Bistros, trattorias and the everyday rooms where San Antonio actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where San Antonio actually eats.
Chris Madrid's in Tobin Hill is a since-1977 burger joint where the huge Macho size is built for splitting and the bean-topped Tostada Burger is the order.
Order: The Tostada Burger and the Macho-sized cheese fries.
Tip: The Macho size is genuinely huge; split one. The Tostada Burger, topped with refried beans and corn chips, is the order.
Schilo's is a German-Texan deli downtown where the house-brewed root beer is the thing to order alongside the split-pea soup and the Reuben; cash or card.
Order: Split-pea soup, the Reuben and the house root beer.
Tip: The root beer is brewed in house and is the thing to order alongside the split-pea soup. Cash and card both work.
Tlahco Mexican Kitchen serves heart-of-Mexico cooking on San Pedro Avenue, from breakfast tacos and chilaquiles to slow-cooked birria, all day long.
Order: Breakfast tacos, chilaquiles and birria.
Tip: Breakfast runs all day, so the chilaquiles and breakfast tacos are fair game at lunch. The birria is the heartier choice.
Tong's Thai has anchored Austin Highway near Alamo Heights for years, serving Thai curries and noodles plus sushi, with a serene koi-pond garden for bubble.
Order: Pad see ew, curries and bubble tea in the koi garden.
Tip: Ask to sit in the Nong Garden by the koi pond. The curries and pad see ew are the reliable orders.
Viet-Nam Restaurant is a plain-fronted Broadway room that locals rate for some of the best pho in the city, a no-frills Vietnamese kitchen built on the broth.
Order: Pho, spring rolls and vermicelli bowls.
Tip: Go for the pho and the spring rolls; the room is simple but the bowls are deep. Lunch is the quieter time.
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.
Lucy's Cafe on the north side is a cash-friendly Tex-Mex counter busy at breakfast, where the bean and cheese with bacon taco is the local favourite order.
Order: Bean and cheese with bacon, carne guisada taco.
Tip: The bean and cheese with bacon is the order locals swear by. Cash-friendly and busy at breakfast.
Rolando's Super Tacos on West Hildebrand is known for El Gigante, a massive five-ingredient breakfast taco that doubles as a full meal at counter prices.
Order: El Gigante, the massive five-ingredient breakfast taco.
Tip: El Gigante is the gimmick and the draw; one is a full meal. Order at the counter and add a cup of beans.
Carnitas Don Raúl on West Jones brings Michoacán-style carnitas to San Antonio, a husband-and-wife operation rooted in a 1991 Morelia family recipe.
Order: Carnitas by the pound with tortillas, salsa and lime.
Tip: Order the carnitas by the pound with tortillas and the house salsa. Cash and card both work; weekends move fast.
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.
The Original Donut Shop on Fredericksburg Road pairs fresh donuts with breakfast tacos, a San Antonio combination that makes perfect sense once you try it.
Order: Bean-and-cheese taco with a fresh donut.
Tip: The taco-and-donut pairing is the local move; do not choose one. The drive-through line moves fast.
La Villita Cafe sits in the historic La Villita arts village downtown, serving brisket-and-egg breakfast tacos and Tex-Mex plates to a mix of office workers.
Order: Brisket-and-egg breakfast tacos.
Tip: The brisket-and-egg taco is the standout. It is walkable from the River Walk, so a good downtown breakfast stop.
Little Taco Factory on McCullough is a small breakfast-taco shop near downtown, dependable for classic bacon-and-egg and potato-and-egg tacos at a fair price.
Order: Bacon-and-egg and potato-and-egg tacos.
Tip: Simple and quick; the classic combos are the order. Grab a dozen to go for the office.
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.
Soluna Cocina Mexicana on Broadway is a colourful family-run room serving traditional Mexican cooking since 1979, with the Chispa margarita signature.
Order: Chispa margarita and traditional Mexican plates.
Tip: The Chispa margarita is the long-running signature. The relaxed patio is the seat to want on a mild evening.
Con Huevos Tacos on East Houston builds its menu around the egg, with fluffy breakfast tacos and migas served on the gentrifying near-East Side.
Order: Egg-forward breakfast tacos and migas.
Tip: Migas is the egg dish to get if you want something beyond a standard taco. Quick counter service.
Naco Mexican Eatery on Nacogdoches Road leans Mexico City rather than Tex-Mex, with underrated tortas, proper tacos and house salsas worth piling on freely.
Order: Mexico City-style tacos and tortas.
Tip: The tortas are underrated; the tacos lean Mexico City rather than Tex-Mex. House salsas are worth piling on generously.
Mama's Kitchen on West Hildebrand is a homestyle Tex-Mex counter where chilaquiles tacos arrive folded into thick, handmade tortillas the locals love.
Order: Chilaquiles tacos on thick handmade tortillas.
Tip: The thick handmade tortillas set this place apart. Chilaquiles is the dish to order for breakfast.
Santos Mexican Cafe II on Isom Road is a no-frills breakfast-taco counter near the airport, where the chorizo-and-egg taco is the order and the regulars.
Order: Chorizo-and-egg breakfast tacos.
Tip: Chorizo and egg is the standout. Quick and cheap; a good stop before a flight out of the nearby airport.
Maverick Texas Brasserie in Southtown is a New American room known for steak frites and a strong burger, with a mimosa-service weekend brunch as the draw.
Order: Steak frites, the burger and weekend brunch.
Tip: Weekend brunch is the social draw, with mimosa bottle service. The burger holds its own against any in town.
The Cove is a quirky Tobin Hill spot that is a restaurant, car wash and laundromat in one, serving fish tacos and grass-fed burgers with craft beer.
Order: Fish tacos, grass-fed burgers and a craft beer.
Tip: Yes, you can do laundry while you eat fish tacos. The patio and live-music nights are the real draw.
The Cherrity Bar near downtown's east side pairs cocktails and comfort food with a charitable model, donating from every visit to local causes.
Order: Vegan and comfort-food plates, with a cocktail.
Tip: Proceeds support rotating local charities, so a meal here does double duty. The vegan plates are genuinely good.
Taqueria Datapoint near the South Texas Medical Center is a breakfast-taco staple for hospital workers, with bacon and chorizo tacos that pull a steady line.
Order: Bacon and chorizo breakfast tacos.
Tip: The medical-center crowd hits it hard at breakfast, so go before 7am or after 9. Bacon and chorizo are the picks.
Tacos n Salsa on Wurzbach Road is a north-side breakfast-taco counter that leans on crispy bacon and a rotating set of fresh salsas, a reliable everyday.
Order: Crispy-bacon breakfast tacos with fresh salsas.
Tip: The salsas are the differentiator; ask which are spiciest. Crispy bacon tacos are the order.
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.
Bakery Lorraine grew from a Pearl farmers-market stall into a full cafe and patisserie, with macarons, quiche, and croque monsieur from a bright counter.
Order: Macarons, quiche and a croque monsieur.
Tip: The macarons are the calling card, but the savoury quiche and croque make it a proper lunch stop.
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.
Los Tacos Gueros on Huebner Road is a north-side counter for breakfast tacos and tacos de guisado, where the guisados rotate daily away from the tourist core.
Order: Breakfast tacos and tacos de guisado.
Tip: The guisados rotate daily; ask what is on. A handy north-side stop away from the tourist core.
Acenar sits on the River Walk downtown serving a modern take on Tex-Mex, from duck tacos to ceviches, with a riverside patio that makes it a reliable stop.
Order: Modern Tex-Mex plates and a prickly-pear margarita.
Tip: The riverside patio is the seat to request. The modern Tex-Mex plates beat most of the River Walk competition.