Treat yourself with a trip to America's best-kept foodie secret
One of the most famous culinary offerings of the city is Tex-Mex. This fusion of Texan and Mexican cuisine, considered by many as the ultimate comfort food, was invented here in San Antonio, and is still served to spicy perfection in beloved local eateries like Rosario's, where you'll find life-changingly good nachos, and La Fonda on Main, with its shaded, hacienda-style courtyard and legendary enchiladas.
The simplest way to explain the difference between traditional Mexican food and Tex-Mex is to stop talking, sit down in one of San Antonio's Tex-Mex favourites – the likes of Mi Tierra Café y Panaderia in the heart of the city – and focus on the food, the bold Texas flavours tangling up with the best of Mexico to create dishes of jaw-dropping tastiness, from breakfast til dusk and beyond.
A picture can paint a thousand words, but a mouthful of crispy tacos stuffed with prime Texan beef dripping with tomatoes and Monterey jack cheese and a pile of rice and beans on the side says everything that needs to be said about the spicy, delicious richness of flavours of quality Tex-Mex.
The good news is that authentic Mexican cuisine is equally well represented here in San Antonio, from vibrant cantina-style joints such as La Gloria, which specialises in elevated street food like tacos al pastor from Mexico City and cocteles de mariscos from Veracruz, to glitzy Mixtli, which was awarded its first Michelin Star in 2024. Mixtli, considered one of the finest Mexican dining spots in the country, offers a 10 course, prix fixe tasting menu that rotates seasonally, highlighting the flavours of different areas of Mexico. The only catch is its incredible popularity – you'll have to make the reservation well before boarding your plane, although many would say it's worth the flight alone.
Of course, this is Texas, and if there's another type of food you'd expect to find here it's barbecue. San Antonio excels on this front and is home to a host of seminal smoke shacks. You'll be utterly spoilt for choice, with leading options including Reese Bros Barbecue, with its ridiculously tender oak-smoked brisket, and 2M Smokehouse, which serves delectable pork ribs and incomparable homemade sausage, and its pork link with serrano peppers and Oaxaca cheese is also a must-try.
Meanwhile, those seeking upscale eateries while in town should make a beeline for Cured, a buzzy, rustic-chic restaurant serving charcuterie-focussed dishes in the Pearl District, San Antonio's hottest enclave. Once a sprawling brewery complex, the Pearl is now home to some of the city's most wildly popular restaurants and bars – seek out Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery for hot jalapeno cheddar grits, or Prost on the San Antonio River Walk, with its new Alchemy Bar, complete with cool mixologists and regular live music nights – as well as the achingly hip Hotel Emma with its two Michelin Keys, jaw-dropping bar and rooftop pool.
San Antonio's status as the culinary capital of Texas can be attributed to many factors, from the agriculturally rich Hill Country surrounding it, a source of impeccably fresh ingredients, to the presence of the Culinary Institute of America campus, which serves up a steady supply of young, talented chefs. Intriguingly, diners can sample the work of these future superstars at Savor, the school's full-service restaurant.
Perhaps above all, the secret to San Antonio's comestible ascendancy lies in its sheer diversity and the fusion that inspires. Tex-Mex evolved here because the Tejano population brought their parents' authentic Mexican cuisine to the city and married it with Texas flavours – and that willingness to experiment and blend has continued ever since. Across San Antonio today, award-winning restaurants are fusing all kinds of national dishes and flavours to perfection, from Indian barbecue style at Curry Boys BBQ to a little bit of everything delicious at free-spirited international bistro The Magpie.
