Just like the sprays of daylilies that pop up after a great San Antonio soak, the town’s patios are made extra valuable by being short-term. The season for outside eating is punishingly quick. Make a plan to get pleasure from them put up haste.
Want a spot to begin? Go to one among our 10 nominees for the CultureMap Tastemaker Award for Patio of the 12 months. Our new “wildcard” class is a snapshot of what makes Alamo Metropolis so vibrant, embracing classics and new upstarts, funky dives, and millennial haunts.
Learn extra about them under, then be a part of us on April 4 after we reveal the winners on the Briscoe Museum. (Scorching tip: Just a few tickets stay earlier than promoting out.) Whereas ready, atone for our particular editorial collection profiling all of this 12 months’s nominees — ideally with a margarita in hand.
Bombay Bicycle Membership DowntownThis sibling of a San Antonio authentic retains the previous’s eclectic design intact, albeit with a extra modern eye. Nonetheless, the patio has a completely new id. As an alternative of tucking the motion away like the primary location, the Hemisfair location places it entrance and heart. When the busy park lights up for Luminaria, there’s no higher place for people-watching.
El Camino SAThough the twinkle lights convey magic at night time, the very best time to go to this bar and meals truck park is sundown. That’s when all of the turquoise umbrellas and fuchsia picnic tables mix with the painterly strokes of the nightfall sky. Although Taylor Swift might not cease by for sandia slushies and pink elotes, the bar clearly is aware of the worth of a lavender haze.
Elsewhere Backyard Bar & KitchenYou may plop down a dub at a selfie manufacturing facility, however AI can generate extra imaginative backgrounds. Chatbots won’t ever be capable to reproduce the convenience of this River Stroll staple. There are photograph ops all through—from chandelier-munching giraffes to twisting toadstools. However right here, you even have a pleasant employees, a blissed-out crowd, and the open air. It’s time to the touch grass, even when most of it’s AstroTurf.
La FogataThis Tex-Mex staple has three areas, and patio life is severe enterprise at every. However the Vance Jackson location did it first. Half Roma Norte discotheque, half Polanco hacienda, the sprawling grounds are enveloped by lots of of tropical vegetation. On the heart is a double-tall fountain. Solely the punchy margaritas do extra to assist friends calm down.
La Fonda on MainWhile the development in San Antonio patios leans in the direction of maximalism, this storied property proves that restrained design is everlasting. A cover of oaks casts shadows on gallery white stucco partitions, undecorated save for a number of mosaic inserts. Though Ludwig Mies van der Rohe most likely by no means drafted with a heaping plate of nachos by his facet, absolutely he would have appreciated this Monte Vista bedfellow.
La Tuna IcehouseThe dream of the ‘90s is alive on La Tuna’s patio. This Southtown spot hasn’t modified a lot because it debuted within the days of minor spirit. Bottle caps nonetheless pave the ground, plump cactuses line the perimeter, and stately pecan bushes shade the occasional artwork automobile. One doesn’t want a tribal tattoo to stoop into one of many picnic tables, nevertheless it helps if they’re a bit of little bit of a slacker.
Little Em’s Oyster BarIf no sorcery can convey coastal breezes to landlocked Alamo Metropolis, at the very least it might probably convey coastal type. This Southtown charmer has nailed the quaintness of Provincetown and Nantucket, swapping out primaries for youthful pastels. Spritz your hair with salt spray and don a navy blazer. After a bottle of Perrier Jouët, Elmendorf Lake will appear to be the ocean. House owners introduced on March 26 the idea shall be transferring quickly, however with no gaps in service. Hopefully the brand new patio shall be much more splendid.
Meadow Neighborhood Eatery + Bar If Swiss Household Robinson made shipwrecks appear enjoyable, this Alley on Bitters anchor proves the calamity would have been a riot if Elizabeth had some hooch in her magic bag. Although the Meadow patio is constructed firmly on the bottom, the refined ranges, stone hearth, and roughly hewn wooden nonetheless give it a treehouse vibe. It’s sufficient to make each Sunday brunch really feel like an journey.
The CoveAustin can discuss maintaining it bizarre if it desires. This carwash/laundromat/eatery is funkier than something the capital metropolis has produced since Willie Nelson dominated the scene. The Cove makes room for foraging pups, gregarious children, and music-loving adults, making each go to as easy as a yard cookout. It’s San Antonio’s best argument for letting your freak flag fly.
The Good Type SouthtownTalk a few glow-up! When the Good Type jumped from a meals corridor stall to a full-blown eatery in 2019, it felt just like the idea may lastly stretch. A glass kiosk sprawled into a wonderful second full of boho furnishings, sculptures, and intimate hideaways.
