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Only one San Antonio eatery among OpenTable's top 100 restaurants

Signature Restaurant at La Cantera Resort & Spa

Fine dining establishment Signature was the only San Antonio eatery to make the list.

Signature - Facebook

Restaurant reservation website OpenTable has just issued its new list of the top 100 restaurants in America for 2024, and only one eatery in San Antonio made the cut: Signature, the fine dining restaurant inside La Cantera Resort and Spa.

"2024's Top 100 Restaurants" is a compilation of the most sought-after and top-ranked restaurants in the U.S., based on 14 million verified reviews on OpenTable from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024. Restaurants are not ranked, but arranged in alphabetical order by state.

Signature prides itself on serving up contemporary Texas dishes with French flair using high quality local ingredients.

"Gulf seafood conspires with Atlantic Coast oysters flown in fresh, and the Hill Country is well-represented year-round," the restaurant's OpenTable profile says. "Local and organic ingredients change the menu as the seasons peak and wane, but the constants are quality, flavor, artistry in the kitchen and a warm welcome when you walk in the door."

The Michelin-recommended restaurant is run by executive chef John Carpenter and executive sous chef Jaime Torres, who took over in 2022 after the departure of critically acclaimed chef Andrew Weissman. Signature was featured in Texas Monthly's best new restaurants list in 2016.

This list was different from the inaugural list of OpenTable Icons, which launched in 2024. The "Icons" list chose restaurants that are getting a lot of buzz, which ended up being more subjective. Signature does not appear on that list.

Signature was one of 10 total Texas restaurants to receive recognition on OpenTable's Top 100 list. In numbers that seem to reflect the recent Michelin Guide awards, Austin ruled with the highest number of restaurants. On the OpenTable list, Austin scored with seven total establishments, while San Antonio and Dallas, like Houston, each had one.

The full list of Texas restaurants named on OpenTable's Top 100 Restaurants for 2024, organized alphabetically, are:

Aba, Austin
Hudson House - Lover's Lane, Dallas
J Carver's Oyster Bar & Chophouse, Austin
Jeffrey's Restaurant, Austin
Red Ash Italia, Austin
Sammie's Italian, Austin
Steak 48, Houston
Signature, San Antonio
Uchi Austin
Uchiko Austin

awards bests lists media top 100 restaurants steak 48

In-slider knowledge

Well-known brunch eatery adds location at changing Riverwalk mall

Photo courtesy of Alamo Biscuit Co. & Panaderia

Alamo Biscuit Co. & Panaderia is joining a growing list of businesses flocking to the Shops at Rivercenter.

The well-known San Antonio brunch spot Alamo Biscuit Co. & Panaderia is continuing its takeover of the city with a third location. The new eatery is expected to open in March 2025 at 849 E. Commerce St., adjacent to the Shops at Rivercenter.

The new restaurant will span a 7,000-square-foot space, including a 1,200-square-foot patio, which will host a total of 250 guests. San Antonians may remember the space from its days as Enrique Tomás, an upscale Spanish restaurant. Things will be different at the very casual Alamo Biscuit Co., which operates more like a diner.

Biscuits are, of course, the anchoring menu item, and are served in sweet and savory flights when they're not providing support for other dishes like Nashville hot chicken, eggs Benedict with various proteins, or a classic sausage, egg, and cheese. Other specialties include pancakes (sometimes with extravagant toppings), French toast, and tacos.

The new location comes with new menu items that haven't been announced with, plus a full bar and espresso bar, according to a release.

Alamo Biscuit Co. is hiring 80-100 team members starting in January, according to the release. That will include "management, servers, cooks, and dishwashers."

The Shops at Rivercenter are in the middle of a larger renaissance. The mall opened in 1988, and has weathered the coming and going trends of retail. Since 2005, it's been owned by Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation, which also owns famous properties like Boston's Faneuil Hall Marketplace and New York City's Plaza Hotel.

Just in 2024, projects announced at the Shops at Rivercenter include an overhaul of dining by celebrity chef Jason Dady, as well as the San Antonio debut of the trendy Australian mini-golf chain Holey Moley.

“To be invited to open a location on the San Antonio River Walk is an incredible honor and a blessing,” said Alamo Biscuit Co. owner and UTSA graduate John Vale in the release. “In just five years, Alamo Biscuit Co. has become a part of San Antonio’s culinary fabric, and now, we’ve been given the opportunity to share our passion for great food and community in what I believe is the best location in Texas. This is a gift from God and a privilege we don’t take lightly.”

brunch riverwalk openings