Food · San Antonio · United States
What to eat in San Antonio
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define San Antonio, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Jouaienttoi, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Puffy taco, Breakfast tacos and Barbacoa and Big Red. On weekend mornings growers from South Texas and the Hill Country sell produce, cheeses, breads and prepared food around the Pearl's riverside plaza. Many taquerías serve breakfast tacos only until late morning; go early.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Puffy taco
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 5
- Tipping
- Tip 18–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, $1–$2 per drink at a counter, 15–20% for…
- Food experiences
- 4
10 foods to try
Dish
1.Puffy taco
San Antonio's own taco: a disc of fresh masa dropped into hot oil so it puffs into a crisp, airy shell, then filled with picadillo beef or chicken, lettuce and tomato. Eat it fast before it softens.
Where: Long-established West Side Tex-Mex drive-ins and family restaurants, several of which claim to have invented it.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
2.Breakfast tacos
Warm flour tortillas filled with combinations such as potato and egg, bacon and egg, chorizo and egg, or bean and cheese, with salsa on the side. They are the city's everyday breakfast.
Where: Neighbourhood taquerías and drive-throughs across the city, many serving only until late morning.
Breakfast
3.Barbacoa and Big Red
Slow-cooked beef cheek, traditionally bought by the pound on Sunday mornings and eaten with tortillas, onion and cilantro, washed down with a cold Big Red, the bright-red Texas cream soda.
Where: Taquerías and meat markets on the West and South Sides, especially on weekend mornings.
Dish
4.Chili con carne
Texas chili of beef stewed with dried chiles and cumin, traditionally without beans. In the 1800s San Antonio's 'chili queens' sold it from stalls in the downtown plazas, and it is now the official state dish.
Where: Tex-Mex restaurants citywide, and on chili-gravy enchiladas.
Dish · Vegetarian
5.Cheese enchiladas with chili gravy
Corn tortillas rolled around yellow cheese and onion, covered in brick-red chili gravy and more cheese, served with rice and refried beans. It is the backbone of the Tex-Mex combination plate.
Where: Tex-Mex institutions downtown and around Market Square, and family restaurants across the city.
Dessert · Vegetarian
6.Pan dulce
Mexican sweet breads such as shell-topped conchas, pig-shaped marranitos made with piloncillo, and empanadas filled with pumpkin or pineapple. They are eaten with coffee or hot chocolate.
Where: Mi Tierra's bakery counter at Market Square and panaderías across the West and South Sides.
Dish
7.Fajitas
Grilled skirt steak or chicken brought sizzling on a cast-iron platter with onions, peppers, tortillas, guacamole and pico de gallo. The dish grew out of South Texas ranch cooking.
Where: Tex-Mex restaurants along the River Walk and across the city.
Dessert · Vegetarian
8.Mangonada and raspas
A mangonada blends mango with chamoy sauce and chili powder, topped with fresh mango and a tamarind straw; raspas are shaved ice with fruit syrups. Both are summer staples.
Where: Stands at Market Square and paleterías and fruit-cup shops across the city.
Dish
9.Smoked brisket
Central Texas-style beef brisket rubbed with salt and pepper and smoked for many hours over oak, sold by weight on butcher paper with white bread, pickles and onions.
Where: Barbecue joints across the city and in Hill Country towns on the way to Austin and Fredericksburg.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Margarita
Tequila, lime and orange liqueur, served on the rocks or frozen, often with a salted rim. On a hot River Walk evening it is the default order.
Where: River Walk restaurants, the Pearl's bars and Tex-Mex restaurants everywhere.
Food experiences
Pearl Farmers Market
On weekend mornings growers from South Texas and the Hill Country sell produce, cheeses, breads and prepared food around the Pearl's riverside plaza.
Sunday barbacoa run
Join locals buying barbacoa by the pound with tortillas and Big Red on a Sunday morning at a West Side taquería.
Breakfast taco crawl
Taco shops open early and charge a few dollars a taco, so it is easy to try three or four styles before the day's sightseeing.
Tex-Mex at Market Square
Eat a combination plate under the lights at one of the Market Square restaurants, then browse the stalls and bakeries.
Quick bites and street food
- Breakfast tacos — Neighbourhood taquerías and drive-throughs across the city, many serving only until late morning.
- Barbacoa and Big Red — Taquerías and meat markets on the West and South Sides, especially on weekend mornings.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 5 are usually vegetarian: Breakfast tacos, Cheese enchiladas with chili gravy, Pan dulce, Mangonada and raspas and Margarita. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Many taquerías serve breakfast tacos only until late morning; go early.
- Restaurants on the main River Walk loop are convenient but pricey; walk a few blocks or head to the Pearl or Southtown for better value.
- Chips and salsa usually arrive free at Tex-Mex restaurants.
- Book Pearl restaurants for Friday and Saturday dinners, which fill quickly.
- Sales tax is added at the register and an 18–20% tip is expected at sit-down restaurants.
Tipping
Tip 18–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, $1–$2 per drink at a counter, 15–20% for taxis and ride-hailing, and a few dollars per bag for hotel porters.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Viva Fiesta! | The greeting heard everywhere during Fiesta San Antonio |
| Gracias | Thank you |
| Remember the Alamo | The 1836 battle cry still used as a city slogan |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is San Antonio famous for?
Puffy taco, Breakfast tacos, Barbacoa and Big Red and Chili con carne. San Antonio's own taco: a disc of fresh masa dropped into hot oil so it puffs into a crisp, airy shell, then filled with picadillo beef or chicken, lettuce and tomato.
+Is San Antonio good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Breakfast tacos, Cheese enchiladas with chili gravy and Pan dulce.
+Do you tip in restaurants in San Antonio?
Tip 18–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, $1–$2 per drink at a counter, 15–20% for taxis and ride-hailing, and a few dollars per bag for hotel porters.