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San Antonio's essential women-owned restaurants and bars

By San Antonio Current Staff on Fri, Mar 1, 2024 at 2:06 pm

Women chefs, restaurateurs and innovators are at the forefront of San Antonio's thriving food scene. From casual eats to fine dining, wineries to food trucks, it's safe to say they're winning at the culinary game.

Need proof? Just check out these 36 remarkable spots to eat and drink — all helmed by fearless women.

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Photo via Instagram / govegansatx

Go Vegan San Antonio
122 W. Lindbergh Blvd., Universal City, (210) 920-0089, govegansatx.com
This vegan comfort food truck makes it a little easier to ditch meat and dairy and chow down on something truly special.

Photo via Instagram / misschickpeasbakeshop

Miss Chickpea’s Bakeshop
Multiple Locations, miss-chickpeas-bakeshop.business.site
Chefs like Tatiana Martinez of Miss Chickpea's Bakeshop have taken SA’s vegan food scene to new heights. She’s all about delicious and beautiful pastries without using animal products.

Photo via Instagram / aldacos_restaurant

Aldaco's Mexican Cuisine
20079 Stone Oak Pkwy., (210) 494-0561, aldacosrestaurants.com
Blanca Aldaco undoubtedly helped bring national recognition to SA via family recipes such as her iconic Tres Leches cake. First introduced to San Antonio in 1989, this sweet treat is now available by the slice at Aldaco's.

Courtesy Photo / Clementine

Clementine
2195 NW Military Highway, (210) 503-5121, clementine-sa.com
Alongside husband and chef John Russ, Elise Russ brings her longtime love for desserts to Clementine, where she serves as an owner and pastry chef. She brings years of experience in the food biz from posts in the Alamo City and beyond.

Photo via Instagram / sutapants

Ma Harper's Creole Kitchen
1816 N. New Braunfels Ave., (210) 226-2200, facebook.com/maharperscreolekitchen
Owned by New Orleans native Alice “Ma” Harper, who learned to cook when she needed to help feed her 15 siblings, this Creole kitchen has been serving — and satisfying — local diners for decades. If you need any more reason to respect this badass chef, Harper turned to the food business after retiring from the U.S. Air Force. She was a mechanic for 21 years.

Photo via Instagram / losbarriosrestaurant

Los Barrios
4223 Blanco Rd., (210) 732-6017, losbarriosrestaurant.com
Since its inception in 1979, Los Barrios has been a female-led endeavor first launched by Viola Barrios. Nowadays, Diana Barrios Trevino has grown the restaurant to include La Hacienda, Viola’s Ventanas and La Hacienda Scenic Loop.

Photo via Instagram / lucycoopersicehouse

Lucy Cooper's Texas Ice House
Multiple Locations, lucycoopers.com
The good times roll on at this ice house. Serving 21+ patrons, Lucy Cooper's is owned by Braunda Moody Smith. With outposts in San Antonio and New Braunfels, this drinking spot also serves delicious grub and offers fun events like naughty bingo and live music.

Photo via Instagram / the_bread_box

The Bread Box
555 W. Bitters Road #115, (210) 277-8612, thebreadboxsa.com
After years in the local food business, Tina Kent and husband Lucas decided to pursue their own venture — The Bread Box. Since its 2015 opening, the bread-only bakery turned café is all about natural ingredients and Texan flours with the Kents at the helm.

Photo via Instagram / thefriendlyspot

The Friendly Spot Ice House
943 S. Alamo St., (210) 224-2337, thefriendlyspot.com
Southtown’s Friendly Spot is only as friendly as its leading lady, Jody Newman. She and husband Steve also operate new nightspot Bruno's Dive Bar — in the space that formerly housed a previous Newman venture: B&D Ice House — and Hills & Dales Ice House.

Photo via Instagram / birdbakery

Bird Bakery
5912 Broadway St., (210) 804-2473, birdbakery.com
Elizabeth Chambers, a San Antonio native and silver screen actress, opened the Alamo Heights location of Bird Bakery in 2012. The cute-as-can-be shop has grown to include Dallas and Denver locations. The bakery is probably best known for its cupcakes, which come in daily flavors like chocolate peanut butter, as well as rotating seasonal options.

Photo via Instagram / thepointpark

The Point Park & Eats
24188 Boerne Stage Road, (210) 251-3380, thepointpark-eatstx.com
Led by Denise Aguirre, this Far North SA food truck park has helped launch several businesses out of their Boerne Stage Road outpost.

Photo via Instagram / delice_sanantonio

Délice Chocolatier and Patisserie
946 N. Loop 1604 West #145, (210) 545-2200, delicechocolatier.com
Susana Mijares and her husband Nacho Aguirre bake up delicious treats from an aptly-named North Side bakery, Délice. When it comes to sweets, Mijares’ desserts taste as good as they look.

Photo courtesy of Re:Rooted 210

ReRooted 210
623 Hemisfair Blvd., #106, (254) 661-2721, rerootedwine.com
Founded by Jennifer Beckmann, San Antonio’s first downtown winery made a splash on the scene with its state-of-the-art draft system for pouring seven inaugural house wines — 100% Texas wines, at that. The new venue takes advantage of the enhanced walkability of the newly redeveloped Hemisfair complex and its open-container rule, giving visitors the option to take their vino on-the-go.

Photo via Instagram / southernrootsbiz

Southern Roots Vegan Bakery
southernrootsvegan.com
Marcus and Cara Pitts were on a mission to provide healthier meals for Cara's grandmother Mary Lee when they started Southern Roots Vegan Bakery (SRVB). Southern Roots offers an extensive menu of vegan and gluten-free donuts, cookies and brownies — and vegan cinnamon rolls that are to die for. The bakery also ships orders nationwide, so you can impress your out-of-towner friends with delicious vegan treats.

Photo via Instagram / eatbingekitchen

Binge Kitchen
449 McCarty Road, (210) 442-8126, eatbingekitchen.com
When you hear the word “binge” you probably don’t think of vegan food, but Binge Kitchen may make you want to do just that. Meatloaf, crispy chicken, mac and cheese — they’ve got it all. If there’s a soul food dish you can’t live without, you’ll find it vegan-style at Binge Kitchen.

Photo by Torence B. White via Instagram / surrealtymz

Carmens De La Calle
320 N. Flores St., (210) 281-4349, carmensdelacalle.com
Owned by Paula Sullivan, Carmens De La Calle is a hub of Spanish culture in downtown SA. After years on the St. Mary’s Strip, the bar moved to its current location in late 2014 after being closed for a year, and has thrived ever since with Sullivan at the helm. With support from the spirit of downtown, Carmens serves globally-inspired dishes and hosts live musicians regularly.