Some San Antonio locals anticipate eating Fiesta foods all year, saving the calories for a two-week sprint. We say, why wait? Some of the festival’s most iconic dishes are currently available at bars and restaurants throughout the city — and they don’t require long lines or tickets. Get your Fiesta fix with these celebratory snacks before the first cascarones smash on April 24.

Shypoke eggs: Armadillo Burger
Don’t fret about the rising costs of cackle fruit. Shypoke eggs have nothing to do with chickens. The nachos-like stacks, a Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA) specialty, are instead round tortilla chips meticulously sprinkled with Swiss and Cheddar cheese to resemble the sunny-side-up breakfast staple. This longtime burger joint calls them Armadillo Eggs, but they still have enough gooey goodness to get guests clucking.

Elotes: Elotitos Corn Bar
This Deco District shop is the solution for all the folks who have ever had their Fiesta fit ruined by a wayward cloud of Tajín. Here, guests can amp up the toppings without worrying about jostling crowds. The shop covers all the bases, from traditional add-ons like mayo, queso fresco, and chili powder to unexpected sprinkles like Takis, sunflower seeds, and Doritos dust.

Chicken on a stick: Gimme Gimme
The Madonna to other Fiesta snacks’ Sabrina Carpenter, chicken on a stick has achieved icon status by its constant reinventions. This Southtown bar (our 2025 Tastemaker Awards winner for Bar of the Year) serves a dazzling red-orange version breaded in a not-too-spicy Hot Cheeto coating. That’s not to say that it doesn’t keep its trademarks. The limited-time dish still arrives with a skewered roll and a whole jalapeño for dripping.

Gimme Gimme's chicken on a stick is available through Fiesta.Photo courtesy of Gimme Gimme

Anticuchos: Josephine Street
Another NIOSA favorite, anticuchos may be Fiesta’s least messy skewer. That doesn’t mean one can’t enjoy them with a fork and a stiff Old Fashioned. This Pearl-area charmer serves the kebabs all year, along with another Fiesta Fave, stuffed jalapeños.

Fried oysters: Rudy’s Seafood
Oyster Bake is one of Fiesta’s most popular events for a reason. Landlocked San Antonio loves seafood as much as New Orleans. Get your stomach in fighting shape for the event by ordering a few baskets of the crunchy bivalves at this South Side legend. The coleslaw is optional but will cool down a few serrano bites.

Fried Oreos: Sebastian’s Snack Shack
With a menu incorporating Day-Glo gummies, bushels of fruit, and a flamboyant arsenal of drizzles and sauces, this Nogalitos Street snack shop is already soaked in Fiesta colors. Still, it’s hard to resist one of the more neutral treats. Fried Oreos are puffed like giant bonbons, arranged around a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and dusted with enough powdered sugar to worry your dentist.

Turkey legs: TX Frontyard BBQ
While some Fiesta revelers take pride in their ability to juggle a stack of empty souvenir cups, an overflowing michelada, and a turkey leg while tugging back a wandering niño, most of us don’t have such a sharp ability to multi-task. Instead, go primal at this Marbach food truck, where the fall-of-the-bone gobblers are drowned in sauces and even topped with shrimp.

TX Frontyard BBQ turkey legs smoking on the pit.TX Frontyard BBQ/ Facebook