Food
Chris Madrid's
Chris Madrid’s has been piling cheese on burgers on San Antonio’s north side since 1977, and the man himself, famous for his slicked-back hair, worked the tables until he passed in 2012. The building, part old gas station and part ice house, nearly burned down in 2017 and was rebuilt just the way it was. Order the Tostada Burger: real shredded cheddar melted on top, with creamy beans, onions and chips underneath. Start with the macho nachos, and don’t bother asking to watch them melt the cheese.
Savor
The Culinary Institute of America trains some of the country’s brightest young chefs right here at the Pearl, and at Savor the students run everything, from the dining room to the kitchen. The menu changes with each new class, so every visit is a different experience. Mine was regional Mexican: a stuffed masa pocket, a crab-stuffed squash blossom with mole, pasta with grilled quail and a Mexican chocolate mousse cake. It’s fine dining that feels like giving back to the next generation.
Culture
Witte Museum
The Witte tells the deep time of Texas, from millions of years ago to today. Meet the Acrocanthosaurus that once roamed right here in San Antonio, then look up at Quetzalcoatlus, the largest animal ever to fly, with a wingspan like a fighter jet. Walk past a timeline of Texas stone points, a 5,000-year-old sandal and a to-scale replica of the Fate Bell rock shelter. They even have David Crockett’s fiddle. It’s like a dozen day trips under one roof.
The Pearl
For more than a hundred years, these grounds were home to Pearl Beer, the largest brewery in Texas before Prohibition. The brewery closed in 2001, and today the whole district is a food lover’s playground and a model for historic renovation. The crown jewel is Hotel Emma, named for Emma Koehler, who ran the brewery for decades after her husband died. Grab a Gold Export at Southerleigh, a lager brewed close to the old recipe, and end the night at the hotel bar.
Outdoors
San Antonio Zoo
Tucked inside Brackenridge Park, the San Antonio Zoo opened in 1914 and was the first zoo in the world to show animals in cageless habitats, using the limestone walls of an old rock quarry and a system of moats. Today it’s home to more than 750 species, including Tupi, the capybara who went viral as the first born here in 25 years. Say hi to the tortoises, one possibly older than the Republic of Texas, and book a behind-the-scenes tour to feed the hippos.
Japanese Tea Garden
A hidden oasis since 1917, the Japanese Tea Garden was the vision of parks commissioner Ray Lambert: a Japanese-style garden with a Texas point of view. During World War II it was renamed the Chinese Tea Garden, and the entrance still carries that name. Artist Eizo Jingu and his family lived here and tended the garden in the 1920s and ’30s. Their home is now the Jingu House, serving Asian fare and boba tea. Come for the waterfall, the quiet paths and a little forest bathing.
