San Antonio Seasonal Food: What to Eat and When

What is in season in San Antonio, and what to order when the market changes.

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5-6 DecTamales from local tamaleros

Spring

Fiesta food booths: April brings Fiesta San Antonio, when Oyster Bake, Taste of the Republic, and dozens of booths fill the city with anticuchos, chicken-on-a-stick, and gorditas for eleven days.
Hill Country peaches: Fredericksburg and Stonewall peaches start arriving in May, showing up at the Pearl Farmers Market and in cobblers and ice creams across town through the early summer.
Spring produce at the Pearl: The producers-only Pearl Farmers Market fills with early tomatoes, greens, and herbs in spring, when patio weather makes the Saturday market the social centre of the food week.

Raspas and fruit cups: In the brutal Texas summer, fruterias and raspa stands like Las Nieves and Chamoy City Limits do their best trade in shaved ice, mangonadas, and chamoy-and-tajin fruit cups.
Peak peach season: Hill Country peaches hit their stride in June and July, sold by the basket at roadside stands and folded into pies and cobblers at bakeries and Hill Country day-trip stops.
Patio cooking and frozen margaritas: Summer pushes dining outdoors to beer gardens and ice houses, where frozen margaritas, agua fresca, and cold Big Red carry the long, hot evenings.

Diez y Seis and harvest produce: September brings Diez y Seis de Septiembre celebrations at Market Square and a cooler-weather return to patios, with autumn squash and greens back at the Pearl market.
Day of the Dead pan de muerto: Late October and early November fill the panaderias with pan de muerto, the anise-scented Day of the Dead bread, from Mi Tierra's 24-hour counter to West Side family bakeries.
Barbacoa weekends return: As the heat breaks, weekend barbacoa-and-Big-Red runs to spots like Tellez and Tommy's pick back up, the cool-morning ritual that defines a San Antonio Sunday.

Tamales for the holidays: December is tamale season, when families order dozens from West Side spots like Tellez and the city holds its annual Tamales Festival, the masa-and-pork tradition at its peak.
Menudo on cold weekends: Cold winter mornings call for menudo, the chile-red tripe soup served at South and West Side cafes like Maria's, the classic weekend warmer and hangover cure.
Champurrado and Mexican hot chocolate: Winter brings champurrado, the thick masa-and-chocolate drink, and Mexican hot chocolate to panaderias and cafes, paired with conchas straight from the oven.