10 Ways to Experience San Antonio Like a Local

Glass-enclosed Ocho at the historic Hotel Havana seamlessly brings the outdoors in. Sun-splashed by day and chandelier-lit at night, the casually elegant restaurant is tucked among the tropical greenery overlooking the River Walk. There is outdoor seating on the patio, but arguably the best seats in the house are the plush, blue banquettes inside Ocho’s stunning steel-and-glass conservatory.

Luxuriate in the serene setting while noshing on Cuban-Mexican-Texan-inspired food, like sweet plantain griddle cakes topped with Mexican crema and blueberries for breakfast. Ocho also serves lunch, dinner, late-night snacks, and a first-rate Havana Margarita made with Blanco tequila, orange liqueur, lime, and agave. The margarita is only $6 during Happy Hour: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, 4 to 6 p.m.

San Antonio’s historic Pearl neighborhood welcomed the buzzing Bottling Department Food Hall in July 2017. The industrial-hip food court—the first of its kind in the city—was constructed on the site of the former Pearl Brewery bottling department.

Outside, see how the cornerstones and stone nameplate from the original 19th-century bottling building (destroyed by fire in 2003) were incorporated into the new Food Hall. Inside, chow down on artfully prepared fare from food hall vendors Maybelle’s Donuts Fletcher’s Hamburgers, Bud’s Southern Rotisserie, Tenko Ramen, and The Good Kind. And, while the original Pearl Brewery closed in 2001, The Bar at Bottling Department does serve Pearl pale lager, along with Lone Star (another San Antonio original) and other adult beverages.

With their quiet courtyards and rainbow-bright umbrellas, the River Walk’s open-air restaurants and cafes evoke the old-world charm of European sidewalk bistros. So, whether you’re craving antijitos (Mexican street food) and a prickly pear mojito, an exquisite fine-dining experience, or something in between, embrace the slower al fresco life on the River Walk.

Linger over lunch at Boudro’s, a perennial favorite for tableside guacamole. Splurge on a romantic dinner at The Fig Tree. For classic and affordable Tex-Mex staples, such as cheese enchiladas, tamales, tacos, and flautas, choose Casa Rio (pictured above), the original San Antonio riverside restaurant, opened in 1946.

Southtown’s Villa Rica is the newest star in the restaurant galaxy of celebrity chef Johnny Hernandez. The San Antonio native—who honed his cooking chops as a child in his late father’s West Side restaurant, Johnny’s Cafeteria and Catering—incorporates regional Mexican flavors and cooking techniques into all his menus.

Mexico’s coastal cuisines are the focus at Villa Rica, a culinary collaboration between Hernandez and the Guzmán family of restaurateurs from Veracruz, Mexico. The restaurant’s dinner menu dazzles with freshly sourced seafood dishes, such as Ceviche Veracruzano (lime marinated fish, tomato, cilantro, and avocado) and Pulpo Chileajo (chili-marinated octopus, refried beans, fried plantains, and queso franco). Save room for a sweet corn torte served with coconut ice cream or a smooth Clement House Mojito made with Chef Johnny’s single barrel Rhum Clement, fresh lime, and mint.

In San Antonio, it’s easy to remember the Alamo. But, did you know the iconic site also is one of the five 18th-century Spanish colonial missions—Concepción, San José (pictured above and home of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Visitor Center), San Juan, Espada, and San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo)—that make up Texas’ only World Heritage Site?

Since the missions are strung two to three miles apart along the San Antonio River, it’s possible to visit all five by bike via the downtown Mission Trail. Begin at the Alamo (the northernmost mission), and then, hop on the trail at Main Plaza and pedal south. The out-and-back ride is about 20 miles. For a shorter ride or walk, only visit the four southern missions, accessible via paved trails on the Mission Reach section of the Riverwalk.

Check melt-in-your-mouth Texas brisket off your food bucket list at the downhome Smoke Shack. The no-frills BBQ joint and Southern kitchen gained a faithful food truck following before planting brick-and-mortar roots in Alamo Heights in 2014.

Smoke Shack owner Chris Conger slow cooks all sorts of meats, but brisket—tender beef encrusted in a dark, flavorful bark—is why foodies flock to Texas for barbecue. Try a Smoke Shack chopped brisket sandwich or slider, brisket plate, or Frito Pie (Frito corn chips topped with brisket, pinto beans, cheddar cheese, and BBQ sauce). To satisfy a Texas-sized appetite, go with the Big Dog: a hoagie stuffed with sausage, brisket, and pulled pork, and topped with two BBQ sauces and vinegar slaw.

The liquid portion of the River Walk is a slow-lane highway for scenic barges. Buy a one- or three-day GO RIO River Shuttles combination pass for unlimited rides through the Downtown Reach and Museum Reach sections of the River Walk. Catch the hop-on, hop-off shuttles at designated stops along the river.

For a deeper dive into River Walk architecture, history, and fun facts (such as which hotel’s design was altered to avoid casting a late-day shadow on the Alamo), take a 35-minute GO RIO narrated cruise. Weather permitting, the guided barge tours depart the GO RIO docks every 15 to 20 minutes, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

San Antonio’s walls may not talk but dozens do tell colorful stories. Across Alamo City, building facades, bridges, and other urban spaces double as canvases for crazy-talented street artists. Curate eye-popping Instagram Stories on a mural tour of Southtown. The hip artists’ enclave boasts one of the city’s best outdoor mural galleries, particularly on the walls near the Blue Star Arts Complex and in the King William Cultural Arts District.

The Southtown mural pictured above (a vibrant visual celebration of San Antonio’s history) graces the walls of the Insco Distributing Building on the South Alamo Street Bridge. Another must-share mural is “Let’s Fiesta” by local street art masters Los Otros. Commissioned as part of the colossal 2018 Fiesta San Antonio celebration, the technicolor wall art can be spotted on the St. Mary’s Strip in Midtown.

The 10-acre Witte Museum campus gives credence to the adage: “Everything’s bigger in Texas.” A $100-million transformation completed in 2017 expanded and reshaped San Antonio’s oldest museum (opened in 1926) into an immersive, 174,000-square-foot science, history, and cultural center. Enter the New Witte via a 28-foot glass cube, where you’ll be greeted by replica Quetzalcoatlus dinosaur.

In the 20,000-square-foot South Texas Heritage Center, learn about Mexican vaqueros (the original Texas cowboys) and snap a selfie sitting tall in a saddle. If visiting with kids, move with them through the award-winning H-E-B Body Adventure. The four-story exhibit is packed with hands-on health activity stations. Wonder how long it takes to work off a sugary soda? Start climbing on the exhibit’s step machine (the one with the giant drink cup attached) to find out.