Must-see restaurants in San Antonio

  • Cured

    San Antonio

    Mighty slabs of meat hang smack-dab in the center of the dining room at this Pearl District crowd-pleaser, where charcuterie platters ($20 to $36) are…

  • Amy's Ice Cream

    San Antonio

    Choose your ice cream and pick a topping – then watch the staff pulverize the two into a blended little cup of heaven.

  • Boudro's

    San Antonio

    This brightly colored waterside restaurant is hugely popular with locals. Fresh guacamole is made right at your table. The upscale Tex-Mex menu reveals…

  • The Cove

    San Antonio

    This enormous, weird, and very wonderful place is not just a restaurant and bar – it’s also a laundromat and car wash. Casual things may be, with no table…

  • Ocho at Hotel Havana

    San Antonio

    Set in a tall, narrow glassed-in conservatory, perched above the quiet northern stretch of the River Walk, this hotel restaurant makes a pleasant 20…

  • Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery

    San Antonio

    Part restaurant, part bakery, and total explosion of light and colour, decorated for Christmas year-round, this Market Sq behemoth has been dishing out…

  • Bakery Lorraine

    San Antonio

    There's a reason why everyone you see in the Pearl District seems to be carrying a box from Bakery Lorraine – the pastries are delicious. Macaroons. Tarts…

  • Feast

    San Antonio

    The seasonally inspired tapas dishes are solid, but the atmosphere alone is worth the trip to the King William District: clear Lucite chairs, sparkly…

  • Green Vegetarian Cuisine

    San Antonio

    San Antonio's pioneer vegetarian restaurant has an appealing location in the Pearl Brewery complex, with lots of outdoor seating. Not only are dishes like…

  • Madhatters Tea House & Café

    San Antonio

    A cute neighborhood cafe located in a former house, Madhatters is a pleasingly homey place to stop when you're feeling peckish. Breakfast during the week,…

  • Josephine Street Cafe

    San Antonio

    The neon signs in the window advertise 'steak' and 'whisky.' There's a tree growing up through the floor and out the ceiling of the dining room. And the…

  • Biga on the Banks

    San Antonio

    This is one of the most justifiably praised restaurants in town, run by chef Bruce Auden. The menu is a wonderful mix of European, Tex-Mex, American and…

  • Il Sogno Osteria

    San Antonio

    This stylish former warehouse space in the Pearl complex is frequently packed with people vying for a shot at the fresh, house-made pastas. Best for…

  • Guenther House

    San Antonio

    Located in the Pioneer Flour Mill complex, this is the kind of place you'd choose if you were meeting up with the gals or taking your mom out to lunch…

  • Pearl District Farmers Market

    San Antonio

    The 40+ food producers and artisans at this bustling market are all based within 150 miles of San Antonio.

  • County Line Smokehouse

    San Antonio

    San Antonio isn't known for its barbecues – it's clearly more of a Tex-Mex kind of town – but this outpost of the Austin chain scratches the itch nicely…

  • Liberty Bar

    San Antonio

    You can’t miss this spectacular building, in the King William district a mile south of downtown. An 1883 home that became a Benedictine convent in 1939,…

  • Adelante Mexican Food

    San Antonio

    This cute Mexican diner is a nice little secret. Located in a strip mall near the McNay Art Museum, it would be easy to overlook, but the inside has the…

  • Bohanan's

    San Antonio

    These people take their steaks seriously – at these prices, so should you. Many people can appreciate a great steak, but you'll treasure the experience…

  • Paloma Blanca

    San Antonio

    There are oodles of great Mexican choices around, but this place sets itself apart with a sleek and stylish ambience – think dim lighting, exposed brick…

  • Casa Rio

    San Antonio

    One of San Antonio's oldest Mexican restaurants, Casa Rio has been around since 1946, and the building itself is a Spanish hacienda that dates back to the…

  • Mary Ann's Pig Stand

    San Antonio

    The history, the ambience, the neon sign shaped like an enormous pig… it's hard to say what we love most about this diner, which has been around since the…

  • Schilo's German Delicatessen

    San Antonio

    Schilo's has certainly earned its ambience: this German restaurant has been around since 1917 and looks the part, down to the wooden booths and the…

  • Rosario's Mexican Cafe

    San Antonio

    This lively restaurant, half a mile south of downtown, is always hopping, its huge street-corner windows letting in natural light and wistful glances from…

  • Earl Abel's

    San Antonio

    Earl Abel's has been feeding San Antonians since 1933. This isn't the original location, but it keeps the tradition alive, with photos and memorabilia…

  • Las Canarias

    San Antonio

    American standards are classed up with a dash of global flair at the signature restaurant in the upscale Omni La Mansion del Rio. Shrimp and grits with…

  • Chris Madrid's

    San Antonio

    Two words: tostada burgers. Topping a burger with tortilla chips and refried beans sounds weird, but it works, combining two of our favorite meals into…

  • Candy's Old Fashioned Burgers

    San Antonio

    This little place across from the Bexar County Courthouse has a tiny dining room with a nostalgic, small-town feel. If that sounds a bit quaint, wait till…

  • Justin's Ice Cream Company

    San Antonio

    Ready to stop and rest for a bit? Cool off with a dish of house-made Italian-style ice cream, gelato or sorbet at a table overlooking the river. Look for…

  • Azuca

    San Antonio

    A hip and stylish clientele lounges beneath blown-glass chandeliers sipping mojitos and nibbling fabulous New Latin and Caribbean cuisine at this bright…

  • Taco Cabana

    San Antonio

    This Texas chain is beloved across the state for its excellent (and cheap!) breakfast tacos, fajitas and burritos, and this is the location where it all…