The PigPen is a bar in Alamo Heights, San Antonio.
The PigPen near Brackenridge Park is a hybrid coffee-and-beer bar with a large shaded patio, pouring espresso in the morning and craft beer in the afternoon.
Food program: Snacks
Tip: Coffee by day flips to craft beer in the afternoon. The big shaded patio welcomes dogs and laptops alike.
Address: 106 Pershing Ave, San Antonio, TX 78209
Bar Loretta in the King William district is a bar, restaurant, and market in one, with proper cocktails and a choice wine list behind modern Texas cooking.
Signature drink: Proper cocktails with Texas plates
Food: Modern Texas cuisine
Tip: The happy hour is the value entry point. The adjoining market sells bottles and provisions to take home.
Jue Let is chef Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin's Asian American cocktail bar at the Pearl, a two-story room with brocade ceilings, private karaoke and a drinks list that channels Chinese heritage and Texan roots.
Signature drink: Asian American cocktails like the Mint Jue Let
Food: Bar snacks with Chinese tea eggs and crab Louie onigiri
Tip: Order the Mint Jue Let and ask for the I-Ching coin that comes with most drinks. No reservations; walk in early on weekends.
La Tuna Icehouse is a Southtown ice house on Probandt whose shaded outdoor yard, cold beer and live music are the whole formula on a warm evening.
Signature drink: Cold beer in a historic ice house
Food: Burgers and Tex-Mex plates
Tip: The shaded outdoor yard is the draw on a warm evening. Cold beer and live music is the whole formula.
Hi-Tones is a beloved Tobin Hill dive and live-music room just off the St Mary's strip, with a patio, cheap drinks, and a steady run of indie and local bands.
Signature drink: Cheap beer and live indie bands
Food: None
Tip: A patio dive with live indie bands most nights. Cheap drinks and a young crowd; cash is easiest.
Roadmap Brewing is a rare downtown taproom within walking distance of the Pearl, pouring its own wide-ranging craft beer with a rotating food truck out front.
Signature drink: Craft beer in a downtown taproom
Food: Food-truck fare
Tip: A rare downtown taproom within walking distance of the Pearl. Check which food truck is parked before you go.
Pastiche pours playful European-leaning cocktails from a 1920s cottage in Dignowity Hill, a quiet east-side bar with charcuterie boards and real charm.
Signature drink: Reimagined European classics
Food: Charcuterie and bistro snacks
Tip: The cottage setting on a quiet street is half the charm. Order a riff on a European classic and a charcuterie board.
