The best San Antonio food bites uncovered by a food writer
Throngs of Seattleites descended on San Antonio in December to cheer on the Washington Huskies as they took on the Texas Longhorns in the Alamo Bowl. As a Seattle-based food writer who just happened to have a long-planned trip to San Antonio a few weeks prior to the game, I took up the mantle of forward scout for best restaurants in San Antonio.
The oddsmakers considered me an underdog: My trip’s schedule, which ran from a Sunday evening to a Wednesday afternoon, put me at a disadvantage, with a lot of restaurants closed on some (or even all) of those days. That benched just about every barbecue spot I’d hoped to hit, since so many keep weekend-only or Thursday-to-Sunday schedules. But I had excellent coaching: I asked local friends, scoured the internet and studied the playbook — er, watched the San Antonio episode of “Taco Chronicles” on Netflix.
As expected, San Antonio’s strongest player was Tex-Mex, a position Seattle’s otherwise-stout food lineup is sorely lacking. If you’re an outsider visiting the Alamo City or new to the area, here’s the best food in San Antonio that I uncovered during my stay.
The croncha at San Antonio’s La Panaderia Bakery and Cafe combines a croissant with a concha to delicious effect.
Rosa R. via Yelp
The Croncha at La Panadería
This tender hybrid pastry came out of the era of portmanteau baked goods (to paraphrase San Antonio history, remember the Cronut!), but stands strong half a decade later because it just works. Both the croissant and the concha rely on ample, excellent butter, and the croncha doubles down on that, with the added bonus of cotton-candy fluffiness that tears off in croissant-style layers from under the classic concha streusel topping.
Find it: 301 E. Houston St., San Antonio, TX 78205; 210-592-6264
Mochi Cheddar Hush Puppies from San Antonio’s Best Quality Daughter.
Sally S. via YelpMochi Cheddar Hush Puppies at Best Quality Daughter
After the horrors created in its name in the ‘90s, Asian fusion cuisine became something of a dirty word for serious chefs, but inside her adorable pink casita, Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin brings together her fluency in cuisines from all over the map. These chewy, fluffy balls take little more than the name from the Southern fried staple, much more closely resembling Brazilian pao de queijo — not at all a bad thing. They come with a Thai chili jam that adds just enough heft and heat to match up to the cheesy treats.
Find it: 602 Avenue A, San Antonio, TX 78215; 210-819-4236
A plate of puffy tacos from Lala’s Gorditas in San Antonio. The dish is seen as emblematic of the city’s Tex-Mex-heavy food scene.
Nicholas M. via YelpBeef Puffy Taco at Lala’s Gorditas
The first San Antonio locals I spoke to seemed slightly jaded about puffy tacos, much in the same way Philadelphians feel about cheesesteak or Chicagoans about deep dish, like it’s almost a caricature of their cuisine, rather than something they eat daily. But as I bit into the gentle crispy poof of fresh-fried masa, I felt misled. The warm shell, the crunch of iceberg lettuce, the cool crema and the meaty beef tucked inside filled me with regret — that I hadn’t ordered many, many more. Find it at Lala’s Gorditas.
Find it: 1600 Roosevelt Ave., San Antonio, TX 78210; 210-465-7157
The infamous brisket taco with guacamole at Garcia’s Mexican Food in San Antonio.
Dennis S. via YelpBrisket Taco at Garcia’s Mexican Food
This tiny building on Fredericksburg Road actualized my Texan diner fantasy, marrying two of the state’s most notable foods into a single powerful dish. The juicy strips of brisket laid over a soft, housemade flour tortilla epitomizes simplicity, and yet explodes with rich, fatty flavor. But as good as it was, the best part of Garcia’s came when I returned from the bathroom around the side of the building to see that my tacos had been given a foil blanket to keep them warm and fresh, emblematic of the kind of thoughtful hospitality that marked my meal.
Find it: 842 Fredericksburg Road, San Antonio, TX 78201; 210-735-5686
A place of spicy feta dip at Ladino in San Antonio. The modern Mediterranean restaurant opened in September 2022.
Erica M. via YelpSpicy Feta Dip at Ladino
Though I found it on one of my few forays away from San Antonio’s forte of Tex-Mex, the tangy cheese at this Mediterranean grill house in the Pearl could be the kissing cousin of an appetizer at an upscale modern Mexican joint. A sprinkle of pepper flakes provided the only color on a blanket of crumbled white curds that belied the garlicky complexity of the dish. Taking the place of the many flour tortillas I ate elsewhere around town, warm, fluffy balloons of pita soothed the sharp brininess of the cheese — and made a great vehicle for the many other excellent dips on the menu.
Find it: 200 E. Grayson St., Suite 100, San Antonio, TX 78215; 210-325-6007
