First Look: Full Goods Diner brings hearty fare, easy vibes to San Antonio’s Pearl complex

Full Goods Diner, the newest dining spot at San Antonio’s Pearl complex, welcomed guests to a soft opening Tuesday, offering a preview of its hearty daytime eats and comforting vibes.

At first glance, the space was virtually unrecognizable from that of its previous tenant, Green Vegetarian Cuisine. The spot now boasts freshly painted white walls and loads of natural light, along with ash and oak accents and touches of lush greenery.

Red-and-white-striped banquette seats welcomed those visiting to sample Full Goods’ breakfast and lunch fare, and the staffers served it up with gusto.

According to previous statements from Full Goods’ owners, the restaurant aims to blend Mexican and U.S. flavors with its scratch-made eats. The three menu items we sampled at the preview all expertly hit that target.

The potato, chorizo and cheese empanada was a pouch of savory deliciousness encased in buttery, expertly-prepared dough. The same yeasted, laminated pastry — golden brown and displaying impressively uniform layers — wrapped the guava lemon curd danish, which managed to balance the flavors of both fruits in its jammy center.

The Texas hash with roasted pork shoulder, kale and sweet potato, was largely a hit, though a tad dry. It was enlivened, however, with the addition of a poached egg and a bright and spicy pecan mole sauce.

The classic breakfast plate featured buttered toast, spiced waffle fries, a hand-formed maple sausage patty and two eggs, the latter prepared to my dining companion’s preference of over-easy.

It was 9 a.m., so we each ordered coffee — a house drip and an Americano — both of which were fresh and robust. Worthy of note: Full Goods also offers a menu of cocktails, beer and wine as well as unique non-alcoholic sippers including hibiscus agua fresca and lavender lemonade.

The new spot will open this Thursday, serving guests from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. The establishment’s owner, San Antonio-native restaurateur Ryan Harms, told the Current he  welcomes a variety of diners, from those who are after nothing more than a cup coffee to those arranging a weekday working breakfast.

Full Goods Diner, 200 E. Grayson St., Suite 120, joins Mediterranean restaurant Ladino as the newest eating establishments to open at the Pearl. Ladino opened Sept. 19 inside the site that previously housed chef Andrew Weissman’s shuttered Italian eatery Il Sogno.

So many restaurants, so little time. Find out the latest San Antonio dining news with our Flavor Friday Newsletter.

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This article appears in Sep 7-20, 2022.