Saying Goodbye

Phenomenal San Antonio ramen bar unexpectedly ships out of Flores Street

Kimura has closed its location at Freight.

Less than a year after transitioning to a full-time restaurant, acclaimed ramen shop Kimura has closed its location inside Freight Gallery & Studios. An employee confirms that July 27 was the last day of business at 1913 S. Flores St.

The news first broke in a July 30 Facebook post. The brief announcement didn’t go into much detail but did assure fans that the downtown location would remain open.

Restaurant Gwendolyn chef Michael Sohocki first opened the downtown Kimura in late 2015 but expanded the concept with two ramen bars after a series of sold-out pop-ups in early 2018.

The Freight shop was preceded by a location at the Cherrity Bar in September 2018. Longtime Gwendolyn group operations manager took over ownership of that outpost in December 2018, rechristening it Kuriya.

Meanwhile, the Freight location — home to the original pop-ups hosted during Southtown’s Second Saturday Artwalk — transitioned to a full-time restaurant in October 2018 with a smaller version of the flagship menu downtown.

It’s unclear why that location failed to take hold. The original Kimura was a phenomenon on arrival and has been lauded as one of San Antonio's best concepts.

The owners only hinted at a reason. “We are very grateful to everyone in the Southtown and San Antonio community who have supported us, but we have decided to focus our efforts on our Kimura Downtown location,” the restaurant said in the post.

closings

Drinks At Home

Destination bar revives 114-year-old house in downtown San Antonio

Bar House San Antonio/Facebook

Bar House San Antonio, an expansion of Schertz-based Bar House, is tentatively slated to have soft opening in early November.

A century-old home in downtown San Antonio has been transformed into the area’s newest bar. Nick Marquez, owner of Bar House San Antonio, wants visitors to think of the venue as a must-see destination, instead of just another neighborhood watering hole.

“This is really a large hangout spot — a headquarters for hanging out,” Marquez said of the new bar located at 820 N. Alamo St.

This is the first San Antonio location for Bar House, a popular venue in Schertz that opened in 2018. Marquez said he hopes to have a soft opening for Bar House during the first week of November, a time to complete staff training while en route to a grand opening.

According to Marquez, Bar House San Antonio’s vibe will be different from its Schertz counterpart.

The 10,600-square-foot bar is located in a totally restored house originally built in 1910. Bar House San Antonio offers multiple bars, VIP spaces, and plenty of seating throughout the structure, which was expanded from two to three stories during the restoration.

The additional space features a rooftop patio, a television screen wall, an area for a DJ, and views of the downtown skyline.

The bar also includes an elevator and a large, custom-built chandelier. Patrons will have access to a food truck.

While Marquez owns multiple commercial properties in the Schertz and Cibolo area northeast of San Antonio, he has long wanted to set up shop in downtown.

Particularly, Marquez was drawn to the emerging River North neighborhood. There, Bar House San Antonio will join nearby venues such as the Lucky Duck restaurant, Bentley’s Beer Garden, La Roca Cantina, and Roadmap Brewing Co. in a growing nightlife district between Broadway Street, San Antonio River, and North Alamo Street.

“Downtown is growing. I grew up in the San Antonio area, so I've always wanted to be a part of downtown, and I think there's a huge boom,” Marquez said. “Being part of a major city, I’m also showing what I can do as far as restoring properties with my bar-owner knowledge.”

Given the space surrounding Bar House San Antonio, Marquez envisions his venue as welcoming anyone and everyone. He plans to have a Thanksgiving Eve party in the parking lot as one of his first big events.

Marquez said he feels Bar House will have something for everyone.

“I've built this so large and so detailed that I wanted it to be a destination,” Marquez said. “I want tourists to come to North Alamo Street, and not just stay by the River Walk or the convention center.”

Marquez said Bar House San Antonio cannot be described in one category.

“It's not a beach bar. It's not a genre bar. It's for everyone, from 21 to 70,” he said.

Bar House San Antonio/Facebook

Bar House San Antonio, an expansion of Schertz-based Bar House, is tentatively slated to have soft opening in early November.

Right now, Bar House's website is just a contact form. More information is available on Instagram.

bar river north bar house san antonio