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7 things to know in San Antonio food right now: Ramen shop bowls over Northeast Side with new locations

Bakudan Ramen plans two open two new locations on the Northeast 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

Popular noodle shop Bakudan Ramen is hoping to bowl over Alamo City with two new locations. Known for its eclectic atmosphere and pan-Asian offerings like poke nachos, bibimbap, and takoyaki (fried octopus balls), the emerging chain first debuted at the Rim in 2019. A company representative tells CultureMap that a Stone Oak outpost, located at 22506 Us Hwy 281 N. #106, is expected to be guest-ready by July. A third store, at the Bandera-Loop 1604 interchange near Helotes, is aiming for an October opening.

A Japanese street food upstart has dived into the Balcones Heights area. In an Instagram post, Hanamaru Café spilled the beans on its April 24 opening of its 7460 Callaghan Rd. #333 shop. The concept specializes in Taiyaki, fish-shaped pastries commonly filled with red bean paste. Bucking tradition, the store also offers Nutella and mozzarella varieties, along with soft serve-filled taiyaki “cones.”

Pearl Farmers Market mainstay The Beignet Stand is now sweetening the Broadway corridor with a new brick-and-mortar. According to an Instagram post, the pastry shop celebrated its grand opening at 8343 Broadway on April 20. Husband-and-wife team Michael Grimes and Elisa Trevino are serving many of the varieties that make the kiosk an essential stop, including churro honey butter, Nutella, and piña colada beignets.

St. Mary’s strip revelers now have one more option for late-night eats. Taquitos MB El Sazon Norteño owner Mario Reyna Borjon took over the former home of Pizza Party at 2334 N. St. Mary’s St. on April 21. Among the offerings at Puro Taco are chicken, steak, carnitas, shrimp, and quesabirria tacos.

Central Texas barbecue chain Smokey Mo’s TX BBQ is hoping to expand its San Antonio footprint with an ambitious expansion plan. According to a release, the franchise is eyeing the Alamo City area for its first new stores, although it did not divulge the targeted amount. In all, the growing chain plans to add 32 locations in Texas. Currently, it operates four locations locally.

Other news and notes

High Street Wine Co., hot off a James Beard Awards semifinalist nod, has nabbed another plaudit. National culinary website Tasting Table has named the Pearl hot spot No. 11 on its list of top wine bars in the United States. Editors praised its devotion to small producers and wide variety of snacks.

Contemporary Southern hospitality will meet Regency era English manners at The Good Kind on May 7. The Southtown event space is putting a Bridgerton spin on its Kentucky Derby celebration with a hat contest, live jazz music, and a showing of the big race. The full bar and food menu will be offered from 4-9 pm.

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In-slider knowledge

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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