San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Pumpers pop-up hopping into a food truck
Good news for all you burger fiends: San Antonio’s favorite R-rated hamburger purveyor will soon expand its operations from a once-a-week block party into a food trailer serving one of the city’s best burgers Wednesday through Sunday.
Noted chef Stefan Bowers of Playland and Rebelle fame will launch a food trailer for his pop-up hamburger concept Pumpers today outside the bar and live music venue Paper
Tiger. His Sunday pop-ups at Little Death on the St. Mary’s Strip have drawn huge crowds for much of the past year.
The new Pumpers trailer — Bowers calls it the Pump-truck — will serve a minimalist menu of one burger, the Pumpers # 1 ($7) featuring beef patties draped with cheese, mustard, ketchup, onions and pickles on a toasted bun. Fries will be available as a $3 add-on, and pickled jalapeńos will be available for an additional $1.50.
The Pumpers # 1 was recently named one of San Antonio’s top
15 burgers by Express-News dining critic Mike Sutter. Sizzled up in classic smashburger style,
these patties have a crispy char on the exterior while remaining remarkably juicy inside.
The Pumpers launch will be preceded with a “tagging party” in which regular customers of
Bowers’ previous pop-ups will spray-paint, sticker and otherwise deface the exterior of his new venture.
Bowers intends to hold monthly Pumpers pop-ups at Little Death, although exact dates have not yet been set.
Bowers recently struck out on his own as sole proprietor of Playland and Pumpers after several years as executive chef with the Goodman & Bowers Restaurant Group, which he and restaurateur Andrew Goodman operated together. Bowers has tapped chef Ezekiel Cavazos, who worked under Bowers at Battalion, Feast and other properties, to serve as director of culinary operations at Playland, Pumpers and a new bar Bowers intends to launch in the space below Playland.
Pumpers, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St. outside Paper Tiger, pumpers. world, Instagram: @pumpers_ world. Hours: 5 p.m. to midnight Wednesday and Thursday; 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; and 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday.