40 cheap eats places in San Antonio, editor-picked. the best low-budget spots in San Antonio: the places editors actually return to. All San Antonio food.
Pollos Asados Los Norteños ★ 4.8
east-side · 4642 Rigsby Ave, San Antonio, TX 78222
Pollos Asados Los Norteños grills whole mesquite chickens on Rigsby Avenue that feed a family for the price of one mid-range entree, a high-value cult spot.
Tip: A whole grilled chicken with tortillas and onions feeds several people cheaply. Go early; the line builds fast.
2M Smokehouse ★ 4.8
south-side · 2731 S WW White Rd, San Antonio, TX 78222
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.
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.
Ray's Drive Inn ★ 4.7
west-side · 822 SW 19th St, San Antonio, TX 78207
Ray's Drive Inn on the West Side serves the original puffy taco for a few dollars, a cheap West Side institution where the deep-fried masa shell.
Tip: A couple of puffy tacos make a cheap, filling lunch. Cash and card both work at the drive-in counter.
Garcia's Mexican Food ★ 4.7
west-side · 842 Fredericksburg Rd, San Antonio, TX 78201
Garcia's Mexican Food on the West Side is a small, cash-friendly counter where the cheap carne guisada taco is the order; go early before the breakfast crowd.
Tip: The carne guisada taco is cheap and excellent. Small and cash-friendly; come early before the breakfast crowd.
Nicosi ★ 4.6
pearl · 221 Newell Ave, San Antonio, TX 78215
Nicosi at Pullman Market is a 20-seat dessert-only dining room from Esquire's 2024 Pastry Chef of the Year, Tavel Bristol-Joseph, with a plated tasting menu.
Tip: This is desserts as fine dining, not a counter; book the dessert tasting ahead. The savoury-leaning plates surprise.
Chris Madrid's ★ 4.6
tobin-hill · 1900 Blanco Rd, San Antonio, TX 78212
Chris Madrid's flips a Tostada Burger big enough to share for a modest price on Blanco Road, a family burger joint since 1977 where the Macho size feeds two.
Tip: Split a Macho-sized burger to halve the cost. The Tostada Burger and a side of cheese fries is the value play.
Tacos El Regio ★ 4.6
st-marys-strip · 2726 N St Mary's St, San Antonio, TX 78212
Tacos El Regio griddles cheap al pastor and bistek street tacos on the St Mary's Strip late into the night, a few dollars a taco for the best-value bite.
Tip: A handful of street tacos for under ten dollars is the late-night value play. Load up at the salsa bar for free.
Eddie's Taco House ★ 4.5
south-side · 402 W Cevallos St, San Antonio, TX 78204
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.
Tip: A few tacos make a breakfast for well under ten dollars. The weenie-and-egg taco is the cheap local favourite.
Lucy's Cafe ★ 4.5
north-side · 2517 West Ave, San Antonio, TX 78201
Lucy's Cafe on the north side keeps breakfast cheap, with a bean and cheese with bacon taco under three dollars; it is cash-friendly and busy at breakfast.
Tip: The bean and cheese with bacon is the order under three dollars. Cash-friendly and busy at breakfast.
La Panaderia ★ 4.4
downtown · 301 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78205
La Panaderia's downtown flagship near the River Walk is famous for conchas and its croissant-concha hybrid, a Mexican-French bakery worth the queue.
Tip: The conchas are famous; the croissant-concha hybrid is the showpiece. The downtown flagship is steps from the River Walk.
The Jerk Shack ★ 4.4
west-side · 10234 TX-151 Suite 103, San Antonio, TX 78251
Chef Nicola Blaque's Jerk Shack began as a walk-up window with picnic tables, serving Jamaican jerk chicken and curry goat that earned a Bib Gourmand nod.
Tip: The jerk chicken is the signature; the curry goat sells out. Order at the window and grab a picnic table.
Henry's Puffy Tacos ★ 4.4
west-side · 3202 W Woodlawn Ave, San Antonio, TX 78228
Henry's Puffy Tacos on West Woodlawn plates puffy tacos with rice and beans for a modest price, the Lopez family's cheap, filling counter for the West Side.
Tip: A puffy taco plate with rice and beans is a cheap, filling meal. The shells come hot; eat them straight away.
Schilo's ★ 4.4
downtown · 424 E Commerce St, San Antonio, TX 78205
Schilo's, the city's oldest restaurant, serves a bowl of its famous split-pea soup and a hearty sandwich downtown for a modest sum, a 1917 German-Texan deli.
Tip: The split-pea soup and house root beer make a cheap downtown lunch with a century of history behind it.
Carnitas Don Raúl ★ 4.3
downtown · 325 W Jones Ave, San Antonio, TX 78215
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.
