La Gloria is a mexican street food restaurant in Pearl, San Antonio.
La Gloria brings Mexican street food to the Pearl's River Walk patio, where a shared spread of tacos, ceviche and elotes beats ordering individual entrees.
Must order: Street tacos, ceviche and elotes on the River Walk patio.
Tip: The patio is the seat to want on a warm evening. Order a spread of antojitos rather than entrees and share.
Address: 100 E Grayson St, San Antonio, TX 78215
The Jerk Shack is a Bib Gourmand Caribbean spot on the West Side where jerk chicken is the signature and the curry goat sells out; the lunch lines build fast.
Order: Jerk chicken, curry goat and festival dumplings.
Tip: Lines build at lunch. The jerk chicken is the signature, but the curry goat sells out, so go early if it is what you want.
Cullum's Attaboy is chef Chris Cullum's retro diner near Alamo Heights, serving breakfast, a champagne brunch, and one of the best burgers in town.
Order: The smash burger, champagne brunch and a malt.
Tip: Weekend brunch fills the small room fast. The smash burger and the champagne brunch are the reasons to come.
Little Em's Oyster Bar brings a proper raw bar to Southtown, with Gulf and East Coast oysters, a seafood tower, and Louisiana-leaning plates.
Order: Gulf and East Coast oysters, the seafood tower and gumbo.
Tip: Happy hour is the value play for oysters. The gumbo and the seafood tower are the kitchen's standouts.
Pinkerton's Barbecue brought Texas brisket downtown; get there at opening before the beef rib and brisket sell out, and order by the pound to a nearby bench.
Order: Brisket, beef rib and jalapeno cheese sausage.
Tip: Get there at opening; the beef rib and brisket sell out. Order by the pound and take it to a downtown bench.
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.
The Smoke Shack grew from a food truck into a Broadway BBQ joint near Alamo Heights, smoking brisket and pork ribs and piling them onto loaded baked potatoes.
Order: Brisket, the mac-daddy stuffed baked potato and pork ribs.
Tip: The mac-daddy baked potato is a meal on its own. Order at the counter and grab a patio table when the weather is good.
