25 San Antonio restaurants that opened during the pandemic that you might have missed

By San Antonio Current Staff

Despite the many hardships that faced the bar and restaurant industry last year — thanks, COVID — San Antonio is now awash with brand-spanking new eateries that opened amid the global crisis.

We gathered up 25 totally different restaurants and bars that took the plunge and went into business in the face of a global pandemic. All of them are seriously winning — and some may be brand new to you.

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Willa Eatery
106 Auditorium Circle, (210) 233-8288, willasa.com
While this Tobin Center-area dining spot is largely vegan- and vegetarian-friendly, meat-eating guests can grab any of its sandwiches with seared pork belly or grilled chicken. Keep an eye out for brunch plans from the new spot.
Photo via Instagram / willaeatery

Milpa at the Yard
5253 McCullough Ave., (210) 990-2349, facebook.com/milpaattheyard
The mind behind the innovative cuisine at Ocho at Hotel Havana, Chef Jesse Kuykendall showcases the food of her childhood spent on the U.S.-Mexico border. The opening menu features items such as tacos arabes, asada, carnitas, quesadilla frita and elotito — and tacos that Texas Monthly deemed life-changing.
Photo via Instagram / foodies210

Bruno's Dive Bar
1004 S. Alamo St., (210) 225-9801, brunosdive.com
Owners of neighborhood staple The Friendly Spot Steve and Jody Bailey Newman are breathing new life into a vacant space across the street in Bruno's Dive Bar, which offers well drinks, an IPA on tap, games and a jukebox.
Photo via Instagram / brunosdive

Project Pollo
Multiple Locations, projectpollo.com
In less than a year, this vegan sando outfit has opened six locations, with a goal to open 100 by 2025. Founder Lucas Bradbury aims to put Chick-fil-a out of business with a line of vegan burgers and chicken sandwiches that are as tasty as they are sustainable.
Photo via Instagram / project_pollo

Tidy Ben's
731 S. Alamo St., (210) 364-1678, tidybens.com
SA’s gaining vegan-friendly options at lightning speed, including Tidy Ben’s Sloperia, a joint that serves up a meat-free take on the messy childhood fave the sloppy Joe sandwich. Housed inside Southtown comedy pub Jokesters 22, Tidy Ben's specializes in multiple flavors of meat-free sliders that consist of a shredded plant-based filling tucked inside sweet Hawaiian-style buns or atop tater tots or Fritos.
Photo via Instagram / tidybens

Glass and Plate
4212 McCullough Ave., (210) 864-7500, glassandplate.com
Former professor at the Culinary Institute of America in San Antonio chef Justin Ward opened his new Olmos Park-area restaurant this spring, offering lunch and dinner daily, as well as weekend brunch and a sweet new happy hour. Don’t sleep on the $1 fresh-shucked oysters during happy hour, and specials on margaritas and frozen daiquiris.
Photo via Instagram / fittravelingmama

Golden Wat Noodle House
111 Kings Court, (210) 320-8211, goldenwatnoodlehouse.com
This Cambodian concept is co-owner Susan Sypesteyn’s culinary love letter to the dishes of her upbringing, offering comforting dishes packed with bold and traditional flavors such as lemongrass, ginger and mint. Make sure you inquire on the seasonal donut, which is typically just as gorgeous as it is delicious.
Photo via Instagram / goodbitesa

House of Má
135 E. Commerce St., (210) 441-7229, houseofmasatx.com
This new downtown spot has been a long-awaited concept from team behind the popular downtown-area eatery Singh’s Vietnamese. The menu of the brand new street-level spot features Cambodian Noodle Soup and Chicken Pho as well as a selection of signature cocktails, and provides its tiki-forward river-level counterpart, Hugman’s Oasis, with bar eats.
Courtesy Photo / Giles Design Bureau

Amor Eterno
540 S. Presa St., instagram.com/amoreterno_sa
Amor Eterno — a new venture helmed by local bar owners Brian Correa and Aaron Peña — brings puro flavor to Southtown, including SA-inspired, locally sourced fare from popular pop-up ¡Bucho! and even special events when owner Peña spins vinyl into the night.
Photo via Instagram / amoreterno_sa

Best Quality Daughter
602 Avenue A, bestqualitydaughter.com
Food-focused dream team Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin and Quealy Watson — chefs and owners of Tenko Ramen, also at the Pearl — opened Best Quality Daughter in the thick of the pandemic, reflecting the comfort food of Dobbertin’s youth as a first-generation Chinese-American.
Photo via Instagram / bestqualitydaughter