San Antonio wine and oyster bar Go Fish abruptly closes

After just two years in business, San Antonio oyster and wine bar Go Fish has permanently shut down, restaurant group Carpenter Carpenter said in a Sunday social media post.

“Friends, our time at 125 W Grayson has come to an end,” Go Fish’s Instagram post said. “While it’s bittersweet to say goodbye, we’re proud of what we built — innovative food, great wine, and unforgettable hospitality.”

Carpenter Carpenter — the group behind Little Em’s Oyster Bar, Nineteen Hyaku and Restaurant Claudine — opened Go Fish near the Pearl in 2023.

The seafood-focused restaurant went through several iterations but never seemed to find a following. It launched as a market concept, then transitioned to a sit-down restaurant earlier this year. In October, Carpenter Carpenter revamped the eatery yet again, adding an oyster bar.

Carpenter Carpenter didn’t provide an explanation for Go Fish’s closure. However, group spokeswoman May Carlson told the Current in October that the spot struggled to attract foot traffic.

Go Fish’s demise comes eight months after Carpenter Carpenter shuttered another of its ventures, Southtown fine-dining spot Up Scale. The group recently relocated Little Em’s into its vacant space.

Carpenter Carpenter’s latest closure also comes after posts shared last month on social media by former employees accused Houston Carpenter — half of the husband-wife business — of sexual assault and harassment along with the use of slurs and homophobic remarks.

In comments to the Current and in a now-deleted online statement, Houston Carpenter apologized for his past behavior.

“To be clear, I have put myself in distasteful situations that have caused speculation. I apologize and will learn from this,” he said in the statement. “I sincerely apologize to my family, friends, team and community for not learning this lesson sooner. I commit to being the best man I can be and hope we can all grow stronger from this.”

Although Go Fish is gone, Carpenter Carpenter is looking to the future, teasing the opening of Beau’s Tiny Diner in early 2025 in Little Em’s old space.

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This article appears in Dec 11-17, 2024.