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Get lucky at these 7 San Antonio bars celebrating St. Patrick's Day

Watch the Museum Reach river parade from Elsewhere.

Poor Saint Patrick. He did PR for the shamrock, conjured a herd of swine out of thin air, and drove all the snakes out of Ireland. And now he is annually eulogized with Temu beads and enough green glitter to wardrobe the entire Euphoria cast.

Still, knocking back a few drinks has been a part of the holiday since its early days, with or without plastic tat. This year we are skipping the shenanigans on the River Walk and searching for our pot of gold far away from the emerald throng.

The Cottage
The Broadway hideaway has a full slate of activities planned, starting March 15 with a performance from the Boys from County Bexar, a tribute to the music of the late Shane MacGowan of the Pogues. The following days feature Irish dancers, pipe and drum performers, and plenty of Irish fare.

Elsewhere
While this popular hangout is technically on the River Walk, it is a stretch away from the downtown crowds. Head out on March 16 to catch the Museum Reach parade and enjoy face painting, live entertainment, and giveaways.

Francis Bogside
Being a proper Irish pub, this St. Paul’s Square anchor is partying all weekend. Starting on March 15, drink specials, live music, and raffles will keep the revelers in good spirits. On Sunday, guests can recover with happy hour all day and a full Irish breakfast starting at noon.

The Good Kind
Instead of waiting until the wee hours, start the day at 11 am at this Southtown charmer. Guests will enjoy $5 green margaritas and $3 green pints while DJ Ira spins in the garden lounge. Need to limber up before the pub crawl? Arrive early for a free yoga session.

Kennedy’s Public House
Down a few Irish Car Bombs or Jameson shots for $6 at this Stone Oak spot. Or if whiskey is not on your personal menu, peruse the massive selection of beer and the curated cocktail menu. Either way, patrons will want to linger for the creative bar food and sets from the San Antonio Fire Department’s bagpipe and drum group.

Maeve
The East Side hidden gem is shaking up the holiday with creative drink specials. At $8 a pop, choose from fun sips like a Gold Rush, Irish Mule, Shamrock Sour, or a Lucky Charm shot made with cereal milk.

Pick’s Bar
Since St. Patrick’s is on a Sunday, this North Side hot spot is celebrating all day. From 11 am to 3:30 pm, the spot’s weekly drag brunch revue is going green with performances from some of the area’s top queens. Then, at 5 pm, Passing Strangers keeps the vibe alive for an evening party. We hope both know a few Cranberries ditties.

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NYT loves AUS

Pastry chef from San Antonio makes New York Times Best Bakeries list

Comadre Panadería/Instagram

Comadre Panadería is known for nostalgic Mexican bakes with feminine flair.

The New York Times has once again shined its spotlight on Austin’s culinary scene. It included Comadre Panadería, an Austin bakery by San Antonio native Mariela Camacho, on its new list of the 22 of the Best Bakeries Across the U.S. Right Now.

Interim food critic Priya Krishna praises pastry chef Camacho’s pastries that include conchas and her signature pink cake. “Despite their saccharine appearances, not one of the desserts is overly cloying, and even the coffee drinks (Texas pecan horchata! Cranberry vanilla agua fresca!) strike the playful tone of the pastries,” she writes.

Comadre Panadería has been widely recognized, including by this publication; Camacho, who is now based in Ausitn, won Pastry Chef of the Year in the 2023 CultureMap Austin Tastemaker Awards. She also earned a 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist nomination for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker.

Camacho and Comadre as a whole are both invested in using baked goods to make a more equitable world, from the bakery's early days as a fundraiser for disaster relief, to a current insistence on charging enough to support ethical and organic foods, and paying staff enough to keep up with rising costs in Austin.

Although Camacho was born in San Antonio and started her baking career there, she also spent a significant time in Seattle, Washington, where Comadre started as a pop-up. According to Austin Monthly, she then moved back to San Antonio, and then to Austin. But no matter where she is, the Mexican cooking traditions of her ancestors take precedent.

Mariela Camacho of Comadre Panaderia in Austin Mariela Camacho, Comadre Panaderia. Courtesy photo

The Times also recognized Houston's Koffeteria. Krishna hails the bakery for pastry chef-owner Vanarin Kuch’s creative fare that includes dishes such as beef pho kolaches, Chinese sausage breakfast tacos, and butter mochi.

“Some of Mr. Kuch’s offerings are rooted in his Cambodian American identity — he makes cornbread with the coconutty, scallion-forward flavors of Cambodian street corn — while others are odes to Houston’s multicultural makeup. But most of the fun of Koffeteria is having no idea what Mr. Kuch will do next, and eagerly awaiting his next innovation,” Krishna writes.

Open since 2019, Koffeteria has been riding high this year. It earned a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination for Outstanding Bakery and a CultureMap Houston Tastemaker Award for Pastry Chef of the Year.

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Comadre Panadería and Koffeteria are the only Texas establishments to make the Times’ list. Only California and New York City, which each have three representatives, earn more recognition.

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