Coming soon
Here are the most anticipated San Antonio restaurant and bar openings of 2019
San Antonio’s dining scene continued to boom last year, and 2019 looks to bring more of the same. The next 12 months will no doubt bring a few surprises, but several major bar and restaurant projects have already been announced. From a second location of a healthy favorite to a brand-new eatery from an acclaimed local chef, these upcoming Alamo City concepts have us breathless with anticipation.
El Machito
What was old will be new again when this Johnny Hernandez concept reappears on the scene after shuttering its Alamo Quarry Market location in late 2017. At the new Brooks location, the dining room will be different from the original, but the menu of mesquite-grilled asadero will remain the same. A company rep tells CultureMap that the restaurant is on track for a 2019 opening, although the restaurant group is still keeping the exact details mum. This year will also see the debut of the fourth full San Antonio location of La Gloria. A mini version of the restaurant debuted in November 2018 at the AT&T Center.
The Good Kind
Healthy eating guru Tim “The Girl” McDiarmid took over event space Ivy Hall back in November with plans to open a second location of her popular grab-and-go restaurant on-site. Expect the menu to be similar to the original outpost in the Pearl’s Bottling Department food hall and offer an expanded bar program that includes beer, wine, and spirits. Early 2019 is the target, according to a previous release.
Ida Claire
This charming Southern eatery from the folks behind Whiskey Cake is taking over the former home of El Machito at 7300 Jones Baltsberger Rd. in the Alamo Quarry Market. Expect new takes on comfort classics like chicken and waffles, Nashville hot chicken, biscuits, and shrimp and grits along with a full cocktail bar when the restaurant debuts in the summer.
Pastiche
Lauded mixologist Benjamin Krick, the former manager of the much-missed Juniper Tar, is behind this new East Side bar which will specialize in gin, brandy, and absinthe. The opening date is still somewhat hazy. It was originally intended to host the Christmas-themed Miracle pop-up during the 2018 holiday season, but didn’t quite open on time. At press time, Krick has not returned a request for current status.
Savor
Slated to open by the end of January, this Pearl eatery replaces the Culinary Institute of America’s former student-run restaurant, Nao. The new project expands the former restaurant’s palate, offering a menu that explores global culinary traditions instead of just Latin America. Early teased dishes include Berkshire pork schnitzel with egg, chamomile apple, and red sauerkraut and honey-chili roasted chicken with fat rice.
Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewing
The Brooks development will get a twofer in 2019 with two concepts under the Southerleigh umbrella. Summer will see the opening of a new brewery and tasting room showcasing head brewer Les Locke’s playful beers. Then, chef and owner Jeff Balfour will debut the second location of the popular Pearl eatery in the fall.
Whisky Rose
Sangria on the Burg chef Caesar Zepeda announced in February 2018 that this spirit-forward pizzeria was coming to downtown’s Rand Building by that spring. Zepeda tells CultureMap that the build-out has moved slower than expected, but he is aiming to debut the concept by summer.
