Juicy Favorites

San Antonio's 5 best burger joints — and what to order

When the desire for a burger begins to gnaw at your senses, nothing but a big, juicy patty can satisfy your craving. Luckily, we have a lot of burger joints to choose from in San Antonio. After testing and tasting all around the city, here's our list of the five best burger spots in the city.

Big'z Burger Joint
Big'z offers the classics and the crazy burgers — all of which are consistently satisfying. Big'z classic burgers can be spiced up with add-ons including jalapeños, chili, or applewood-smoked bacon. Big'z chalupa burger is a favorite made with a half-pound patty and topped with refried beans, cheddar cheese, house-made pico de gallo, and served on a crispy tostada shell and warm bun.

Bohanan's Prime Steaks and Seafood
With the meat expertise the chefs at Bohanan's possess, it's no surprise the half-pound burger snags a seat on this list. The patty, which is prepared on the mesquite grill, is thick, juicy, and bursting with flavor. The toppings are kept fairly simple with a memorable chipotle mayo, sharp cheddar cheese, lettuce, and fresh tomato. One bite and we're in euphoria. Bohanan's burger tastes how every burger should — meaty and delicious.

Chris Madrids
Chris Madrids has been a haven for Tex-Mex and burger enthusiasts for more than 30 years. The menu offers a variety of Tex-Mex-style burgers in both regular and macho sizes, but the tostada burger is hard to beat. This house special is made with homemade refried beans, onions, chips, and cheese. You might not eat for days after dining here, but it's totally worth the stuffed belly.

Fattboy Burgers & Dogs
Though Fattboy Burgers & Dogs offers healthier options — "slimmboy" and "slimmchick" — we can't resist the signature Fattboy burger. The generous beef patty is well seasoned and cooked to perfection with a slight crisp on each side, sandwiched between a toasted bun. To keep the focus on the burger, we opt for simple toppings of ketchup, tomato, lettuce, and onion. Just when we think we can't take one more bite, our taste buds always surrender to the Fattboy.

Longhorn Cafe
After opening in 1995, Longhorn Cafe soon became known for some of the juiciest burgers in Alamo City. We don't know how they do it, but the "original big juicy" is classically good. The ratio of tender meat to toppings and bun is spot on. For a little kick we're opting for the jalapeño cheeseburger, which is exactly as it sounds — spicy and extremely satisfying.

Big'z is know for ... well, big-ass burgers.

Big'z Burger Joint/Facebook

Big'z is know for ... well, big-ass burgers.

dinner burgers lunch bests where-to-eat

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.”

brunch riverwalk openings