.

Chris Madrid's
1900 Blanco Rd San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 735-3552
http://www.chrismadrids.com

So what's new in San Antonio? Going to be there in a couple of weeks. First order on the agenda is to ... leave town and get BBQ in Lockhart. But I'm looking for some good Tex-Mex as well as a good spot for a group dinner on a Saturday night.

What part of town will you be in, and how large is your group?

Eight people in the group. Staying (but not rooted) by the riverwalk. Someone made a safety reservation at a place called Battalion, but we're still looking for a good late night Tex-Mex place.

For Tex-Mex by the river, I highly recommend Mexican Manhattan. Don't be thrown by the name, there is nothing New York-related about the food. Just old school Tex-Mex favorites like cheese enchiladas and tamales with chili gravy.

It is on the river, but at street level, so if you eat outside you overlook the river but you're a little removed from the craziness. Should be able to easily accommodate a group of 8.

I can make other recommendations if you need them, but I would start with Mexican Manhattan.

110 Soledad Street
San Antonio, TX 78205

Bumping this 6 year thread to see if anyone has been to San Antonio lately and has restaurant recommendations....thanks!

Where are you staying and what kind of food are you looking for? Will you have a car? I visit San Antonio several times per year, so I can make a few recommendations depending on what you are looking for.

Thanks, no car and will be staying near the river walk. I appreciate it!

Sadly, the place I recommended upthread, Mexican Manhattan, is closed.

My current choice for best restaurant within walking distance of the River Walk would be Pinkerton's Barbecue. Stick to the brisket and sausage. Note that, as with most Texas BBQ places, there is often a line and they can run out. So get there early if you want to be sure to have the full menu available.

San Antonio is definitely not a walkable town and there is very little public transportation, so your options will be limited without a car. But the River Walk is very pleasant and Pinkerton's is great.

Pinkerton's Barbecue
107 West Houston Street
San Antonio, TX 78205

DJH wrote:Sadly, the place I recommended upthread, Mexican Manhattan, is closed.

My current choice for best restaurant within walking distance of the River Walk would be Pinkerton's Barbecue. Stick to the brisket and sausage. Note that, as with most Texas BBQ places, there is often a line and they can run out. So get there early if you want to be sure to have the full menu available.

San Antonio is definitely not a walkable town and there is very little public transportation, so your options will be limited without a car. But the River Walk is very pleasant and Pinkerton's is great.

Pinkerton's Barbecue
107 West Houston Street
San Antonio, TX 78205

I assume there’s still Uber & Lyft, no?

Sure, of course. I interpreted "no car" to mean HonestMan wanted recommendations close the river, where he is staying. But if HonestMan or anyone else wants recommendations for more far flung places in San Antonio, I am happy to provide.

I would absolutely consider taking an Uber somewhere for a good meal, thanks for BBQ recommendation!

I think Tex-Mex is one of America's great regional cuisines, and San Antonio is the capital of Tex-Mex. I realize it has a bad reputation in some quarters, but I think that is because it is almost impossible to get good Tex-Mex outside of Texas. And even within Texas, it can be surprisingly hard to find the good stuff north of San Antonio. Lots of traps for the unwarry in Austin, Dallas and Houston.

There are literally thousands of Tex-Mex restaurants in San Antonio, and it would be impossible to try them all. But some of my personal favorites would be:

Maria's Cafe. My favorite restaurant in San Antonio. Maybe my favorite restaurant in the world. They are famous for unusual combinations, but their basic enchiladas and flour tortillas are outstanding. Really anything on the menu is great, order whatever looks good to you. A very tiny place, so do not try to go with a party bigger than 4.

Lucy Cafe. Hardly bigger than Maria's, maybe a notch below in terms of food. I particularly love their guisado (beef stew). This is also a great spot for breakfast tacos.

Texas Tacos. North of the city, but worth the drive. This is the spot to go to if you want tacos instead of enchiladas. Get the green chili on flour tortillas.

Ray's Drive Inn. Possibly the birth place of the puffy taco (Henry's Tacos also makes this claim, but I like Ray's better). Puffy tacos are not my favorite, but they are absolutely worth trying if you have never had one, and this is where I would go to get one. The rest of the menu is also very good.

I could go on and on, but start with these and you will get a great feel for the food in San Antonio. None of these places are fancy, and they are certainly not healthy. But Lord, the food is good.

Maria's Cafe
1105 Nogalitos Street
San Antonio, TX 78204

Lucy Cafe
2517 West Avenue
San Antonio, TX 78201

Texas Tacos
19750 TX-46
Spring Branch, TX 78070

Ray's Drive Inn
822 SW 19th Street
San Antonio, TX 78207