CH-CH-CHANGES

San Antonio's Southerleigh buys out Boiler House in Pearl shake-up

Pearl's Boiler House has a new owner.

After suffering a few dining shakeups in 2024, another big change is coming to San Antonio’s Pearl. Southerleigh Hospitality Group, the company behind the development’s anchor tenants Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery and Brasserie Mon Chou Chou, has acquired popular steakhouse The Boiler House, in partnership with Potluck Hospitality.

Opened in 2012, The Boiler House was one of Pearl’s first restaurant properties, debuting just a few years after chef Andrew Weissman made the development a culinary powerhouse through Il Sogno and Sandbar Fish House and Market. Some of San Antonio’s most notable chefs, including Jeff White and James Moore, have helmed the kitchen.

Industry vets Jerome Serot, Philippe Placé, and Jeff Balfour founded Southerleigh Hospitality Group in 2015 with the opening of its namesake restaurant and brewery. Today, the group operates two other restaurants — Brasserie Mon Chou Chou and Southerleigh Haute South — and a catering company, Sense of Occasion.

“The opportunity to bring The Boiler House into our portfolio was both organic and deeply compelling,” said Serot in a press release. “Its location, legacy, and talented team align beautifully with our vision for creating a dynamic culinary destination in the heart of San Antonio.”

The announcement did not include what, if any, changes were coming to the Boiler House menu. In addition to serving steaks, the restaurant currently focuses on Hill Country fare like quail poppers, chicken-fried antelope sliders, and a modernized pork schnitzel served with Brussels sprouts, tomato jam, and bacon. The news alert, however, hinted that there may be a few updates.

“This partnership is more than an acquisition — it’s a commitment to enriching San Antonio’s culinary scene, fostering innovation while embracing the traditions that make it special,” said Balfour. “We look forward to building on the strong foundation already in place and creating new moments for our guests to enjoy.”

Boiler House’s ownership change is the latest upheaval at the tony San Antonio development. In July 2024, Pearl lost two of its long-running tenants — Botika and Blue Box Bar — within hours of each other. Jue Let, a new cocktail concept from Best Quality Daughter owner Jennifer Dobbertin, is set to replace Blue Box later this year.

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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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