OFF THE STRIP

Buzzy Vietnamese spot bowls over Northwest San Antonio with new location

Singh's is opening a new Northwest outpost.

Fans of Singh’s Vietnamese currently have two choices — get out a lunar rover to traverse the treacherous valleys of the St. Mary’s Strip or pay a poor delivery driver to do it for them. But according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing, locals will soon have a third option.

State records reveal that the buzzy restaurant is opening a new outpost at 7331 N. Loop 1604 W. Construction is set to begin in late June and wrap up by the end of September.

The project will diverge from the brick-and-mortar location in offering no indoor dining room. A video posted by designer Victor Hinojosa of Cognitive Creative reveals that an ample patio will be serviced by a food truck. The renderings also feature what appears to be a bar area, although it's not clear whether the spot will have a full beverage program.

According to the filing, the space will also play double duty as a commissary kitchen. Local delivery drivers are currently breathing a sigh of relief.

The opening will be a return to Singh’s food truck roots. Co-owners Eric Treviño and Louis Singh first gained recognition serving banh mi, bun, and rice bowls out of their wildly popular North Side trailer in 2013.

In 2018, the team brought that menu to 7331 N Loop 1604 W. on the Strip, serving the same favorites plus beer, wine, and eventually cocktails. The move established them as a favorite of late-night revelers before bond-funded street improvements revved up in 2021.

The construction, delayed by weather and utility issues, has become a flashpoint of San Antonio’s bar and restaurant community as owners have increasingly spoken out about the loss of revenue the detours have caused in the once vibrant nightlife hub.

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Fried Chicken News

Houston chicken tender chain to open 3 locations in San Antonio

Photo courtesy of Urban Bird

Urban Bird has been circling San Antonio for several months.

A new fried chicken restaurant is swooping into San Antonio: Called Urban Bird, it's bringing tenders and sandwiches to three new locations.

Two of the locations were already announced in July 2024: one at 22106 U.S. 281 N., Ste. 102 in Stone Oak, and one at 8802 Potranco Rd., Ste. 111. The Stone Oak location is projected to open first, in April. That's followed by Potranco location in June and the newly added third in August, at 17603 La Cantera Pkwy., Ste. 119.

Although it's been a while since the news first landed, the restaurant appears to be only about a month or two behind schedule. The two previously announced locations were originally expected to open in March 2025.

Urban Bird is a chicken tenders concept with increasing levels of heat. Signature items include: the tender basket, with two tenders, bread, choice of side, pickles, and Bird Sauce for $12.75; and the Sando combo, with two tenders on a toasted bun with kale slaw, Bird Sauce, and pickles, for $15.75.

The concept was founded in Houston by husband-and-wife duo Brandon and Chantel Gawthorp, who opened the first location in Katy in 2020. They've since opened 14 locations across Texas, including in Fulshear, Houston, Spring, College Station, and San Marcos.

Alongside the debut San Antonio locations, it is also opening its first stores in Dallas-Fort Worth.

One notable menu item is the Urban Fries, like a loaded fries topped with a tender and mac and cheese; it started as a limited-edition item before getting bumped up to permanent status.

The Urban Fries became the inspiration and centerpiece for a companion ghost kitchen they founded called Chronic Fries, which is housed within each restaurant, featuring street-food-style fries topped with chicken and ingredients such as mac and cheese or elote.

“Coming off COVID, a lot of people were doing virtual restaurants, so the different fry options came from creating different combinations that would work for that concept," Brandon says.

“We’re kind of running out of room in Houston,” he continues. "We go into a lot of second generation locations where previous restaurants have closed so we can move quicker with the equipment that’s already in there."

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