The closest major city to the Texan border, San Antonio's rich history of combining deep Spanish, Mexican and American influences has led to a cuisine as rich as its culture. This is a city on the fast track to becoming one of the most celebrated dining destinations in the country – and deservedly so.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
5 hours ago
- BBC News
The 'other' Michelin award travellers should know
Long overshadowed by the coveted Michelin stars, the Bib Gourmand celebrates the world's best budget-friendly restaurants. When the latest Michelin Guide to California was published in June, most headlines focused on its starred restaurants, including Hollywood's seafood-focused Providence. At the awards ceremony, it joined a rarified global club of eateries with three stars, Michelin's highest honour – one reserved for lofty cuisine and prices to match. Multi-course menus at Providence start at $325 (£240). Even their poached egg, that humble breakfast staple, comes with sea urchin and Champagne beurre blanc. (For an extra $40 (£30), you can zhuzh it up with golden Kaluga caviar, too.) Sublime as it may be, such fare bears little resemblance to my most memorable meals in Los Angeles. Like the spicy, aromatic toothpick lamb at Chengdu Taste, a no-frills Szechuan eatery in an Alhambra strip mall. Or the chile relleno burritos from East LA stalwart La Azteca Tortilleria, its house-made flour wrappers spilling piquant salsa across my lap. Even if they swapped their paper napkins for starched linen and played soft piano in the background – rumoured to be among the criteria for earning a coveted Michelin star – neither eatery is likely to obtain one. "Stars are oriented towards a certain kind of restaurant… often it's white tablecloths and tasting menus," said food writer and Eater editor Rebecca Roland, who grew up in LA and covered the most recent Michelin rollout. "The guide still considers a traditional fine dining experience very heavily." However, both Chengdu Taste and La Azteca Tortilleria appear on Michelin's lesser-known list: the Bib Gourmand, which recognises budget-friendly restaurants around the world. Unlike starred places, many LA "Bibs" are low-key local favourites; Roland mentioned hefty pastrami sandwiches at Langer's Delicatessen as one unmissable example. "I can't imagine someone coming to LA and not telling them to go to Langer's," she said. Such places help explain why Bib Gourmands have become a go-to resource for many foodie travellers. But curiously, even three decades after its launch, the Bib Gourmand can still feel like an open secret. "When you go to a Bib Gourmand, it's like you're wrapped in the people, the culture, the ingredients," said Ben Beale, a frequent traveller from Los Angeles who has sought out Bibs in cities like London and Hanoi. The Vietnamese capital has an impressive 22 Bibs, including renowned pho shop Phở Bò Lâm, which is famous for its beef heel muscle soups and where diners crouch on flimsy plastic stools. Beale used to plan his trips around Michelin-starred restaurants, making reservations weeks in advance. But he began to feel the high-end spots lacked the strong sense of place he found at Bibs. Instead, he started using the Michelin Guide app to search out more impromptu meals. "With Bib Gourmands it's more like, 'we're going to bounce up to London, let's just open the app when we're hungry and see what's about'," he said. Bib Gourmands versus Michelin stars The Bibs are relatively recent additions to the storied guidebook. The first Michelin Guide came out in 1900, a marketing ploy by the eponymous French tyre manufacturers hoping to inspire drivers to hit the road. In 1926, Michelin established "stars" for stand-out spots. It wasn't until 1997 that the guides introduced the modern Bib Gourmand symbol, a cartoon Michelin man licking his lips. (Bib is short for "Bibendum", the puffy mascot's official name.) "The Bib Gourmand award highlights restaurants that our inspectors consider to be the best value for money," explained the anonymous Chief Inspector for the Michelin Guide North America by email. Meals at Bibs generally include two courses and wine or dessert for under $50 (£37) and are more relaxed than starred meals. "There's no set formula for a Bib restaurant," the inspector added. "They are all unique." While the modern Bib Gourmand was launched in 1997, it lacks the stars' cultural status. "Not many people know the Bib Gourmand award… they see 'Michelin' and think it's a star," said Aylin Okutan Kurt, co-owner of Karaköy Lokantası, a Bib Gourmand restaurant in Istanbul's , waterfront Karaköy neighbourhood. Kurt sometimes has to explain the difference to tourists arriving at her restaurant. Among locals, Karaköy Lokantası is beloved for reverential renditions of traditional Turkish dishes, its kitchen wringing such depth of flavour from familiar recipes that it reminds diners why they attained "classic" status in the first place. At dinner, tables are crowded with small plates best accompanied by generous pours of the aniseed-scented spirit rakı. One Istanbul friend described it as "the kind of restaurant you visit if you live in Istanbul and really love living in Istanbul". On a spring visit last year, I joined the lunchtime crowd for plates of hünkar beğendi, meat-topped smoked aubergine that's pure Turkish comfort food. At the next table over, a trio of women shared fried mantı (meat-filled dumplings) doused in silky yoghurt. With its blue-tiled walls and