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🔝 TOP 3 IN 30 SECONDS
🏗 Southside: EL RIQUI MARISCOS DE CARRETA - Not just another generic Mexican seafood restaurant, the menu focus is fresh, chile-and-citrus-driven seafood.
✅ - Northside: MESA31 - celebrates regional Mexican taste in craft Texas barbecue.
⭐️ Northwest: HIGHLAND - You enter Highland through a sliding bookcase wall at the back of Castlehill giving it a “speakeasy-style restaurant” feeling.
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🏗️ COMING SOON & RUMORED
Southside:EL RIQUI MARISCOS DE CARRETA - is coming to La Picosa Town Center at Brooks. The concept originates in Tijuana and is centered around Sinaloa/Baja-style mariscos de carreta — essentially the lively street-seafood culture you find in northwest Mexico.
⏰ ETA: Late 2026
📍 Address: 7514 S. New Braunfels Ave.,ste 1121, 78235
🌐 Website: www.mariscoselriqui.com
📑 ON THE RADAR — NEW FILINGS & PERMITS
Central/Pearl: SANTONIA CANTINA - The James Beard-recognized duo behind Naco Mexican is bringing a brand-new borderlands-inspired cantina to Pearl this November. Expect Northern Mexican flavors to meet South Texas swagger with rib-eye tacos, crispy shrimp flautas, shareable botanas and a cocktail program built around tequila, mezcal, sotol and regional ingredients.
⏰ ETA: November 2026
📍 Address: 200 E. Grayson St., 78215
🌐 Website: Not Published Yet
✅ NOW OPEN
Northside: MESA31 - Texas barbecue meets Mexican comfort food at this new locally owned North Side spot. Mesa31 pairs house-smoked brisket, pork and chicken with house-made tortillas and San Antonio-inspired breakfast and lunch favorites.
📍 Address: 19179 Blanco Rd.,ste 115,78258
🌐 Website: www.mesa31.com
📞 Phone: No phone number on file
Eastside: ORINGO AFRICANA - After building a following as a food truck, Oringo Africana has officially opened its brick-and-mortar home on the East Side. Expect bold West African flavors with dishes like jollof rice, egusi and fufu, grilled tilapia and other traditional favorites.
📍 Address: 1701 E. Houston St., 78202
🌐 Website: oringo-africana.square.site
📞 Phone: (726) 229-7587
🍷 WHAT WE’RE SIPPING ON
Downtown: THE MOON’S DAUGHTERS - Come for the cocktails, stay for that view. Perched 20 stories above downtown at the Thompson San Antonio, The Moon’s Daughters pairs Mediterranean-inspired style with creative cocktails and one of the prettiest rooftop settings in the city.
📍 Address: 115 Lexington Ave., 78205
🌐 Website: www.themoonsdaughters.com
📞 Phone: (210) 942-6032
Central / Pearl: JUE LET - Cocktail night gets a little more interesting at Jue Let, a two-story Asian-American bar bringing bold drinks, retro style and a playful sense of adventure to Pearl. Add private karaoke rooms and a little fortune-telling into the mix, and this is definitely not your average happy hour.
📍 Address: 312 Pearl Pkwy., Bldg 2, Ste 2107, 78215
🌐 Website: www.juelet.com
📞 Phone: (210) 201-2672
⭐ This Week’s FEATURED SPOT
Northwest: HIGHLAND -
The Vibe
Secret door, intimate setting, serious food. Hidden behind a sliding bookcase inside Castlehill, Highland feels like part speakeasy, part chef's table — an elevated multi-course dining experience with just enough mystery to make date night feel like an adventure.
Must-Order Items
There really isn't an order to place — that's part of the fun. Chef Graham Campbell takes guests through a multi-course tasting menu inspired by his Scottish roots and modern European cuisine, with the menu changing periodically.
Pro Tip
Don't accidentally book Castlehill thinking you've booked Highland! Highland is the hidden, reservation-only tasting experience inside Castlehill and requires its own prepaid reservation. Come hungry, give yourself time to enjoy the experience — and yes, absolutely get the photo going through the bookcase. 😉
READ MORE ABOUT HIGHLAND HERE.
📍 Address: 5138 UTSA Blvd.,78249
🌐 Website: www.castlehillrestaurant.com
📞 Phone: (210) 540-1990
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✌️ Until next Thursday,
Ami S.
P.S. Corrections welcome. If I got something wrong, email me at [email protected] — I try to double-check everything, but I’m human.