SHOCKING SHUTTERS
Acclaimed San Antonio Viet-Cajun crawfish restaurant suddenly closes
Pinch Boil House is closing April 27.
One of the restaurants that put San Antonio on the national culinary map is unexpectedly closing its doors. After a decade in business, Pinch Boil House owners Andrew Ho and Sean Wen announced the acclaimed eatery would shutter on April 27.
"This was an extremely difficult decision that we weighed carefully — particularly because Pinch has given us so much opportunity and has also given us a chance to be part of such a rich tapestry of human beings that are in food [and] beverage," wrote the chefs in an Instagram post. "The hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to you all — the guests, the regulars, the day ones, the friends, the pop-up DOGs, our chosen family."
Ho and Wen first appeared on San Antonio’s radar via a series of Viet-Cajun crawfish boil pop-ups before opening a brick-and-mortar downtown in 2017. In 2021, the pair relocated the business to 5130 Broadway in Alamo Heights.
In 2020, Ho and Wen teamed up with Andrew Samia of South BBQ to open Curry Boys BBQ. The concept became an overnight success, earning the trio a series of adoring profiles in national media and a 2023 Best Chef: Texas nod from the James Beard Foundation.
Although the chefs did not reveal the reason for closing Pinch Boil House, it does coincide with a significant expansion for Curry Boys. A second location opened in Stone Oak in 2024, and a Nashville outpost is coming. The team also briefly operated beer garden Wurst Behavior before it tapped out in February 2024.
