Austin & San Antonio Recommendations

Looking for any restaurant recommendations for lunch’s and dinners in Austin or San Antonio TX?

Any additional tips or suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,
Wayne

Lots of great places in both. I’ll let others chime in with traditional places, but BBQ is where both really have a comparative advantage. Some of the best in and around Austin are Franklin, La Barbecue, John Mueller Meat Co, Louis Mueller (in Taylor), and Stiles Switch (among others). I like La Barbecue, which I think rivals Franklin in quality but with more reasonable lines. The best in San Antonio is probably Two Bros. and The Granary.

Tons of reds, but IMO for bbq you should stop directly between San Antonio and Austin in Lockhart, TX. Essentially the Mecca of bbq IMO. Blacks and smittys are my favorites but you really can’t go wrong.

As for Austin, obviously food trucks are fun. Too many to list. For something different, I really enjoyed uchiko for sushi.

San Antonio - http://www.lafogata.com/. There is a thread here on WB about San Antonio as I had the same question as you a few years ago. La Fogata as a suggestion somebody made and we really liked it.

Thanks for the tips have looked at everything and will make some decisions have also heard about jester king brewery as a place to check into.

One of my all time favorite meals was in San Antonio at the Restaurant Gwendolyn. The chef is a James Beard nominee, all foods are sourced super locally and no machines are used in the kitchen. The menu each day is new and prix fixe. It’s quite inexpensive for what they serve at $55 and they had a nice wine list and good advice on pairings. I enjoyed it so much that I invited back 12 folks attending the conference I was in San Antonio for and they put on a truly wonderful meal for us with virtually no notice. Really impressive spot with lovely warm hospitality and great food.

Dai Due in Austin is really good. Jester King is fun but I believe they are only open Fri-Sun. There is a pizza place on site.

Ok so far Austin was Awesome with food trucks etc. Jester King is only open on Fri-Sat. Stopped in Lockhart at Blacks BBQ absolutely spectacular and the sausage was some of best have had. Onto San Antonio now.

Oh so jealous!

i’ll be at a conference in san antonio from feb 1-4 - gwendolyn is on the list for sure. any other restaurant with great wine list?

thanks in advance,

San Antonio-

Hot Joy if you love riesling.

Bella on The River- The river is drained right now for annual cleaning, but this is still the best spot on it. Corkage allowed too!

Brigid

Mixtili (tickets, tasting menu) and Mixtili Mescaleria (much more casual)

Rosario’s- if you need good tex mex downtown.

Rebelle- Have not been yet, but convenient and knowing the owners i suspect it will be flamboyant.

Sandbar- Very good list. Very good seafood. $18 3 course is a steal if you don’t mind fish and chips.

Il Sogno- Best Italian. Corkage allowed.



BTW, do not waste a meal on BBQ in San Antonio. Austin, Lockhart, etc. are the places for that right now.

john - thank you. much appreciated.

We just recently moved from San Antonio.

In my mind, Gwendolyn is hands down the best restaurant in SA. Hot Joy has some really inventive Asian fusion and a killer Riesling list as noted above.

thank you again for the recommendation.

we ended up going to gwendolyn, bella on the river, and bohanan. we really liked gwendolyn - restaurant of the trip.

cheers!

jester king is awesome. do go.

We were leaving on Saturday and thus couldn’t get to Jester King, (they have very limited hours), but Austin and Hill Country so exceeded are expectations we have listed it as a must return trip.

San Antonio was mostly underwhelming although Bliss Restaurant was very good and Esquire Bar was cool for afternoon drinks.

Lockhart and Black’s BBQ was absolutely a must!!!

About to begin a 5-month project in San Antonio and am curious about the food scene. I’ll be staying at the Sheraton Gunter Hotel 3-5 days a week and, most likely, will not have a car rental. I’ve been to San Antonio many times for work, but have always had to be out in the suburbs, so this will be the first opportunity I’ve had to spend time downtown.

thanks

Along with my love for Gwendolyn - happily shared above - we had such a fun evening at The Cove when in San Antonio. Bar food, beer hall, car wash, laundromat, live music, outdoor concert space … we could not stop laughing and having fun. Go when you need a good burger, a beer and some fun.

If you want steak or their downstairs cocktail lounge, Bohanan’s is nearly next door. As are 2 nice music venues (Majestic, Aztec, and Empire).

These places are not all my favorites, but none are bad and if you are going to be here on a long project… Gwendolyn, Bella on The River, The Esquire (good cocktails and a fried bologna sandwich), Kimura (same owners as Gwendolyn, good not great Ramen), Biga on the Banks, and Rebelle (solid not phenomenal) are all easy walks even in the oppressive heat.

Easy Uber rides… Hot Joy, Feast, Bliss, Rosario’s, The Pearl (Super, Il Sogno, Southerleigh, Cured, etc. etc.), and Battalion (relatively new, have not been).

If I think of more, i’ll add them. If you want something specific, let me know.

In Austin for a few days soon so any new recs on music venues, restaurants appreciated.