OPENING ALERT

Culebra Meat Market bounces back to open delayed San Antonio store

Culebra Meat market will soon be back on Pinn Road.

Over the past few years, Culebra Meat Market has been through it — weathering alleged incidents of shoplifting, illegal dumping, a car crash, and a nauseating episode involving a woman bare-handedly stealing carnitas from a hot food display. But after several delays, the San Antonio grocery chain will finally debut its renovated store at 2407 Pinn Rd. on November 19.

The location has been in the works for years, according to the company. The company was nearing the finish line last November when thieves allegedly broke into the worksite, pilfering material, machinery, equipment, and more. The burglary, however, didn’t stop the company from completing the job.

“This location holds a very special place in our hearts,” wrote the company on social media. “It’s more than just a meat market — it’s a part of the Ramirez family’s history, filled with countless memories, hard work, dedication, and the dreams that helped Culebra Meat Market grow into what it is today.”

Culebra Meat Market has been an Alamo City institution since founder Ezequiel Ramirez opened the first store in 1983. Since then, it has become ubiquitous, with more than a dozen locations scattered across the area.

Its stores are typically much smaller than San Antonio’s more famous homegrown chain, H-E-B, but they serve a vital role in the city’s food system. Storefronts, including the Pinn Road outpost, often serve food deserts and are often the only spots selling fresh produce and baked goods nearby. The locations also have in-store taquerías for weekend Big Red and barbacoa hauls.

In recent years, the market has been modernizing its units, many of which are more than 15 years old. In August 2024, it debuted a shiny new store at 12014 Potranco Rd, built behind the original location, and has teased that upgrades are coming to its outpost at 6060 Old Pearsall Rd.

That’s where a driver rammed into the storefront last October.

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COMING ATTRACTIONS

Shake Shack eyes 3rd San Antonio location on Far West Side

Shake Shack/ Facebook

Shake Shack might be coming to the Far West Side.

Could frozen custard and crinkle-cut fries be on deck for San Antonio’s Far West Side? Cult-favorite burger chain Shake Shack is considering converting a former Taco Cabana in the Culebra Market Place shopping center (5738 W. Loop 1604 N.) into its third Alamo City location.

On November 9, the company submitted a preliminary plan review with the city to explore site renovations, including a refreshed exterior and changes to the property around it. The filing mostly asks the city how to speed things along, including whether crews could start clearing out the interior before full construction permits come through.

If built, the location would be San Antonio’s first new Shake Shack since it debuted its Brackenridge outpost at 3003 Broadway St. in 2019.

Shake Shack began as a hot dog cart in 2011, part of Eleven Madison Park restaurateur Danny Meyer’s work reviving New York’s Madison Square Park. The stand drew such long lines that a permanent kiosk followed in 2004. Meyer’s team soon became convinced that there was a market beyond Manhattan.

San Antonio came into the fold in 2017 with the opening of the city’s first location at Park North at 7427 San Pedro Ave. At first, the outposts reflected Meyer’s vision of each new Shake Shack incorporating local food culture. The burger joint debuted with Alamo City-only concretes made with Bird Bakery cookies and buttermilk chess pie from The Granary (RIP), plus a burger with Kreuz Market sausage links.

Now with more than 400 locations across 33 states, the menus have become more standardized. Shake Shack ditched the Blizzard-like concretes in 2020, but still rolls out seasonal specials. The new offerings — such as butterscotch crème brûlée shake and a burger topped with fontina cheese, a crisp-fried portobello mushroom, and black truffle sauce — alas, have no local connections.

Since the Far West outpost is still in the feasibility phase, fans should not expect a third Shake Shack anytime soon. If the company moves forward, the location is unlikely to debut before the end of 2027.

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