9 Best Restaurants in San Antonio, Texas

In a city filled with Mexican bakeries, brothers José and David Cáceres kicked the whole pan dulce (pastry) game up a notch with La Panadería. Their love for baking comes from selling their mama Doña Josefina's loaves of fresh-baked bread on the streets of Mexico City, and they've translated that passion into a winning combination of fresh, quality products available for only a limited amount of time each short day. Bestsellers include empanadas, tres leches (three-milk) croissants, and Nutella cruffins (a croissant-muffin hybrid). Brunch items include avocado toast with grilled chicken, ranchero eggs Benedictine, and tequila-butter steak and eggs. They also have salads, tortas, cakes and cookies, and a nice assortment of freshly baked breads. Ordering can be fast and furious at peak times—grab a tray, get in line, pay for your selections, and settle in to a nearby table. To avoid disappointment, check the website to see how many of what you want they have left. Aficionados have been known to drive from location to location in search of their favorites. Their other locations are 8305 Broadway (Alamo Heights) and 17030 Fiesta Texas Drive (La Cantera Heights).

Pick up fresh Mexican pastries from this long-standing neighborhood panaderia (bakery) in Monte Vista. They make all the traditional pan dulce plus novelty cakes and frosted cookies. Conchae are soft and fresh, while pumpkin empanadas are a favorite. The fastest sell-outs are the campechana flaky glazed pastry—they can sell through three batches in the morning alone. They also have fresh flour tortillas and a tiny produce display if you need a lemon or avocado. The line can get long on weekend mornings, so plan accordingly. They have another location at 2714 Hillcrest Drive.

For a smallish place, Cheesy Jane's has a surprisingly varied menu, with big burgers, milk shakes and malts, and nostalgic decor dominating this throwback to old-time malt shops. Flavors for shakes and malts—made with Cheesy Jane's ice cream—include plain vanilla, peppermint, Dreamsicle, chocolate peanut butter, amaretto-espresso, and more. Ground-chuck burgers come in different sizes, with variations like a deluxe bacon burger with applewood-smoked, sugar-cured bacon; a Wurst burger topped with Kiolbassa sausage; and a bean burger with refried beans, cheddar, and Fritos corn chips. Adventurous diners should definitely try the Spicy Splinters—battered and fried slivers of onion and jalapeño peppers.

A French twist on the usual coffeehouse scene, friendly staff here serve up freshly baked bread and pastries in a hip, stylish location within a beautifully renovated historic home in Alamo Heights. The weekday menu offers breakfast and lunch favorites like croissants béchamel and croque madames, while the robust beverage menu has signature and seasonal coffee flavors, teas, and smoothies. Weekend brunch has crepes, quiches, omelets, and mimosas with Moët & Chandon champagne and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Enjoy your meal on the lovely outdoor patio.

This is a popular old-school neighborhood Mexican bakery. Their pastry-laden cases contain Mexican pan dulce staples like conchas, empanadas, and campechanas, plus cupcakes, cookies, donuts, apple fritters, pink cake, and fresh bread. They also take orders for weddings, quinceneras, and other celebrations. They open at 6 am, and if you have favorites it's best to get there early, especially on weekends. Call with any questions, as they have no website or social media.

Staying true to their name, this company states that 73% of their ingredients come from local farmers and artisans, and they use as many organic ingredients as possible, making every single batch of ice cream by hand in Austin. Their everyday flavors are heavenly—think caramel salt lick, coffee with cream, dark chocolate with olive oil and sea salt, roasted beets with fresh mint, and more, while seasonal flavors include candied pecan-bourbon, Hazel's pumpkin pie, red velvet, and Too Hot Chocolate. Their homemade waffle cones use local cage-free eggs, butter, cane sugar, vanilla extract, and wheat flour. Lick is sensitive to special diets and will gladly answer questions about their ingredients. Dairy-free/vegan flavors include cinnamon apple, no egg nog, chocolate chocolate (made with coconut milk), and caramel oat bar. They even offer a vegan, gluten-free ice-cream sandwich. Other locations are downtown at 639 Hemisfair Boulevard and 17635 La Cantera Parkway at the Rim. 

This is a pleasant hangout with excellent products and a good vibe. They have a great selection of coffees and teas and a small healthy food menu with selected pastries that come from Hotel Emma and Bakery Lorraine. They are committed to sourcing locally as much as possible. 

You'll know this drive-through spot by its lime-green structure that practically glows in the distance, guiding you to what some are saying is quite possibly the best burger they've ever had. The menu is wonderfully simple: burgers, fries, and shakes, but it does it all very well. For dessert, you can sample the Belgian chocolate chip cookies and key lime pie. Don't be put off by the "wet" sauce option on the burgers—it's just au poivre, or peppery French steak sauce, for an extra $1.50. They also have nitro cold-brew coffee, craft and domestic beers, and wine. The fries are hand-cut and perfect, and the shakes are thick and cold. The place gets very, very busy. They have another location at 3910 McCullough Avenue. 

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.