New website shows which San Antonio eateries support dietary restrictions, lesser-known allergies

When Tamir Barzilai, founder of the food website Honeycomb, was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, he had a hard time finding restaurants that supported the related dietary restrictions.

An extensive list of foods to avoid left Barzilai longing for an opportunity to dine out.

That struggle ultimately led him to develop Honeycomb.ai, a free site that filters through hundreds of local restaurant menus to recommend options for nine major diets and dozens of allergies. Vegan, keto, and dairy-free options abound, but the site also offers menu options that support lesser known allergen restrictions, such as nightshade and garlic.

"People with dietary restrictions are either forced to cook at home, or only visit the same few restaurants," Barzilai said. "Their biggest frustration is having to sort through restaurant menus, and learn from restaurant staff whether dishes are suitable."

The website only launched recently, so the options for San Antonio restaurants are still fairly limited. However, there are some locally-owned spots already in the database, offering keto-, vegan- and low FODMAP-friendly menu options.

Among them are north side spot Cafe Vida, which offers a keto turkey burger salad, and Pho Sure near OP Schnabel Park, which serves up vegan pho and a vegan lemongrass tofu sandwich.

Those who have done significant legwork locating restaurants with menus supportive of their diets can share the wealth via a “Restaurant Suggestions” tab on Honeycomb's homepage. The tab allows diners to add eateries from SA that fit whatever restriction applies to them.

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