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Popular Pearl eatery fueling trendy Southtown strip with second location

The second location of The Good Kind is days away from opening in Southtown.

A former Sun-Glo will soon be fueling a new generation of San Antonians. Chef and healthy eating guru Tim "The Girl" McDiarmid tells CultureMap that the second location of The Good Kind will open in the former service station on February 23.

The opening completes McDiarmid’s rework of the King William Historic District property. In November 2018, she took over Ivy Hall at 1127 S. St. Mary’s St., transforming it into a stylish indoor-outdoor event space with three distinct areas.

The Good Kind is located in the adjacent restaurant space which once housed Southtown restaurateur Chad Carrey’s The Monterrey. Although the building’s bones were kept intact, the space has a cheery new look in keeping with the bright fare inside.

Like the original location in the Pearl’s Bottling Department food hall, the menu features cold-pressed juices, smoothies, sandwiches, and veggie-heavy rice bowls. McDiarmid will be introducing a few new plates when the restaurant gets rolling.

Unlike the Pearl original, which is served by the beer and wine only Bottling Department Bar, the restaurant will also serve cocktails. For non-imbibers, there will also be a selection of coffee drinks.

The extra caffeine might prove useful to guests on opening day. The Good Time has a full day of fitness planned as part of the festivities, starting with MBS Yoga at 9 am. The classes are first come-first served and participants are asked to bring their own mat.

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Well-known brunch eatery adds location at changing Riverwalk mall

Photo courtesy of Alamo Biscuit Co. & Panaderia

Alamo Biscuit Co. & Panaderia is joining a growing list of businesses flocking to the Shops at Rivercenter.

The well-known San Antonio brunch spot Alamo Biscuit Co. & Panaderia is continuing its takeover of the city with a third location. The new eatery is expected to open in March 2025 at 849 E. Commerce St., adjacent to the Shops at Rivercenter.

The new restaurant will span a 7,000-square-foot space, including a 1,200-square-foot patio, which will host a total of 250 guests. San Antonians may remember the space from its days as Enrique Tomás, an upscale Spanish restaurant. Things will be different at the very casual Alamo Biscuit Co., which operates more like a diner.

Biscuits are, of course, the anchoring menu item, and are served in sweet and savory flights when they're not providing support for other dishes like Nashville hot chicken, eggs Benedict with various proteins, or a classic sausage, egg, and cheese. Other specialties include pancakes (sometimes with extravagant toppings), French toast, and tacos.

The new location comes with new menu items that haven't been announced with, plus a full bar and espresso bar, according to a release.

Alamo Biscuit Co. is hiring 80-100 team members starting in January, according to the release. That will include "management, servers, cooks, and dishwashers."

The Shops at Rivercenter are in the middle of a larger renaissance. The mall opened in 1988, and has weathered the coming and going trends of retail. Since 2005, it's been owned by Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation, which also owns famous properties like Boston's Faneuil Hall Marketplace and New York City's Plaza Hotel.

Just in 2024, projects announced at the Shops at Rivercenter include an overhaul of dining by celebrity chef Jason Dady, as well as the San Antonio debut of the trendy Australian mini-golf chain Holey Moley.

“To be invited to open a location on the San Antonio River Walk is an incredible honor and a blessing,” said Alamo Biscuit Co. owner and UTSA graduate John Vale in the release. “In just five years, Alamo Biscuit Co. has become a part of San Antonio’s culinary fabric, and now, we’ve been given the opportunity to share our passion for great food and community in what I believe is the best location in Texas. This is a gift from God and a privilege we don’t take lightly.”

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