San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
11 great San Antonio restaurant patios
smaller exposed bistro tables, although depending on the time of day, the entire patio can be in the shadow of the towering building it’s attached to.
The brunch is hard to beat here. The Milk Bread French Toast is a particular standout and partners nicely with a zippy bloody mary. The dinner crowd will find heartier fare, including braised short ribs, pasta and steak frites, on the menu.
Box St. All Day, 623 Hemisfair Blvd., Suite 108, 210-476-5705, theboxstreetsocial.com, Facebook: @theboxstreetsocial
Camp Outpost Co.
Sitting near the intersection of South Alamo and South Flores streets just a hop away from the trendy Blue Star Arts Complex, Camp Outpost offers some of the best al fresco dining you’ll find in the SoFlo area. A large front patio covered in synthetic turf sports both picnic tables and chairs clustered around fire pits with plenty of shade cover and misters to keep things cool in the summer. A second bar built out of a sleek Airstream trailer is parked outside to serve patio diners.
Camp’s signature dishes include chicken, ribs and beef cooked on a wood-fired rotisserie. The fried chicken sandwich and Mission Salad are also a treat.
Camp Outpost Co., 1811 S. Alamo St., 210-942-4690, eatatcamp.com, Facebook: @EatAtCamp
Guillermo’s Austin Street
This Government Hill newcomer offers a huge front patio that stretches from a small porch with a few seats into a large gravel lot filled with picnic tables equipped with umbrellas. The open space has a modern beer garden vibe with a separate outdoor bar and a unique feature: a dedicated cellphone charging station.
On the menu, you’ll find Italian staples with a San Antonio twist, such as the Texas Lasagna made with skirt steak and jalapeño marinara. Classic pub grub excels as well, with excellent fried chicken wings and pizzas prepared in a wood-fired oven.
Guillermo’s Austin Street, 1216 Austin St., 210-290-8056, guillermosaustinstreet.com, Facebook: @GuillermosAustinStreet
Jardín
The gorgeous San Antonio Botanical Garden provides the setting for this restaurant, which is tucked into the historic Sullivan Carriage House on the grounds. Jardín’s courtyard patio provides the perfect setting to sip a frosty peach bellini surrounded by the blooming flowers of spring.
Shady trees tower over much of the patio, and exposed tables have umbrellas to keep the sun at bay.
Jardín serves a primarily Mediterranean menu with excellent riffs on hummus and a wide range of small dishes called mezzes, which provide a fun mix-and-match dining experience.
Jardín, 555 Funston Place at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, 210-338-5100, jardinsatx.com, Facebook: @jardinsatx
La Fogata Mexican Cuisine
This staple San Antonio restaurant inside Loop 410 has been transporting diners to a Mexican hacienda for four decades. Much of the restaurant’s seating is outdoors under wood-framed pergolas lined with lush, colorful plant life and several babbling water features where birds are likely to fly in for a quick bath.
Margaritas are the star here, with nearly every table sporting at least one frozen or on-therocks
glass of limey tequila goodness. Menu standouts include fish tacos, guacamole prepared tableside and memorable queso flameado spiked with flavorful chorizo.
La Fogata Mexican Cuisine, 2427 Vance Jackson Road, 210-3401337, lafogata.com, Facebook: @lafogata
La Fonda on Main
You’ll want to make a reservation to dine outdoors at this
Monte Vista institution, as it’s one of San Antonio’s most in-demand patios. Outdoor seating is available on the restaurant’s new front porch and side patio, as well as the sprawling, palm treelined back courtyard it’s famous for. All offer plenty of shady spots covered by umbrellas, shade sails or large trees strung with colorful lights. Large fans hang over many of the seats.
La Fonda serves a wide range of upscale interior Mexican and
Tex-Mex favorites with enchiladas taking top billing. La Fonda prepares them eight different ways, although it’s hard to beat its classic Tex-Mex version made with a flavorful ruddy sauce the restaurant has become known for.
La Fonda on Main, 2415 N.
Main Ave., 210-733-0621, lafondaonmain.com, Facebook: @lafondaonmain
Little Em’s Oyster Bar
You’ll be dining in Southtown style at this adorable, petite spot that would feel just as at home on the French seaside. For a topshelf people-watching experience, grab a seat at the long table right next to the sidewalk, better to eye the stylish pedestrians strolling along South Alamo Street. The patio is small and intimate, with umbrellas and fans taming the heat.
As the name would imply, Little Em’s is all about oysters. The selection, which changes regularly and typically includes bivalves from a half-dozen or more locations, is one of the best in San Antonio. The rest of the menu is seafood heavy, with an excellent crabcake and bagel piled high with lox.
Little Em’s Oyster Bar, 1001 S. Alamo St., 210-257-0100, littleemsoysterbar.com, Facebook: @LittleEmsOysterBar
Paloma Blanca Mexican Cuisine
The patio at this Alamo
Heights hot spot is one of the most charming in the city, lined with verdant leafy plants, shady palm trees, pots full of bright flowers and colorful papel picado overhead. This spot feels like a tropical escape from the traffic zooming by on Broadway. All that charm makes this a highly indemand spot, so be sure to make a reservation.
Paloma Blanca serves remarkable interior Mexican and TexMex cuisine, including memorable shrimp tacos, ceviche and several takes on chiles rellenos. You’ll also find arguably San Antonio’s best margarita in The ’09, expertly made with top-shelf tequila and fresh lime juice.
Paloma Blanca Mexican Cuisine, 5800 Broadway, Suite 300, 210-822-6151, palomablanca.net, Facebook: @PalomaBlancaSA
Tre Trattoria
Tucked into the San Antonio Museum of Art, this restaurant’s patio provides a broad view of the River Walk’s Museum Reach. The seating is well shaded by a large overhang, and you’ll feel plenty of cool breeze coming off the river below and from large fans overhead.
Tre’s specialty is Italian, including a wide range of housemade pasta dishes, pizza and vibrant Mediterranean appetizers. The herb-roasted half chicken, served with arugula, fingerling potatoes and lardons, is a work of art.
Tre Trattoria, 200 W. Jones Ave. in the Hops House at the San Antonio Museum of Art, 210-8050333, tretrattoria.com, Facebook: @TreTrattoria