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

Summer vacation has come early for San Antonio in the form of a hot new tiki bar and Vietnamese restaurant located on the city’s iconic River Walk. As reported by CultureMap last December, the new concept from veteran San Antonio restaurateur Chris Hill, dubbed Hugman’s Oasis in honor of the River Walk’s visionary architect, Robert H. H. Hugman, will feature elevated, authentic takes on iconic tiki bar cocktail staples, crafted by decorated Alamo City beverage director and Boulevardier Restaurant Group owner Jeret Peña. What’s more, the concept is also bringing with it some serious eats. Located just above Hugman’s Oasis is the newly opened House of Má, a homestyle Vietnamese concept from the duo behind San Antonio’s popular Singh’s Vietnamese restaurant, Louis Singh and Eric Treviño. In addition to House of Má’s straightforward menu, which includes chicken pho and Cambodian noodle soup, the restaurant’s culinary team will also be grilling up savory bar snacks for their boozy downstairs neighbor, including candied-jalapeño Rangoons and seasonal yakitori skewers. Both concepts are located at 135 E. Commerce St., and are set to open officially Friday, April 30. Following the grand opening, House of Má will be open 11 am-9 pm Tuesday through Sunday, with evening hours extended to 11 pm on Friday and Saturday. Hugman’s Oasis will be open 11 am-10 pm Tuesday through Sunday, with evening hours extended to midnight on Friday and Saturday.

Local food personality and host of KSAT 12’s daytime culinary program, David Elder isn’t just reviewing the food anymore. Now he’s making it! Introducing Tex’s Hot Chicken, a new Texas comfort food concept from Elder and business owner Cary Hamer of Inferno’s Wood Fired Oven & Spirits, which has locations in Boerne and Gruene. The forthcoming concept’s menu will star the signature Big Tex, a 12-hour marinated chicken breast that’s deep fried, dunked in hot oil, and served on a brioche bun with Tex’s sauce. The operation’s side dishes include familiar favorites like Tex’s mac and cheese, Tex’s potato salad, and made-to-order seasoned potato chips. The hot new eatery is expected to take flight in late spring or early summer in the form a food truck that’ll make frequent stops in the New Braunfels and Boerne areas, followed by a brick-and-mortar location in nearby Cibolo opening sometime in the fall or early winter.

Other news and notes
One popular Stone Oak neighborhood dessert shop is paying tribute to society’s perennially unsung heroes: teachers and nurses. From May 3-12, Corner Bakery will offer a free — and well-deserved — sweet to any teacher or nurse. What’s more, the local business plans to award free catering service to 10 local teachers and nurses, who San Antonio residents can nominate by visiting Corner Bakery’s website. (Applications must be submitted before Thursday, April 29, so get on it!) And if all that weren’t enough, Corner Bakery is also offering free delivery on $50 catering orders from participating locations for upcoming appreciation events through Saturday, May 15. Interested parties can learn more about Corner Bakery’s catering specials on its website.

And speaking of Stone Oak, one of the area’s newest comfort food purveyors is celebrating two of the meatiest holidays of the year with some hearty deals. Craft casual pioneers Dog Haus, the Los Angeles-based restaurant known for its gourmet hot dogs and handcrafted sausages, will celebrate national slider day on Saturday, May 15 with a takeout-only cheeseburger slider special. For $24, guests can order a full set of Dog Haus’ famous sliders to take home, reheat, and feast upon. Cheeseburger slider orders must be placed ahead of May 15 by calling Dog Haus Stone Oak at 210-257-8809. And if sliders aren’t your thing, Dog Haus also has you covered for National Hamburger Day, May 28, when the concept will serve up its signature Haus Burger for just $5 for dine-in service and takeout.

San Antonio-based Twang — which for generations has spiced up Alamo City beers — is celebrating a muy picante milestone with some hot new products. The family-owned and -operated creator and manufacturer of premium-flavored sugars, seasonings, and “the original beer salt” celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the operation has launched two new flavors of its Twang Reserve Michelada Cocktail Mix: a spicy mix with notes of serrano peppers and hot sauce, and a pickle-flavored mix made with real dill and cucumbers. The two additions come on the tails of the brand’s success with the launch of its original Twang Reserve Michelada Cocktail Mix in 2019. The two new flavors, as well as the original mix, are now available for purchase on Twang’s website or at Spec’s locations across Texas.

Whether you’re trying to secure that summer bod or are just looking for a less carb-heavy lunch, one Texas-based health-food chain is making it easier than ever to enjoy your greens. In celebration of National Salad Month (Yep, it’s actually a thing. It’s in May.), Salata, the built-to-order salad kitchen, is debuting an expansive new menu of wraps and salads, including a spicy jalapeño avocado salad, a hearty Cobb salad with grilled chicken and buttermilk ranch, and a flavorful vegetarian Mediterranean wrap with chickpeas, feta, and falafel wrapped in a cool cucumber tortilla. Currently, Salata has four San Antonio area locations: Quarry Village, Huebner Oaks Center, Park North, and on E. Sonterra Boulevard.