SAN ANTONIO │ City and Metro Restaurant Thread

[kingkirbythe....]

Japanese restaurant Yuko to debut at San Antonio’s Eilan Hotel Resort next year

San Antonio-based architects Ma-Yu Group will spearhead the $250,000 remodel.

https://www.sacurrent.com/food-drink...-year-29178416

San Antonio’s Eilan Hotel Resort & Spa will welcome new Japanese dining concept Yuko sometime next year, the San Antonio Business Journal reports.

Yuko owner Andres Castro told the Business Journal he operates five other Yuko locations in other countries. The 5,000-square-foot Eilan location will be the chain's first stateside.

Castro didn't provide an opening date to the publication. However, a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation indicates construction is expected to wrap up in January.

San Antonio-based architecture firm Ma-Yu Group — which worked on other local projects such as north-of-downtown dining spot The Hayden — will facilitate the $250,000 remodel.

Yuko will be located at 17803 La Cantera Terrace, Suite 1101.

[kingkirbythe....]

Fried chicken chain Zaxby's expanding Texas footprint with new San Antonio location

Before the opening, fans of Zaxby's chicken and cheese curds had to drive to Cibolo or New Branfels for a fix.

https://www.sacurrent.com/food-drink...ation-29178731

Fried chicken and cheese curd lovers, tie on your bibs.

Georgia-based Zaxby's is opening its first restaurant inside the San Antonio city limits. The store at 11903 Alamo Ranch Parkway, near William Taft High School, is slated for a Monday, June 27 debut, according to company officials.

Known for made-to-order chicken fingers, sauce-tossed wings and cheese curds, the chain already operates 10 stores in other Texas cities. However, until now, local fans had to trek to the nearby suburbs of Cibolo or New Branfels for a fix.

The new 2,874-square-foot Zaxby's will offer indoor seating and a Y-shaped double drive-thru. It will employ about 60 people.

Company officials didn't provide operating hours for the new store. However, its New Braunfels and Cibolo stores are open daily from 10 a.m.-10 p.m., which sounds like a hint.

[kingkirbythe....]

San Antonio's El Camino food truck park welcomes two new mobile kitchens

The Pita Chick is bringing Mediterranean food to the party, and Masshole Food Truck will serve up New England lobster rolls.

https://www.sacurrent.com/food-drink...chens-29186272

Vibrant downtown food truck park El Camino is welcoming two new tenants, each focused on a distinctly different form of handheld deliciousness.

Mediterranean-focused The Pita Chick and cheekily-named Masshole Lobster Truck have now joined the roster at El Camino, 1009 Avenue B, according to a social media post.

Masshole came onto the scene in late 2020, introducing San Antonians to Massachusetts-style lobster rolls — and to the truck's titular term, a contemptuous name for residents of that state. In addition to its jam-packed lobstah rolls, the bright yellow food trailer serves up varieties of bao buns and a six-ounce Angus beef burger.

The Pita Chick’s menu consists of Mediterranean fare such as falafel, shawarma and tabbouleh prepared daily. The family-owned business has been offering catering and prepared meal services since 2020. However, the proprietors consider the Wednesday, June 22 debut at El Camino as their business' grand opening, according to social media posts.

The new tenants join other El Camino regulars including Filipino food specialists Jeepney Street Eats, wood-fired pizza wagon DoughBoy and Holy Smoke BBQ. An on-site bar serves up beer, wine and cocktails to accompany the vittles.

Masshole Food Truck will post up at El Camino Thursday and Friday 5-11 p.m., Saturday noon-11 p.m. and Sunday noon-8 p.m.

The Pita Chick’s hours are Wednesday through Sunday 4-10 p.m.

[kingkirbythe....]

The Pearl’s new pizza spot, WonderSlice, will open for business next week

https://www.sacurrent.com/food-drink...-week-29186930

WonderSlice, the new pizza concept in The Pearl’s Bottling Department Food Hall, will begin serving “wonder by the slice” next week.

Chef-owner Ben Schwartz's tribute to neighborhood pizzerias, the spot will dish up slices, full pies, homemade subs, salads and soft serve ice cream starting Monday, June 27. It joins Tenko Ramen, Mi Roti, Chilaquil, Kineapple and Park Bar in the downtown retail and dining development's food hall.

