Welcome to EAT THIS CITY, your tour of the best restaurants in one of our favorite cities, as chosen by a world-class chef, celebrity, or local hero.
It has finally stopped being oppressively hot and summery. The air has cooled. The leaves are turning. And now is the perfect time to make your way south. Fall in Texas is a dream. So why not hit up the second largest city in both Texas and the Southern United States? That’s right, it’s time for San Antonio, the home of The Alamo — which actually has not one but two basements (take that, Tina). This week, we have a rare duo guiding us through the city. Brothers David and José Cáceres built their bakery La Panadería from the ground up, and it is now regarded as one of the best in town.
This success is no surprise given the Cáceres brothers backgrounds in their field. José holds an MBA with honors at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey and a Certificate of Cuisine Diploma at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Mexico. He took that foundation and added elements of baking he learned throughout Europe. David holds an undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering and Systems and a Diplôme de Pâtisserie at Le Cordon Bleu Mexico. He also completed the professional baking program at the San Francisco Baking Institute. Both men spent time industrializing their family’s business until it became one of Mexico’s top bread suppliers for Wal-Mart.
The pair relocated to San Antonio and opened La Panaderia in 2014. In the years since, their baked good and tortas have been monstrously popular with locals and tourists alike. You might know them from the restaurant’s appearance on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on the Food Network, during which Guy Fieri and his sons made the bakery’s best-selling Tequila-Almond Croissant.
I defy anyone to look on these golden, flaky delights without swooning.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaBkK6NAq-t/
That’s just the start. Now, it’s time to let the Cáceres bros show us their favorite spots across San Antonio. Prepare to drool!
Pizza
Dough Pizzeria
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVv5oZLla6p/
As panaderos we have a serious appreciation for a good crust and Dough does an amazing job with their woodfired pizzas. We also love their wide variety of burrata options, it tastes just like Italy.
Tacos
Palenque Grill
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZFMjbHH3Wz/
The Garritas de Leon tacos at Palenque Grill are fantastic. They feature thinly sliced Mexican-style prime ribeye and are perfect. We love these tacos so much because they are authentic and done really well. Tacos should be simple with the main focus being fresh tortillas and high-quality meat. When a taco is done well, you don’t need to add a bunch of extra ingredients or toppings.
Asian
Sushihana
This is a very authentic place in San Antonio for sushi and traditional Japanese cuisine. Everything is tasty, but we highly recommend the fatty salmon and sea bass sashimi. The freshness at Sushihana can’t be beaten.
Street Food
MILA Coffee
MILA is a specialty coffee trailer off Broadway that offers some of the best drinks in town. We love to stop by on our days off for a little pick me up, with the Horchata Latte being our favorite go-to.
Sweet Food
Lick Honest Ice Creams
Lick uses fresh ingredients and sources a lot of them locally — and you can taste the difference. We also love that they offer dairy-free options. Their vegan chocolate ice cream is made with coconut milk and has the perfect balance of rich chocolate and creaminess.
Fine Dining
Chama Gaucha
Chama Gaucha is an amazing Brazilian steakhouse with a superb atmosphere. The service is fantastic and the salad bar is out of the world. Honestly, the salad bar on its own is totally worth the visit. We also love their house specialty, the Picanha sirloin.
Casual Dining
Down on Grayson
Down on Grayson has some of the best fish tacos in town, they are so fresh and delicious. Everything from the food to the service to the atmosphere here is great. We also love cocktail selection.
Brunch
Cibolo Moon at the JW Marriot
https://www.instagram.com/p/70SRc7JcsC/
Sunday brunch at Cibolo Moon is fantastic. They have the best bacon we’ve had in San Antonio. We love to order pancakes, top them with their crispy, thick cut bacon and finish it off with their bourbon maple syrup. Delicious.
Iconic Food of the City
La Gloria
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaVC80vAsfZ/
Chef Johnny Hernandez’s La Gloria is one of San Antonio’s most iconic Tex-Mex restaurants. We love their margaritas, shrimp cocktail, and the molcajete. We take a lot of our out of town guests there to get an authentic taste of the Alamo City.
Odd Culinary Experience
Tokyo Steakhouse
This is a great little under the radar Japanese spot in San Antonio. As soon as you walk in it feels like you’re in an authentic restaurant in Akihabara or Ginza.
Guilty Pleasure
Paloma Blanca
The mole poblano at Paloma Blanca is our favorite comfort food. The atmosphere at the restaurant is great and this is a dish that reminds us of home in Mexico City. Our mom always used to cook mole poblano on our oldest brother’s birthday. It truly tastes like home and family.
Hangover Food
Hopdoddy Burger Bar
We love Hopdoddy and their Skinny Dip Margarita for a little “hair of the dog.” The juicy Primetime Burger made with American grass-fed Kobe beef and brie or the spicy El Diablo Burger are two of our favorite hangover dishes.
Vegetarian
Rise Up
Rise Up has the most delicious acai bowls. We go for breakfast a lot. Not only do the bowls feel like a really healthy option, but it’s also a quick and easy spot to get in and out of. The AB&J bowl with almond butter, strawberries, bananas, granola, and honey is one of our favorites.
Thank you, José and David Cáceres, for taking us on a culinary tour of San Antonio!
Stay tuned for more EAT THIS CITY — where each week we’ll feature a premier chef in a different city sharing their insider eating tips! Missed a week? Check out Louisville, Nashville, Raleigh, San Diego, Cambridge, Hoboken, Hollywood, Return to Miami, Return to Las Vegas, Manhattan, Oakland, Paris, Portland, Tampa, Durham, Toronto, Baltimore, Monterey, Vail, Lexington, Bentonville, San Antonio, Warsaw, Kansas City, NYC, Washington DC, New Orleans, Cleveland, Miami, Seattle, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Sydney, Portland, Chicago, Austin, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, New Orleans, Providence, Memphis, Orange County, Boston, and Detroit.
See you next week!