Tip: Order the carnitas by the pound with tortillas and the house salsa. Cash and card both work; weekends move fast.
Theory Coffee Company ★ 4.3
alamo-heights · 2347 Nacogdoches Rd, San Antonio, TX 78209
Theory Coffee Company is a precision-minded roaster and cafe that has landed on Yelp's best US coffee shops, serving carefully dialled espresso and filter.
Tip: Theory ranks among Yelp's top US coffee shops; the espresso is the order. A small space, so seating is limited.
La Panaderia Bakery Cafe ★ 4.3
downtown · 301 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78205
La Panaderia's downtown cafe pairs conchas with a cafe con leche, and a full breakfast and lunch menu makes it more than just a quick coffee stop.
Tip: The conchas and the cafe con leche are the pairing. A full breakfast and lunch menu makes it more than a coffee stop.
Pollos Asados Los Norteños ★ 4.3
east-side · 4642 Rigsby Ave, San Antonio, TX 78222
Pollos Asados Los Norteños on the east side grills whole chickens over mesquite; order one with grilled onions and tortillas, and go early as the queue grows.
Tip: Order a whole chicken with the grilled onions and tortillas. The queue can be long; go early on weekends.
Carnitas Don Raúl ★ 4.3
downtown · 325 W Jones Ave, San Antonio, TX 78215
Carnitas Don Raúl on West Jones is a husband-and-wife counter for Michoacán-style carnitas, rooted in a 1991 Morelia family operation and featured on Netflix.
Tip: Order the carnitas by the pound with fresh tortillas and the house salsa. A quick weekend lunch on the way out of downtown.
Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia ★ 4.3
market-square · 218 Produce Row, San Antonio, TX 78207
Mi Tierra at Market Square runs around the clock, so a 3am plate of enchiladas is a local rite; grab conchas from the front panaderia on the way out.
Tip: Open around the clock, so a 3am plate of enchiladas is a local rite. Grab conchas from the front bakery to go.
Tellez Tamales & Barbacoa ★ 4.3
west-side · 1737 S General McMullen Dr, San Antonio, TX 78237
Tellez Tamales & Barbacoa on the West Side sells tamales by the dozen and pit barbacoa by the pound, a high-value weekend stock-up for a family breakfast.
Tip: Buy tamales by the dozen and barbacoa by the pound for a cheap family weekend breakfast. Go early on Saturdays.
Mendez Cafe ★ 4.3
south-side · 201 Bartholomew Ave, San Antonio, TX 78211
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.
Tip: The carne guisada taco is the cheap order to make. Small and busy, so expect a short morning wait.
Ray's Drive Inn ★ 4.2
west-side · 822 SW 19th St, San Antonio, TX 78207
Ray's Drive Inn on the West Side has claimed the original puffy taco since Ray Lopez opened it in 1956, home of the deep-fried puffed-masa shell.
Tip: The puffy taco is the only order that matters here. Eat it fast while the shell is still crisp and hot.
Garcia's Mexican Food ★ 4.2
west-side · 842 Fredericksburg Rd, San Antonio, TX 78201
Garcia's Mexican Food has served classic Tex-Mex near Woodlawn Lake since 1962, a small family room known for breakfast tacos and carne guisada.
Tip: Cash-friendly and small, with a loyal breakfast crowd. Get the carne guisada taco on a fresh flour tortilla.
Chris Madrid's ★ 4.2
tobin-hill · 1900 Blanco Rd, San Antonio, TX 78212
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.
Tip: The Macho size is genuinely huge; split one. The Tostada Burger, topped with refried beans and corn chips, is the order.
Viet-Nam Restaurant ★ 4.2
alamo-heights · 3244 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209
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.
Tip: Go for the pho and the spring rolls; the room is simple but the bowls are deep. Lunch is the quieter time.
Bakery Lorraine ★ 4.2
pearl · 306 Pearl Pkwy Ste 110, San Antonio, TX 78215
Bakery Lorraine at the Pearl is the French patisserie locals queue for, with macarons as the calling card and a kouign-amann among the laminated pastries.
Tip: The macarons are the calling card; the kouign-amann is the laminated-pastry pick. Expect a queue on market mornings.
Mi Tierra Panaderia ★ 4.2
market-square · 218 Produce Row, San Antonio, TX 78207
Mi Tierra's 24-hour panaderia at Market Square turns out traditional pan dulce around the clock, from everyday conchas to Day of the Dead pan de muerto.
Tip: Open 24 hours, so pan dulce is available any time. The conchas and seasonal pan de muerto are the classics.