Wonder Slice's menu items will include its Ball Park pizza, which includes Italian sausage, red onion, broccoli rabe and chili flakes, along with both meatball and chicken parmesan subs.

After its Monday launch, the pizzeria will be open Sunday through Thursday 8 a.m.-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 8 a.m.-10 p.m.


The Bottling Department is located at 312 Pearl Parkway, Building 6.

[kingkirbythe....]

Rosario's shares first look at new, two-story Southtown digs

New downtown Rosario's will have rooftop bar and patio

https://www.mysanantonio.com/food/ar...o-17255051.php

The anticipation of waiting to hear your sizzling fajitas make their way towards your table probably couldn't match the excitement the Rosario's team is holding as the finishing touches are being put on the new, two-story Southtown restaurant.

After 30 years at the current 910 South Alamo location, the restaurant owned by Lisa Wong will move to a piece of land on the 700 block of South St. Mary's St. that was formerly home to legacy restaurant El Mirado, which closed in 2018 after 50 years of business.

The original plan was to open by late August, but Rosario's is now giving the opening a fall timeline.

The restaurant's social media pages are helping build the excitement by getting customers acquainted with the new era of Rosario's. A sneak peek video was shared on Sunday showing what's to come. There will be a large main dining room, private party area, rooftop bar, and adjoining patio with downtown views.

[kingkirbythe....]

Dance club Cream opens in San Antonio's Beacon Hill area, will add late-night menu

The kitchen will be helmed by chef Adrian Olivares, who worked with SA culinary fixture Stefan Bowers.

https://www.sacurrent.com/food-drink...-menu-29185648

Nestled between two Beacon Hill antique shops, new nightspot Cream is now offering cool libations, breezy patio vibes and pumping dance music. Chef-driven late-night eats will be the next addition to that lineup of fun.

The nightclub, located at 527 W. Hildebrand Ave., held a soft opening last weekend in the space that used to house drag-show haven Babios. On opening weekend, DJs Mess Muerte and Falco held court over a dance floor lit by twinkling lights and accented with murals from local artist Frenchie Bauce.

While the new venue only offers beer, wine and cocktails at the moment, a representative told the Current that its mid-July grand opening will also mark the launch of a food menu created by chef Adrian Olivares.

Olivares has worked with SA culinary fixture Stefan Bowers of Rebelle, Playland and the St. Anthony Hotel. Olivares also has years of experience in fine dining in Colorado and the East Coast, according to club.

The first iteration of Cream's menu will include a pork belly pupusa, chicken wings tossed in a Valentina buffalo sauce and a burger topped with pimento cheese.

Though Cream welcomes anyone eager to get their dance on, the drag shows once a fixture at Babios aren't expected to make a reappearance.

[kingkirbythe....]

New San Antonio barbecue joint Double A BBQ opens up on South Side

The former catering outfit will christen its new permanent location June 25 with a celebration of food and music.

https://www.sacurrent.com/food-drink...-side-29193874

Double A BBQ has begun slinging sandwiches, homemade sides and smoked meat by the pound, becoming the newest entrant in San Antonio's increasingly crowded barbecue game.

Previously a catering outfit, the South Side restaurant, 1107 Roosevelt Ave., began serving five days ago, according to an online announcement. It will hold a grand opening this Saturday, christening the new permanent location with a celebration of food and music.

Double A uses a mix of pecan, mesquite and post oak wood chips to cook a variety of meats, including sausage, brisket, turkey, pork and massive dino ribs, according to its online menu. In addition to selling the star attraction by itself or in sliders, the restaurant also offers it in tacos and on top of nachos.

The new spot is open Saturday through Monday 11 a.m.-4 p.m., or until the goods sell out.

[kingkirbythe....]

Owners of San Antonio's El Remedio food trucks opening first brick-and-mortar restaurant


The upcoming spot will be less than a mile from USAA headquarters and is expected to open this summer

https://www.sacurrent.com/food-drink...urant-29193856

Five years after San Antonio-based food truck fleet El Remedio began slinging birria, the business will open its first brick-and-mortar restaurant: El Remedio Mexican Kitchen and Bar.

The new eatery, located at 5018 Research Drive, will be less than a mile from USAA headquarters and is slated to open this summer, MySA reports. Co-owner Joshua Palacios told the expansion will give he and his wife and business partner Martha more room to create an “experience” for their following.

