Editor’s note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of San Antonio’s restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our regular roundup of essential food news.

Openings

After months of anticipation, KSAT personality David Elder and local restaurateur Cary Hamer gave the first taste of their Tex’s Hot Chicken concept on December 17. A brick-and-mortar is still in the works, but in the meantime, the pair will be operating from a food truck parked outside Hamer’s Infernos Wood-Fired Oven & Spirits in Gruene. The menu’s showcase is the gargantuan Big Tex sandwich, piled high with a marinated and fried chicken breast, house-made coleslaw, garlic Sriracha aioli, and bread-and-butter pickles.

The former home of the Colt 45 Sports Club at 11056 S. State Highway 16 will be reborn on January 7. On December 8, Brooster’s Backyard owner Norman Velez collaborated with Live from the Southside editor April Monterrosa to announceColt’s Sports Park Bar, a 9-acre complex offering volleyball, softball, and plenty of backyard games. For those less athletically inclined, the concept will also feature rotating food trucks and a full bar program that includes beer, wine, seltzers, and cocktails.

Craft beer franchise Big Hops quietly announced the opening of its latest San Antonio outpost via a December 18 Facebook post. The brand-new pub, located at 12991 Potranco Rd., offers an impressive array of both local and national brews in a no-fuss neighborhood space complete with a large patio.

A stretch of downtown real estate near Roadmap Brewery appears to be gearing up to become Alamo City’s latest bar. Recently created domestic limited liability company Silver Arrow Holdings has applied for a mixed-beverage permit at 717 N. Alamo St. under a pair of DBAs: Blind Terrier Bar and Cuba Cuba Bar. Neither entity seems to have established any social media or web presence, but the Cuba Cuba name, at least, suggests mojitos over mai tais.

Other news and notes

Sari-Sari Filipino Restaurant, Market, and Bakery seeks community help in identifying the culprit of a December 17 break-in. Surveillance footage posted on Instagram shows an unidentified suspect breaking the business’ glass door and later making off with the safe. Though the front door is boarded up, Sari-Sari is still open as usual.

The beef between Papa’s Burgers owner Robert Walker and Pappas Restaurants has been resolved with a name change. In early December, the Houston hospitality giant sent Walker a cease-and-desist letter claiming the 8-year-old restaurant was infringing on the rights of the similarly named Pappas Restaurants. Rather than fight a prolonged legal battle, Walker has decided to rebrand as The Good News Burgers.

Culinary nonprofit Culinaria is once again soothing post-holiday budgets with its winter edition of Restaurant Weeks. From January 15-29, locals can enjoy discounted prix fixe menus at participating eateries. New restaurants will be updated frequently on the organization’s website.