OPENING ALERT

Buzzy new pickleball club opens on San Antonio's North Side

A local fabricator built custom fencing for the pickleball courts.

Photo by Monsoon Marketing

When Ross Krachey first introduced Outlaw Pickle to San Antonio, it already had ambition. Now, the entertainment complex, opening Friday, May 15 at 618 NW Loop 410 #202 in the Park North shopping center, is a whole new (pickle) ball game.

When CultureMap last caught up with Krachey, Outlaw Pickle was in the developmental stage. The founder and CEO and his partners — commercial real estate pro Romie Chaudhari and Jonathan Bricklin, the cofounder of table tennis chain SPiN — were preparing for a fall 2025 opening. The timetable was delayed as the project got more ambitious.

“We’re six months overdue on a three month project,” laughs Krachey.

The first big change was the hospitality program. Originally, the partners planned to serve food out of automated vending machines supported by an in-house kitchen. Krachey says he switched gears when he hired general manager Mario Garcia, who some locals may remember as the chef of bygone Broadway restaurant Tacos and Tequila.

Outlaw Pickle Each course has a comfortable perch for spectators.Photo by Monsoon Marketing

Garcia crafted an original menu of bar snacks and other handhelds that includes pizza, burgers, sandwiches, Brussels sprouts, and fries (the latter two come in five varieties each). Larger groups can dine on packages like the Desperado (pan-Latin fare) and Rebel Yell (Tex-Mex and Southern barbecue) during private events, each sneaking in some Tacos and Tequila classics.

The bar program shifted, too. While Krachey first envisioned a bar focusing on agave spirits and Bourbon, the new menu went “over-the-top.” The cofounder says his team voted a white chocolate matcha martini as the likely bestseller, but his personal favorite is a little more playful. Outlaw Pickle ships in fresh miracle berries, the red berries from a West African evergreen shrub, to perform a little magic on a paloma.

Krachey said the base drink is intentionally made super sour and served with a half lemon. Then the berry does its trick, turning puckery flavors into a sweet, balanced sipper.

Although the food and drink are not what the entrepreneur first pictured, his love of pickleball has stayed the same. He first fell in love with the sport on his 32nd birthday, hosting a 100-person pickleball party the following year. But his take on the game isn’t as serious as some of the other facilities in town.

Outlaw Pickle The bar program is puring out creative cocktails.Photo by Monsoon Marketing

Firstly, he based Outlaw Pickle on open play, where players of all skill levels can sign up without pre-arranging a foursome. While staff will ensure that pros don’t get paired with newbies, Krachey wanted the experience to reflect the more social aspects of the game.

“You just put your paddles in the rack and wait your turn,” he explains.

Still, that doesn’t mean that he short-shrifted the five climate-controlled courts. Even though it cost “twice as much money,” the team cushioned each court to be kind to joints. All are equipped with state-of-the-art technology like high-res TVs, AI ball tracking, and a replay system that sends celebration clips that can be posted on social media.

Each court, named after Krachey’s niblings and Bricklin’s children, is also themed. The team even hired a local fabricator to build custom fences to keep the motif going.

Outlaw Pickle Even the paddles were themed.Photo by Monsoon Marketing.

“It’s one of the most beautiful courts I’ve ever seen,” says Krachey.

The courts may be named after kids, but Outlaw Pickle will set aside some time for adults. After 4 pm, the complex has a 21-plus policy. Krachey said the facility is bar-centric with amenities like table tennis and a video jukebox stocked with ‘80s hits. There’s also plenty of grown-up programming planned, such as trivia nights and poker.

“There’s so many places for kids and none for adults,” he says, referring to Park North’s surplus of entertainment options like Pinstack and the upcoming Taroko Sports. “Chicken N Pickle is for kids.”

Outlaw Pickle is currently offering memberships, ranging from $9.99 to $49.99 per month, but locals are also invited to just drop by. Following this weekend’s hours of noon-10 pm, it will be open from 7 am-1 am daily.

restaurants cocktails nightlife pickleball openings

Movie Review

Twin sisters seek revenge in brutal thriller 'Is God Is'

Photo by Patti Perret

Kara Young and Mallori Johnson in Is God Is.

The revenge story is one of the most enduring in all of cinema as it can be adapted to multiple different genres. It most naturally fits in the action/thriller genre, but comedies, dramas, Westerns, and more have made good use of characters seeking revenge. The new film Is God Is demonstrates that malleability by detailing an intensely personal story that turns into something bigger.

Twins Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) have lived a difficult life, going in and out of foster care and forced to endure stares and taunts because each bears burn scars from a childhood attack. Racine, whose scars are “only” on her left arm, has developed into the protector of Anaia, who suffered burns over much of her face.

An unexpected call from their mother, Ruby (Vivica A. Fox), who was burned almost beyond recognition in the attack, gives them a purpose: Seeking revenge on the man who ruined their lives. Setting out in a barely working car and with only a small amount of direction, the sisters attempt to fulfill the mission without losing their souls.

Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Aleasha Harris, the film may remind some viewers of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, and not just because Fox has small roles in both films. Harris has a knack for dialogue, especially between the twins, that ably gets across the story exposition and entertains at the same time. There are many instances where she has the sisters hold silent conversations told on screen via subtitles to convey twin-speak, a method that deepens their connection and draws the viewer in.

Harris also has her characters engage in the type of shocking violence that Tarantino has used to great effect. The difference here, though, is that even though the story is heightened to a certain degree, the egregious nature of the crime perpetrated upon the girls and their mother makes the whole thing feel bracingly real. This revenge plot is not meant to merely entertain; it’s designed to put the audience in Racine and Anaia’s shoes and fully embrace the call for justice.

There are a few times when the lack of experience by Harris shows up, especially in the climactic sequence where the stunt work could have used some more precision. But overall, it’s a self-assured filmmaking debut for the playwright-turned-director, who’s adapted her own play with a richness and depth that is not often found from someone stepping behind the camera for the first time.

Young and Johnson don’t especially look alike, but they embody the essence of twin sisters, and it’s their chemistry together that makes the story as impactful as it is. They’re joined by other strong female performances by Fox, Erika Alexander, and Janelle Monáe, each of whom brings a different vibe. And anyone who loves This is Us or Paradise should prepare themselves for a completely different kind of role for Sterling K. Brown.

Is God Is uses a variety of inspirations for its storytelling, but in the end it becomes its own thing. The filmmaking world can always stand to have another strong Black voice, and Harris has made an auspicious debut, one that should have cinephiles wondering what she’ll do next.

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Is God Is opens in theaters on May 15.

movies film sterling k brown janelle monae vivica a fox erika alexander aleasha harris