Can we get a r-amen?

Downtown restaurant hops out of business after 4 short months, plus more San Antonio food news

Chef Michael Sohocki’s Ramen Bar has arrived just in time for the fall season.

Editor's note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the what’s what and who’s who of San Antonio food. But we have you covered with our regular roundup of the freshest local restaurant news.

Ramen Bar, the spinoff of Restaurant Gwendolyn chef Michael Sohocki’s popular Kimura concept, opened September 7 at the East Side's Cherrity Bar. The noodle shop offers the same menu of soups, dumplings, and stir-fries as Kimura, plus tebasaki, aka deep-fried Japanese chicken wings.

After only four months in business, downtown Southern restaurant Hoppin’ John unexpectedly shuttered on August 29. It’s not all bad news for owners Guillermo Galvan and April Carter, however. The pair will be debuting a new eatery, Market Barbeque, near the Brooks development in October.

September 7 also saw the opening of El Búho, a new St. Mary’s Strip sports bar from the owners of Hi-Tones. The new project features food trucks, a large patio, games, and plenty of Spurs memorabilia.

After originally projecting a May debut, new food truck park StreetFare SA will finally celebrate its grand opening on September 15. The project from industry newcomer Dakota Day will feature an initial lineup of six trucks including Cousins Maine Lobster, Cilantro Mexican Fusion Food Truck, The Lone Star Food Truck, Tucker’s Kitchen, MalDonado’s Grill, and the memorably named SlimeDog.

Speaking of smoked meats, the Texas Monthly BBQ Fest is returning to Austin on November 4. The annual invitational features the best pitmasters in Texas (i.e. the world) in a grand tasting requiring hundreds of napkins. San Antonio-area restaurants participating this year include 2M Smokehouse and San Marcos’ Hays Co. Bar-B-Que.

Move over cronuts. La Panadería owners José and David Cáceres have created a Franken-dessert that is pure San Antonio. The croncha — a pastry combining the concha’s frosted top with the croissants buttery layers — was inspired by Mexican bakery Panadería El Manantial’s viral concha-mantecada hybrid, but less like a muffin in texture. The treats are now available at both La Panadería locations.

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Better Days, Same Burgers

Shuttered San Antonio burger joint stages surprising comeback

Teddy B's/Facebook

Teddy B's has made a surprise comeback.

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of Teddy B's life. In October, the popular burger joint shuttered its decade-old location on Babcock Road, grieving a loss of foot traffic and rising costs. On November 20, the spot revealed a plot twist. The owners are now slinging patties at 9903 Fredericksburg Rd.

"Dear Teddy B's customers, we have good news," the restaurant posted on social media. "We are back in business...We are waiting for our new sign, but we are up and running."

The unexpected comeback is the culmination of a tumultuous year for the business. As the restaurant marked its 10-year milestone this summer, the outlook was much darker. On August 4, the restaurant took to social media to warn that closure could be imminent. A traffic decline affected Teddy B's ability to maintain its affordable price point.

The messaging worked, at least in the short term. Days later, the restaurant reported an increase in business. The marketing language was hopeful until October 13, when the restaurant abruptly announced it was closing for good.

The news of Teddy B's rebirth came just as suddenly. After a month-long social media silence, the restaurant announced it had taken over the former home of Burger Haven. The latter restaurant was little known, appearing to operate mainly as a ghost kitchen.

Assumably, burgers will be back on the menu, but it is unclear whether other favorites will be eliminated to streamline the operation. The business has not posted any revisions, and its website is down at press time.

The burger joint's comeback manifests as other shuttered legacy restaurants like The Lion and Rose and Fratello's have staged their own returns. While Teddy B's has offered no reasoning for getting back into the game, it is a testament to the resiliency of San Antonio's culinary community.

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