Editor’s note:As 2023 comes to a close, we're looking back at the stories that defined San Antonio this year, now turning our attention to Alamo City's unstoppable food scene. This year, we saw shocking closures, anticipated openings, and recognition from trusted publications (including CultureMap’s own Tastemaker Awards). Here are the 10 hottest restaurant and bar headlines of 2023.

1. Hill Country winery scores big on list of world's best vineyards for 2nd year in a row. The latest vote of confidence comes from World’s Best Vineyards, which voted Hye’s William Chris Vineyards one of its 2023 top wine destinations for the second year.

2. Treasured San Antonio burger chain stacks up new spot near UTSA campus. Burger Boy, a growing San Antonio chain, announced that it's opening its ninth location — this time on UTSA Boulevard near Interstate 10.

3. Beloved San Antonio burger joint suddenly shutters after 50 years. After feeding generations of Southsiders, TJ’s Hamburgers fired down the grills. The shuttering of TJ's followed a summer wave of restaurant closures that grabbed readers attention back in July.

4. Cult Taiwanese bakery rises in San Antonio with first location. Cult Taiwanese chain 85°C Bakery Café has been working on its San Antonio debut. Cult-favorite restaurants have been top-of-mind for many San Antonians in 2023, with a North Carolina-based fried chicken and biscuits chain (with its own dedicated followers) opening earlier this year.

85°C Bakery Café announced its first San Antonio shop. 85°C Bakery Café / Facebook

5. La Cantera staple reopens after stunning contemporary revamp. It took a bit longer than expected, but Piatti finally reopened its second San Antonio location at the Èilan Hotel and Spa on July 18.

6. Texas Monthly names 4 San Antonio restaurants to comfort food faves list. Of course, these restaurants cover a broad range of cuisines. Classic American comfort food is represented, but the list also includes Tex-Mex, Mexican, Indian, and more.

7. New York-inspired pizzeria opens new San Antonio location with more than 70 beers on draft. Denver-based Parry's Pizzeria & Taphouse has opened a second San Antonio location, this time in the Culebra Commons shopping center.

8. H-E-B reveals top 10 finalists for annual best Texas product showdown. 10 innovative entrepreneurs were chosen from 632 entries representing 132 Texas cities.

9. The top 10 neighborhood restaurants in San Antonio serve the soul of the city. Annually, CultureMap honors the Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year as part of our prestigious Tastemaker Awards. (And here's who won.)

10. These 16 contenders battle it out as San Antonio's best new restaurant. More from the same awards series: San Antonio experienced an unprecedented boon of new eateries, making it challenging for any restaurant to stand out from the crowd.