Our Pick: Il Forno, 122 Nogalitos St., (210) 616-2198, ilfornosa.com

From the looks of it, you might not guess this humble little shop tucked away near Southtown’s Nogalitos/Flores/Cevallos intersection cranks out some of the best pies in town. Pulling up to the restaurant, the place looks rustic, even a little feral, with lush gardens and wooden posts that fence off the patio area. When you walk inside, the unmistakable and inviting aroma of wood-fired dough from Il Forno’s signature hand-made oven hits you. There’s some deep knowledge behind the pies here. To lead the kitchen, owner and chef Michael Sohocki, the dude behind Restaurant Gwendolyn and Kimura, tapped none other than Jason Garcia (a Gwendolyn, Ocho, and Dough Pizzeria alum), whose small staff uses fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and house-cured meats as toppings. Not only does the place offer what amounts to insanely affordable specialty pizzas, Garcia & co. are genuinely pleasant people to be around, which makes dining at Il Forno a laid-back, delicious experience. Plus, the crew loves to spread their pizza knowledge, occasionally hosting dough-throwing and mozzarella-making classes for interested eaters. Pies to the people. 

WINNER: Bakery Lorraine, 306 Pearl Pkwy., Suite 110, (210) 862-5582, bakerylorraine.com

2. Cake Crumbs, 1218 W. Bitters Road, Suite 108, (210) 906-3783, cakecrumbssa.com

3. Bird Bakery, 5912 Broadway, (210) 804-2473, birdbakery.com

WINNER: Smoke Shack, 3714 Broadway, (210) 957-1430, smokeshacksa.com

2. Rudy’s Country Store & Bar-B-Q, multiple locations, rudysbbq.com

3. 2m Smokehouse & Catering, 2731 S. W. W. White Road, (210) 885-93
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WINNER: Lulu’s Bakery & Cafe, 918 N. Main Ave., (210) 951-2802, luluscafeinsa.com

2. De Wese’s Tip Top Cafe, 2814 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 735-2222

3. MK Davis Restaurant, 1302 N. Flores St., (210) 223-1208, mkdavisrestaurant.com

WINNER: Golden Wok, multiple locations, goldenwoksa.com

2. Ding How, 4531 NW Loop 410, (210) 549-8881, dinghowsa.com

3. Taste of Asia, 300 W. Bitters Road, Suite 120, (210) 496-6266

WINNER: Local Coffee, multiple locations, localcoffeesa.com

2. Barrio Barista, 3735 Culebra Road, (210) 519-5403, barriobarista.coffee

3. Rosella Coffee Co., 203 E. Jones Ave., Suite 101, (210) 277-8574, rosellacoffee.com

WINNER: Blanco Cafe, 1720 Blanco Road, (210) 732-6480

2. Taco Libre, 6511 Ingram Road, Suite 101, (210) 592-6288, facebook.com/vivatacolibre

3. Rosario’s, multiple locations, rosariossa.com

WINNER: Justin’s Ice Cream, 245 E. Commerce, (210) 222-2707, facebook.com/Justinsicecreamsanantonioriverwalk

2. Lick Honest Ice Creams, 312 Pearl Pkwy., Suite 2101, (210) 314-8166, ilikelick.com

3. Amy’s Ice Creams, 255 E. Basse Road, Suite 430, (210) 832-8886, amysicecreams.com

WINNER: Nectar Wine Bar & Ale House, 214 Broadway, (210) 375-4082, nectarsa.com

2. Snociopa, 6423 Babcock Road, Suite 104 , (210) 455 -8638, snopioca.com

3. Bar Louie, multiple locations, barlouie.com

WINNER: Sweet Yams, 218 N. Cherry St., (210) 229-9267, facebook.com/sweetyamsorganic

2. Green Vegetarian Cuisine, multiple locations, eatatgreen.com

3. Viva Vegeria, 1422 Nogalitos St., (210) 465-9233, myvegeria.com

WINNER: Sea Island Shrimp House, multiple locations, shrimphouse.com

2. El Bucanero, multiple locations, bucanerosanantonio.com

3. Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, 76 North East Loop 410, (210) 340-7143, pappadeaux.com