Next stop, Flavortown

Guy Fieri films 3 San Antonio restaurants for Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

Guy Fieri got into the Texas spirit at Smoke Shack BBQ.

San Antonians looking to find the coordinates of Flavortown should tune into the Food Network on November 23 and 30. On both days, Guy Fieri will be featuring Alamo City eateries during the 29th season of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

The peroxide-haired food star was first spotted in San Antonio on October 12 in an Instagram photo of him riding a longhorn in front of the Texas flag-clad roof of Chris Conger’s Smoke Shack Meat Market. As camera equipment could be seen in the shot, rumors immediately began circulating that he was in town filming his flagship series.

Those rumors turned out to be true. Reps from three local favorites have since confirmed to CultureMap that they will be appearing in upcoming episodes. First up is Smoke Shack BBQ, who will be included in the sixth episode of the season, “Burgers, Bacon, and BBQ,” airing at 8 pm on November 23.

A week later, Fieri continues his South Texas tour on the November 30 episode, “From Sandwiches to Stroganoff,” also airing at 8 pm. Park North Shopping Center’s Wrigleyville Grill was revealed as the “East Coast-Texas deli mash-up pilin' up smoked meat sensations” listed in the Food Network episode description. The recently re-elected mayor of Flavortown also stopped by Fat Tummy Empanadas, the brick-and-mortar version of the popular food truck.

It’s unclear if Fieri drove his flashy Camaro SS convertible to any other San Antonio spots. The host typically films at each location in threes, but there is some indication that he snuck in at least one more visit while in town.

Season 30 debuts on December 28 and features another San Antonio spot. “Piling on the Pork” teases that Fieri visits “a Puerto Rican spot in San Antonio that's building a unique take on nachos and cooking up a monster chop.” That description sounds a lot like Luna Rosa Puerto Rican Grill y Tapas, which is famous for both huge pork chops and loaded Caribbean nachos with plantain chips. With the owner was unavailable, an employee could neither confirm nor deny our hunch.

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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.

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