Tommy's Restaurant is a tex-mex restaurant in North Side, San Antonio.
Tommy's Restaurant is the Tex-Mex spot whose 'Big Red and Barbacoa' sign made the combo a San Antonio shorthand, serving barbacoa tacos on flour tortillas.
Must order: Barbacoa and Big Red, the carne guisada taco.
Tip: Order barbacoa with a Big Red for the full local ritual. Weekend mornings draw the longest lines.
Address: 6702 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX 78216
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.
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.
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.
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.
