70 Best Restaurants in San Antonio, Texas

A fitting gateway to Southtown, this vibrant, colorful spot has contemporary decor enhanced by striking paintings from local artists. Since 1992, Rosario's has been serving authentic, crowd-pleasing Mexican favorites like chicken chipotle, enchiladas, and tender tips of beef tongue. Many consider their margaritas some of the best in the city, and they are available to-go in both single-serve and half-gallon sizes. Rosario's has another location at 9715 San Pedro Ave.

What looks like an old gas station is actually home to some of San Antonio's favorite barbecue. The wait to place your order is worth it once you bite into some tender brisket (their original "sause" is on the side) or smoked turkey dry-rubbed with flavor and cooked in wood-fired pits. Or try some chicken, sausage, baby back ribs, pork ribs, or their special chopped brisket, turkey, and pork combination in "sause."  Sides are creamed corn, beans, potato salad, and coleslaw, with peach cobbler for dessert. Outdoor picnic-table seating completes the picture.

A cute place with top-notch gelato and panini, fresh and handmade are the best words to describe the items here, from the gelato to the pickles and mayonnaise. They import their meats and cheeses from Italy and so far have created more than 125 flavors of gelato, although they only rotate 20 flavors a day. You'll just have to keep coming back to try them all. 

If you've never had a breakfast taco, this is the place to try it in San Antonio. Newbies may pause at the number of possibilities, including chorizo and egg, chilaquiles, and migas (eggs scrambled with fried tortilla strips, cheese, and peppers), but first-timers really can't go wrong with a basic potato and egg taco. Breakfast plates, appetizers, soups and salads, and substantial lunch plates round out the taco extravaganza. Don't be afraid of the long lines out the door, as the morning crowds move quickly. 

Though its former filling station location is inconspicuous—apart from the line of hungry patrons—this family restaurant meets any barbecue hankerings. Mouthwatering, dry-rubbed beef brisket, smoked turkey, pork ribs, pulled pork, and sausages are served with tangy sauce (on the side), pickles, and slices of white bread. Scratch-made sides of creamed corn, potato salad, green beans, pinto beans, and coleslaw help soothe the palate. There's a sizable outdoor patio, too.

This sleek pre-Prohibition-style craft cocktail bar has became the place for the see-and-be-seen crowd in central San Antonio. Though happy hour is hopping with the post-work crowd, the late night crowd brings a nervy allure to the place. While much of the menu is seasonally inspired, you'll find a solid list of classic cocktails with everything from Old Fashions to Corpse Revivers. Small bites and snacks are available. Late night reservations are strongly recommended.

A household name in barbecue with several locations in Texas and one in Albuquerque, the Country Line is famous for its barbecued ribs, smoked brisket, and related fare. The barbecue here is dry-rubbed, with the sauce on the side, and the various combo platters and family-style options let you sample from smoked turkey and sausage, brisket, beef and pork ribs, and more. They even provide recipes for sides on their website. The atmosphere is rustic-casual, so don't be afraid to put your elbows on the table. There is a second location at 4334 Hyatt Place Drive.

This turn-of-the-century home at The Pearl is one of the new hot spots to discover the pleasure of slow-smoked meats and barbecue. A counter-service barbecue joint by day and a brew pub and full-service restaurant serving globally-inspired barbecue plates by night, the Granary is for those with a Texas-sized appetite for meat. On any given day you'll find anything from house-made pastrami to thick-cut Niman Ranch smoked pork butt on the menu here. Soulful sides include crispy grit fritters and a version of Texas Toast griddled with a smear of beef tallow and served with a side of butter infused with drippings straight from the smoker. The house beers are pretty good as well, especially the Belgian-style Rye Saison and the dark and stormy Brown Ale. And you can't beat a cold mug of homemade root beer made with pure cane sugar and sarsaparilla.

The San Antonio location of this classic New York–style steak house maintains the chain's efforts to bring back the supper clubs of decades past. Premium seafood, including jumbo Nova Scotia lobster, and Italian specialties add plenty of diversity to a menu populated by prime aged porterhouses, double-cut New York strip, and veal chops. Distinguished but not stuffy, the first thing you notice is the walls covered with hand-drawn caricatures of local and international celebrities, sports figures, politicians, and others who have dined at the Palm over the years. The dining room is elegant and stately, putting you in the right frame of mind to down some serious turf or surf or both. The dark, quiet bar area is a great place for conversation and cocktails.

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.