COFFEE WARS

San Antonio suburb says aloha to cheeky Hawaiian coffee shop

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii will open its first area location in Boerne.

A cheeky chain specializing in the 50th state’s famous Kona coffee is brewing up its first area location in Boerne. Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii (yes, that’s actually the name) will bring its island-grown beans to 34590 IH-10 W in the fall, according to state records.

Per company lore, owner B.J. Bilanzich fell in love with Hawaiian coffee while vacationing on the Big Island. She brought the beans back to landlocked Utah and eventually purchased the Bad Ass name from the original owners in hopes of franchising nationwide.

Today, the coffee shop sells its single-source beans nationwide. The brick-and-mortar locations serve a standard lineup of smoothies, teas, espresso drinks, and coolers with some tropical twists, like the coconut, caramel, and macadamia-flavored Three Waves latte and the watermelon and dragon fruit-based Reef Racer energy drink.

Although it missed an opportunity to feature Hawaii’s beloved Spam, the food menu includes malasadas, cinnamon-sugar dusted Portuguese donuts popularized in the U.S. by Leonard’s Bakery in Honolulu. An assortment of breakfast and lunch sandwiches and baked goods round out the offerings.

In September 2023, Bad Ass announced a North San Antonio expansion through a five-store franchising deal but kept mum on the timeline and exact addresses. It’s unclear if the Boerne store was part of that agreement; the original press release did not mention the franchisee’s name.

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation project details say the Boerne Bad Ass will kick off construction in August. The company aims to complete renovations in October.

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TACO TALK

Popular San Antonio birria chain dips into Southtown for new location

Birria Barrio/ Facebook

Birria Barrio fourth location is now serving Southtown.

Cult San Antonio taqueria Birria Barrio is shaking up Southtown's dining scene. The Alamo City restaurant's fourth location is now open at 1203 S Alamo St., serving tacos, ramen, and quesadillas dipped in savory consommé.

Though it is difficult to imagine now, Birria Barrio was one of San Antonio's best-kept secrets when it started as a food truck in the summer of 2020. Though its namesake dish — a tender meat stew served in a flavorful broth — has become a social sensation through hybrids like quesabirria tacos — the initial buzz about the restaurant was spread through word of mouth.

Owners Sabrina Perez and husband Martin Bargas made the leap to brick-and-mortar in fall 2020, later following up with a South Side location in 2023. The latter — dubbed Birria Barrio y Mas, expanded the original menu. In addition to serving birria de res tacos, using beef instead of the traditional goat, the spot introduced other proteins like chorizo and lengua.

The Alamo Street location has been in the works since fall 2024, when signage first appeared on HUB MRKT's previous storefront. The bike shop had relocated to 1407 S St Mary's St. earlier that same year. The opening comes hot on the heels of the May debut of an outpost at 2403 Pinn Rd. near Lackland Air Force Base.

The restaurant has not released the menu online yet, although its popular quesabirria tacos will undoubtedly have a prominent spot. The Birria Barrio y Mas location introduced affordable margaritas and fusion dishes like fried Hot Cheetos balls and egg rolls.

It's unclear if the Southtown storefront will have any booze. A quick pan of the storefront announcing the grand opening showed vitroleros for aguas frescas but no bottles behind the counter. A TikTok video taken during the opening showed a frozen drink rimmed with Tajín but no beer in the cooler.

Whether promised cocktails or not, huge crowds gathered for the official debut. The spot offered free tacos for the first 50 guests, but guests lingered throughout the day.

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