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Smoke BBQ + Riverbar can accommodate about 400 guests on its sprawling patio.
San Antonio nightspot operators Adrian Martinez and Sam Panchevre are expanding their repertoire with a sprawling new Riverwalk venue dubbed Smoke BBQ + Riverbar, MySA reports.
Martinez, who owns Smoke BBQ + Skybar near downtown, and Panchevre — owner of Sam’s Burger Joint and the Aztec Theatre — will debut the patio-focused property on Tuesday, March 15 not far from the Arneson River Theater, the news site reports."The Riverwalk is a special place for our city and the opportunity to bring our homegrown brand to the water is priceless," Martinez told MySA. "This move puts our name in front of a national audience and we are truly prepared for that. Timing was key as we are slowly coming out of the pandemic, conventions are starting to come back, and Fiesta is only a few weeks away."
The spot is located on the grounds of the Jeremiah Dashiell House, 511 Villita, a two-story, mid-19th century home owned by the San Antonio Conservation Society. Before the partnership between the two venue owners, the location was expected to house a bar called Rocky's on the River.
Martinez told MySA that Smoke BBQ + Riverbar will program live entertainment and DJ sets weekly while serving barbecue, beer and cocktails. The partners also said the space, whose massive patio overlooks the San Antonio River, can accommodate 400 guests with indoor seating for 80.
Martinez started Smoke, a massive, multi-level bar and restaurant in St. Paul Square in March 2016 but closed in July 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He reopened a reimagined Smoke at 501 E. Crockett Street that November, less than a mile away from the original space. The new iteration is almost completely outdoors.
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