Lewis and Clark, Sonny and Cher, SpongeBob and Patrick. Duos float in and out of pop culture at hummingbird speed. But few have quite as much staying power as beer and barbecue. So, it’s only natural that one of Texas’ most iconic breweries would want to break out the smoker.
According to a release, Shiner Beer is untapping a new market with the April 1 grand opening of K. Spoetzl BBQ Co. Housed at the newly expanded Spoetzl Brewery, the eatery will welcome carnivores seven days a week.
Pitmaster Tommy Schuette, the former proprietor of the Shiner Barbeque Co., will lead the charge with the state’s holy trinity of smoked meats, including brisket, sausage, and ribs. Other favorites like pulled pork and chicken will be served alongside a meaty assortment of salads, loaded potatoes, and sandwiches.
Of course, no Texas barbecue joint can get away with skimping on the sides. Potato salad and pinto beans are served throughout the week, but weekend guests get a little extra. Diners can also opt for green beans, coleslaw, creamed corn, and giblet rice from Thursday through Saturday.
In celebration of K. Spoetzl BBQ’s debut, samples will be passed out between 10:30 am-6 pm on April 1. QR codes will also be scattered across the grounds giving visitors a chance to win gift cards, shirts, hats, and more. Diners will also be given a free beer token for every $25 spent at the restaurant that day.
In addition, budding influencers can post a picture of Schuette to social media to get a coupon for 10 percent off. (As a rule, pitmasters do not need a yassify filter.)
After the grand opening celebration, K. Spoetzl BBQ will be open daily. Hours are 10 am-4 pm, so plan accordingly.
MEET THE TASTEMAKERS
The 10 best restaurants in San Antonio prove the city has arrived
For those of you watching closely, this year's roll call of nominees for the Tastemaker Award for Best Restaurant has no repeats from 2023. We live in a new San Antonio heyday, and the number of great restaurants has grown from a scant teaspoon to an overflowing cup.
That makes this year's process more difficult than ever. With so many standard-bearers to choose from, we zeroed in on what defines the city now.
Read our reasoning 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.) In the meantime, catch up on our special editorial series profiling all of this year’s nominees.
Here are the nominees for Restaurant of the Year:
Bar Loretta
When Bar Loretta took over the former Madhatters Tea House space, it had some big shoes to fill. Months later, it emerged as something just as beloved. While the funky bric-a-brac of the former is long gone, the conviviality still lingers. Though the Southtown spot routinely whips up tony lobster risotto and Frenchy pan-roasted cod, it has not lost sight of humor. Routinely, the cocktail program gets curiousier and curiouser.
Cullum's Attaboy
In a world beleaguered by fleeting TikTok microtrends and tribal bickering, Attaboy offers a gentile escape into yesteryear. The chefs wear paper hats, and the soundtrack swings instead of thumping. Most importantly, the dishes show no signs of the fussy arsenal many contemporary chefs insist is innovation. American fare once had integrity. Chef Chris Cullum argues for a reset.
Curry Boys BBQ
Can we finally rid our language of words like "fusion" and "East-meets-West?" Curry Boys food is a story of how Texan heritage is not a monolith. Yes, "authenticity" is a slippery term for something as ever-changing as food. Chefs Andrew Samia, Sean Wen, and Andrew Ho recognize that the palate is personal — and that barbecue and Thai cuisine are equally American.
Leche de Tigre
There's a sense of discovery in this King William charmer's cebiches, all a far cry from the lime-thwacked fish of its more common cousin. Texturally diverse with immaculate seafood, each challenges the vocabulary to come up with adjectives instead of bright. But bright they are, dazzling in their complex character.
Mixtli
Though this Southtown stunner is nary over a decade old and has only been in its current building for three years, it has become a dining elder. That doesn't mean that it doesn't still skate the culinary edge. The current menu traces the Eastward expansion of Spanish Colonial rule, a proposition that may seem intellectual. We can't deny the approach can read like a dissertation on paper. It's nothing but ambrosial on the tongue.
Naco Mexican Eatery
Naco's two locations — a food truck and a corner of the SA Yacht Club complex — are tiny. But that doesn't quite speak to the owner's ambition. Chefs Francisco Estrada and Lizzeth Martinez have created River City's most current taqueria, mindful of modern eating habits and traditional flavors in measure.
NONNA Osteria
The clamorous dining room is usually filled with oohs and ahhs, especially when giant wheels of Parmesan are rolled out to make Nonna's signature tableside presentation. Truth be told, it doesn't need such stagecraft. With a mighty Bolognese and pull-apart arancini, this downtown osteria saves all the drama for the plate.
Reese Bros Barbecue
San Antonio has gone to great lengths to prove it's not just a barbecue and Tex-Mex town, but maybe that should be more a point of pride than an insult. This East Side joint may not present its brisket in sculptural stacks, but the technique is no less worthy of admiration. And the queso fundido link insists there's still a new height to climb on the city's culinary pillars.
Shiro
The local sushi scene has long suffered from gatekeeping. Alamo City has suffered through limp rolls drenched in Kewpie and gelatinous hamachi because of a cynical belief that Alamo City doesn't know better. This downtown hot spot volleyed a sharp rejoinder with Tokyo-flown fish, electric small plates, and a refusal to utter "good enough."
The Magpie
If it is one's first time visiting this East Austin secret, they should sit at the tiny bar. Watching chef Jungsuk "Sue" Kim work inspires wonder. With the agility and speed of a short-order cook, she cooks up some of the city's most defiantly eclectic fare. True to the restaurant's name, one can twirl a superlative carbonara, then change course with a lively dak galbi.