NEWS YOU CAN EAT
6 things to know about San Antonio food right now: Wicked cafe and cantina debuts near Pearl
Santa Diabla is now serving tuna tostadas and other Mexican fare.
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
A devilish concept has hopped into the former home of the short-lived Cervecería Chapultepec. Santa Diabla, the first Texas restaurant from Mexico-based hospitality group Grupo Orraca Restauranteros, debuted January 26 at 906 E. Elmira St. The menu traverses both Tex-Mex and interior Mexican cuisine, dishing out favorites like nachos, tuna carnitas, aguachile, and birria flautas.
Stinson Municipal Airport cleared a new restaurant for takeoff on January 25. Owned by Stephanie and Joshua Smith, the Trailblazer Café serves AM classics like breakfast tacos, salads, gourmet burgers, sandwiches, and a dizzying array of beverages. The unique eatery also commits to nourishing the community through its partnership with Ready to Work SA, teaching clients marketable skills that extend past food service.
The continued construction on the St. Mary's strip isn't harshing the vibe of the district's newest occupant. Vibrasflipped the open sign on January 20, reimagining the former space of long-running café Candlelight Coffee at 3011 N. St. Mary's St. The hybrid concept thumps at night as a Latin nightclub illuminated by LED lights and washes of hot pink. The previous night's hangover can be nursed at the same spot with smoked Bourbon lattes from Sad Hrs.
Meanwhile, the race to fill Alamo City with out-of-town franchises continues with the announcement that Utah's Beans & Brews Coffeehouse is eyeing San Antonio as part of a six-state expansion. The release did not specify when or where the locations would crop up, but the deal with Brame Holdings would include 40 outposts split with Austin.
In still more caffeine news, a combo coffeehouse and beer garden is brewing at 11011 Shaenfield Rd. in northwest San Antonio. In addition to the titular beverages, Refuge Coffee + Beer will serve Texas wine and run a food program. However, as of press time the website is still being built with lorem ipsum text and no contact information or social media presence. A countdown clock does promise that the joint will be open by April 1, and permits have been filed with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.
Details about the latest haunt settling into the booming Southtown neighborhood are also slim. Located in the former Jokesters 22 space at 713 S Alamo St., Blush has thus far offered three concrete clues: it will serve baked goods, brunch, and cocktails. Otherwise, the project flexes an Italianate atmosphere, scoring one post with the White Lotus theme song and another showcasing a pair of Testa di Moro-style planters. No word yet on whether Tanya McQuoid will actively be in danger there.
