Winner: The Rustic
17619 La Cantera Pkwy., Suite 204, (210) 245-7500, therustic.com
2. Maverick Texas Brasserie
710 S. St. Mary's St., (210) 973-6050, mavericktexas.com
3. Clementine
2195 NW Military Hwy., (210) 503-5121, clementine-sa.com
Food & Drink
Winner: Bakery Lorraine
Multiple locations, bakerylorraine.com
Bakery Lorraine opened in 2011 in a small cottage on Grayson (the place now houses Jason Dady's Alamo BBQ Company), and it's likely that not even Anne Ng and Jeremy Mandrell imagined they'd expand faster and farther than a batch of runaway sourdough. But with business partner Charlie Biedenharn on board, the trio has moved well beyond the prominent corner at the Pearl that the bakery next conquered. A small, similar outlet took the concept to the Medical Center area. The more tightly focused Maybelle's Donuts became a part of the mix at the nearby Pearl Bottling Department. With the recent debut of BL at The Rim on I-10 West, beer and wine were added to the original menu — itself much expanded over the years to encompass much more than pretty-in-pastel macarons. Breakfast offerings include banana toast with indulgent whipped cream, a kind of morning dessert, and savory bread pudding with ham, spinach and cheese. Yes, there's the obligatory quiche expected of a bakery. But, bakery also implying bread, there are ultra-stuffed sandwiches such as the irresistible Cuban with roasted pork loin and the offbeat but excellent roasted cauliflower with marinated shiitakes and Fontina. A grilled cheese sandwich incorporates comte, chevre, Fontina and apricot jam. Bacon can be had for an additional two bucks. Go ahead and have it — though not if it stops you from leaving with a peanut butter chocolate chip or Mexican hot chocolate cookie in hand.
2. La Panaderia
Multiple locations
3. Bird Bakery
5912 Broadway
(210) 804-2473
Winner: Bakery Lorraine
Multiple locations, bakerylorraine.com
Bakery Lorraine opened in 2011 in a small cottage on Grayson (the place now houses Jason Dady's Alamo BBQ Company), and it's likely that not even Anne Ng and Jeremy Mandrell imagined they'd expand faster and farther than a batch of runaway sourdough. But with business partner Charlie Biedenharn on board, the trio has moved well beyond the prominent corner at the Pearl that the bakery next conquered. A small, similar outlet took the concept to the Medical Center area. The more tightly focused Maybelle's Donuts became a part of the mix at the nearby Pearl Bottling Department. With the recent debut of BL at The Rim on I-10 West, beer and wine were added to the original menu — itself much expanded over the years to encompass much more than pretty-in-pastel macarons. Breakfast offerings include banana toast with indulgent whipped cream, a kind of morning dessert, and savory bread pudding with ham, spinach and cheese. Yes, there's the obligatory quiche expected of a bakery. But, bakery also implying bread, there are ultra-stuffed sandwiches such as the irresistible Cuban with roasted pork loin and the offbeat but excellent roasted cauliflower with marinated shiitakes and Fontina. A grilled cheese sandwich incorporates comte, chevre, Fontina and apricot jam. Bacon can be had for an additional two bucks. Go ahead and have it — though not if it stops you from leaving with a peanut butter chocolate chip or Mexican hot chocolate cookie in hand.
2. South Alamode Panini & Gelato Company
1420 S. Alamo St., (210) 788-8000, southalamode.com
3. Justin’s Ice Cream
245 E. Commerce St., (210) 222-2707, facebook.com/justinsicecreamsanantonioriverwalk
Winner: Tellez Tamales & Barbacoa
Multiple locations, (210) 433-1367
With two locations in San Antonio (1802 Bandera Road and 1737 S. General McMullen Drive), Tellez is a perennial favorite for tamales and barbacoa alike. This year's voters were likely wooed by the sprawling Willy Wonka factory vibes of the Bandera location that's lined with 2-liter bottles of Big Red. Stop by early in the morning for a dozen tamales or a pound of barbacoa just like you like it, and don't forget the fixin's — fresh pico, salsa, jalapenos and chunky guac. Don't sleep in, though. The holidays mean early morning campouts to score your orders of corn husk-wrapped tamalitos available in pork, chicken or jalapeño pork.
Barbacoa
2. Rios Barbacoa
Multiple locations, facebook.com/riosbarbacoa
3. Pico De Gallo Restaurant
111 S. Leona St., (210) 225-6060, picodegallo.com
Winner: Tellez Tamales & Barbacoa
Multiple locations, (210) 433-1367
With two locations in San Antonio (1802 Bandera Road and 1737 S. General McMullen Drive), Tellez is a perennial favorite for tamales and barbacoa alike. This year's voters were likely wooed by the sprawling Willy Wonka factory vibes of the Bandera location that's lined with 2-liter bottles of Big Red. Stop by early in the morning for a dozen tamales or a pound of barbacoa just like you like it, and don't forget the fixin's — fresh pico, salsa, jalapenos and chunky guac. Don't sleep in, though. The holidays mean early morning campouts to score your orders of corn husk-wrapped tamalitos available in pork, chicken or jalapeño pork.