Palacios also told MySA El Remedio fans can expect the same birria, mariscos and sushi that made the food trucks popular, along with a selection of new Mexican dishes?

“El Remedio Mexican Kitchen and Bar is not going to be just a regular restaurant,” Palacios added. “Every time someone goes, I want it to be an experience — have a good time, not just sit down and eat. I want people to be able to go laugh, have some drinks and enjoy the time that they're there.”

The new location will go into the building that previously housed a Gibby's Ice House location, which has since relocated to the South Side's Brooks development.

El Remedio Mexican Kitchen and Bar’s opening date is contingent on receiving the establishment getting its Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission license, which Palacios told MySA is likely to take about two months.

[kingkirbythe....]

Hops & Hounds gives details on plans for San Antonio River Walk location

https://www.mysanantonio.com/food/ar...o-17256004.php

Popular pet-friendly beer garden Hops & Hounds revealed its plan to open a new location along the Museum Reach segment of San Antonio's River Walk, next to Elsewhere Garden Bar & Kitchen. Lee Beekly, the co-owner, told MySA that these efforts have been in the works since January 2021.

"We wanted to grow even from the beginning concept," Beekly said about Hops & Hounds, which opened its first location in May 2020 on the Northeast Side near McAllister Park at 13838 Jones Maltsberger Road.

Beekly added that they hopped on the opportunity once local developer Hixon Properties told them about the available spot on 1123 Avenue B. The new establishment sits on a 1.5-acre property.

At the new site, Beekly said there will be familiar features that are incorporated at the Jones Maltsberger location. He noted, however, that the dog park and agility course will be larger. He added there will also be corporate spaces for companies to reserve for larger groups or gatherings.

The biggest difference will be that the new location will a coffee shop, Beekly teased. He said they have been wanting to add the coffee element for a while and felt the River Walk location would be a great spot to test it out.

Aside from the coffee part, Beekly said you can count on the famous margaritas being on the menu, as well as similar food options offered at the existing location. Beekly said they are hoping to open the new location before Christmas.

[kingkirbythe....]

Atlanta-based Chicken Salad Chick to open first San Antonio location in Stone Oak this year

https://www.sacurrent.com/food-drink...n-antonio-loca

Chicken Salad Chick — a chain that serves up mayo-based picnic fare, including its namesake chicken salad, along with egg salad and pimento cheese — will open its first San Antonio location in Stone Oak later this year.

The Atlanta-based company announced plans to expand in Texas’ Bexar, Kendall, Comal and Hays counties last October. However, it didn't reveal specific store locations at the time.

Now, a news release confirms San Antonio’s first outpost will open at 22831 North U.S. Highway 281, Suite 116, by year’s end.

Chicken Salad Chick currently operates 21 locations across Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston. According to the release, the brand wants to open 50 new stores around the country — five of those in Texas — by the end this year.

[kingkirbythe....]

7 San Antonio shops selling great raspas

https://www.expressnews.com/food/res...r-17258239.php

When you reach for a — and you know you will, because it’s hotter than the devil in a sweater out there — you have one man to thank for the countless stores across San Antonio selling those frosty treats.

And galling as it may be for connoisseurs of the puro San Antonio he’s from Dallas.

Big blocks of ice first became available in the 1850s, which paved the way for vendors selling shaved ice desserts. But making those treats was a grueling job, as the name, derived from the Spanish word “raspar” meaning “to scrape,” implies.

[kingkirbythe....]

San Antonio entrepreneur David Padilla plans to grow juice bar, café-and-hemp store Jugo in Texas

https://www.mysanantonio.com/sa-inc/...r-17256663.php

David Padilla has deep roots as an entrepreneur. His grandfather was one of the first businessmen to operate a movie theater in Honduras.

“I grew up in that environment of entrepreneurship, business hustle,” he said.

Padilla, who was reared in San Antonio, put that hustle to use while still a student at St. Mary’s University when he founded a company that rented venues to stage concerts and throw parties. He went on to devote 15 years of his career to the nightlife industry — opening Zen Bar Ultralounge across from the Majestic Theater — before deciding that “this is not what I want to continue doing.”

Today, he runs two locally based retail businesses with a focus on health and wellness: Jugo, a chain of juice shops selling smoothies, acai bowls and cleanses; and Archie’s Coffee Lounge, a café on the Northwest Side that also offers wine, cocktails and hemp products such as CBD. Many of the hemp products are made by another of his companies, Structure Health & Wellness.

