I am excited to be attending the Texas Association of Museums conference in downtown San Antonio today to showcase SnappTours, a company I cofounded that makes it easy for museums to create smartphone guided tours. I know that we are going to have a lot of visitors in town for this conference, so I thought I would put together a quick list of some of my favorite places in the downtown area (feel free to search on the blog for any other places/food you might be interested in).
Lüke San Antonio – A John Besh Restaurant, Lüke is a relative new comer to the downtown dining scene. The food is fantastic, but no meal would be complete there without the Shrimp in a Cup appetizer.
Mexican Manhattan – The restaurant looks totally shady from the street entrance, but it has a nice river view on the tranquil side of the river. The margaritas are good and the prices are reasonable. I like the tamales smothered in guisada gravy.
Schilo’s Delicatessen – One of the better delis in town; the Papa Fritz special gets you a huge sandwich and potato salad. Wash it all down with some homemade rootbeer.
Lula’s Mexican Cafe – Lula may have moved her restaurant to this location, but she is still serving up some mean Mexican food. If you are looking for breakfast, stop by to try her chilaquiles (scrambled eggs, peppers, cheese and fried tortilla strips). They are so good you’ll want to slap your mama!
Sip – My favorite coffee joint downtown – the staff is super friendly and there are tons of sweet baked treats.
Mr. Tim’s Country Kitchen – This is the best American breakfast in San Antonio, you literally get a basket of biscuits when you sit down at the table.
Tito’s – My favorite cheese enchiladas in all of San Antonio; the chips and salsa are pretty righteous too.
Esquire Tavern – This is the oldest bar on the River Walk (was recently reopened) and has a great speakeasy feel; the drinks are stiff but so are their prices. As my brother once remarked, you go to the Esquire to drink, not get drunk.
SoHo – This bar is in an old bank, at least I think because the vault holds all the wine. Similar to the Esquire but with more fruity cocktails than “serious” cocktails. I like the Lu in New Orleans, a take on a sazerac, made with bourbon (note: this is one of their “serious” drinks). They do make this creme brulee drink that looks out of this world – the egg whites are whipped then torched.
If you dine at any of these restaurants, be sure to stop by the SnappTours booth in the Exhibit Hall to let me know what you thought!
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