NEWS YOU CAN EAT

7 things to know about San Antonio food right now: Barbecue chain goes up in smoke

Grady's BBQ suddenly shuttered all its locations.

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 weekly roundup of essential food news.

Openings and closings

One of the San Antonio area's longest-running barbecue chains has gone away in a puff of smoke. After weathering more than 70 years of business, Grady's BBQ abruptly announced the closure of all locations. In a statement posted to the business' since-deleted website and social media accounts, the company gave no reason for the sudden shutter. Still, it did say it was actively helping its employees find other work.

A new pizza joint is slicing into Boerne this summer. Darkside Brick Oven Pizza Co. will serve pies and beer with a side of '80s movie nostalgia. The exact details are still under wraps, but owner Michael Hawes has been teasing some of the décor via Instagram. In addition to Star Wars memorabilia, the eatery will feature life-size sculptures of E.T. and Michael J. Fox as Teen Wolf.

Business at the new Southtown Rosario's Comidamex and Bar is looking up. The recently relocated restaurant debuted its rooftop terrace and bar on May 4. The spacious 5,000-square-foot space, open to guests 25 years old and up, offers specialty libations and sweeping downtown views. Eventually, the bar will also provide a dedicated bites menu.

The revolving door at 303 San Pedro Ave. is set to take another turn. This summer, the space will welcome Savvy Sliders, a Detroit-based chain known for, well, sliders. The building has hosted several fast food concepts over the past few years, including Jack in the Box,Project Pollo, and — most recently — Side Chicks. The latter shuttered in April after being acquired, along with Project Pollo, by an unnamed national franchising group.

Other news and notes

Comfort Café has received a vote of confidence from Yelp. In its annual list of the top 100 brunch spots for Mother's Day, the customer review giant gave the nonprofit eatery the second spot. The ratings were ranked a number of factors, including a large volume of posts mentioning "brunch." Comfort was the only local restaurant to make the list.

Outdoorsy Southtown spot Camp Outpost Co. is also getting into the brunch game with Saturday and Sunday service, 10 am-2 pm. The menu follows the same adventurous theme with dishes like fried chicken and johnny cakes served with local honey, a sausage skillet with home fries, and smoked overnight oats soaked in ricotta whey.

Dashi Sichuan Kitchen + Bar is bringing back its Daq Off Cocktail Competition for a second year. Eight bar teams will shake up daiquiris on June 26 for a chance to win in three categories: speed, judge's choice, and people's choice. Tickets are now available for $25-$75.

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In-slider knowledge

Well-known brunch eatery adds location at changing Riverwalk mall

Photo courtesy of Alamo Biscuit Co. & Panaderia

Alamo Biscuit Co. & Panaderia is joining a growing list of businesses flocking to the Shops at Rivercenter.

The well-known San Antonio brunch spot Alamo Biscuit Co. & Panaderia is continuing its takeover of the city with a third location. The new eatery is expected to open in March 2025 at 849 E. Commerce St., adjacent to the Shops at Rivercenter.

The new restaurant will span a 7,000-square-foot space, including a 1,200-square-foot patio, which will host a total of 250 guests. San Antonians may remember the space from its days as Enrique Tomás, an upscale Spanish restaurant. Things will be different at the very casual Alamo Biscuit Co., which operates more like a diner.

Biscuits are, of course, the anchoring menu item, and are served in sweet and savory flights when they're not providing support for other dishes like Nashville hot chicken, eggs Benedict with various proteins, or a classic sausage, egg, and cheese. Other specialties include pancakes (sometimes with extravagant toppings), French toast, and tacos.

The new location comes with new menu items that haven't been announced with, plus a full bar and espresso bar, according to a release.

Alamo Biscuit Co. is hiring 80-100 team members starting in January, according to the release. That will include "management, servers, cooks, and dishwashers."

The Shops at Rivercenter are in the middle of a larger renaissance. The mall opened in 1988, and has weathered the coming and going trends of retail. Since 2005, it's been owned by Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation, which also owns famous properties like Boston's Faneuil Hall Marketplace and New York City's Plaza Hotel.

Just in 2024, projects announced at the Shops at Rivercenter include an overhaul of dining by celebrity chef Jason Dady, as well as the San Antonio debut of the trendy Australian mini-golf chain Holey Moley.

“To be invited to open a location on the San Antonio River Walk is an incredible honor and a blessing,” said Alamo Biscuit Co. owner and UTSA graduate John Vale in the release. “In just five years, Alamo Biscuit Co. has become a part of San Antonio’s culinary fabric, and now, we’ve been given the opportunity to share our passion for great food and community in what I believe is the best location in Texas. This is a gift from God and a privilege we don’t take lightly.”

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