MEET THE TASTEMAKERS
San Antonio's 10 best patios are a snapshot of the vibrant city
Elsewhere Garden Bar & Kitchen does the most with its patio.
Like the sprays of daylilies that pop up after a good San Antonio soak, the city’s patios are made more precious by being temporary. The season for outdoor dining is punishingly short. Make a plan to enjoy them post haste.
Need a place to start? Visit one of our 10 nominees for the CultureMap Tastemaker Award for Patio of the Year. Our new “wildcard” category is a snapshot of what makes Alamo City so vibrant, embracing classics and new upstarts, funky dives, and millennial haunts.
Read more about them below, then join us on April 4 when we reveal the winners at the Briscoe Museum. (Hot tip: Only a few tickets remain before selling out.) While waiting, catch up on our special editorial series profiling all of this year’s nominees — preferably with a margarita in hand.
Bombay Bicycle Club Downtown
This sibling of a San Antonio original keeps the former’s eclectic design intact, albeit with a more contemporary eye. Still, the patio has an entirely new identity. Instead of tucking the action away like the first location, the Hemisfair location puts it front and center. When the busy park lights up for Luminaria, there’s no better place for people-watching.
El Camino SA
Though the twinkle lights bring magic at night, the best time to go to this bar and food truck park is sunset. That’s when all the turquoise umbrellas and fuchsia picnic tables blend with the painterly strokes of the dusk sky. Though Taylor Swift may not stop by for sandia slushies and pink elotes, the bar clearly knows the value of a lavender haze.
Elsewhere Garden Bar & Kitchen
You could plop down a dub at a selfie factory, but AI can generate more imaginative backgrounds. Chatbots will never be able to reproduce the ease of this River Walk staple. There are photo ops throughout—from chandelier-munching giraffes to twisting toadstools. But here, you also have a friendly staff, a blissed-out crowd, and the open air. It’s time to touch grass, even if most of it is AstroTurf.
La Fogata
This Tex-Mex staple has three locations, and patio life is serious business at each. But the Vance Jackson location did it first. Part Roma Norte discotheque, part Polanco hacienda, the sprawling grounds are enveloped by hundreds of tropical plants. At the center is a double-tall fountain. Only the punchy margaritas do more to help guests relax.
La Fonda on Main
While the trend in San Antonio patios leans towards maximalism, this storied property proves that restrained design is eternal. A canopy of oaks casts shadows on gallery white stucco walls, undecorated save for a few mosaic inserts. Although Ludwig Mies van der Rohe probably never drafted with a heaping plate of nachos by his side, surely he would have appreciated this Monte Vista bedfellow.
La Tuna Icehouse
The dream of the ‘90s is alive on La Tuna’s patio. This Southtown spot hasn’t changed much since it debuted in the days of teen spirit. Bottle caps still pave the floor, plump cactuses line the perimeter, and stately pecan trees shade the occasional art car. One doesn’t need a tribal tattoo to slump into one of the picnic tables, but it helps if they are a little bit of a slacker.
Little Em’s Oyster Bar
If no sorcery can bring coastal breezes to landlocked Alamo City, at least it can bring coastal style. This Southtown charmer has nailed the quaintness of Provincetown and Nantucket, swapping out primaries for youthful pastels. Spritz your hair with salt spray and don a navy blazer. After a bottle of Perrier Jouët, Elmendorf Lake will look like the ocean. Owners announced on March 26 the concept will be moving soon, but with no gaps in service. Hopefully the new patio will be even more splendid.
Meadow Neighborhood Eatery + Bar
If Swiss Family Robinson made shipwrecks seem fun, this Alley on Bitters anchor proves the calamity would have been a riot if Elizabeth had some hooch in her magic bag. Though the Meadow patio is built firmly on the ground, the subtle levels, stone fireplace, and roughly hewn wood still give it a treehouse vibe. It’s enough to make every Sunday brunch feel like an adventure.
The Cove
Austin can talk about keeping it weird if it wants. This carwash/laundromat/eatery is funkier than anything the capital city has produced since Willie Nelson ruled the scene. The Cove makes room for foraging pups, gregarious kids, and music-loving adults, making every visit as effortless as a backyard cookout. It’s San Antonio’s greatest argument for letting your freak flag fly.
The Good Kind Southtown
Talk about a glow-up! When the Good Kind jumped from a food hall stall to a full-blown eatery in 2019, it felt like the concept could finally stretch. A glass kiosk sprawled into a glorious moment filled with boho furniture, sculptures, and intimate hideaways.
