This Stone Oak stunner is a tribute to family bonds, exploring the culinary traditions of chef Maricela Rangel Trujillo’s kin and the broader homeland of the Zacatecas region in Mexico. The warmth of the interior mimics the spices used in plates like a discada-style queso fundido, rich beef birria, and enchiladas smothered in guajillo sauce. The restaurant is also BYOB, providing an opportunity to enjoy Mexico’s emerging wine imports. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Celebrity chef Jason Dady scored a big win when he partnered with basketball team the Spurs to bring an Italian restaurant to the Rock at La Cantera training facility. The result is a sleeker experience than Dady’s more-rustic Italian restaurant Tre Trattoria. Pulled-to-order mozzarella adds some theatrics to a menu that leans heavily on comfort fare, like duck confit and arancini. With vistas peering over the Hill Country, the rooftop bar provides a relaxing perch to enjoy a pregame sangria. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

The freshly built Creamery District is more known for its scattering of bars, but it has a standout with this counter-service seafood restaurant. The dining room avoids the usual seafaring cliches with the beiges and creams of Japanese minimalism. The eclectic group of dishes, however, are not so geographically bound. Much of the menu nods to Mexico, but it also offers Italian calamari, Spanish-inspired octopus, and classically British fish and chips.

One of the first full-service restaurants to open inside Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group’s ambitious Pullman Market in the Pearl district, this Italian joint continues the crew’s grain obsession. Pizza flies off the shelves, from veggie topped with summer squash to a smoky offering with sausage and onions. But the unfussy pasta up the ante with satisfying sauces like Calabrian chile-spiked alla vodka, a pickled okra-laced pesto, and luxurious beef ragu. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Also within the Pullman Market in the Pearl district is this Mexican restaurant and mezcal bar that perhaps best captures the development’s buzz. The cuisine follows the winds of Sonora with desert mainstays like carnitas caramelos, chuletas asadas, and chile Colorado. A trio of flight options with agave-based spirits, covering three distillation styles, is a snack onto itself — as is a margarita stirred with salsa cruda. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

The final Pullman Market restaurant is this 20-seat dessert bar and is arguably its most forward-looking. A showcase for chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph’s pastry talents, it offers two 90-minute experiences per evening. A challenge to San Antonio’s flip-flop wearing dining ethos, it also requires guests to dress for the occasion. And no photography or doom scrolling is allowed. There are indoor dine-in services.

Though the sprawling grounds evoke the aughts’ obsession with coworking spaces, this River North food hall isn’t all business. Garaje Cantina is a sunny happy hour spot with frozen cocktails, beer, and wine. To satisfy hunger, guests can pick from half a dozen stalls serving burgers, Latin-sh seafood, and gelato. The arepas at Austin import Four Brothers, and crisp tenders at Thai Bird shouldn’t be missed. Takeout orders can be placed online or in person; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

The latest restaurant from Alamo City’s busy Empty Stomach Group, this downtown slice shop is an unpretentious stop for lunch or weeknight dinner. The pies cover the basics, adding pizzas like the wild mushroom L.C. Special and the sausage and blue cheese combo The Coach. A pair of salads, frozen custard, and a handful of cocktails complete the picture at this easygoing storefront. Takeout orders can be placed online or in person; there are DoorDash and Uber Eats deliveries; and there are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

The Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa opening was another big opening for the city, found at the the edge of Southtown with a pair of sibling restaurants. There’s Anaqua, peering over the pool while digging into its garden mood with lush plant life setting and serving vegetable-heavy bites and botanical cocktails. And then the Corinne restaurant puts on a cover-up to dish out New American classics and a decadent brunch. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

This San Diego food truck became a physical restaurant in Southtown in March, but its flavors are all over the map. The casual joint riffs off Chicago-style hot dogs with a Tijuana-esque glizzie with jalapeños and a hoisin-topped frank with a pickled salad. The decor pays tribute to Lowrider culture with framed hot rod photos and flash art, reflected in Mexican American sides like elotitos and calabacitas. Takeout orders can be placed in person; there are DoorDash deliveries and pickups; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Another corn devotee, this easygoing eatery cleared out the cobwebs of a Southtown pizzeria in September. As the name implies, the staple crop is pivotal to dishes like cochinita pibil topped with a souffléed tortilla and an octopus tostada marinated in adobo. Carnivores will be pleased by various proteins, from pork belly to lamb to tuna. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.