Blanco Cafe is a tex-mex restaurant in Tobin Hill, San Antonio.
Blanco Cafe is a cash-friendly Tobin Hill Tex-Mex counter where the carne guisada plate, enchiladas and chalupas come cheap to a loyal early-lunch crowd.
Must order: Carne guisada plate, enchiladas and chalupas.
Tip: Cash is welcome and prices are low. The carne guisada is the order; come for an early lunch before the crowd.
Address: 1720 Blanco Rd, San Antonio, TX 78212
Isidore at Pullman Market earned a Michelin star and a Green Star in 2025, a Modern Texas room from the Emmer & Rye group built around local farms.
Order: The seasonal tasting built around local farms and producers.
Tip: Book the dining room rather than the bar for the full menu. Reservations go quickly after the star; plan ahead.
Mezquite at Pullman Market celebrates the Sonoran food pathways of northern Mexico, with handmade flour tortillas and mesquite-grilled meats.
Order: Flour-tortilla tacos, grilled meats and a mezcal cocktail.
Tip: The Sonoran-style flour tortillas are the point; build a meal of tacos and grilled meats. The mezcaleria is next door.
Signature at the Signia by Hilton La Cantera resort is chef John Carpenter's tasting-menu room blending French technique with Mexican flavour.
Order: The chef's tasting blending French technique with Mexican flavour.
Tip: It is a resort restaurant, so dress up and make a night of it. The tasting menu shows the kitchen at its best.
Battalion is an Italian restaurant in a converted downtown fire station on South Alamo, where house pastas and wood-fired pizza lead a small-plates menu.
Order: House pastas, wood-fired pizza and Italian small plates.
Tip: The room, a converted fire station, is part of the appeal. Lead with the pastas and a bottle from the Italian list.
Cappy's has been an Alamo Heights neighbourhood mainstay on Broadway since 1977, a New American room with a leafy patio known for its pecan-crusted chicken.
Order: Pecan-crusted chicken, the burger and seasonal fish.
Tip: Ask for a patio table under the oaks. The pecan-crusted chicken is the long-running signature dish.
Supper at Hotel Emma is the Pearl's farm-to-table flagship, where market-driven specials change with the season and the bar and brunch rival dinner itself.
Order: Seasonal market plates and the pasta of the day.
Tip: Brunch and the bar at the Emma are as worth it as dinner. The market-driven specials change with the season.
