BAR CHATTER

San Antonio's Singh's Vietnamese debuts highly anticipated new cantina

Singh's Vietnamese is now mixing cocktails at a North Side cantina.

New San Antonio gastropub Singh’s Cantina is finally open, according to a social media post. In a full-circle moment, the outdoor bar is located at 15410 White Fawn Dr, the site of Singh’s Vietnamese original food truck before it made the leap to a St. Mary’s Strip brick-and-mortar.

The opening comes two years after the restaurant owners first filed paperwork with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The original renderings posted by designer Victor Hinojosa of Cognitive Creative touted a summer 2023 opening that passed by with little hullabaloo.

In January, the cantina got locals' hopes up again when Singh’s posted photos of what appeared to be an almost-completed space being enjoyed in an apparent friends-and-family service.

Currently, the concept is serving a limited menu that is similar but not identical to its Tobin Hill spot. Broken rice bowls, bánh mì, and salads can be customized with proteins like brisket, chicken, and pulled pork or made vegetarian with a vegetable mix.

Singh’s popular “winghs” and baby back ribs have been replaced by easy bar nibbles like chips with salsa or queso, Sichuan cashews, spicy cucumbers, and baguette with butter and pâté. The cocktail menu is not publicly posted, but an Instagram post said a new summer lineup was dropping soon. Nonalcoholic options include Vietnamese coffee and aguas frescas.

Co-owners Eric Treviño and Louis Singh first gained recognition serving banh mi, bun, and rice bowls out of the wildly popular North Side trailer in 2013. Current hours for Singh’s Cantina are Sunday through Thursday, 11 am-11 pm and Friday through Saturday, 11 am-12 am.

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TACO TALK

Popular San Antonio birria chain dips into Southtown for new location

Birria Barrio/ Facebook

Birria Barrio fourth location is now serving Southtown.

Cult San Antonio taqueria Birria Barrio is shaking up Southtown's dining scene. The Alamo City restaurant's fourth location is now open at 1203 S Alamo St., serving tacos, ramen, and quesadillas dipped in savory consommé.

Though it is difficult to imagine now, Birria Barrio was one of San Antonio's best-kept secrets when it started as a food truck in the summer of 2020. Though its namesake dish — a tender meat stew served in a flavorful broth — has become a social sensation through hybrids like quesabirria tacos — the initial buzz about the restaurant was spread through word of mouth.

Owners Sabrina Perez and husband Martin Bargas made the leap to brick-and-mortar in fall 2020, later following up with a South Side location in 2023. The latter — dubbed Birria Barrio y Mas, expanded the original menu. In addition to serving birria de res tacos, using beef instead of the traditional goat, the spot introduced other proteins like chorizo and lengua.

The Alamo Street location has been in the works since fall 2024, when signage first appeared on HUB MRKT's previous storefront. The bike shop had relocated to 1407 S St Mary's St. earlier that same year. The opening comes hot on the heels of the May debut of an outpost at 2403 Pinn Rd. near Lackland Air Force Base.

The restaurant has not released the menu online yet, although its popular quesabirria tacos will undoubtedly have a prominent spot. The Birria Barrio y Mas location introduced affordable margaritas and fusion dishes like fried Hot Cheetos balls and egg rolls.

It's unclear if the Southtown storefront will have any booze. A quick pan of the storefront announcing the grand opening showed vitroleros for aguas frescas but no bottles behind the counter. A TikTok video taken during the opening showed a frozen drink rimmed with Tajín but no beer in the cooler.

Whether promised cocktails or not, huge crowds gathered for the official debut. The spot offered free tacos for the first 50 guests, but guests lingered throughout the day.

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