In a pinch

Save your holiday feast with these 5 San Antonio grocery stores open on Christmas Day

If you ran out of wine on Christmas Eve, don't worry. Larder has a good selection for the next day.

Larder/ Facebook

If you are missing an ingredient for the holiday feast, you might be in a bit of a jam on Christmas morning. Though Walgreens (open regular hours) and CVS (open truncated hours) will be available, old standbys like H-E-B, Whole Foods Market, Walmart, and Target will be closed. Luckily, a few awesome, locally-owned shops in San Antonio will be open to save the day.

Ali Baba International Food Market
A San Antonio mainstay since 1999, Ali Baba offers an array of Middle Eastern food, as well as prepared dishes, produce, and bakery items from the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe. The massive market also has a wide variety of spices, so while you’re picking up some extra eggs, try some garam masala, too. Seriously, it’s great on turkey.
Open: 10 am-10 pm
9307 Wurzbach Rd. — (210) 691-1111

Himalayan Bazar
For a meat free shopping spree, head to the great produce and frozen food selection at Himalayan Bazar where you will find everything from taro root to samosas. Bonus: If you are a last-minute shopper, Himalayan Bazar also has jewelry and knickknacks to stuff those stockings.
Open: 10 am-10 pm
8466 Fredericksburg Rd. — (210) 614-8600

Larder
Though Larder isn’t a grocery store in the traditional sense, you will find gourmet foodstuffs and prepared dishes to keep you satisfied when cooking a big meal isn’t really your thing. Plus, because it’s attached to Hotel Emma, Larder is just around the corner from Sternewirth, the hotel’s bar. We aren’t suggesting you drink dinner, but we’re also not not suggesting it.
Open: 6 am -6 pm
136 E. Grayson St. — (210) 448-8355

Sasha’s European Market
Okay, at press time the owners of Sasha’s hadn’t yet decided exactly if and when they would be open on Christmas, but the Eastern European chocolate and candy selection makes it worth a shot. If you’re in the area, drive by and see if you can get some pierogis to add to your Christmas meal.
Hours TBD
8023 Callaghan Rd. — (210) 348-7788

Shahi IndoPak Groceries
Shahi is a fairly small store with limited produce, but the low prices, friendly staff, and freshly baked bread will have you coming back long after the holidays are over. Check out the spice section if you want to put a spin on the traditional meal.
Open: 10 am - 10 pm
20323 Huebner Rd. — (210) 481-2225

holidays shopping

schools with high achievers

These 7 San Antonio K-8 schools rank among Texas' best for 2025

Basis San Antonio - Shavano Campus

Congratulations are in order for the Dragons.

Several San Antonio elementary and middle schools are at the top of the class when it comes to educating and preparing the next generation for a successful life and career, according to U.S. News & World Report's list of 2025 Elementary and Middle Schools Rankings.

One such school – Basis San Antonio - Shavano Campus – is the No. 17 best middle school in Texas for 2025.

This November, U.S. News ranked over 79,000 public schools on the state and district level using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Schools were analyzed based on their students' proficiencies in mathematics and reading/language arts on state assessments, and tie-breakers were decided based on student-teacher ratios.

"The 2025 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings offer parents a way to evaluate how schools are providing a high-quality education and preparing students for future success," said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., the managing editor for Education at U.S. News. "The data empowers families and communities to advocate for their children’s education. Research continues to indicate that how students perform academically at these early grade levels is a big factor in their success in high school and beyond."

Texas' best middle schools for 2025
In all, five San Antonio middle schools achieved spots among the top 100 best Texas middle schools for 2025, according to U.S. News.

The Shavano Campus of the Basis San Antonio charter school has a total enrollment of 1,018 students, with 84 percent of the student population scoring "at or above the proficient level" in mathematics, and 90 percent scoring at that level of proficiency in reading. The school has a student-teacher ratio of 16:1, with 63 full-time teachers.

Students at this charter school performed far better with its test scores than the rest of Texas, U.S. News said.

Four additional San Antonio schools ranked among the top 100 best middle schools in Texas, including:

No. 53 – Eleanor Kolitz Hebrew Language Academy
No. 62 – Lopez Middle School, North East ISD
No. 80 – Idea Carver College Preparatory
No. 97 – Young Women's Leadership Academy, San Antonio ISD

The best elementary schools in Texas
Jesus A. Kawas Elementary school in Laredo was crowned the No. 1 elementary school in Texas for 2025, while two San Antonio schools made it into the top 100.

Basis San Antonio Primary Medical Center is the No. 75 best elementary school statewide, boasting 787 students, 48 full-time teachers, and a 16:1 student-teacher ratio. Students at this school scored 80 percent efficiency in math and 85 percent efficiency in reading.

Landing at No. 90 in Texas is San Antonio's Hardy Oak Elementary in North East ISD. Hardy Oak has a student population of 683 with 37 full-time teachers, and one full-time counselor. The school's student-teacher ratio is 18:1, and 77 percent of students are proficient in math, and 85 percent are proficient in reading.

U.S. News says student success at Hardy Oak is significantly higher than the rest of North East ISD.

"In North East Independent School District, 56 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 46 percent tested at or above that level for math," U.S. News said in Hardy Oak's profile. "Hardy Oak Elementary [also] did better in math and better in reading in this metric compared with students across the state."

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