COMING ATTRACTIONS

Hawaiian comfort food chain to open in Northeast San Antonio

Hawaiian Bros. Island Grill is opening near Terrell Heights.

San Antonio may currently feel more like a swamp than a tropical paradise, but that’s not stopping one island comfort food chain from growing its Alamo City footprint. Hawaiian Bros. Island Grill is opening a new location at 1434 Austin Hwy near Terrell Heights.

The growing franchise is known for its traditional plate lunches, a quintessential Hawaiian meal that includes a protein, rice, and a side, usually macaroni salad. The dish was popularized in the 1800s after Hawaii’s colonization, when the island’s pineapple and sugar laborers fused diverse culinary traditions.

Hawaiian Bros. proteins range from sweet and spicy molokai chicken to slow-roasted kalua pork. The chain serves the meats in wraps, customizable bowls, and sliders, alongside other tropical treats like Spam musubi and its version of the Dole Whip.

Although the menu is Hawaiian, the chain was founded in the landlocked town of Belton, Missouri. Siblings Cameron and Tyler McNie opened the first Hawaiian Bros. in 2018, drawing from 15 years of experience working in their family’s West Coast restaurants. The restaurants have rapidly expanded since then, spreading to 60 locations in 10 states.

The San Antonio area’s first outpost of the brand debuted in 2022 at 7929 Pat Booker Rd in Live Oak, followed by an outpost at the Lombrano Food Hall at 427 Lobrano St. in 2024. Currently, the company is working on a third location at the upcoming The Merc development near UT San Antonio.

According to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing, the Austin Highway store will wrap up construction in February 2027. Construction timelines are subject to change, and the company has not yet announced an exact opening date. We will update this article with any further information.

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SUDDEN SHUTTERS

Acclaimed San Antonio taquería closes for new mariscos restaurant

Tacopolis/Instagram

Tacopolis is facing a rough January.

Less than a year after opening Tacopolis, one of San Antonio’s most celebrated chefs is shifting gears. Alejandro Paredes, who skyrocketed to national acclaim with Carnitas Lonja, is retiring the concept at 1604 Fredericksburg Rd. in favor of a new Gulf mariscos eatery, El Fish Demon.

“We’re going to be shutting down Tacopolis as a taqueria, and we’re going to be opening a seafood restaurant here at the same spot,” said Paredes in an Instagram Reel.

The chef says that the recently spotty hours at Tacopolis were due to health problems, but that the taqueria was not “really working.” The main culprit was the price of meat, which was unsustainable with the low prices at the Deco District restaurant.

The closing was not a complete surprise. In January, Tacopolis held a "Make Rent" event to help recoup profits lost by ICE patrols on the street and weather-related foot traffic drops.

Tacopolis opened in July 2025, serving tacos and quesadillas stuffed with pollo, chorizo, carne asada, birria, chuleta, or champiñón. Before the debut, Paredes had largely been out of the public eye since December 2023, when he made the shocking decision to close Carnitas Lonja and sibling restaurant Fish Lonja. Both were widely considered among San Antonio’s best restaurants, earning accolades from the James Beard Foundation, Esquire magazine, Eater, and the New York Times.

Although Tacopolis did not receive as much national press, Texas Monthly did call it “definably our new favorite.” CultureMap echoed that sentiment, naming it a contender for our annual Tastemaker Awards Best New Restaurant tournament.

Paredes promised that El Fish Demon would open sometime in the week of April 27 after it printed new menus and gave the interior a new coat of paint. The menu has not been released in full, but he said it would include ceviche, aguachile, tostadas, and fish tacos.

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