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San Antonio for Spring Break

Macanudo

By Macanudo
in Food and Travel

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GRHorn

GRHorn 105

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I agree that you should try to stay downtown if possible. Just much more to do. You can always drive out to fiesta Texas one day. If you’re trying to save money though theres a Hyatt Place on Jones Maltsberger across 281 from the Quarry. You’d be a quick Uber away from the either downtown or the pearl and on the way out to Fiesta Texas. Quarry has a few easy restaurants too.

Depending on how active you and kids are, there is an option to ride bikes down the river from downtown to all the missions. If you go to all of them it’s a long way, like 25 miles round trip, but you can turn back whenever. Just bring water. 

As far as Tex Mex, there’s options all over obviously. If you stayed at the Hyatt Place I mentioned I’d recommend Soluna or Paloma Blanca for nicer meal. Go with Thousand Oaks Cafe on Austin Hwy for informal, authentic experience. I’ll add other stuff as I think of it.  Have fun 

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Macanudo

Macanudo 12649

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Ended up booking a condo near Market Square.    Personally, I really prefer a house/condo on vacation to have a little more room, a real kitchen and parking.   

 

GR, thanks for the tip on biking to the missions.   Weather permitting, that sounds like something we'd like.

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idigTexas

idigTexas 2257

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4 hours ago, GRHorn said:

Depending on how active you and kids are, there is an option to ride bikes down the river from downtown to all the missions. If you go to all of them it’s a long way, like 25 miles round trip, but you can turn back whenever. Just bring water.

15 not 25.  Also, you can rent bikes.

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NIUHuskies

NIUHuskies 487

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36 minutes ago, Macanudo said:

Recs on who/where to rent bikes?

There are B Cycles are all over town. Those are the bulky bikes with the baskets. Uber's Jump bikes are popping up all over. Those are the red ones.

No mention of Pico De Gallo yet on this thread. That is located on the other side of 35 west of Market Square. Solid Tex-Mex.

When are you coming? UIL State Boys Basketball is at the dome this upcoming weekend.

 

 

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C-Man

C-Man 26535

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Going to piggyback off this thread as we're going down as well but staying on the river. I know most of the Tex-Mex down around the river isn't great but what's the least terrible? What's the better Tex-Mex in the city? We're doing a day of checking out the missions so we have no issues driving to a good place. Taco Haven on S Presa is on the list for breakfast tacos. Any other good breakfast taco options?


There’s great Tex-Mex in and around downtown. Rosario’s is downtown. La Fogata is a short drive thru Alamo Heights. Hell, Mi Tierra is touristy-as-fuck but still has better Tex-Mex than 80% of the places here in Dallas.

Make a plan to hit 2M Smokehouse. It’s awesome.
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idigTexas

idigTexas 2257

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12 hours ago, Macanudo said:

Recs on who/where to rent bikes?

As noted, B Cycles are everywhere along the extended Riverwalk, and they should be perfectly adequate for exploring the missions.  Here's everything you need to know.

If you want something that isn't the bicycle equivalent of driving a truck, Bike World has a rental place at the Pearl, though that's the opposite direction from the missions, and you do not want to try to ride on the Riverwalk through downtown. 

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midtown

midtown 3334

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Best hotel in the state and one of the best in the US. The whole Pearl development is awesome. Really liked Down on Grayson. I think that’s what it was called.
Grayson is a good vibe but the food is pretty average. Best to get drinks and maybe an app and go to one of the better restaurants imo.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

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mdmost

mdmost 42167

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We went with Mi Tierra the first night in and the kids really enjoyed the pinata rooms. The tortillas are really good there. 2nd night we had to go with Casa Rio as Mexican Manhattan was closed. Last night, we went to La Fonda on Main which was excellent. We had lunch at the Lunch Hall in the Pearl Brewery area which was really cool. Nice reclamation project. All in all, a nice trip to SA. Did Natural Bridge Caverns on our way in. Got the kids interested to try some other caves. 

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SHOOTER12

SHOOTER12 8766

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On 2/28/2019 at 2:02 PM, bluto said:

Really shocking to hear stone Oak is rough-ish now. I'll be damned

We're working around 1604 and Stone Oak, as well as 281 and Stone Oak.  While I haven't seen anything nefarious  going on, there some punk ass wannabe tough guys I don't recall from years ago

 

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Macanudo

Macanudo 12649

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On 2/27/2019 at 2:57 PM, Macanudo said:

Yes, I realize there are several other San Antonio threads.   I don't care.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, a real Spring Break trip is out and I'm faced with finding something fun to do with the Macanudo-ettes within driving distance of Houston.   As much as I loathe amusement parks San Antonio has Six Flags and they'll enjoy it.  I'm sure they sell beer somewhere in the park.   Plus we can do the obligatory Riverwalk lunch/dinner, Alamo visit and assorted other things in the area.   My kids have actually expressed interest in seeing some of the other missions and I can get us onto Lackland AFB to see the static aircraft on display.  They love history so that's an easy sell. 

