17 Best Restaurants in San Antonio, Texas

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 Faroe Island salmon, rib eye with smoked tomato confit, and seafood paella with saffron risotto. They have an extensive wine list and craft cocktail menu, and abundant varieties of scotch and bourbon. Weekend brunch is a treat, with classic Benedict and lobster grilled cheese. A rotating gallery of art showcases local artists.

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 features a beautiful dining room that opens onto an inviting outdoor patio. Desserts include vanilla bean flan and house-made pralines. 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.

In a city filled with Mexican bakeries, brothers José and David Cáceres kicked the whole pan dulce (pastry) game up a notch with La Panadería. Their love for baking comes from selling their mama Doña Josefina's loaves of fresh-baked bread on the streets of Mexico City, and they've translated that passion into a winning combination of fresh, quality products available for only a limited amount of time each short day. Bestsellers include empanadas, tres leches (three-milk) croissants, and Nutella cruffins (a croissant-muffin hybrid). Brunch items include avocado toast with grilled chicken, ranchero eggs Benedictine, and tequila-butter steak and eggs. They also have salads, tortas, cakes and cookies, and a nice assortment of freshly baked breads. Their other locations are 8305 Broadway (Alamo Heights) and 17030 Fiesta Texas Drive (La Cantera Heights).

South Texas meets the South of France doesn't sound like it should work, but it does, and beautifully—blending French and Texan cuisines in seasonally sublime ways. Everything here is fresh, fresh, fresh, right down to the on-site garden of herbs and vegetables. The menu changes regularly based on seasons and availability. Look for standouts on the Sunday brunch menu like wild mushroom and goat cheese omelet, and smoked salmon and avocado sandwich. Reservations highly recommended.

If you want something different from the usual Mexican or Tex-Mex offerings, venture south to find festive fare here hailing from the Caribbean, Spain, and South and Central America. Executive chef Rene Fernandez mixes up flavors and styles con pasion. Start with an appetizer sampler (five different apps) and move on to Seafood Curry Latino or Parillada Mixta, a mix of chicken, pork, and sausage basted with chimichurri, a tangy basil sauce. Tempting desserts include coconut flan, chocolate truffles made to order, and a dessert sampler with five house creations and homemade ice cream. Dance it all off with live salsa music Friday and Saturday. Reservations are recommended for weekend nights.

Built within the 130-year-old renovated boiler house of the original Pearl Brewery, the Boiler House Texas Grill & Wine Garden is every bit as Texas-sized in flavor as it is in its expansive two-level space. Sophisticated yet casual, it enjoys a loyal following, many of whom settle in at the long bar for signature and seasonal craft cocktails. Menu items include everything from chicken to pork to seafood, accompanied by a myriad of local ingredients sourced from nearby farmers' markets. But the specialty is steak, with local beef sourced from family ranches in Texas. Prime-grade steaks are grilled to perfection and served with chipotle compound butter.

Surprisingly, the concept of a French restaurant with Southern hospitality actually works here. That was the dream of the three Frenchmen founders from different regions in France (Strasbourg, Chartres, and Lyon) who met up in San Antonio; some of the dishes are a tribute to their respective grandmothers and meals shared around family tables. They have an all-day menu and a Sunday brunch menu, both featuring French comfort food (think Cheeseburger Mon Chou Chou, with Gruyère cheese and shallot sauce), salads, and sandwiches. Entrées include delectable creations of duck, Icelandic cod, milk-fed veal, and prime center-cut filet mignon. Luscious desserts include a berry-topped crème brûlée, mocha pot de crème, and more. The cocktail menu features Mon Chou Chou creations like espresso martini and banane Alexandre, plus a good selection of wines by the glass and bottle.

Chef Steve McHugh brings his love of regional ingredients and organic methods to charcuterie-focused New American cuisine in a historic setting. Dishes change seasonally, but the primary theme is always meat (non-red-meat options available). The restaurant's intriguing concept of retail groceries strikes just the right note: you can take home jars of bread-and-butter pickles, pickled okra, basil and mint mustard, smoked tomato jam, and more. The restaurant is in the Pearl's 1904 Administration building, one of the district's most recognizable structures. The interior is equally distinctive, complete with a glass case chock-full of house-cured meats, from which you can build your own charcuterie plate (with expert help if needed).