well-heeled clientele, Karaköy Lokantası is undeniably elegant, but Kurt insists it isn't Michelin star material. The cooking is homier than what she called the "chef food" at Istanbul's starred restaurants. Those, like two-starred Turk Fatih Tutak, are more likely to feature deconstructed – rather than classic – versions of the recipes her own kitchen makes each day. Yet, traditional foods are one reason travellers seek out Bib Gourmands over Michelin stars in the first place. "When I'm going to a new country, I want to try authentic foods," said James Zhang, a traveller from Plano, Texas. "I'm not necessarily looking to try the most cutting-edge foods from chefs." Earlier this year, Zhang visited a series of Bib Gourmand restaurants in France with his family. At La Merenda in Nice, they savoured southern French classics including pistou pasta and stuffed and fried courgette blossoms. "It just really stood out to us," Zhang said. "There were a lot of locals there, and it felt like you really got to experience something unique." What Michelin stars miss Not all Bib Gourmand restaurants serve traditional regional cuisine. In fact, some argue they reflect the kind of culinary diversity that Michelin stars tend to miss. In a 2024 analysis, French data scientist Thomas Pernet found that French, Italian and Japanese cuisines are disproportionately represented among starred restaurants. He also noted that while Japanese food is widely celebrated, other non-Western cuisines can face bias and have historically been undervalued abroad. More like this:• How do restaurants actually get a Michelin star?• The ingenious story behind Michelin stars• A two-Michelin-star chef's guide to the best dining spots in Istanbul In Los Angeles County, home to more Asian American and Pacific Islanders than any other US county, just two non-Japanese Asian restaurants – Taiwanese-inspired Kato and Korean Restaurant Ki – have Michelin stars. Ki is a new addition. In the same area, the starred list includes two French and two Italian eateries. I thought of Pernet's research earlier this year when I covered the launch of the first Michelin Guide to Quebec. All three newly Michelin-starred restaurants in Montreal specialised in tasting menus of French cuisine. That raised eyebrows in a multicultural city that may be majority French-speaking but is certainly not French. (It was one of many online critiques, with one headline reading: "Michelin doesn't understand Montreal".) Yet the city's Bib Gourmand list was full of restaurants that felt more representative of the city's characteristic culinary style and diversity. There was the Syrian and Armenian cuisine of Le Petit Alep, where I've lingered over muhammara dip, its rich walnuts offset by the sharp tang of pomegranate molasses. Rotisserie chicken, a local staple that melds working-class Quebecois roots and foods brought by waves of Portuguese immigrants, was represented by Rôtisserie La Lune in the city's Little Italy. Would I eat at the city's three newly Michelin-starred dining rooms, with their French-inflected menus and impossible reservations? Sure; they're probably great. But as a traveller, I'm more inclined to seek out the affordable, diverse and vividly local thrills that Bibs offer. Perhaps I'll follow in the footsteps of fellow aficionado Beale. I'll wait until I'm hungry, look at the map and see if I can find a table at the closest Bib Gourmand. -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Metro
8 hours ago
- Metro
I stayed in the world's biggest Four Seasons resorts — it was the ultimate reset
' Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu ' – may all beings everywhere be happy and free. Listening to the lilting mantras of yoga instructor George, I looked out over the pristine ocean from the Tamarindo shoreline. Breathing deeply, I felt zen – something I thought wasn't possible. For the past six months I'd been bombarded with stress. My family had fallen apart, I was operating with high functioning burnout, moving house – and that wasn't even the half of it. So, when I made the 24-hour trip to the Four Seasons Tamarindo in Costalegre, Mexico, for just three nights, I feared it would leave me more burnt out than before. Instead, it was the ultimate reset. The hotel, nestled deep in 3,000 acres of private nature reserve, is often named the best beach resort in the country. And, until the start of December, every fourth night is free. If that hasn't convinced you, here's what's on offer… Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. While Mexico was the eighth most Googled destination of 2024, Costalegre is usually overlooked in favour of Cancun, Tulum and Mexico City. It's hard to reach, but that makes it feel like another world. That's the sense you get as you pull into the entrance of the hotel and make the 15-minute drive through the nature reserve to the open air lobby. If you look hard enough, you'll see iguanas, maybe a boa constrictor and five of the six native big cats. There's no need to worry though, as nothing ventures near the hotel (apart from the occasional racoon if you leave your door open). To beat the jetlag, book yourself in for a tailor-made spa experience – a full body massage including a facial and lymphatic drainage. My masseuse Jasmine worked knots out of my shoulders that I thought would be there for life, and I left feeling wide awake. I stayed in the ocean-view cliffside panoramic suite (£1,161 per night), which was the same size as my flat back home. Complete