Every year, beloved bars and restaurants in San Antonio serve their last drinks and bus their last plates — but that doesn’t mean the Alamo City doesn’t still remember the meals and memories fondly.
A post on the r/sanantonio subreddit asking about “great San Antonio restaurants from when you were young” that were lost to history brought out the nostalgia as more than 300 comments flooded in. Among many more, here are a few common answers locals had.
Sombrero Rosa
Many named restaurants with quirky design, such as Sombrero Rosa. There were a few of these in San Antonio at one point, and the location on Wurzbach Road is now a Pasha Mediterranean Grill. However, the remnants of Sombrero Rosa’s identifiable hat design can still be glimpsed — while the front of the building is still round in a way that suggests the sombrero’s brim, it seems the point of the hat was removed.
Old San Francisco Steak House
Another commenter mentioned the Old San Francisco steakhouse on Sahara Drive near San Pedro Avenue. Opened in 1968 by the folks behind Sea Island Shrimp House, this spot was known for cheeses, steaks and an entertainer known as the girl in the swing. According to the San Antonio Express-News, “the Girl would take her seat once every 45 minutes or so and swing out above the bar, at least 30 feet at the top of the arc, with the goal of kicking a cowbell attached to the ceiling.” The restaurant has since been closed to the public, but the space is now an event venue that you can still visit.
Pancho’s Mexican Buffet
Many commenters noted Pancho’s Mexican Buffet, where diners would raise a little Mexican flag at their table to signal for refills. While this Tex-Mex eatery, founded in 1958, hasn’t operated in the Alamo City for a while, it still exists outside San Antonio — in Humble, Arlington and Fort Worth, if you’re itching for it.
Earl Abel’s
The original Earl Abel’s also made the list — but “original” means different things when it comes to this iconic comfort eatery. It opened on North Main Avenue in 1933 and moved to Austin Highway in 2006 after 66 years at Broadway and Hildebrand. In 2017, the Austin Highway restaurant relocated to the Broadway corridor near the Pearl — closing temporarily in 2019, reopening, then shuttering permanently in 2023. It seems to only survive as a booth at the Boeing Center at Tech Port food hall.
Mexican Manhattan and Karam’s Mexican Dining Room
It’d be hard to scroll through the thread without seeing multiple mentions of Mexican Manhattan and Karam’s Mexican Dining Room. Brought to San Antonio by Tony A. Karam, Mexican Manhattan was originally opened in 1958 in the former space of a gambling house that shuttered the decade prior. When it later moved to Soldedad Street, the food (especially the nachos) and River Walk views became iconic. However, like many culinary staples of the city, Mexican Manhattan was taken from us in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As for Karam’s — the restaurant operated by Tony Karam’s cousin, Ralph Karam — it was known for its cheese enchiladas, tamales and the Toltec heads that graced the entrance. It operated for about 60 years before closing in 2008.
Pig Stand
All good things come to an end eventually, and that’s what happened to the iconic Broadway diner Pig Stand after 101 years. In 2023, owner Mary Ann Hill decided to close the restaurant after having heart surgery, as she was advised that operating it was causing too much stress. When San Antonio’s Pig Stand finally shuttered, it was the last of the more than 130 locations that once dotted the country. Naturally, commenters on Reddit remember decades of good food quite fondly, making it a common mention on the thread.
Tom’s Ribs
One of the most popular answers on the thread was Tom’s Ribs for its catchy commercial jingle and onion loaf. While it’s hard to say just how long this chain was in operation, there were three of these locally-beloved restaurants at one point in time. One commenter on the thread wrote, “My cousin and I talk about Tom’s Ribs every time we pass the building.”
The Sandwich Garden
A favorite of San Antonio from when it opened in 1976, The Sandwich Garden was another bygone restaurant locals in the thread miss. Located in the heart of the city near San Antonio College, St. Mary’s and Trinity Universities, Sandwich Garden was beloved for their scratch-made bread and “great, but messy sandwiches,” as one commenter put it. While it’s hard to pinpoint an exact date that this restaurant disappeared from the Alamo City, Yelp reviews suggest it shuttered sometime around 2014 when the owner became ill.
Madhatters Tea House and Cafe
Multiple commenters said they miss Mad Hatters, a quaint Southtown tea house and cafe closed in 2020 after two decades in business. When it shuttered, the owners cited difficulties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic — but a new concept moved in a year later. Bar Loretta, a popular spot for Texas-inspired fare and cocktails, now occupies the space.
Spaghetti Warehouse
Like Pancho’s, Spaghetti Warehouse continues to operate outside San Antonio. However, its 30-year run in the city that was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic is still a sore spot. At the Houston Street eatery near downtown, diners could get spaghetti and meatballs for $5.25 — a price you’d be lucky to grab a coffee for these days. Spaghetti Warehouse closed in San Antonio and Arlington in 2020, but anyone looking for a hit of nostalgia can still find four locations in Ohio and one in Syracuse, New York…