NEWS YOU CAN EAT

6 things to know in San Antonio food right now: Beloved barbacoa joint beefs up the North Side

Tommy's is coming to the North Side.

Editor’s note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of San Antonio’s restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our regular roundup of essential food news.

Openings
Lovers of Big Red and barbacoa rejoice! Iconic Alamo City comfort food operation Tommy’s Restaurant is opening a new outpost on San Antonio’s North Side. Set to open toward the end of the month, the new location will serve the familiar Tex-Mex influenced fare that diners have come to love from the brand, including cheesy enchiladas, carne guisada, puffy tacos, and a whole assortment of breakfast tacos. Unlike other Tommy’s locations, this new spot, which sits at the corner of Wurzbach Parkway and Blanco Road, will not feature a drive-thru. Instead, it will have designated carry-out parking spots for to-go orders. Tommy’s, which celebrates 25 years of service in San Antonio this year, currently has four functioning operations across the city, not counting this forthcoming North Side location.

San Antonio is a Tex-Mex town, no doubt about it, but one local chef is proving there’s room for all kinds of Latin American fare. Veteran San Antonio restaurateur Shaunda Robledo’s forth-coming concept, Panjaz, aims to introduce Alamo City residents to an underserved brand of Hispanic cuisine: Panamanian food. Robledo’s new concept — which the chef is opening with business partner and fiancee ReAnn Robledo — will highlight menu items from her home country, including such Panamanian staples as stuffed yucca fritters, curry chicken, and spicy lamb kebabs. Currently, no concrete date has been announced for the concept’s grand opening. According to the San Antonio Express-News, though Robledo has access to a ghost kitchen, the chef hopes to open Panjaz in a more permanent space, such as a sun-shaded patio or a food trailer with outdoor seating, sometime in the near future.

Still need a gift for Mom on Mother’s Day this year? (FYI: May 9 is quickly approaching.) One local French-inspired brassiere has you covered. Damien Watel, head chef at Bistr09, will be whipping up a special mothers-themed menu that screams, “I love you, Mom!” via the universal language of brunch. Lucky mothers will be treated to a meal featuring delightful items like lump crab oeuf cocotte, salmon, and short rib eggs Benedict. Bistr09’s classic menu of brunch favorites, including the ever-popular fried chicken lollipops, will be available during brunch as well. Bistr09’s Mother’s Day brunch takes place Sunday, May 9 from 11am-3pm. Reservations for this once-a-year event are strongly encourage and can be made via Bistr09’s website.

Other news and notes
Late jazz icon Duke Ellington is getting the royal treatment this month at one Stone Oak wine bar. To celebrate the legendary musician’s birthday, Copa Wine Bar and Tasting Room will host a four-course prix fixe wine dinner titled A Celebration of Jazz. Held both Wednesday, April 28, and Thursday, April 29 from 7-9pm, the experience will guide diners through four influential American jazz cities, including virtual culinary stops in New York City for bagels and lox, and Kansas City for an order of barbecue burnt ends. Each course will include a carefully curated wine pairing (or a beer-paring alternative, available at the guest’s request). Tickets to this event run $60 a person and reservations are required. Interested parties can book a reservation by calling Copa Wine Bar at 210-495-2672.

San Antonio’s annual Spring Home + Garden Show is set to return to the Alamodome April 16 through 18, and some of the city’s hottest food-truck operations are bringing their A game. Presented by Marketplace Events, the show is a vibrant event where guests can shop for home-related products and services, experience stunning displays to inspire home projects, and connect with industry experts, including builders, remodelers, contractors, and more. For eats, the show will have a dedicated food-vendor area dubbed San Antonio Savory, which will showcase local operations like Aloha Kitchen and Al’s Jerky. The event is free for children 16 and younger, as well as active military and first responders (with valid ID). Adult tickets run $8 and can be purchased online.

