2M Smokehouse on the South Side smokes brisket and chicken with Mexican-influenced sides, a Michelin-recommended pit open Thursday to Sunday until sold out.
Order: Brisket, the smoked chicken and Mexican-influenced sides.
Tip: Open Thursday to Sunday only, and it sells out. Arrive within the first hour for the best of the brisket and ribs.
Eddie's Taco House is a South Side breakfast-and-lunch counter where the carne guisada and the cult weenie-and-egg breakfast taco draw a steady morning crowd.
Order: Carne guisada and weenie-and-egg breakfast tacos.
Tip: The weenie-and-egg taco sounds odd and is a local favourite. Come early; the breakfast crowd is steady.
Pete's Tako House on the South Side is a Tex-Mex counter best for breakfast tacos before the lunch rush, with the carne guisada plate the bigger sit-down.
Order: Breakfast tacos and the carne guisada plate.
Tip: Come for breakfast tacos before the lunch rush. The carne guisada plate is the bigger meal.
Mendez Cafe in the South Side is a tex-mex spot San Antonio locals rate, with carne guisada taco in spicy gravy the order to make on a first visit here.
Order: Carne guisada taco in spicy gravy.
Tip: The carne guisada taco is the reason to come. It is a small, busy room, so expect a short morning wait.
Maria's Cafe on Nogalitos is a South Side institution for breakfast tacos and weekend menudo, a plain room that has fed the neighbourhood for decades.
Order: Breakfast tacos and menudo on weekends.
Tip: Weekend menudo is the local hangover cure. Breakfast tacos all week; cash keeps the line moving.
Margarita's Tortilla Factory is a South Side Tex-Mex counter whose draw is tortillas pressed and toasted to order; buy a stack to take home with the tacos.
Order: Made-to-order tacos on freshly toasted tortillas.
Tip: The tortillas are made on site and toasted to order, which is the draw. Buy a stack to take home.
CommonWealth Coffeehouse & Bakery pairs careful espresso with French-style pastries in a bright South Flores room, a work-friendly cafe with a proper bakery.
Signature drink: Espresso with French pastries
Tip: The pastry case leans French; pair a croissant with a flat white. Plenty of seating for laptop mornings.
Sip & Sit with ME is a welcome South Side cafe near the Missions, good for lattes and house pastries on a coffee stop along a Mission Trail morning.
Signature drink: Lattes and house pastries
Tip: A welcome cafe on the South Side near the Missions. Good for a coffee stop on a Mission Trail morning.
El Folklor Bakery on the South Side is a good-value panaderia for a shared tray of pan dulce, with conchas and a tres leches cake among the orders to make.
Tip: The tres leches cake and conchas are the orders. A good-value panaderia for a tray of pan dulce to share.
Worth the queue: Conchas and tres leches cake
CommonWealth Coffeehouse & Bakery on the South Side bakes French viennoiserie, with the kouign-amann the standout pastry to pair with an in-house espresso.
Tip: The kouign-amann is the standout laminated pastry. Pair it with the in-house espresso for a French-style breakfast.
Worth the queue: Kouign-amann and croissants
Fruteria La Mission across from the Mission Drive-In is a South Side fruteria for mangonadas, aguas frescas and large fruit cups loaded with chamoy and tajin.
Try: Mangonadas, aguas frescas and big fruit cups
Tip: Order the large fruit cup with extra chamoy and tajin. A drive-through and walk-up window make it an easy summer stop.
Eddie's Taco House is a long-running Caballero family counter on the South Side where breakfast tacos run a couple of dollars and the weenie-and-egg has fans.
Try: Breakfast tacos a couple of dollars each
Tip: A few tacos make a breakfast for well under ten dollars. The weenie-and-egg taco is the cheap local favourite.
Mendez Cafe has sold cheap, generous carne guisada tacos since 1986, a South Side breakfast counter where a couple of dollars buys tender beef in peppery gravy.
Try: Carne guisada taco in spicy gravy
Tip: The carne guisada taco is the cheap order to make. Small and busy, so expect a short morning wait.
Maria's Cafe on the South Side does breakfast tacos all week and weekend menudo, the cheap local cure; cash keeps the line moving on busy mornings.
Try: Breakfast tacos and weekend menudo
Tip: Weekend menudo is the cheap local cure; breakfast tacos all week. Cash keeps the line moving.
2M Smokehouse on the South Side serves Tejano-accented barbecue; order by the quarter pound and add the cheap sides to keep a BBQ lunch under twenty dollars.
Try: BBQ by the quarter pound
Tip: Order by the quarter pound and add the cheap Tejano sides to keep a BBQ lunch under twenty dollars. Go early; it sells out.
CommonWealth Coffeehouse & Bakery handles a pastry-led brunch on South Flores, pairing French-style bakes and quiche with careful espresso in a bright room.
Order: Quiche, kouign-amann and a flat white.
Tip: Lean on the French pastry case; the kouign-amann and quiche are the picks. Plenty of seating for a slow morning.