A buzzy new restaurant may soon make quesadillas as much of a part of San Antonio’s daily routine as tacos. Plano-based fast-casual chain Dillas says it is eyeing its first San Antonio restaurant as part of its 2026 expansion.
Named for a line from Napoleon Dynamite, Dillas was founded by entrepreneurs Maggie and Kyle Gordon in 2013. Kyle brainstormed the idea while attending the University of Texas and getting feedback from friends and his future wife. He knew that his menu couldn’t just be the kind of quick quesadillas he made in his college apartment.
“I know that sounds simple, but in Texas — especially a city like San Antonio — that’s not something you can just say lightly,” he says of his “primo” quesadillas. “There’s incredible Mexican food everywhere, and people know what good tastes like.”
Although Dillas offers plainer quesadillas with cheese and meat, its bread and butter offerings are stuffed with ingredients like portabella mushrooms, roasted red peppers, bacon, barbecue sauce, and jalapeño ranch. The Hot Hatch quesadilla is a nod to Maggie’s family, who have deep New Mexican roots.
“We ended up partnering with a supplier there to bring in authentic Hatch chiles, because the flavor and heat are just different when it’s the real deal,” says Kyle. “It gives that Dillas depth you can’t really replicate any other way.”
Dillas' quesadillas are stuffed with portabella mushrooms, bacon, and morePhoto courtesy of Dillas
Besides the quesadillas, the restaurant keeps the menu minimal, adding a fresh Southwestern salad, chips and dip, sides like a corn salad or black beans, and loaded fries — an item inspired by iconic Austin Tex-Mex joint Matt’s El Rancho.
Although Dillas is now a rapidly growing franchise operation, Kyle says it is important that any new stores remain a part of their community. He says the company focuses on education, active lifestyles, entrepreneurship, feeding the hungry, and community organizations.
While the expansion is planned for 2026, Dillas is still looking for the best place to debut its concept to San Antonio. Kyle admits he has a “soft spot” for the I-10 and 1604 area after attending the University of Texas San Antonio for a year.
“We don’t have a locked-in timeline for San Antonio yet, but it’s definitely a market we believe in,” he says. “And from experience, things can come together pretty quickly when the right location and the right people line up.”
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Ernie Hudson will make several stops during his San Antonio tour. Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for ReedPop