San Antonio sits smack dab in the middle of Texas like a belt buckle, right as the cowboy state’s border takes a steep dive into Mexico. Highways branch out of it like limbs: south towards the frontier and the gulf, north and east to the state’s sprawling cities, west out into the country. Influences from each direction have turned San Antonio into a crossroads of culture, with a dining scene as varied as it is unique.
Read on for the favorites in town from MICHELIN Inspectors, fit to please any crowd.
Places perfect for a celebration
The menu at Mixtli shifts every season to a new region of Mexico, where the ingredients and preparations can hold extraordinary contrast, from the coast, to the mountains, to the jungle. As San Antonio’s only MICHELIN Starred restaurant, a meal here comes with the cachet of the best kind of special occasion.
Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery (Bib Gourmand)
The scene at Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery is dressed up and lively, set inside the Hotel Emma (San Antonio’s most luxe hotel, according to the MICHELIN Key rankings). A plate of famous fried chicken and a tall pour of a local draft is the ideal way to make a Texas toast.
Nicōsi
A meal at Nicōsi may just be a once-in-a-lifetime experience: the intimate dining room, wrapped around a central open kitchen, serves an eight-course tasting that’s all dessert. But this is no birthday-candle-in-a-yellow-cake kind of place. The menu comes in waves of acidic, umami, bitter and sweet, with some very adult interpretations, like a black garlic ice cream.
When the group chat wants to go IRL
Cullum's Attaboy (Bib Gourmand)
Brunch, the great weekend water cooler. In San Antonio, no one does it better than Cullum's Attaboy. Gather the friend group here and go splitsies on servings of powdered sugar donuts and brisket eggs benedict, with, of course, a sampling from the impressive sparkling wine list.
Barbecue Station
The more friends you bring to Barbecue Station, the better – if only as an excuse to order up the whole menu. This family-run spot in a former Exxon station has all the great wood-smoked staples, from brisket to pulled pork to ribs. A killer list of sides, like jalapeño mac and cheese and creamed corn, rounds out the meal.
Leche de Tigre
A lush patio setting and a cool cheffy menu makes Leche de Tigre the pick in San Antonio for a stylish night out. Choose from one of six different ceviches, prepared in front of your eyes and meant to be shared, paired with a tart pisco sour.
Can’t miss mainstays for out-of-towners
Garcia's Mexican Food
San Antonio is Tex-Mex central, and Garcia's is a classic. Chile con queso, loaded nachos, enchiladas, tamales on the side – all of the greats of the cuisine are here, in a little roadside dining room that’s been family run since 1932.
2M Smokehouse
The line that snakes outside of 2M Smokehouse on the weekend is a very good sign: this is Texas barbecue at its finest, with melty brisket and well-seasoned turkey breast, beef ribs on Saturday and barbacoa on Sunday. Chairs, umbrellas and coolers are encouraged to take your mind off the meat while you wait for your turn.
The Jerk Shack (Bib Gourmand)
After a decade in the Army and a degree from the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Nicola Blaque launched The Jerk Shack in the Far West Side of San Antonio with her husband. In just a few short years, the restaurant has worked up an appetite for Caribbean cuisine in the city with dishes like jerk chicken and jackfruit tacos.
Date night go-tos
Signature Restaurant
Signature Restaurant is set in the warm dining room of the La Cantera Resort & Spa, on the outskirts of the city, where the Texas Hill Country begins. Inside, antique furniture and a grand limestone fireplace sets a lovely mood, complemented by a traditional menu of local game and generous cuts.
Little Em’s Oyster Bar
What is it that they say about oysters again? Little Em’s Oyster Bar is a charming spot near the river that gets more romantic by the dozen. A full menu of satisfying seafood dishes, like a chilled lobster salad and a salmon beurre blanc, complete a full meal.
Ladino (Bib Gourmand)
Date night is a trip to the Mediterranean at Ladino, a cozy spot in the thriving Pearl District. Hot sourdough pitas come out fresh and often from the wood-burning oven to drag through a spread of vibrant dips. Malabi rose water milk pudding is an elegant dessert.
Hero image: f11photo / Riverwalk in San Antonio