The businesses operate under his private equity fund, D Cap, which includes many of his family members as investors, he said.

[kingkirbythe....]

San Antonio chef behind Pharm Table picked for esteemed James Beard Foundation dinner series

Pharm Table chef-owner Elizabeth Johnson has racked up yet another national recognition for her innovative cuisine.

https://www.sacurrent.com/food-drink...eries-29232724

The James Beard Foundation has selected Pharm Table chef-owner Elizabeth Johnson to participate in this year's Taste America series, heaping another serving of national acclaim onto the plate of her Southtown restaurant.

As a featured chef, Johnson will host a curated dinner at her acclaimed veg-forward eatery on March 22, 2023. She'll also travel to Houston and Colorado for tasting events.

What's more, Johnson will participate in the Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival, festival taking part this fall and organized by the Beard Foundation, Visit San Antonio and local food and wine organization Culinaria. In that event, Johnson will collaborate with esteemed chef Alex Raij from New York City.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be participating in such an exciting series of events and with such a special organization,” Johnson said in a release. “Our philosophy at Pharm Table is centered around the concept that food can be both healing and delicious; and we can simultaneously take care of our planet through sourcing locally and creating little waste.”

Johnson focuses on an Ayurvedic, plant-forward approach to anti-inflammatory cooking, emphasizing eating for one's particular body type. She's the sole San Antonio chef to be tapped for the 2022 iteration of the Taste America program.

Tickets for the March 2023 dinner at Pharm Table, 812 S. Alamo St., will go on sale this fall.

[kingkirbythe....]

P-Terry's grills up plans for new San Antonio location on Broadway

The new location will fill the spot of an old Chinese restaurant.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/food/ar...s-17268144.php

P-Terry's Burger Stand, the Austin burger chain steadily working its way into San Antonio, is already planning its next location on Broadway near downtown. Documents submitted to the Historic and Design Review Commission show that P-Terry's is seeking design approval for its next burger shop at 3304 Broadway next to the Doseum and across from Brackenridge Park, according to agenda documents.

The 2,697-square-foot construction will take place off of the now closed King's Palace Chinese Restaurant, which will be demolished, an order that was approved in September 2021. Along with P-Terry's signature red, white, and teal color scheme, the restaurant will also have outdoor patio seating and a drive thru.

The documents do not have an expected construction start date. MySA reached out to P-Terry's for comment.

P-Terry's opened its first San Antonio location in Medical Center at 8443 Wurzbach Road in July 2021. It now has a location in Stone Oak, as well as a location at Loop 1604 and Potranco Road on the Far Westside. P-Terry's also has a location in New Braunfels.

This will mark the fourth location in San Antonio for the burger chain that sells everything from single to double cheeseburgers with its special sauce and chicken sandwiches. It's combos come with a side of fries. The burger joint also sells chocolate, strawberry and caramel shakes. You can even grab a slice of banana bread.

[kingkirbythe....]

Mexican chain Cerveceria Chapultepec suddenly shutters both San Antonio restaurants

https://www.mysanantonio.com/food/ar...P-CP-Spotlight

The local contingent of Mexican restaurant chain Cerveceria Chapultepec took to Facebook Monday morning, June 27, with a sudden announcement. Both of their San Antonio locations are "officially closed" according to the statement. The dispatch, sparse in further details, was capped off with a "Thank you San Antonio!" message that included nothing more than American flag and waving emojis.

The two locations, located in Tobin Hill at 906 E Elmira Street and at 8403 Hwy 151, Suite 101, first arrived on the local scene in 2020. The restaurants offered an eclectic menu, with tacos, subs, and tortas along with cocktails, wine, and, naturally, beer. It is perhaps best known for its one-price food and drink menu where everything is listed at $2.90.

Cerveceria Chapultepec is popular internationally, with more than 100 locations in Mexico and in several Central and South American countries. In May 2021, the restaurant off Elmira was named in a $20 million lawsuit after the tragic death of a local cyclist.

A month prior, 43-year-old Beatrice Gonzalez was struck while riding with her cycling club by a black sedan in front of nearby Central Catholic High School by an alleged drunk driver, Samantha Castillo, who had been reportedly drinking at Cervecería Chapultepec, the Express News reported. The 22-year-old was later charged with intoxication manslaughter.

