Neighborhood Eats

The 4 best brunch spots in Northwest San Antonio

Although famous for tacos and sliders, Sangria on the Burg's brunch menu offers tasty creations like this carnitas chalupa.

Sangria on the Burg/Facebook

With the Medical District, the University of Texas San Antonio campus, La Cantera, and the Dominion, Northwest San Antonio boasts some great hot spots in a central locale. Even if you don't reside in the area, chances are you have found yourself there for a shopping excursion or happy hour. Next time you're stuck in Huebner Oaks traffic or riding down Fredericksburg Road, consider stopping at one of these restaurants for brunch.

Ajuúa! Mexican Grill
An all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch buffet for just $12? To make it even better, this Mexican eatery runs drink specials on mimosas, micheladas, and margaritas. The atmosphere is casual and friendly with a colorful interior, huge outdoor patio, and live music. The food is fresh and tasty, and, at such a reasonable price, hard to pass up. You might find yourself waiting for a table if you show up later on a Sunday, but trust us — it's worth it.
Must-try dishes: Cinnamon pancakes and the pozole

Aspen's Brew
Nestled within The Strand at Huebner Oaks, this local coffeehouse serves great brews and equally on-par food. The tinted glass windows, smell of fresh baked goods, and comfy furniture give it a charming and homey feel. Customers can't go wrong with any of the food selections, as all of the pastries, kolaches, and croissants are baked fresh daily. Aspen's Brew serves a variety of light lunch options as well. Frequent visitors rave about the wonderful coffee creations, like the double-brewed French roast.
Must-try dish: Chocolate croissant

Bakery Lorraine
Bakery Lorraine's second location opened in the heart of the Medical Center after it became a San Antonio staple at the Pearl. Dessert lovers on the northwest side rejoiced, for there is nothing quite like Bakery Lorraine. From classic, fanciful desserts like Parisian macarons to the more exotic bostock, everything at this bakery is crafted to perfection. The Medical Center spot is just as charming as the original, with warm hospitality and spacious seating. If sweets are not your thing, don't worry: Bakery Lorraine also serves up a wonderful breakfast and lunch menu that changes seasonally.
Must-try dishes: Savory bread pudding and the homemade Pop-Tart

Sangria on the Burg
Sangria on the Burg is a great place to find yourself on a Saturday for some delicious food and drinks. The handcrafted sangria and cocktails are a delight, and so is the Tex-Mex barbecue selection. Guests love the chance to mix and match the taco and slider options. Popular favorites include the surf and turf slider (ground beef, Gulf shrimp, and a Siriacha-lime remoulade) and the pork belly tacos. The famous sangria flight: $8 gets you a small glass each of the house red, house white, Big Red, and Jameson-ginger sangrias. The restaurant also serves delectable desserts such as an espresso Nutella brownie and Mexican chocolate cheesecake.
Must-try dish: The Dirty Sanchez slider (ground beef, poblano, jack cheese, guacamole, Fritos, and a bacon-bean puree)

bests drinks brunch breakfast coffee

NYT loves AUS

Pastry chef from San Antonio makes New York Times Best Bakeries list

Comadre Panadería/Instagram

Comadre Panadería is known for nostalgic Mexican bakes with feminine flair.

The New York Times has once again shined its spotlight on Austin’s culinary scene. It included Comadre Panadería, an Austin bakery by San Antonio native Mariela Camacho, on its new list of the 22 of the Best Bakeries Across the U.S. Right Now.

Interim food critic Priya Krishna praises pastry chef Camacho’s pastries that include conchas and her signature pink cake. “Despite their saccharine appearances, not one of the desserts is overly cloying, and even the coffee drinks (Texas pecan horchata! Cranberry vanilla agua fresca!) strike the playful tone of the pastries,” she writes.

Comadre Panadería has been widely recognized, including by this publication; Camacho, who is now based in Ausitn, won Pastry Chef of the Year in the 2023 CultureMap Austin Tastemaker Awards. She also earned a 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist nomination for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker.

Camacho and Comadre as a whole are both invested in using baked goods to make a more equitable world, from the bakery's early days as a fundraiser for disaster relief, to a current insistence on charging enough to support ethical and organic foods, and paying staff enough to keep up with rising costs in Austin.

Although Camacho was born in San Antonio and started her baking career there, she also spent a significant time in Seattle, Washington, where Comadre started as a pop-up. According to Austin Monthly, she then moved back to San Antonio, and then to Austin. But no matter where she is, the Mexican cooking traditions of her ancestors take precedent.

Mariela Camacho of Comadre Panaderia in Austin Mariela Camacho, Comadre Panaderia. Courtesy photo

The Times also recognized Houston's Koffeteria. Krishna hails the bakery for pastry chef-owner Vanarin Kuch’s creative fare that includes dishes such as beef pho kolaches, Chinese sausage breakfast tacos, and butter mochi.

“Some of Mr. Kuch’s offerings are rooted in his Cambodian American identity — he makes cornbread with the coconutty, scallion-forward flavors of Cambodian street corn — while others are odes to Houston’s multicultural makeup. But most of the fun of Koffeteria is having no idea what Mr. Kuch will do next, and eagerly awaiting his next innovation,” Krishna writes.

Open since 2019, Koffeteria has been riding high this year. It earned a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination for Outstanding Bakery and a CultureMap Houston Tastemaker Award for Pastry Chef of the Year.

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Comadre Panadería and Koffeteria are the only Texas establishments to make the Times’ list. Only California and New York City, which each have three representatives, earn more recognition.

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