Box St. All Day ★ 4.2
downtown · 623 Hemisfair Blvd Ste 108, San Antonio, TX 78205
Box St. All Day at Hemisfair pairs a compiled espresso bar with an all-day brunch menu, a daylight Hemisfair Park option between the Tower and Yanaguana.
Tip: Lean on the espresso bar in the morning, switch to brunch cocktails by noon. First 30 minutes free in the Hemisfair Garage.
Shotgun House Coffee Roasters ★ 4.2
west-side · 1333 Buena Vista St Ste 108, San Antonio, TX 78207
Shotgun House Coffee Roasters works out of a former sewing factory turned creative space on the near West Side, roasting on-site and brewing single-origin.
Tip: The roastery cafe is tucked inside a converted factory; follow the signs to Warehouse 5. Single-origin filter is the move.
Mi Tierra Panaderia ★ 4.2
market-square · 218 Produce Row, San Antonio, TX 78207
The panaderia counter at Mi Tierra in Market Square sells conchas, empanadas, and Mexican sweet bread around the clock, a 24-hour bakery window for the city.
Tip: The bakery counter is open 24 hours; grab pan dulce and a Mexican hot chocolate any time of day or night.
Qatra Specialty Coffee ★ 4.2
north-side · 7302 Louis Pasteur Dr Ste 101, San Antonio, TX 78229
Qatra Specialty Coffee on Louis Pasteur Drive is a Medical Center-area cafe focused on single-origin espresso and pour-over, open late for evening study.
Tip: Open late Mondays through Sundays, so a useful study spot. Single-origin espresso and pour-over are the orders.
Tacos El Regio ★ 4.2
st-marys-strip · 2726 N St Mary's St, San Antonio, TX 78212
Tacos El Regio is a post-bar institution on the St Mary's strip; order the al pastor off the trompo and load up at the salsa bar for late-night street tacos.
Tip: It is a post-bar institution on St Mary's. Order the al pastor off the trompo and load up at the salsa bar.
Ray's Drive Inn ★ 4.2
west-side · 822 SW 19th St, San Antonio, TX 78207
Ray's Drive Inn on the West Side has claimed the original puffy taco since 1956, the deep-fried puffed-masa shell that San Antonio gave the world.
Tip: The puffy taco is the only order; eat it fast while the shell is crisp. A West Side institution, not a tourist stop.
Garcia's Mexican Food ★ 4.2
west-side · 842 Fredericksburg Rd, San Antonio, TX 78201
Garcia's Mexican Food on the West Side is a small, cash-friendly counter where the carne guisada taco on a fresh flour tortilla is the early-breakfast order.
Tip: The carne guisada taco on a fresh flour tortilla is the order. Small and cash-friendly; come for an early breakfast.
La Gloria ★ 4.2
pearl · 100 E Grayson St, San Antonio, TX 78215
Chef Johnny Hernandez's La Gloria at the Pearl plates the street antojitos of interior Mexico, from tacos and sopes to ceviche and elotes, on a River Walk.
Tip: Order a spread of antojitos rather than entrees and share. The patio over the Museum Reach is the seat to want.
La Panaderia ★ 4.2
downtown · 301 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78205
La Panaderia's downtown bakery is a walkable River Walk stop for breakfast tacos and conchas; pair one with a cafe con leche to start the morning.
Tip: Pair a breakfast taco with a concha and a cafe con leche. A walkable downtown stop near the River Walk.
Blanco Cafe ★ 4.2
tobin-hill · 1720 Blanco Rd, San Antonio, TX 78212
Blanco Cafe is a no-frills Tobin Hill Tex-Mex diner where the carne guisada plate is the cheap, filling order; cash is welcome and the prices stay low.
Tip: The carne guisada plate is the cheap, filling order. Cash is welcome and the prices stay low.
Tlahco Mexican Kitchen ★ 4.2
north-side · 6702 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX 78216
Tlahco Mexican Kitchen on the north side runs breakfast all day, so chilaquiles and tacos stay cheap into the afternoon, with good value for the portion size.
Tip: Breakfast runs all day, so chilaquiles and tacos stay cheap into the afternoon. Good value for the portion size.
Henry's Puffy Tacos ★ 4.1
west-side · 3202 W Woodlawn Ave, San Antonio, TX 78228
Henry's Puffy Tacos on West Woodlawn is the family rival to Ray's in the puffy-taco story, serving the crisp puffed-masa shell as a plate with rice and beans.
Tip: The puffy tacos come hot and fast. Add a side of rice and beans for the full West Side plate.
Eddie's Taco House ★ 4.1
south-side · 402 W Cevallos St, San Antonio, TX 78204
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.
Tip: The weenie-and-egg taco sounds odd and is a local favourite. Come early; the breakfast crowd is steady.