MySA's attempts to reach Cervecería Chapultepec were unsuccessful. Notably, the business has been historically hard to get in contact with. The Texas Secretary of State’s Office does not have a listing for the business under several corporate names associated with it, according to earlier Express News reporting.

Google lists the eateries as "permanently closed."

[kingkirbythe....]

Alamo-themed bar, restaurant opens steps away from historic site in downtown San Antonio

https://www.mysanantonio.com/food/ar...n-17263669.php

Steps away from the Alamo's perimeter wall is Crockett Tavern, a just-opened eating and drinking spot created as an "inversive" experience reflecting the 1836 fall of the mission. The new bar and restaurant opened inside the Crockett Hotel on Monday, June 20.

The Mad Dogs Restaurant Group-owned business offers a "country-style" food and drink menu with the interior design to match. Crockett Tavern describes itself as a "living reflection" of Texas' fight for independence.

Cowboy-themed decor is displayed throughout. A corner of the space is dedicated to replicas of weapons used in the Battle of the Alamo. There are also large-scale oil paintings depicting the violence and a recreation of the Alamo Cenotaph on one of the rock walls.

Customers will eventually get a clear view of the Alamo via large pane windows. But for now, the restoration project of the landmark is rattling outside.

Crockett Tavern's menu includes starters like shrimp scampi and calf fries for the adventurous eater. Fuller vittles like sandwiches, bison burgers, ribs, brisket, and redfish, are also available. The robust drink menu lists themed cocktails like the "Defenders Margarita" and "Crockett Smash" as well as beer, liquor, and wine.

The restaurant and bar also has plans to host live country music. It's located on the first floor of the 113-year-old hotel, near the coffee shop which also recently opened.

You can find Crockett Tavern at 320 Bonham Street. The new spot is open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight.

[kornbread]

The menu doesn’t mention it, but this place sounds like it will be heavy on the cheese

[kingkirbythe....]

Originally Posted by kornbread

The menu doesn’t mention it, but this place sounds like it will be heavy on the cheese

Nailed it.

[kingkirbythe....]

Helotes sets plans for $1M food hall just northwest of San Antonio

https://www.mysanantonio.com/food/ar...P-CP-Spotlight

The community of Helotes, just northwest of San Antonio, is getting a giant $1 million food hall next year, according to the San Antonio Business Journal.

The 10,000-square-foot property, called Roots Food Hall, will include multiple restaurant tenants, a landscaped courtyard area, and a full-service bar. The space is a similar concept to Bottling Department Food Hall, a fixture in downtown San Antonio's Pearl complex, that houses everything from pizza to Caribbean food.

The Helotes food hall will be rooted in an upcoming complex called Legacy, an expansive 24,500-square-foot mixed use space, with restaurants, retail shops, and more. Due to a mixed-drink liquor license, patrons will be able to utilize the bar space and wander the grounds.

Rudy Montez, a broker working with Core Commercial Real Estate to fill spaces at The Legacy, told MySA that the company can't yet share if any restaurants have signed on to rent the space yet. However they are currently in negotiations with multiple potential tenants.

According to documents filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the interior space at Roots Food Hall is scheduled to be completed sometime in April 2023. An opening date for the complex has not yet been announced.

Legacy and the incoming Roots Food Hall is located at 14108 Bandera Road, about five miles from UTSA and 20 miles northwest of downtown San Antonio.

[kingkirbythe....]

New drive-thru Salad and Go restaurant plans first San Antonio location on Far Northside

https://www.mysanantonio.com/food/ar...-Editors-Picks

Fresh and fast pick-ups could be coming to San Antonio's Far Northside. Salad and Go, an Arizona-based company is working on a project in the Stone Oak area, according to state filings.

Salad and Go operates on a drive-thru only model, selling nine types of salads with house-made salad dressings. Filings submitted to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation show the privately owned company is working on a new build at 22143 Bulverde Road. Details filed through TDLR are subject to change, but the current plan is for a $300,00 project with a construction timeline of November to March.

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Salad and Go's plans come on the heels of another national salad business coming to Stone Oak. Chicken Salad Chick, a southern-style restaurant, is opening the Alamo City's first installment in the Stone Oak area by the end of 2022.