Hall of Fame pitcher and Texas legend Nolan Ryan isn’t just a heck of a baseball player, he’s also an aficionado on all things meat. Now, just in time for backyard barbecue season, the athlete’s first retail store, Goodstock by Nolan Ryan, has launched its flavorful No Fuss BBQ Rub. The rub includes a perfect blend of pepper, salt, and garlic to bring out the bold flavor in any preferred cut of beef. What’s more, Goodstock has also unveiled its online merchandise shop featuring favorites like custom denim barbecue aprons, baseball caps, denim koozies, Weige Knives, and more. San Antonio residents can order their No Fuss BBQ Rub online at Goodstock’s virtual store.

tacos tex-mex brunch barbecue

Brewing News

What’s brewing in San Antonio: 2 taprooms close and British pub returns

Vista Brewing Co./Facebook

Vista Brewing Co. began 2025 by shuttering its San Antonio taproom following three years of service.

The holidays are over, and as one defunct pub started a comeback, San Antonio’s beer scene saw more taproom closures. So let's take a look at what's happening.

The Lion and Rose has returned

A British-style pub chain that once thrived in San Antonio back in the 2000s is back.

The Lion and Rose British Restaurant and Pub is expected to fully open to the public before the end of January, according to owner Allen Tharp.

Tharp is resurrecting the Lion and Rose, which previously existed as a chain of pubs around San Antonio for years before closing one location after another over time. The final Lion and Rose location, in the La Cantera area, closed in 2021. During the height of its popularity, Lion and Rose served up a number of beers and spirits with traditional pub grub, billiards, darts, and soccer viewing parties.

The revived Lion and Rose is housed in a new building at 23330 I-10 W. in the Leon Springs/Dominion area, just up the road from the La Cantera and Rim shopping centers.

Tharp has used social media to keep friends and supporters updated on the progress of the Lion and Rose revival, which he said will bring back the wide variety of beers, spirits, British-inspired food and pub games.

The new Lion and Rose will also feature nightly events, such as trivia, karaoke, and movie screenings, as well as afternoon tea for tea lovers. There will also be private, WiFi-equipped rooms where visitors can enjoy coffee and study for school or do some work. Additionally, the new Lion and Rose will be available for private parties and corporate functions.

Man Overboard Brewing closes

Man Overboard Brewing Co., based near downtown San Antonio, closed its doors in December after three years of operations.

Naval veteran Ron Merriman and his son Justin launched Man Overboard with a focus on Belgian and American beers. The brewery also produced hard and frozen seltzers.

While the Merriman family did not reveal reasons for Man Overboard’s closure, the ceasing of operations wrapped up a difficult year in San Antonio’s craft beer scene, with the closure of two other local breweries and a handful of San Antonio-area craft beer bars.

"It is with heavy hearts we announce to you Man Overboard Brewing Company will be closing our doors after three great years of brewing, fun, and friendships," the Merrimans wrote on the company’s social media. “Our final day will be December 22nd. But before we go, we want to celebrate with you — our loyal family and friends who made this journey unforgettable."

Vista Brewing shutters San Antonio taproom

Vista Brewing Co., based in Driftwood, Texas, closed its San Antonio taproom. January 5 was its final day of service.

The Hill Country brewery opened a San Antonio beer garden on the west side in 2021. Two years later, Vista relocated the beer garden to the eastern edge of downtown where the larger space allowed for food service. The San Antonio location also served wines, ciders and espresso drinks.

Vista Brewing’s representatives did not share reasons for closing the San Antonio taproom.

"It is with a heavy heart that we are making the tough decision to wind down Vista Brewing’s San Antonio taproom,” the company announced via social media. “We have loved being immersed in the San Antonio community for the last three and a half years, but have found that it is just not the right time for Vista.”

Vista Brewing Co./Facebook

Vista Brewing Co. began 2025 by shuttering its San Antonio taproom following three years of service.

san antonio craft beer pub brewery