2. Delicious Tamales
Multiple locations, delicioustamales.com
3. Ruben's Homemade Tamales
1807 Rigsby Ave., (210) 337-0025
Winner: Smoke Shack BBQ
3714 Broadway, (210) 957-1430, smokeshacksa.com
The barbecue giant on Broadway got some competition earlier this year by way of chef Jason Dady's Alamo BBQ Co., an extension of his Two Bros. BBQ Market. But San Antonio voters still turned out to the online polls for Smoke Shack. It could be the brisket grilled-cheese sandwich that pulls them back in, or perhaps the buttery sliders? Or maybe it's Pigpen's pulled-pork nachos, topped with meats from Smoke Shack? Or maybe it's that the same quality meats smoked at the Shack are used for Pigpen's all-you-can-eat Sunday Gospel brunch that keep folks coming back? Whatever the case, Chris and Kate Conger have found a winning formula that will likely follow them to their upcoming specialty grocery store, Smoke Shack Meat Market, when it opens next door.
2. Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q
Multiple locations, rudysbbq.com
3. Two Bros. BBQ Market
12656 West Ave.
(210) 496-0222
Winner: Brew's Lee Tea Station
4009 Broadway, (210) 598-0068, brewsleetea.com
It's not just that Brew's Lee Tea Station is an Instagrammer's oasis. Sure, the café is adorable, the framed slogans are picture perfect, and any shot of their tea will definitely get you those double taps. But the tea is actually delicious. Brewed fresh every day by owners and college sweethearts Billy and Frances Lee, Brew's Lee Tea packs in a delicious punch whether it's in their rose milk teas, hot ginger turmeric teas or specialty teas such as the iridescent glowing tea or the cerulean honey galaxy tea, made to order and customizable for all palates and appetites. The tastiness doesn't stop there as Brew's Lee is also dabbling in Taiyaki, fish-shaped pastries filled with red bean or ube coconut custard.
2. Bobalicious
4907 NW Loop 410, Suite 103, (210) 979-8040, facebook.com/bobaliciousinternetcafe
3. Suck It The Restaurant
7220 Louis Pasteur Drive, Suite 125, (210) 560-2113, facebook.com/suckittherestaurant
Winner: Cured
306 Pearl Pkwy., Suite 101, (210) 314-3929, curedatpearl.com
In 2017, Cured was robbed of the title of Best Charcuterie by now closed Nectar Wine Bar & Ale House. But this is 2018! Everything is up for grabs and that means Cured fans joyfully voted for their fave. Since opening in 2013, Cured has stockpiled their humidity-controlled locker with perfect pickles, mighty mustards and carefully curated meats. Available in selections of three, six or nine, Cured's charcuterie — a rotating cast of apple jalapeño pork rillettes, whipped pork butter, chicken liver mousse, smoked duck ham, finocchiona, pepperoni, ham hock cotechino and a collection of 90-day-plus meats — is bright, thoughtful and imaginative, which serves to woo diners back in time and time again. The boards serve as a perfect starter for any lunch, happy hour or small dinner, and best of all, each time you indulge, Cured donates a dollar to a local charity.
2. Boiler House Texas Grill & Wine Garden
312 Pearl Pkwy., Building 3
(210) 354-4644
3. Restaurant Gwendolyn
152 E. Pecan St., Suite 100
(210) 222-1849
Winner: India Palace
8474 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 692-5262, indiapalacesatx.com
This busy Medical Center spot has long been a dependable choice for either a quick lunch that takes advantage of its bountiful buffet or a leisurely a la carte dinner that trades on the chefs' skilled handling of the tandoori oven. (The buffet is available both for lunch and dinner, but Indian food's so much better cooked to order, so why rush if there's no need?) The Palace specializes in Punjabi cuisine, arguably the subcontinent's most approachable, and its aromatic spices and velvety sauces strike a crowd-pleasing note. It's also hard for vegetarians to go wrong with the abundant options. Service is efficient and unobtrusive, plus the kitchen does an admirable job of keeping the buffet stocked so food remains fresh — not always a guarantee at a restaurant steam table.
2. Bombay Hall Indian Cuisine
8783 Wurzbach Road
(210) 691-5900
3. Simi's India Cuisine
4535 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 109
(210) 737-3166
Winner: Pasha Mediterranean Grill
Multiple locations, gopasha.com
Big things have small beginnings, especially for Pasha and the restaurant group behind it, which celebrated 10 years this June. Their Wurzbach location now goes through 70 50-pound bags of flour for naan a week. Back in 2008, when founders Daniel Deiri and Kamran Hajivandi teamed up to open the restaurant inside a former Sombrero Rosa (hence the distinctive façade), the only diners familiar with the fare were members of the military. The success of the restaurant is that it found its niche early on: serving big portions, priced well for its freshness.
Introducing tasty versions of new-to-SA dishes also helped. There was that unleavened bread that is a good replacement for chips and salsa. There's the koobideh ground beef kebab that's now one of the top-selling plates. There's the chicken sheesh tawook marinated in garlic, olive oil and herb that's also a favorite.
And they're diving into fast-casual territory with the new Pasha Express on Culebra Road, with enough seating for 40, plus more on the patio. There are seven plates to choose from or customers can build their own salad/bowl/wrap, which uses the signature naan bread. At the end of the cafeteria-style line? A display case filled with single servings of hummus, dolmas and desserts from Baklovah.
2. Mina & Dimi's Greek House
7159 W. US Hwy 90
(210) 674-3464
3. Jerusalem Grill
Multiple locations
