Spend a few days in San Antonio, and you’ll remember more than the Alamo. San Antonio is one of the best cities in the world for authentic Mexican cuisine outside of Mexico, and there’s no place like it for Tex-Mex. I say this as someone who was raised in Texas, spent almost a decade living in San Antonio, and has almost a lifetime of experience eating Tex-Mex.
San Antonio is an overlooked food destination and the perfect place to seek out fresh, flavorful guacamole, sizzling fajitas, gooey cheese enchiladas, and tasty breakfast tacos. On the Riverwalk, table-side guacamole service is the norm, just like delicious margaritas and Texas hospitality.

For Breakfast on the Riverwalk
Nothing says San Antonio like a breakfast taco. For the uninitiated, these are not simply tacos eaten in the morning. Breakfast tacos typically include ingredients like eggs, potatoes, chorizo or bacon, though you’ll also find classic bean and cheese tacos everywhere.
Breakfast tacos—generally priced around $3 each—are such a popular thing here, that even the most famous German restaurant on the Riverwalk, Schilo’s Delicatessen serves them. Just make sure to get there before 10 a.m.
For a more upscale breakfast taco experience, head to Ambler Texas Kitchen and Cocktails, the Riverwalk-level restaurant at the La Contessa Hotel. A breakfast taco plate here will set you back about $15, but it’s a great spot for Sunday brunch.
For breakfast pastries go to La Panaderia, a Texas-sized Mexican bakery just off the Riverwalk. This is where you’ll find the best pastries in San Antonio. If you try only one thing here, make it the tequila almond croissant.
For Lunch or Dinner on the Riverwalk
For ambiance, head to Casa Rio, the oldest Mexican restaurant on the San Antonio Riverwalk. It offers a mix of classic Tex-Mex cuisines like tacos, burritos, enchiladas and fajitas. This is one of the most picturesque restaurants on the San Antonio Riverwalk, but the food isn’t the best in the city.
For fresh seafood and savory meat-forward dishes, go to Acenar, a stylish contemporary Riverwalk restaurant with an outdoor patio. Fish tacos are a specialty and come topped with jalapeno honey mayo, pickled red onions, cabbage slaw, and rice and beans.
Acenar has been serving up Gulf fish, crab and shrimp, chiles rellenos, enchiladas and guacamole from this spot on the San Antonio River for nearly 20 years. The fish tacos are especially popular. If you’re looking for innovative dishes or a more upscale Mexican restaurant for a special occasion, this multi-level eatery is a great option.
Have a drink before dinner at the street-level Atomar Bar. Acenar is known for its signature cocktails, and there may be no better way to kick off a meal. Acenar does daily lunch specials and happy hour from Sunday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

La Gloria in the Pearl district is a love letter to the flavors of Mexico and the Southwestern U.S. This is one of the best Mexican restaurants in downtown San Antonio, and it’s where you’ll find one of the best margaritas in the city Pair that margarita with the Tex-Mex Chile Con Queso as an appetizer. Complete your meal with perfectly marinated al pastor pork, a skirt steak or enchiladas verdes. For a river view, dine on the spacious patio outdoor patio.
Despite the name, the Original Mexican Restaurant was the third Mexican food spot to open its doors on the San Antonio Riverwalk in 1988. A predecessor Original Mexican Restaurant operated in San Antonio from 1899 to 1960.
Today’s Original Mexican Restaurant has a menu of traditional Tex-Mex plates including beef or chicken fajitas, cheese enchiladas, tacos and burritos. It’s a tourist spot for sure, but it does have a kids’ menu and margaritas.

Beyond the San Antonio Riverwalk
If you think San Antonio Riverwalk restaurants are good, just wait until you taste what’s waiting for you elsewhere in the Alamo City.
You’ll find one of the city’s most memorable dining experiences at Mi Tierra, a 15-minute walk from the Riverwalk. This is a festive local legend that’s well worth the walk. Mi Tierra got its start as a three-table cafe in the city’s Historic Market Square in 1941. Today, it’s a great place to try authentic San Antonio Tex-Mex, and it has one of the best pastry selections in the city. Opt for a simple sweet bread or something like the Sylvia, a vanilla muffin encrusted in caramel glaze and pecans and topped with a custard and a cherry. Inside Mi Tierra, it’s a fiesta all year long.
If you’re in the Southtown Historic District to browse First Friday art, head to Rosario’s. This restaurant from Lisa Wong, who also owns Acenar on the Riverwalk, makes its dishes from scratch using locally sourced ingredients as much as possible. The extensive menu includes several gluten-free and vegetarian options. Some favorites are the fish tacos, guisado de lengua, puffy tacos, and fideo. Start your meal with a cocktail on the rooftop bar where you’ll find postcard-worthy views of the downtown skyline.

If you’re in the King William District, go to Tito’s Mexican Restaurant on Alamo Street. It’s a neighborhood favorite that’s worth an Uber ride. Come here to try some of the city’s favorite tacos, fajitas and enchiladas. It’s a particularly good spot if you’re looking for steak, fish tacos, al pastor tacos or puffy tacos.
In case you’re wondering, puffy tacos are tacos in fresh fried masa dough shells. The shells are puffy, almost like a crispy poori might be.
If you’re looking for the oldest Mexican restaurant in San Antonio, you’re looking for La Fonda on Main. It traces its history to 1932, and walking through the front door feels like entering a welcoming Spanish colonial hacienda. It even has a heated, dog-friendly patio.
La Fonda is a great place to try classic Tex-Mex dishes or journey into the interior of Mexico. Feast on fresh, handmade flour tortillas, oak-grilled fajitas, or brunch nachos. To try a little bit of everything for dinner, order the Tex-Mex Deluxe, which includes a cheese enchilada, oak-grilled beef fajitas and a pork tamale served with guacamole, pico de gallo, Mexican rice and refried beans.
If you’ve got a tight budget, try the Happy Hour specials, which include margaritas and a selection of appetizers for under $10 each. And yes, there’s an extensive tequila selection.