Where to drink

Where to drink in San Antonio right now: 5 hot new happy hours for summer

Savor's new happy hour features cheap drinks and apps.

Courtesy photo

Based on the results of a highly unscientific poll, many San Antonians are suffering from burnout. Whether dealing with the workweek grind or the same old social schedule, many locals need to shake things up — and soon.

If Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants taught us anything, summer should be a time for exploration. Since a romantic getaway to Greece isn’t in the cards this month, we’ll just have to make do with the latest and greatest Alamo City happy hours.

Eastside Kitchenette
This Government Hill newcomer gave its happy hour menu a major upgrade in late June. The food menu is full of heavy hitters like $6 crispy fried oysters, $4 bacon and pimento hushpuppies with escabeche, $5 Parmesan truffle fries, and an $8 Kozy burger oozing with American cheese. Drink specials include discounted boilermakers and wines by-the-glass, and a curated selection of $5 cocktails. Enjoy it weekdays from 3-7 pm.

Hawx Sports Lounge
Even those whose sports knowledge is limited will find much to like at the Hawx’s new Sonterra location. The burger bar offers its happy hour from 2-7 pm on weekdays, then flips it back and reverses it from 9-11 pm. The deals are bananas. Appetizers like a grilled cheeses, fried mushrooms, and queso are priced between $3-$4. Craft beers are $4, and domestic drafts are $2. And margaritas are just $1 during the happy hour within a happy hour from 4-5 pm and 10-11 pm.

The Patio Southtown
After a four-month hiatus, this comfy watering hole reappeared in May with custom picnic tables, a Rockbot music system, and — most importantly — air conditioning. Get your Mr. Freeze on between 4-6 pm during the Tuesday through Friday happy hour. Instead of offering a wide array of deals, the place keeps the formula simple. Take 20 percent off anything that has booze and appetizers like fried cheese bites; onion chips; tots; and queso loaded with sour cream, guac, pico, and either brisket or chicken.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Yes, this is a chain and the name is a headache for grammarians, but it deserves credit where credit is due. The new Sizzle, Swizzle, Swirl happy hour is a boon for budget-minded diners, with an array of cocktails and deluxe dishes all priced at $9. The food menu has the best bets, offering crab beignets, a prime burger, spicy fried shrimp, and seared ahi tuna. Drinks include Cosmos, Manhattans, and a pomegranate martini.

Savor
Tuesday is like the Big Bang Theory of the calendar. Sure, sometimes it's mildly amusing, but few will ever admit to loving it. That may soon change as more San Antonians discover the new Tuesday social at the Culinary Institute of America’s student-run restaurant. From 5:30-8 pm, penny pinchers can enjoy $5 cocktails, like the award-winning Savor margarita and take a buck off appetizers like crispy pomme frites, orange chili wings, and beefy brisket meatballs. Use all the money saved to pony up for one of the luscious desserts.

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Fried Chicken News

Houston chicken tender chain to open 3 locations in San Antonio

Photo courtesy of Urban Bird

Urban Bird has been circling San Antonio for several months.

A new fried chicken restaurant is swooping into San Antonio: Called Urban Bird, it's bringing tenders and sandwiches to three new locations.

Two of the locations were already announced in July 2024: one at 22106 U.S. 281 N., Ste. 102 in Stone Oak, and one at 8802 Potranco Rd., Ste. 111. The Stone Oak location is projected to open first, in April. That's followed by Potranco location in June and the newly added third in August, at 17603 La Cantera Pkwy., Ste. 119.

Although it's been a while since the news first landed, the restaurant appears to be only about a month or two behind schedule. The two previously announced locations were originally expected to open in March 2025.

Urban Bird is a chicken tenders concept with increasing levels of heat. Signature items include: the tender basket, with two tenders, bread, choice of side, pickles, and Bird Sauce for $12.75; and the Sando combo, with two tenders on a toasted bun with kale slaw, Bird Sauce, and pickles, for $15.75.

The concept was founded in Houston by husband-and-wife duo Brandon and Chantel Gawthorp, who opened the first location in Katy in 2020. They've since opened 14 locations across Texas, including in Fulshear, Houston, Spring, College Station, and San Marcos.

Alongside the debut San Antonio locations, it is also opening its first stores in Dallas-Fort Worth.

One notable menu item is the Urban Fries, like a loaded fries topped with a tender and mac and cheese; it started as a limited-edition item before getting bumped up to permanent status.

The Urban Fries became the inspiration and centerpiece for a companion ghost kitchen they founded called Chronic Fries, which is housed within each restaurant, featuring street-food-style fries topped with chicken and ingredients such as mac and cheese or elote.

“Coming off COVID, a lot of people were doing virtual restaurants, so the different fry options came from creating different combinations that would work for that concept," Brandon says.

“We’re kind of running out of room in Houston,” he continues. "We go into a lot of second generation locations where previous restaurants have closed so we can move quicker with the equipment that’s already in there."

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