Quote:
Originally Posted by Lyd
Lynnette used to live in San Antonio, I think. And, maybe Jen Merkley too? I get so confused when talking about places in Texas. It's just too huge! Lol.
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Ha, yes, that would be me.
Although I'll say, we don't have kids (yet
) so most of what we liked revolved around food. But here's my recommendations anyway in case they help!
Things to do:
Alamo & Riverwalk - Yes, the Alamo is smaller than everyone expects but it's within walking distance of the Riverwalk so there's really no reason NOT to visit it since it's literally right there. I recommend parking in the surface lot near the Rivercenter Mall. It's the least crowded and gives you easy access to both the Alamo & the Riverwalk.
If at all possible I'd avoid it during the hot crowded summer months but if you aren't there for that long, don't worry about it. You can also take a riverboat cruise through the river walk which while totally touristy is fun because they tell you about the architecture, river walk, etc and show you areas you don't get to see just walking around.
Most of the restaurants on the Riverwalk are totally touristy and not that great but
Acenar is one we liked a lot.
Boudro's is another popular one but since it's right in the middle of the Riverwalk it tends to be crowded.
Casa Rio is the place with the colored umbrellas you see in every single SA Riverwalk shot. The food isn't that great but it's fun to say you've eaten there.
Seaworld/Six Flags - Not sure if you're military but if you are, Seaworld offers one free trip per year for military and up to 3? dependents I think.
This is the website for it. You can also get discounted tickets for Six Flags through the MWR.
San Antonio Missions National Monument is worth a visit. There's also the
San Antonio Missions which are a double-A baseball team with an awesome mascot (
Ballapeno!) but we went in the summer once and that was brutally hot.
Schiltterbahn is a waterpark in New Braunfels that's a lot of fun. It's regularly listed on the Travel Channel as one of the top waterparks in the country. The older section with the cement tube slides is definitely an "experience."
Six Flags & I think Sea World both have water parks as well and there's also a Splash Town off of I-35 if you're wanting to escape the heat.
Visit Austin - depending on where you are in San Antonio, it can be anywhere from an hour to an hour and half drive to get to Austin (2 hours to the north part) but it's definitely worth a visit at least once to do Congress Street, Barton Springs Pool and all the food trucks.
Places to eat: Now for my favorite part...
If you're looking for GOOD Mexican food skip Mamacitas and Mi Tierra - both are tourist traps and not nearly as good as other places in town. Some of our favorite places:
Paloma Blanca - my personal fave. They have a nice outdoor patio and strong margaritas if you're into that. This is the place we'd always take out of town visitors because it's delicious and not usually too crowded.
Rosario's - near the Riverwalk and regularly voted the top Mexican restaurant in SA. Downside is it's really loud inside and gets crazy busy on the weekends. The enchiladas verdes there are amazing though.
La Fonda on Main - this one is off the beaten path so it's never crowded and it has a really neat outdoor patio under large oak trees. The salsa sampler is really tasty too.
La Gloria - This place is at the Pearl Brewery and more of a casual street foods of Mexico place but the food is AMAZING - the chef was featured on the Texas season of Top Chef. Get yourself a Molcajete & a La Catrina from the bar and you'll be set.
Non-Mexican places:
Magnolia Pancake Haus - This place was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and is by far the best breakfast place in SA. The wait can be long on weekends so keep that in mind. If you're a fan of apple pie, I recommend the Apfel Pfannekuchen - it's a giant German apple pancake and seriously SO good.
The Cove - This place was also featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives since it's technically at a car wash, haha, but the food is amazing. It's all sustainable/local burgers, natural sodas and they added a craft beer bar as well. Definitely kid-friendly with picnic tables and a play area. They also have live music on certain nights as well.
Coopers BBQ - if you're looking for real Texas BBQ, skip Rudy's and go to Cooper's in New Braunfels. The brisket and ribs are delicious as is the cobbler. Adam still stops here and grabs food on his way home when he goes to San Antonio for work since no where here in Houston compares. It's also George W. Bush's favorite place which while I don't care for his politics, I figure he knows his Texas BBQ, haha.
Lulu's Cafe - so I only mention this place because they offer a cinnamon roll literally the size of your head LOL that was featured on Man vs Food. We only went once just to say we had it but it might be a fun experience for your girls. It's definitely an old-school diner.
Hmm, I think it's mostly it. I'm sure there's more but those were the highlights of SA for us anyway. There's also a few events I'd recommend (Fiesta/NIOSA, Wurstfest, Holiday River Parade) but I wasn't sure how long you'd be around. Whenever we go back, we mostly go back for the food.