COMEBACK KIDS

Beloved San Antonio craft brewery to reopen after surge of support

Mad Pecker Brewing Co., Craft beer, San Antonio

Mad Pecker Brewing Co. will reopen its doors, according to a recent social media post.

Mad Pecker Brewing Co. / Facebook

A San Antonio brewery is giving San Antonio's downtrodden craft beer fans a glimmer of hope. Beloved Northwest Side taproom Mad Pecker Brewing, which shuttered in late March, will reopen after a surge of customer support.

Owners Jason and Errika Gonzales took to social media on May 12 to announce the surprising move. Without going into opening specifics, the owners said an outpouring of support in the brewpub's final days "made possible" efforts to get the business back up and running.

"The memories that it holds for so many of you provided [us] with even greater motivation to reopen Mad Pecker to restore all of its glory back to the community," the owners said via Facebook.

As 2024 ended, the Gonzaleses pleaded for the community's help saving the brewpub from closure. When Mad Pecker Brewing Co. finally closed on March 31, it was a bittersweet moment for the business. The supporters gathering to lament the brewpub's waning days were also celebrating its 10th anniversary.

This time around, the owners said Mad Pecker would reopen in its old Tezel Road space, adding some improvements to the taproom. There is no word yet on any enhancements to the core beer offerings or the food menu, which included classic pub grub like burgers, pizza, and wings. A request for more details was not returned by publication time.

Mad Pecker was the latest in a string of San Antonio-area breweries to cease operations due rising expenses and craft beer market challenges. Near the beginning of 2025, San Antonio lost Vista Brewing and Man Overboard Brewing Co. within days.

For now, Mad Pecker doesn't seem to be worried about San Antonio's rocky beer climate.

"Stay tuned for updates as we work towards an opening date and the start of many more good times and even greater memories," the owners said. "Thank you all for hanging around and believing in [us] when [we] said Mad Pecker would find a way to come back."

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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.

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