EZ STREET

Classic San Antonio restaurant EZ's Grill fires up on Far West Side

EZ’s Brick Oven and Grill is famous for its rosemary chicken.

An iconic San Antonio restaurant is easing into a third location. EZ’s Brick Oven and Grill has filed state paperwork to build a new outpost at 12922 Potranco Rd, Bldg 1A #100. The construction is expected to be completed in October.

Legendary Alamo City restaurateur Cappy Lawton founded EZ’s in 1989. Tapping into the cultural moment that created the Back to the Future franchise and a rockabilly revival, EZ’s was modeled after a ‘50s diner with Googie-style architecture and vinyl chairs.

Still, the menu was far from retro. While EZ’s served all-American classics like burgers and fries, it became just as well-known for its artisan brick-oven pizzas and its famous rosemary chicken. Over the decades, the spot kept up with culinary trends, adding menu items like the Chipotle-style Alamo Bowl and vegetarian dishes like a bean burger.

In 1994, the restaurant found success with a new location in Austin. In 2016, the company decided not to rebuild after a fire caused $400,000 in damage. The site is now the location of Rudy’s Bar-B-Q.

At one point, the chain operated four outposts in San Antonio, but significantly scaled back in 2015, closing restaurants in the Alamo Quarry Market and on DeZavala Road. Currently, EZ’s runs two locations at 6498 N New Braunfels Ave and 734 W Bitters Rd.

According to Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation records, EZ’s plans to break ground in June. However, a social media update from the business shows that construction is well underway. The restaurant has yet to reveal an official opening date.

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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.

tacos birria southtown openings