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San Antonio's top chefs team up for 2 can't-miss events

Mariscos y Mezquite returns August 23.

Photo by Robert Lerma

Call it a Michelin mash-up. Over the next month, two of San Antonio’s most acclaimed restaurants are hosting one-off events combining the culinary superpowers of some of the city’s most talented chefs.

First up: 2M Smokehouse and Mixtli are joining forces for a barbecue pop-up this Sunday, July 26. Both restaurants are in the 2025 Texas Michelin Guide — the former has a Bib Gourmand, and the latter earned the city’s first star.

The menu mixes 2M's greatest hits with Mixtli's global ingredient spice cabinet. Smoked meats like Wagyu brisket and garam masala sausage links will be paired with sides, including smoked Gouda mac and cheese, curried potato salad, and kimchee-style pickles.

Plates for two run $130 and include all the fixings. Customers will be served out of Mixtli’s cellar-side entrance at 812 S. Alamo St. starting at 11 am, but wise ones might want to show up early. Like any good barbecue joint, this one only runs until sell-out.

A month later, a Pearl standout with its own Bib Gourmand recognition is hosting its own culinary confab. Mezquite at Pullman Market will bring back its Mariscos y Mezquite event from 6-9 pm on August 23.

The tasting features bites from some of San Antonio’s most talked-about restaurants, including Pearl mates Ladino, Southtown’s Leche de Tigre, and St. Paul Square newcomer Miles. Attendees can also get a first taste of (a)mar, the Latin concept soon opening in Allora’s former space.

In addition to unlimited ceviche, the event features a welcome cocktail and entertainment such as a DJ and a whole-tuna breakdown. The $55 tickets are available through OpenTable.

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COMING ATTRACTIONS

2 new San Antonio heartbreak bars want you to sing your sorrows

Sala de Despecho/ Facebook

Sala de Despecho makes heartbreak a little more fun.

When it comes to getting over an ex, it’s best not to suffer in silence. Now, two new San Antonio “heartbreak bars” want you to belt it out on the mic.

If the names didn’t already give it away, El Despecho and Sala de Despecho are both cantinas de despecho, karaoke bars meant to cure broken hearts — or at least drown them in tequila. Though post breakup agony may cross borders, the catalog is rooted in the Latin American tradition of rolitas despechadas. Instead of butchering “Since You’ve Been Gone,” patrons are encouraged to feel all the feels of songs like Vicente Fernández’s “Acá Entre Nos.”

The format isn’t exactly new. In 1925, Mexico City merchant Juan I. Hernández opened El Tenampa, a mariachi cathedral where ranchera ballads would often inspire impromptu singalongs. El Despecho and Sala de Despecho are the contemporary heirs, but who got there first (and who owns the trademark) is up for debate.

Sala de Despecho is at least winning the international race, opening throughout Latin America and spreading to the U.S. with pop-ups and permanent locations in Miami, McAllen, and Houston. But El Despecho can boast San Antonio’s first full-time despecho bar. It celebrated a grand opening at 13838 Jones Maltsberger Rd. on July 17.

Sala de Despecho is still waiting for its liquor permit, and has only teased its Alamo City debut. Although it has not officially revealed the address, a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission notice reveals it will be at 17711 I-10, the former home of Salsita at The Rim. A request for more information was not immediately returned.

Both are nearly identical experiences. In addition to blaring torch songs, the bars focus on agave cocktails poured in tiki-like mugs styled after pop-culture icons like Luis Miguel or Farmacias Similares mascot Dr. Simi. Shots are sometimes served in plastic containers styled after Riopan, the Mexican antacid brand.

Most despecho bars, including El Despecho, also allow guests to eat their feelings, serving tacos and other street food. In its Florida locations, Sala de Despecho partnered with famous Mexican chain Tacos Atarantados, though it’s not clear if the San Antonio outpost will follow suit.

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