15 Best Restaurants in San Antonio, Texas

Laying claim as San Antonio's oldest Mexican restaurant, La Fonda opened in 1932 and has had an ardent following ever since. The robust menu offers traditional Tex-Mex plus some dishes from the interior of Mexico. Tex-Mex fare includes appetizers, tacos, enchiladas, and oak-grilled fajitas. The family-friendly spot is in a hacienda-like building that's fun and casual, but still upscale. The beautiful dining room opens onto an inviting outdoor patio. Desserts include flan and a luscious tres leches cake. The vibrant, welcoming bar delivers tasty margaritas. This is a very popular and often busy place. Reservations are highly recommended for dinner and weekend brunch.

Part of the Alamo Quarry Market shopping complex, this upscale spot may make you wonder whether you're going to dinner or a wine tasting. Well, why not have both? The selection of vintages is overwhelming, but the sommelier will help you make the right choices to pair with a small menu of entrées ranging from Stilton-stuffed chicken breast to a NY strip. This is also a great place to wind down from a day at the boutiques with dessert and a glass of port.

Pick up fresh Mexican pastries from this long-standing neighborhood panaderia (bakery) in Monte Vista. They make all the traditional pan dulce plus novelty cakes and frosted cookies. Conchae are soft and fresh, while pumpkin empanadas are a favorite. The fastest sell-outs are the campechana flaky glazed pastry—they can sell through three batches in the morning alone. They also have fresh flour tortillas and a tiny produce display if you need a lemon or avocado. The line can get long on weekend mornings, so plan accordingly. They have another location at 2714 Hillcrest Drive.

A chic, upscale brasserie in the heart of Alamo Heights, Bistr09 serves French favorites that include lobster risotto, poulet roti, and seared tuna salad Nicoise. Family-style offerings are paella and roasted chicken, and don't miss the flourless chocolate cake for dessert. Outdoor seating is available, and reservations are recommended.

An Alamo Heights casual but upscale staple since 1977, Cappy's features exceptional menus of innovative dishes against a warm, two-level modern backdrop of brick architecture, tall windows, and pleasant outdoor seating. Well-prepared and presented dinner entrées include potato-crusted halibut, Wild Isles salmon with lobster mashed potatoes, and beef tenderloin with roasted fingerlings. They have an extensive wine list and craft cocktail menu, plus dozens of varieties of scotch and bourbon. Weekend brunch is a treat, with starters like jumbo lump blue crab cake and New Orleans gumbo. An ever-changing gallery of art showcases local artists. 

For a smallish place, Cheesy Jane's has a surprisingly varied menu, with big burgers, milk shakes and malts, and nostalgic decor dominating this throwback to old-time malt shops. Flavors for shakes and malts—made with Cheesy Jane's ice cream—include plain vanilla, peppermint, Dreamsicle, chocolate peanut butter, amaretto-espresso, and more. Ground-chuck burgers come in different sizes, with variations like a deluxe bacon burger with applewood-smoked, sugar-cured bacon; a Wurst burger topped with Kiolbassa sausage; and a bean burger with refried beans, cheddar, and Fritos corn chips. Adventurous diners should definitely try the Spicy Splinters—battered and fried slivers of onion and jalapeño peppers.

A San Antonio burger institution since 1977, Chris Madrid's is synonymous with burgers. The six varieties of hamburger—which locals and tourists alike consider among the best anywhere—come in two sizes: the regular quarter-pound and the Macho half-pound. The varieties include fan-favorite Cheddar Cheezy, the house-specialty tostada burger, and the flaming jalapeño cheddar burger. The only other items on the menu are grilled chicken sandwiches, homemade hand-cut fries, nachos, chalupas (open-face tacos), and a kids' meal (10 and under) of grilled cheese or cheeseburger, served with fries and fountain drink. It all makes for a fun, family-friendly meal out.

A French twist on the usual coffeehouse scene, friendly staff here serve up freshly baked bread and pastries in a hip, stylish location within a beautifully renovated historic home in Alamo Heights. The weekday menu offers breakfast and lunch favorites like croissants béchamel and croque madames, while the robust beverage menu has signature and seasonal coffee flavors, teas, and smoothies. Weekend brunch has crepes, quiches, omelets, and mimosas with Moët & Chandon champagne and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Enjoy your meal on the lovely outdoor patio.

