No holds barred

Luchador-themed taco drive-thru pins down opening date in Medical Center

Macho Libre's street tacos feature housemade tortillas.

Wrestling with what to have for dinner? The team behind El Taco Tote Mexican Grill and 210 Ceviche are making that decision even easier for San Antonians with the opening of Macho Libre, a casual new eatery with a playful luchador theme.

Opening at 9 am on February 12 at 5834 Babcock Rd. in Medical Center, the restaurant offers traditional Mexican cuisine in a fast casual format. According to a release, co-owners Ricardo Mora and Arnulfo Ortega worked with 210 Ceviche chef Luis Ortego to come up with a menu that goes beyond the seafood they are most known for.

Although the spot features a drive-thru and counter service, Macho Libre is not some local version of Taco Bell. Instead, the menu focuses on authentic street food like elotes and frutería favorites like fresas con crema and paletas.

Housemade tortillas are the base of a variety of other dishes, including tacos and burritos like tinga, guisados, and rajas con queso. The two dishes battle it out in a hybrid offering dubbed the burritaco. At $1.85, it’s sure to give the national chains, ahem, a run for their money.

Meatier fare may be front and center, but the restaurant also offers a few vegan choices. And, of course, the rotating flavors of aguas frescas can be enjoyed by all.

The addition of Macho Libre continues Medical Center’s recent boom. Although Aldo’s Ristorante Italiano decided to move out of the area in January after a 33 year run, 2018 has seen more than its fair share of promising newcomers like Babil Cafe, Deco Pizzeria, and Trio Modern Mediterranean, making it one of the most exciting — and affordable — dining destinations in town.

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Bar Culture

Ramen chain from Tokyo opens new location in San Antonio

Photo courtesy of Jinya Ramen Bar

This chain emphasizes traditional ramen.

San Antonians may not realize they have a real Japanese ramen spot in their city, and now they'll have more as Jinya Ramen Bar opens its second location in the city.

The restaurant at 7010 W Loop 1604 N. Suite 203 will open December 17. That will make 16 Texas locations for the Tokyo-based chain, which emphasizes the spread of "real ramen culture."

The first 100 guests will get a free bowl of ramen. The count starts at 11 am.

Jinya Ramen Bar bowls Jinya has a diverse menu with lots of possible add-ins.Photo courtesy of Jinya Ramen Bar

“Guests in San Antonio love big flavors and we’re happy to supply them,” said founder and CEO Tomo Takahashi in the release. “The Culebra neighborhood has become an incredible restaurant and retail destination, and we knew this community would be a great fit for our traditional ramen dishes.”

American ramen-lovers will recognize many of the ensembles featuring tonkotsu, shiyo, and miso broths with chashu (braised pork belly) or ground pork and yellow noodles. But the menu is much wider than these standard options, also featuring a vegan bowl, some bowls with chicken chashu instead of pork, shrimp or chicken wontons instead of noodles, and yuzu-flavored broth. A popular temporary menu item has also returned: The Red Garnet with vegetable broth, pork chashu, and chili garlic sauce.

Most of the ingredients listed above are offered as mix-ins (including all the proteins), plus additions like butter, fried onion, cabbage, broccolini, and more. "Tapas," rice bowls, salads, and desserts add some more variety, alongside beer, wine, sake, and just about anything else that would be available at a full bar.

According to the release, Jinya is particular about the water it uses in its broth and has a special aging process for its noodles.

Jinya Ramen Bar Culebra interior A sneak peek at the new location.Photo courtesy of Jinya Ramen Bar

Jinya Ramen Bar in Culebra will be open daily from 11 am to 10 pm.

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