At this restaurant focused on Texas heritage and place—primarily sourcing its ingredients locally and regionally—an evolving menu, naturally, changes with the seasons. As sleek, comfortable, and contemporary as the Thompson Hotel it's housed in, the restaurant has River Walk access where guests can stroll up directly from the river level without having to go through the hotel. When making reservations, ask for seating at the K-Bar for a close-up look at the Grillworks wood-fired grill and a chance to watch the chef at work.

River Walk dining at its most elegant and romantic, this three-level restaurant is known for its sophistication and romance and has one of the most relaxing and beautiful outdoor dining areas on the River Walk, with graceful palm trees and soothing views. The menu is a celebration of refined American cuisine that combines locally sourced ingredients in chef-inspired dishes. Creative, flavorful dishes of note use products from local farmers and artisans, such as Lockhart quail and veal tenderloin. The finest handmade margaritas on the River Walk can be found here. 

Formerly a convent, this historic pink building now offers an eclectic, something-for-everybody menu that includes sourdough pizzas, homemade fettuccini, hearty pot roast, grilled salmon and late-night bites. The bar has seasonal cocktails, wines, and draft beer in bottles and cans. Reservations are recommended for weekend brunch.

Housed in a limestone structure built in 1847, this rustic restaurant was originally the residence and store of German immigrant Otto Bombach, and now it's a spot to enjoy traditional German fare and a variety of live music in a historic River Walk setting. Starters include deviled eggs, Prost jumbo chicken wings, Kraut balls and more. Handhelds (sandwiches) include a classic Reuben, a brat dog, a chicken schnitzel club, and burgers (beef or veggie). One house specialty is the Jaeger Schnitzel, a handbreaded pork cutlet with bacon cabbage and buttermilk smashed potatoes. The terrace dining reminiscent of a biergarten gives diners scenic views of the San Antonio River.

A unique restaurant concept owned and operated by the San Antonio satellite location of the Culinary Institute of America, NAO features a rotation of resident chefs under Executive Chef Geronimo Lopez covering a whole perspective of Latin-American flavors. You'll find a fusion of Latin-inspired dishes with flavors from Peruvian causa potato purée, to Argentine roasted cheese with tomato and oregano, and Corbullon, a Caribbean-style cioppino. The beautiful South American-inspired architecture of the spacious dining room couple with excellent service make this a top destination at The Pearl.

Its name means oyster in Spanish, and you will find them plenty fresh here, chilled on the half shell and served with mignonette or chipotle cocktail sauce. The oyster bar also serves up crabs, shrimp, and ceviche. Other premium offerings are blackened redfish, grilled ahi tuna, and filet and lobster tail. The nonseafood menu is limited, so ask the server for suggestions. It's open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner at a lovely spot on the River Walk, housed in the luxury Mokara Hotel & Spa;  Dinner reservations are highly recommended, especially on weekends.

On a mission to reinvent health food into something more flavorful and inspiring since 2015, Pharm Table's chef-owner Elizabeth Johnson takes a plant-forward approach to anti-inflammatory cuisine. The restaurant uses locally sourced produce with no dairy, refined sugar, or processed foods anywhere on the menu. To that end, they also  incorporate smaller portions of clean animal proteins with an emphasis on nutrient-dense foods.

A longtime popular Southtown mainstay, this vibrant, colorful, contemporary space is just one of the restaurants launched by notable restaurateur Lisa Wong. Dubbed Rosario's "Forever Home," the 25,000 square-foot indoor/outdoor dining areas feature the popular made-fram-scratch Mexican favorites that have delighted locals and visitors alike since 1992, including chicken chipotle, enchilidas, tender tips of beef tongue, fresh fish tacos, and some of the city's best margaritas. Check out the restaurant's 24x69-foot mural by Chilean-born artist INTI.

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.