BYE BYE BIRDIE
Saucy San Antonio chicken restaurant flies the coop after 4 months
Saucy Birds will close at the end of May.
After a scant four months in business, casual-service newcomer Saucy Birds has raised the white flag. In a social media statement, chef and owner Ceasar Zepeda said he has decided not to renew the lease on the Fredericksburg Road building he has occupied for almost eight years.
Zepeda did not give a reason for the closure, only hinting that downward economic forces still plagued the restaurant after a sudden pivot in December. The last day of business will be May 31 to give current staff opportunities to seek employment elsewhere.
The restaurant opened as Sangria on the Burg in October 2016, quickly gaining acclaim for its straightforward menu zhuzhed up with international flavors. During that time, Zepeda became one of San Antonio’s most recognizable culinary ambassadors, scoring appearances on the Cooking Channel and Food Network. He earned a nomination for Chef of the Year in the 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.
But the frequent media attention proved insufficient to keep the tables packed. In early December 2023, Zepeda bid farewell to his original concept, citing “rising costs and declining sales.” The sign-off had an air of finality, so many were surprised when the spot abruptly rebranded as Saucy Birds in early January.
Although the new concept 86ed Sangria’s table service and tweaked the menu, it wasn’t a radical departure. The new restaurant still carried a few of the former’s menu items and margarita flights. As the name implied, the main shift was a new focus on chicken fingers.
This time, there does not appear to be any pivots mapped out. In the farewell post, Zepeda said his next move would be to stage a series of June pop-ups in support of local chefs.
