16. Bun ’N’ Barrel
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (210) 828-2820
Address: 1150 Austin Hwy.
Description: If you’re nostalgic for the 1950s, visit the Bun ’n’ Barrel. Founded in 1950, this diner is a genuine product of those happy days, complete with carhops, frothy malts, and a lunch counter. The walls are dotted with photos of classic cars, and a bulletin board by the cash register is dotted with ads offering classic cars and parts for sale.But the best reason to visit the Bun ’n’ Barrel is the barbecue—and the buns. Order the chopped beef sandwich, a finely chopped mixture devoid of fat, seasoned with tangy sauce. It’s served up on a homemade braided roll dotted with poppy seeds. If you’re in the mood for something other than beef, try the pork ribs, beef sausage, ham, or turkey breast served with potato salad and ranch-style beans.
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Restaurants
Address: 111 W. Crockett St.
18. Fatso’S Sports Garden
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (210) 432-0121
Address: 1704 Bandera Rd.
Description: Known primarily as a sports bar and restaurant, this eatery serves up lots of barbecue in the form of mesquite-smoked chopped or sliced brisket, baby back ribs, smoked sausage, and grilled chicken. You can order the meat alone or with sides of homemade potato salad, baked potatoes, or beans. Appetizers include hot wings served with celery and chunky blue-cheese dressing, potato skins and bacon, or nachos. Chalupas are also available, filled with brisket or chicken. The atmosphere here is pure fun, with volleyball courts, pool tables, and 8 big-screen televisions. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner nightly.
19. Grady’S Bar-B-Que
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (210) 732-3636
Address: 4109 Fredericksburg Rd.
Description: Grady’s restaurants have been keeping the folks in San Antonio happy with big plates of barbecue since 1948. The restaurants serve up some of the most inexpensive offerings in the region in large, comfortable dining rooms decorated with cowboy art. You can choose from beef, sausage, ham, or rib plates. We opted for brisket and ribs and couldn’t have been happier. The brisket was tender and thinly sliced, served with a tangy sauce. The ribs were also cooked to tender perfection. All the plates arrive with a corn muffin plus a choice of two side dishes. Additional San Antonio locations are at 7400 Bandera Rd. (210-684-2899); 3619 I-35 North (210-343-8050); 327 Nakoma St. (210-343-8070); and 6510 San Pedro Rd. (210-805-8036).
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Restaurants
Address: 1508 Broadway
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Restaurants
Address: 24152 I-10 West
22. Earl Abel’S
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (210) 822-3358
Address: 1201 Austin Hwy., Suite 175
Description: The location has changed, but the regulars who used to grab a booth at 4210 Broadway still enjoy the same decor, good service, and their favorite menu choices at the new home of this San Antonio landmark. Curly, the maitre d’ mannequin, still greets customers as they come inside and order a good old-fashioned scrambled egg and pancake breakfast or a burger, chicken-fried steak, fried chicken, or made-from-scratch daily specials. Meals are topped off with desserts sure to blow any diet—like triple-layer German cake and coconut cake, to name just two. Kids eat free all day Tues and from 5 to 8 p.m. Mon, Wed, and Thurs. Along with in-house dining, the restaurant offers food to go; for orders, call (210) 822-7333. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.
23. Guenther House Restaurant
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (210) 227-1061, (800)-235-8186
Address: 205 E. Guenther St.
Description: Located in the elegant former home of Carl Guenther, founder of Pioneer Flour, this restaurant features, not too surprisingly, plenty of biscuits and gravy, sweet cream waffles, and pancakes. The coffee is wonderful. After a morning of looking at King William’s elegant homes, you can stop here to enjoy a light lunch of salad, a sandwich, or soup. There are outdoor tables, cooled by misters, and an elegant but small dining room. This eatery is very popular with San Antonians who work nearby, and gets busy during the lunch hour and weekend brunch.
24. Joseph’S Storehouse Restaurant & Bakery
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (210) 737-3430
Address: 3420 N. St. Mary’s St.
Description: Joseph’s is open for breakfast and lunch but the breakfasts are especially pleasant. Wonderful pastries and muffins are available as well as huge plates of bacon, eggs, and toast. The bowls of gourmet oatmeal and fresh fruit are tasty for folks with less cholesterol in mind. The restaurant is large and airy, with old tables and chairs scattered throughout, as well as photos of the owner’s family. Lunch can be light, with sandwiches, soups, and quiche, or more substantial with entrees like King Ranch chicken and spaghetti. Still another bonus is the in-house bakery, which makes the place smell heavenly and supplies a lovely array of cakes and pastries.
25. Magnolia Pancake Haus
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (210) 496-0828
Address: 606 Embassy Oaks, Suite 100
Description: If you don’t have the time or inclination to get up in the morning and make a big breakfast, then just head to the Magnolia Pancake Haus. Just about everything, from the pancakes to the sausage to the corned-beef hash, is made from scratch. Specialties of the house include the Munich apple pfannekuchen and the omelet Monterrey. This smoke-free restaurant offers a children’s menu as well as take-out service. Open for breakfast 7 days a week and for lunch Mon through Sat.
26. Acadiana Cafe Of San Antonio
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (210) 674-0019
Address: 1289 SW Loop 410
Description: When you enter Acadiana, you enter Cajun country. Catfish and crawfish abound in this huge (seats up to 300) cedar building. You can start out with appetizers of Cajun popcorn (fried crawfish tails), alligator nuggets, or fried dill pickles. Moving on to the main course, you can order a number of Cajun and seafood specialties or opt for the less spicy chicken-fried steak. Of note, they offer a Cajun sampler that includes everything from crawfish étouffée to red beans and rice, and a country platter that serves up selections like chicken and dumplings and sliced tomatoes. There is a good selection of vegetables and country-style cooking. This is a casual, kid-friendly place fairly close to SeaWorld. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
27. Candlelight Coffeehouse
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (210) 738-0099
Address: 3011 N. St. Mary’s St.
Description: Found on the St. Mary’s Strip, this cafe is one of the most popular coffeehouses in San Antonio, offering free Wi-Fi along with an arty ambience. A cup of joe here promises to be rich and not too strong. Candlelight Coffeehouse also is known for its lunch and dinner menu. Insiders like to design their own sandwiches, selecting from the variety of gourmet breads and fillings. Other light fare such as soups and pastas is also served, along with substantial dinner entrees like pasta bakes and Moroccan chicken. A large variety of wines rounds out the menu. This favorite hangout is open from 11 a.m. to midnight Tues through Sat, with Sunday brunch offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Restaurants
Address: 928 S. Alamo St.
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Restaurants
Address: 3233 N. St. Mary’s St.
30. Madhatter’S Tea House & Cafe
City: San Antonio, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (210) 212-4832
Address: 320 Beauregard St.
Description: Located in a rambling old house in the heart of the King William Historic District, Madhatter’s Tea Cafe is a charming establishment featuring more than two dozen teas and an eclectic menu. Best known for its breakfasts—a popular choice is the eggs Benedict, which they call “Benny’s”—it also has tasty and unusual sandwiches and gorgeous pastries. This tearoom/cafe has some good choices for vegetarians, too, and is within walking distance of the River Walk. If you have little girls in your party, you’ll want to know that Madhatter’s enjoys having kids in for tea parties. Open Mon through Fri from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sat from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sun from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.