San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Pat Booker Road
Hawaiian, Vietnamese, tacos, wings and to-go drinks: The eating is good for military community
I’m not sure where the true dividing lines are as Interstate 35 goes north, turning into more New Braunfels than San Antonio, then more Austin after that.
But one thing I am sure of is the stretch of Pat Booker Road sandwiched to the east in Universal City remains loyal to the Alamo City.
The road is pretty much a one-stop shop that has a little bit of everything and serves a large military community. It’s not flashy — the nearby Ikea store and the big blue water tower are probably the biggest landmarks — but it gets the job done and is worthy of exploration.
As far as the food, you won’t be disappointed. Yes, there are plenty of chains, but also plenty of dreams being made at a bevy of local places that hit all sorts of magical flavor notes with owners who are passionate about what they do.
Big Aloha’s Ali‘i Cove Restaurant
Owners Mel and Kalani Young moved to Texas in 2007 and started selling plates of classic Hawaiian food out of their homes. Then they moved on to the food truck business, and now they have their own restaurant.
If you don’t have the means to pick up and take a flight to Oahu, no worries — you can do it here. The Youngs chose the location because of the strong ties Hawaii has to the military community, and the menu, of course, features Spam prepared a few ways, as well as roasted pork. On Fridays, they serve fresh-cut poke. Macaroni salad is an island favorite, and it comes with most dishes.
Two dishes that further add to the island experience are the Loco Moco ($12.99) and the Chicken Katsu ($12.49). The Loco is a messy conglomeration of deliciousness with two chargrilled burger patties covered in gravy served on a bed of rice with two gooey eggs on top. Go ahead and get messy.
The chicken, given a thick breaded crust and fried hot yet not too greasy, came with a mighty portion that blows the doors off the standard chicken tenders basket.
“We serve food that sparks curiosity, and people have responded well to it,” Kalani Young said. “We love what we do.”
1210 Pat Booker Road, 210507-2042, Facebook: @hawaiianfoodtruck
Pho 4 Star
Life has always been about cooking for Kim Dinh, who couldn’t be more into the food business. She says the restaurant she has run for nearly 10 years, located inside a strip center, is loaded with recipes she learned from her mom’s kitchen.
A vibrant lunch crowd during a Tuesday visit attested to the popularity of the restaurant, as Dinh and her staff worked the room with magnificent efficiency. The menu is massive, loaded with an assortment of Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese and American options that would take months to eat your way through.
“I love the life,” Dinh said, who rarely takes a day off from her beloved business. “I think what makes us different is the way we treat our customers, and we make all of our own seasonings and sauces.”
The peanut chicken ($9.99) and the vegetable sag noodles ($8.99) were my picks. They didn’t disappoint, with large enough servings to carry through lunch, dinner and a few late-night trips to the leftover buffet in the fridge.
2921 Pat Booker Rroad, Universal City, 210-659-2568, pho4starsatx.com
SipIT
This drive-thru-only destination for daiquiris has been on Pat Booker since 2019 and now has six locations. Drinks come in sizes from 12 ounces to a half gallon, and they are all topped with a taped seal because, legally, you can’t be naughty and drink it while driving.
The business not only weathered COVID, it thrived during the pandemic when bars were forced to close. General manager Valerie Spiegel said lines would stretch down the street and the drinks were being served within minutes of the drive-thru opening.
“It was one of those allhands-on-deck situations, so we were always on our toes,” Spiegel said. “People wanted to get out and do something, and coming here and getting a few drinks is always a fun option.”
The menu has more than 30 drink options, and many can be served virgin. And if you get here between 1 and 3 p.m. on weekdays, all drinks are half-priced.
1717 Pat Booker Road, 210-3143112, ordersipit.com
The Ticket Sports Bar & Grill
This watering hole has been a Pat Booker staple about 15 years, according to staff, and there’s no reason to believe that run will end anytime soon. Customers start walking through the door when they open at noon, greeted by a large lineup of draft beer, spirits, and plenty of entertainment with darts, pool and televisions in every direction.
The grill element is not to be ignored, though, with a vast selection of appetizers, burgers, sandwiches and 16 takes on chicken wings. I opted for the Ticket Style wings ($10 for 12) coated with a mixture of lemon pepper and Buffalo sauce. They were plumped, as if the chicken was on steroids, and served piping hot.
But what I did not expect was the quality of the hot Italian sandwich ($8) that came with a side of fries or onion rings. It rivals some of the best I’ve had at any deli or pizzeria with salami, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, peppers and melted mozzarella on a toasted hoagie.
2617 Pat Booker Road, 210566-2555, no web presence
Los Tapatios Taco Shop
Birria tacos ($11.79) served with that delectable brothy dip has been one of the trendiest Mexican dishes in San Antonio in recent years, and you will find some of the best in the city here.
Owners Armando and Aricela Aguirre make it fresh every day using an old family recipe Aricela grew up eating in Mexico. They also make their own barbacoa ($12.79), which is available daily.
Tacos come three to an order with your choice of flour or corn tortillas, and these are big ones with scoops of chopped onion, cilantro, a pair of hot sauces and a lime wedge.
“The birria has really been an anchor to our menu,” Armando Aguirre said.
Los Tapatios started as a food truck and has been in its current location since 2020. It now serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
925 Pat Booker Road, 210-2679148, tapatiostacos.com