After more than a decade as a cornerstone of San Antonio’s Pearl district, Cured — the contemporary American restaurant from James Beard Award–nominated chef Steve McHugh — will permanently close early next month.
The restaurant will shut down Sunday, Jan. 4, according to details McHugh’s team shared Monday afternoon. The chef-owner didn’t cite a specific reason for the closure, instead thanking San Antonio for 13 years of support and reflecting on Cured’s time in the historic jewel box building that became a symbol of the Pearl’s transformation — and his own personal journey.
“When I opened Cured, the name represented two things close to my heart: my own successful battle against cancer and the artisanal craft of curing meats that became the cornerstone of our menu,” McHugh said in a statement. “What I didn’t fully understand then was how much this restaurant would become a daily celebration of life itself — a place where appreciation and gratitude weren’t just words, but the driving philosophy behind everything we did.”
McHugh was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010, shortly after he moved to San Antonio to help open the restaurant Lüke. He was officially declared in remission in 2011, and the debut of Cured followed two years later. The new venture became a tribute to health and healing and new beginnings for the chef and his team.
During its run, Cured earned six James Beard Award finalist nominations, helping cement McHugh’s reputation on the national culinary stage. The restaurant was also named one of Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurants in 2014 and recognized by Texas Monthly as one of the state’s best dining spots. Together, the accolades positioned Cured as an early driver of San Antonio’s rising national food profile.
Philanthropy remained a central part of Cured’s mission. Each September, during Blood Cancer Awareness Month, McHugh hosted the annual Cured for a Cure dinner benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a cause tied directly to his own cancer diagnosis and recovery.
Though the restaurant is closing, McHugh’s culinary approach continues through his cookbook, CURED: Cooking with Ferments, Pickles, Preserves, & More, published in spring 2024. Co-authored with Texas Monthly Senior Food Writer and Restaurant Critic Paula Forbes, the book includes more than 150 recipes focused on seasonal cooking and preservation techniques such as fermentation, pickling and charcuterie — things Cured was well known for.
The historic building, whose walls date back to 1904, will remain part of the Pearl’s evolving landscape. Officials with the development haven’t revealed what restaurant is scheduled to take its place.
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