with a living room, private pool, indoor and outdoor showers, a sunken bathtub and a dressing room, you'll want for nothing. The lighting in the suite is dimmer than usual, so as not to disturb the abundant wildlife. Blissful evenings can be spent on the terrace, reading in a hammock, or sunbathing on a lounger before soaking into a bubble bath as the sun sets. If that's not enough, there's also a secluded £11,000 per night six bedroom villa, which comes with its own private chef and butler. I was lucky enough to tour it and between the 30 second walk to the beach and immaculate views – if I had the money, it would be worth it. The Tamarindo is one of the world's biggest Four Seasons resorts, and this is reflected in the experiences. My personal favourite was Rancho Lola. Wake up early for a private traditional Mexican breakfast in the forest, on the site of a small farm. You can expect fresh corn tortillas, paneer, fruit and freshly made guac. A highlight is the heavenly café de olla, coffee brewed with orange and cinnamon. You'll get to meet the animals including chickens, goats, pigs, donkeys, and gorgeous Great Pyrnees puppies that guard the livestock. You'll also be treated to fresh honey from the melipona bees. If you visit the hives you'll discover they don't buzz, they hover silently and don't have stings. If that's not your thing, book into a therapeutic floral arrangement class (£46pp) and try your hand at making a cacti display in the lovingly cultivated greenhouse. From July 8, 2025 to December 18, 2026, you can get a complimentary fourth night at the Four Seasons Tamarindo with every three consecutive paid nights you stay. The minimum stay is four nights to qualify for this deal and the rates you pay for this offer are based on the best available room rate for the dates chosen. The rate shown when you're booking will be the average rate per night after the complimentary night has been applied. Elsewhere in the resort, you can unwind with oceanside yoga (£91pp) and sound baths, or hike some 26 miles of track, encountering wildlife and learning about flora and fauna along the way (£46pp with guide). You'll spot 200-year-old cacti and learn love lessons from the parrots who always fly in couples and are monogamous for life. The restaurant worth shouting about here is Nacho, and yes, it does sell them. Think authentic Mexican, with a vast array of tacos including steak, pork, goat and octopus. The guac is divine, though I can't say the same for the grasshoppers on offer. It may be a delicacy, but it's not something I'll be rushing to eat again. If you're after something fancier, head to Coyul. It's Mexican with Italian influences and does a stunning Lobster pasta and burrata. Another option is Sal, which serves steak, plenty of ceviche and raw fish, and rum-based cocktails. Every restaurant has an ocean view. What's not to love? While staying at the Four Seasons I embarked on a cultural experience called a Temazcal (£174pp), and while I must stress that it's not for the faint of heart, it was incredibly eye opening. It's all about putting yourself through pain to experience rebirth. After kissing the floor, you file clockwise into a narrow blacked out igloo, which is then filled with white hot boulders. With the boulders at the centre, ceremonial masters splash holy water and sing cultural songs, to the beat of bones on a drum. Throughout the two hours you're in there, it gets hotter and hotter, like a steam room on steroids. More Trending There are no breaks, no fresh air, and you can feel yourself sweat from pores you didn't know you had. It's hard to breathe, so this is definitely not for anyone with claustrophobia. If you can handle it, though, it is truly liberating. British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Mexico City from £379. From there, you'll need to fly on to Manzanillo with Aeroméxico. Return fares start from £208. Alice Giddings was a guest of Four Seasons. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: I spent five days in the less-crowded Canaries alternative that's closer to the UK MORE: I tried Heathrow's £3,177 VIP terminal — how the other half fly MORE: 'Atrocious' plans for 12-year-old girl to make boxing debut halted at last minute
Daily Mirror
18 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'I explored city full of infamous crime scenes, landmarks and mobster hangouts'
The Windy City has iconic pizza, ties to blockbuster films and an infamous history of crime and mob funerals - and British Airways offers direct flights With its blockbuster movie skyline, fabulous food options and notorious crime history, Chicago has plenty to enthrall curious city-breakers. And there's every type of tour led by clued-up locals to whisk time-pressed travellers straight to the best bits. Fancy sampling the best deep-dish Chicago pizza? Want to see the church where mob funerals took place? How about gazing at one of the world's most diverse and shapeshifting skylines while cruising the Chicago River? Be it by bike, bus, boat or on foot, there are routes carefully crafted by experts and insiders to let the Windy City blow visitors away with the stories of the people who put it on the map. USA travel warning for Brits as major change to tourism visas set to take force Abandoned 'ghost town in the sky' with 1,050m high rollercoaster and creepy empty saloons Chicago is one giant eating adventure with endless famous foods to tick off. With limited time to seek out the prize picks, I took the Tacos