After teasing the concept in September 2025, the owners of Casa Rio are finally letting The Night Heron leave the nest. The Lyons family has filed state regulatory project details on the 430 E Commerce St. bar, stating work will begin in mid-September.
Elizabeth Lyons Houston, Owner and Vice President of the Los Leones restaurant group, previously shared a loose timeline for the bar, estimating an opening between December and spring 2027. But according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) project timeline, work on the 4,000-square-foot space is not expected to wrap up until late October 2027.
At the time, Houston said that the bar’s name does double-duty. In addition to paying homage to the River Walk’s heron flocks, it represents a new direction for the company. The group has previously been best known for keeping historical concepts alive. In addition to Casa Rio (1946), the family runs Schilo’s (1917) and Cool Crest Miniature Golf (1929).
"When I was a little girl, I used to watch the night herons' nest in the cypress canopies," said Houston in a previous email. "The name is rooted in the place (the trees above Casa Rio), but it also allows us to move in a more contemporary, versatile direction…. This name hopefully helps our future literally take flight."
That new vision is shown in the renderings. Los Leones drafted Juliana Huff de Leon and Kat Zuniga Garza of local interior firm Day Atelier to create a moody space filled with marbled greens and midnight blues, accented with rich terracotta. The upscale look is a far cry from the group’s more workaday restaurants.
But the food will be a little more familiar. Some of the bites borrow from the greatest hits of Los Leones' two flagship restaurants, such as salsa from Casa Rio and deviled eggs from Schilo's. Houston also shared that her travels will inspire some fresh menu items like escabeche and tuna tostadas with an emphasis on healthier options and locally sourced ingredients.
Houston said the bar program will pay homage to San Antonio's Mexican heritage, primarily focusing on tequila, mezcal, and gin cocktails made with indigenous ingredients. The Night Heron will also shine the spotlight on Mexico's blossoming wine industry with a selection of organic and sustainable pours.
Downstairs from the upcoming project, Casa Rio is getting a culinary glow-up, too. In a recent Facebook post, Joel “Tatu” Herrera — the owner of Folklores Coffee House and The Desert Spoon in Spring Branch — said he has been brought on “to help revitalize the kitchen, restore original recipes, and elevate the Tex-Mex experience.” The gig is a full-circle moment for the chef, who started working at Casa Rio when he was 16.
