The Smoke Shack is a texas bbq restaurant in Alamo Heights, San Antonio.
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.
Must 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.
Address: 3714 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209
El Mirasol is a north-side Mexican kitchen where the chiles rellenos and enchiladas are the orders to make and the weekday lunch specials are the value play.
Order: Enchiladas, chiles rellenos and tableside guacamole.
Tip: The chiles rellenos and the enchiladas are the orders to make. Weekday lunch specials are the value play.
Aldaco's has served Mexican food in San Antonio since 1989, with a hilltop Stone Oak patio, a much-praised tres leches, and margaritas that win local awards.
Order: Tres leches, shrimp brochette and the award-winning margaritas.
Tip: Sit on the patio at sunset and order the shrimp brochette. Save room for the tres leches, which is the house signature.
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.
Order: The original puffy taco with picadillo or bean and cheese.
Tip: The puffy taco is the only order that matters here. Eat it fast while the shell is still crisp and hot.
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.
Order: Puffy taco 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.
The Esquire Tavern has poured downtown since 1933 and keeps the longest wooden bar in Texas, serving the Esquire burger and cocktails over the river.
Order: Esquire burger, fried pickles and a cocktail at the long bar.
Tip: Sit at the historic bar rather than the patio for the full effect. The downstairs Esquire patio overlooks the river.
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.
Order: Breakfast tacos and the carne guisada.
Tip: Cash-friendly and small, with a loyal breakfast crowd. Get the carne guisada taco on a fresh flour tortilla.
