Pinch Boil House & Bia Ba Even with San Antonio’s proximity to Houston, the Bayou City has held onto one of its most distinctive cuisines for far too long. Vietnamese-style crawfish boils landed in San Antonio via LA Crawfish, but the Culebra location keeps city dwellers at bay. Soon, with the opening of Pinch Boil House & Bia Bar, Downtowners will get a taste of the aromatic, spicy and flat-out delicious flavors on a regular basis.
Opened by college buds Andrew Ho, Sean Wen and partner Ben Annotti, the shop will feature a menu of snacks such as Pinch fries topped with soft shell crab, garlic butter and scallions; and banh mi’s available in pork, chicken, beef, tofu of in a bowl. But the stars will be the seafood boils of crawfish, blue crab, gulf shrimp, snow crab claws and Market Boils, tossed in your choice of sauce: OG. Garlic Butter filled with lemongrass, citrus and oodles of garlic, coconut curry or hot Thai chili.
The Bia Bar will add a hip spot for quality meats served street-eat style in the heart of Downtown’s Tech District. 124 N. Main Ave., pinchboilhouse.com
210 Ceviche The place to watch futbol while noshing on seafood and drinking a cold one, 210 Ceviche offers a refuge from the heat. Try a ceviche sampler to start. Stick with the satisfying cooked dishes such as the Arroz 210 with seafood bits or the sautéed salmon. 9502 I-10, Suite 101, (210) 593-9300, 210ceviche.com.
Camaron Pelado Seafood Grill What Camaron Pelado lacks in atmosphere is made up for in coastal dishes that warrant praise. Classic ceviche, mounds of shrimp and a piled-high tostada all at fair prices make for a superb lunch or dinner. Don’t miss the seafood caldos with shrimp, oyster, crab and octopus. 2918 W Commerce, (210) 434-6700.
Costa Pacifica Known for innovative, fresh dishes, one-of-a-kind specialty drinks and ambiance reminiscent of the Pacific Coast of Mexico, Costa Pacifica is all about freshness. Visit for the fish “al pastor” costras, tuna capaccio or the whole red snapper. Multiple locations.
El Siete Mares The Westside’s go-to for fish filets, and sopas de marisco, El Siete Mares is still as fresh as ever. Don’t miss the shrimp cocktail. Get there early on weekends, the joint is often filled with large, lively groups. 3831 W. Commerce St., (210) 436-6056, elsietemaressa.com.
Laguna Madre Seafood Company Bill Miller’s isn’t all chicken and brisket. The San Anto fave also deals — deliciously — in fish. Fried plates include choice of shrimp, fried cods, catfish or oysters. Multiple locations, lagunamadreseafood.com.
Las Islas Marias A colorful Sinaloan seafood restaurant specializing in shrimp in several guises with winners such as the empanadas de camaron, ceviche ejecutivo, camarones zarandeados, charola de mejillones, camarones aguachiles en salsa roja. 522 SW Military, (210) 922-7777.
Mariscos El Bucanero Mariscos may be in the name, but first-rate Mexican from the asada plate, chile rellenos and enchiladas are on the menu. Of course, seafood lovers may also enjoy the molcajete de ceviche, camarones a la diabla or the fried fish. And don’t forget to try the fried shrimp. Many consider it the best in town. Multiple locations, bucanerosanantonio.com.
Mariscos El Marinero Familiar, yes, but still tasty. Order the tostada known as the Torre Imperial for an awe-inspiring stack of seafood that perfectly layers several ceviches, chopped scallops, octopus and peel-and-eat shrimp, and yep, red onion into a colorful tower. 1819 McCullough Ave., (210) 465-9178
Neptune’s Seafood House Neighborhood seafood comes affordable, friendly and delectable at Neptune’s. Crispy fried okra, catfish po’boys and family dinner under $20 are all aboard this seafood boat. Fried specialties include a fried frog leg plate. 1922 Goliad, (210) 337-7294, neptunesseafoodhouse.com.
Rudy’s Seafood For over 40 years, Rudy’s Seafood has drawn in Southside residents for large platters of fried fish served the Rudy’s way with fries, lemon bread and a serrano pepper. Also on the menu: grilled fish tacos, fried mushrooms, burgers and sweet potato fries. 4122 S. Flores St., (210) 532-1315, rudysseafood.com.
Sea Island Shrimp House After celebrating 50 years as San Antonio’s go-to Lenten spot, Sea Island is still cranking out hits. It’s not Port A, but it’ll do especially when you order the “world famous” charbroiled shrimp plate, of fifteen lightly breaded, skewered and citrusy shrimp arrived alongside your choice of sides. Multiple locations, shrimphouse.com.
Shuck Shack Consider Jason Dady your boat captain on this seafaring adventure. Try the fish and chips, which can’t be missed — the batter is crisp and dreamy and consistently so. The shrimp roll employs an alluring mixture of brown butter, sofrito and horseradish aioli to delectable results. Or just throw back a few oyster shooters? Not into deliciously briny bivalves? Stick with piña coladas, rosé and tasty hushpups and let the kiddos take up residence on the playground. 520 E. Grayson St., (210) 236-7422, shuckshack.com.
Tiago’s Cabo Grille Inspired by the flavors of Cabo San Lucas, the food here is light, fresh and flavorful. A spin on the traditional Mexican, this coastal cuisine includes such fare as fire-grilled skewers and street vendor-style tacos. Daily lunch specials and signature drinks, like the San Lucas Breeze, put Tiago’s a notch above the rest. Multiple locations, tiagoscabogrille.com.
Wildfish Seafood Grille Immediately upon opening in 2008, Wildfish became the go-to destination for seafood in North San Antonio. Featuring dishes such as North Atlantic Lemon Sole and Crispy Cashew Calamari, Wildfish added fresh ideas to the seafood market. It may not be the new thing anymore, but it’s still a fresh catch. 1834 N. Loop 1604 W., (210) 493-1600, wildfishseafoodgrille.com.
