Hot Headlines

San Antonio resort shines among world's best and more popular stories

This resort is one of the world's best.

Photo courtesy of JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa

Editor's note: The top San Antonio news of the week includes a Hill Country resort in the global spotlight, plus an exciting opening and sudden closure. Read on for our hottest headlines, then plan your weekend via this guide.

1. San Antonio resort declared 'World's Best' by Travel + Leisure. The city of San Antonio and its top-tier hospitality industry have earned special recognition in Travel + Leisure's 2026 World's Best Awards.

2. Netflix star chef debuts new San Antonio bar and restaurant. Chef Graham Campbell of Netflix's The Final Table fame has opened Castlehill in San Antonio.

3. Wimberley's Blue Hole dives into new $4M nature center. One of the Hill Country’s favorite swimming holes is hoping to make an even bigger splash with a state-of-the-art education center designed to be a hub of Hays County civic life.

4. Promising San Antonio seafood joint closes after less than 3 months. El Fish Demon in the Deco District announced its sudden — and permanent — closure in a social media statement.

El Fish Demon San Antonio El Fish Demon has shuttered. El Fish Demon/ Instagram

5. Texas beach town wades into most affordable coastal getaways list. San Antonians are less than three hours from one of America's most affordable beach destinations of 2026.

Hot Headlines

Iconic San Antonio ice house closes its doors and more popular stories

Little Joe's Ice House/ Facebook

An archival photo of Little Joe's Ice House. The bar still has a jar of pickles on the counter.

Editor's note: The top San Antonio stories of the week include an ice house's last call and a record store's return. Plus, New Braunfels boasts the hottest ZIP in the U.S. Read on for our most popular stories, then plan your weekend via this guide.

1. Iconic San Antonio ice house to close after 57 years. One of San Antonio’s longest-running ice houses is holding last call. Little Joe’s Ice House at 7405 Old Pearsall Rd. is closing Saturday, August 1 after 57 years.

2. This San Antonio suburb is the hottest ZIP code in America. A new migration report has reaffirmed Texas as one of the hottest destinations for movers during the first half of 2026, and one San Antonio suburb is attracting more movers than any other ZIP code in America.

3. Favorite San Antonio burger joint set to double footprint. Popular burger joint Smash’d, at 520 E. Grayson St., is more than doubling its size — and that means more air conditioning.

4. Where to eat: 7 San Antonio restaurants with sublime seafood. From a Pearl hot spot offering poke bowls on-the-go to a promising newcomer shelling out mariscos, these San Antonio spots are making a splash.

Fresh seafood at Leche de Tigre. Leche de Tigre/ Facebook

5. San Antonio rallies to save iconic South Side record store. After being locked out of its longtime South Side home in May, Flip Side Record Parlor says it has paid all overdue rent and is now back open for business.