HAPPY RETURNS
Shuttered San Antonio bakery returns for two-day pop-up
Alebrije Panadería was especially known for its conchas.
One of San Antonio’s most acclaimed bakeries is making a comeback — at least for a limited time. Alebrije Panadería is holding a two-day pop-up at Poetic Republic Coffee (2330 S Presa St.) August 8-9.
Alebrije has been mostly quiet since owners Cris Méndez and Claudio Navarro shuttered their Government Hill shop in May 2024. At the time, the husband-and-wife duo explained they were going “through a personal and career transition that makes it difficult for us to continue running our beloved project at the standard we hold ourselves to.”
Although the closure was framed as temporary, Alebrije never reopened. The bakery’s social media profiles went dark until July 15, when Méndez posted a video in the style of the “preparing for my Netflix documentary” meme. On July 20, she told the full story.
“I feel like I had to put a mask in getting to the bakery…and nothing was happening, but it wasn’t having the sellings that we need,” she said. “And by that point, we were putting money from our own pockets to kind of like continue the bakery.”
Méndez went on to explain that she would have had to fire her staff to continue running the panadería. When she was presented with an outside opportunity that would allow her to work with her team, she took it.
Alebrije started as a delivery business in 2019, before opening at 1931 N New Braunfels Ave. in 2022. The concept drew immediate acclaim for its moist pink cake, guava rolls, and marranitos. Texas Monthly Taco Editor Jose R. Ralat called the conchas some of the best he has had in Texas or Mexico.
In a follow-up video, Méndez said she wasn’t sure if she would ever open a brick-and-mortar, but she still has the baking bug. She promised that the Poetic pop-up was the first of more one-off engagements to come.
Alebrije has not shared the menu or the hours for the August event. We will update this article should the bakery reach out with more specifics.