Chef-owner Frederick Costa marries French and Asian cuisine here to create some fantastic fusion dishes in relaxing, romantic surroundings. Seafood is a standout at both lunch and dinner, with options that include Scottish salmon with soy glaze and sweet Thai chili barbecue sauce or wild-caught Alaska halibut with lemon butter and fennel. Entrees from the land include a grass-fed veal chop, an aged Black Angus beef tenderloin, and a baby back rack of New Zealand lamb. An ample dessert menu features ginger crème brûlée, rum(cake) Euphoria, and chocolate pecan mousse cake. There is also an extensive wine list with reserve bottles and Frederick's preferred Bordeaux and proprietary blends. Dinner reservations are recommended.

This Texas roadhouse is famous for dishing up steaks and whisky since 1979. In an early 1900s building on the outskirts of downtown, "Jo Street" is decidedly casual and friendly. Steaks come in all shapes and sizes, from a tasty chicken-fried variety to a 12-ounce Texas T-bone. Those looking for something different can opt for pork chops or liver and onions. The ice-cold domestic and craft beers and full bar are to be expected—what isn't is the baked-fresh-daily peach cobbler, for a belly-busting finish.

You'll know this drive-through spot by its lime-green structure that practically glows in the distance, guiding you to what some are saying is quite possibly the best burger they've ever had. The menu is wonderfully simple: burgers, fries, and shakes, but it does it all very well. For dessert, you can sample the Belgian chocolate chip cookies and key lime pie. Don't be put off by the "wet" sauce option on the burgers—it's just au poivre, or peppery French steak sauce, for an extra $1.50. They also have nitro cold-brew coffee, craft and domestic beers, and wine. The fries are hand-cut and perfect, and the shakes are thick and cold. The place gets very, very busy. They have another location at 3910 McCullough Avenue. 

A warm, almost clubby atmosphere lets you know to expect more than the typical Tex-Mex fare at this Alamo Heights mainstay since 1997. Tempting offerings as varied as grilled fillet of red snapper, enchiladas verdes (covered in green tomatillo salsa), posole (shredded pork and hominy), tacos de Cameron (grilled shrimp), and pollo con mole (chicken breast in authentic mole de xico sauce) are sure to please. Weekend brunch serves up traditional huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, and migas a la mexicana. For dessert, the tres leches cake alone is worth the trip. Don't feel like cooking this week? Choose from their Pounds, Quarts, and Pints menu of handmade tortillas and enchiladas by the dozen; pounds of beef, chicken, or shrimp fajitas; and quarts and pints of rice, beans, or guacamole.

If you've never had a breakfast taco, this is the place to try it in San Antonio. Newbies may pause at the number of possibilities, including chorizo and egg, chilaquiles, and migas (eggs scrambled with fried tortilla strips, cheese, and peppers), but first-timers really can't go wrong with a basic potato and egg taco. Breakfast plates, appetizers, soups and salads, and substantial lunch plates round out the taco extravaganza. Don't be afraid of the long lines out the door, as the morning crowds move quickly. 

Though its former filling station location is inconspicuous—apart from the line of hungry patrons—this family restaurant meets any barbecue hankerings. Mouthwatering, dry-rubbed beef brisket, smoked turkey, pork ribs, pulled pork, and sausages are served with tangy sauce (on the side), pickles, and slices of white bread. Scratch-made sides of creamed corn, potato salad, green beans, pinto beans, and coleslaw help soothe the palate. There's a sizable outdoor patio, too.

This Alamo Heights standard has served fresh, healthy food since 1981. Regulars and visitors love it because it's a neighborhood spot with a tempting bakery case and a varied menu for breakfast and lunch, including some Mexican favorites. The atmosphere is relaxed, friendly, and a bit quirky. Breakfast is a special treat with a good assortment of omelets, including vegetarian, cowboy, and vaquero (Mexican cowboy), plus Mexican favorites like chilaquiles, migas, and even tofu rancheros. Lunch offers homemade soups and freshly made salads and sandwiches. Brunch is served on Saturday only.