and Tequila street-food tour of Pilsen, one of Chicago's most colourful and culturally rich neighbourhoods. The three-hour tour, run by Chicago Food Tours Company and led by a local guide, spreads out across 1.5 miles taking in the very best Mexican drinks and dishes. For £60 you'll get to make your own tamales – spicy fillings wrapped in corn dough – sample steak tacos, Mexican pork and the most irresistible churros dipped in icing sugar and chocolate, all while admiring the many murals inspired by Mexican culture in the neighbourhood. You'll also get the all-important lowdown on the best spots to sip margarita cocktails. My kind of town… I also couldn't resist delving into its dark underworld with Chicago Crime Tours. The two-hour, £30, bus tour takes you to some of the most infamous crime scenes, landmarks and mobster hangouts, including the site of the Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929. Plus you'll get to hear the true crime stories of Al Capone, The Untouchables, Frank 'The Enforcer' Nitti, and the Prohibition era along the way. If you fancy seeing the sights on two wheels, as well as loading up on food and drink, book on to the Bikes, Bites and Brews tour with Bobby's Bike Hire. Working up an appetite is not a problem on this four-and-a-half-hour tour which stretches through the popular neighbourhoods of Streeterville, the Gold Coast, Lake View, Wrigleyville and Lincoln Park. Between riding through the very bike-friendly streets, you'll stop off for Chicago's signature deep-dish pizza at Lou Malnati's. Lou got his start in the 1940s working in Chicago's first deep-dish pizzeria. He then took his pizza expertise to Lincolnwood, a northern suburb of Chicago, where he and his wife Jean opened the first Lou Malnati's Pizzeria in 1971. Hot dogs Chicago-style at Wrigleyville Dogs are served with seven toppings of yellow mustard, chopped white onions, sweet pickle relish, usually neon green, tomato slices, dill pickle spear, pickled sport peppers and celery salt and come with – shock-horror – no ketchup! The tour also took in some of the finest cupcakes in the area at Molly's – try the creme brulee or blueberry cheesecake ones. It then finished with samples of the very refreshing and Chicago-brewed Goose Island beer. After 13 miles on two wheels, I felt like I'd earned every mouthful. Cruising the Chicago River has to be the most chilled way to take in the city. Chicago's First Lady Architecture Cruise is a 90-minute boat tour with commentary from knowledgeable guides. You'll hear compelling accounts of Chicago's architectural styles from Art Deco masterpieces and hulking Brutalist buildings to sleek glass towers, and of the legendary figures who designed them. Sailing all three branches of the Chicago River, you'll get to see dozens of the buildings including the neo-gothic Tribune Tower and the 65-storey cylindrical towers of Brutalist Marina City. You also get to learn about the Chicago fire of 1871 and how the city rose, quite literally, from the ashes. Sitting on the shores of Lake Michigan, America's third biggest city looks spectacular from every angle. But you can have your own Ferris Bueller moment enjoying the view from The Willis Tower observation deck, Skydeck. Sitting on the 103rd floor, and 1,353ft above ground level, for £23 you are whisked to the top to take in the vista which spans 50 miles across four states – native Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan, on a clear day. Don't despair if it's cloudy. As the locals say: if you don't like the weather in Chicago, wait an hour. For some extra guidance, download the CityPass app – it lists all the top attractions and you can buy tickets and keep them all in one place too. Meanwhile, spectator sports in Chicago, including American football, basketball, baseball and ice hockey, provide a thrilling way to see the city and mingle with their fan base. If you're just flying in for a few days, you'll want a hotel close to the action. I stayed at the L7 Lotte Hotel, a brand new Korean-inspired hotel overlooking the Chicago River in downtown Loop, so very convenient for the Magnificent Mile district, Millennium Park, Art Institute of Chicago and Navy Pier. In the bedrooms, sage walls set off contemporary artworks, funky retro headboards and lamps. Some rooms come with built-in window seats to admire the views – all have all-natural Apotheke toiletries, Nespresso machines and access to the 24-hour fitness centre. The hotel is also home to Perilla, a Korean steak restaurant, renowned for its theatrical table-side grills performed by chefs, which make for a truly memorable meal. Chicago has a long history of performing close-up magic at restaurant tables and behind bars, with a few jokes and tall tales thrown in while the drinks flow. At the Chicago Magic Lounge, you can experience this easy-going style of trickery, becoming part of the fun yourself entering through a secret laundry side-door to the part-speakeasy, part-magic theatre. Decorated in Art Deco style, with velvet curtains and gold trims, the bar serves up everything from classic highballs to cocktails like the Magic Bean Martini and How Houdini Died, while magicians perform miracles using coins, cards and anything the audience might have on them. Fast, funny, and utterly absorbing, it's an evening that will leave you spellbound and wondering. Chicago may be considered America's second city, but the appeal of the place that gave the world the skyscraper continues to soar. Book the holiday