I haven't been there since 2011 and haven't stayed the night since 2003.   Obviously, staying on the Riverwalk is an option but the places worth staying at are bending people over and double penetrating them.   We used to stay at the Sheraton Gunter and I'm seriously considering bucking up and paying what they want because it's a very nice place (albeit a slight walk compared to some other places.)   I love the Menger but the last time I was there it looked very rundown. 

What are the areas on the N/NW side like out by Seaworld, the Med Center or near Six Flags proper?   I'm not adverse to a Courtyard or Residence Inn type place (prefer Marriott properties).   I'm more worried about ending up in a shitty location with the possibility of my car is missing from the parking lot the next morning.   Proximity to decent dining options is preferred but not needed.   We can drive if we have to.  I just don't want to end up someplace that isn't a decent neighborhood. 

Thoughts?

 

UPDATE:

Grabbed an AirBnB condo right across from Market Square.   One bedroom with a full kitchen.   https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/32716221?adults=1&toddlers=0&guests=1&s=rg77BXBX

It was on the 11th floor looking east toward downtown with a great view..   There are several other rentals in the same building including a 2 BR.  Really liked the place as we could park the car in their garage and Uber all over downtown.   The complex has a really nice pool deck with a large hot tub, covered seating and cook tops (gas and charcoal) if you were so inclined.    It was within walking distance (or a cheap Uber ride) of a small HEB that was adequate for a vacationers needs.   I had re-paid for Six Flags tickets for Thursday as that looked best for weather.

We did the Riverwalk the first afternoon in town.   I wanted to take the through the Alamo but it was crazy nuts so we walked part of the perimeter with me giving an abbreviated history lesson.   We walked into the Menger so I could show them the bar where Teddy Roosevelt set up shop to recruit Rough Riders.   Ended up at the Yard House for dinner more because I wanted a place with a good draft beer list.   

Surprisingly, the Macanudo-ettes wanted to go to the zoo on Wednesday so we went there first.   Actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would.   Had a late lunch at Tycoon Flats on N. St. Mary's and enjoyed it.   Portions were pretty big.   We ended up just buying some fruit, veggies, cold cuts and cheese for dinner from the HEB and having a quiet night in after we  had spent the afternoon at the pool.  

Six Flags was, well, like every other amusement park.   Crowded, over priced and (IMO) totally not worth the price.   But my kids enjoyed it.  At some point I bit the bullet and starting paying too much for beer and that made it a little better.  We had arrived at the park officially before they opened but the kids got on the Boomerang early then ran for a couple of other rides.   10 hours later they finally ran out of steam and we ended up back at Mi Tierra's for dinner.    Food was good and the plus side was that we ordered a platter of food and had enough leftovers to do a nice little Mexican breakfast the next morning. 

I'm not sure the next time I'll voluntarily visit San Antonio but I'd definitely stay where I did if it's available.   The price for Spring Break was higher due to demand but worth it.  

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C-Man

C-Man 26535

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3 hours ago, Macanudo said:

UPDATE:

Grabbed an AirBnB condo right across from Market Square.   One bedroom with a full kitchen.   https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/32716221?adults=1&toddlers=0&guests=1&s=rg77BXBX

It was on the 11th floor looking east toward downtown with a great view..   There are several other rentals in the same building including a 2 BR.  Really liked the place as we could park the car in their garage and Uber all over downtown.   The complex has a really nice pool deck with a large hot tub, covered seating and cook tops (gas and charcoal) if you were so inclined.    It was within walking distance (or a cheap Uber ride) of a small HEB that was adequate for a vacationers needs.   I had re-paid for Six Flags tickets for Thursday as that looked best for weather.

We did the Riverwalk the first afternoon in town.   I wanted to take the through the Alamo but it was crazy nuts so we walked part of the perimeter with me giving an abbreviated history lesson.   We walked into the Menger so I could show them the bar where Teddy Roosevelt set up shop to recruit Rough Riders.   Ended up at the Yard House for dinner more because I wanted a place with a good draft beer list.   

Surprisingly, the Macanudo-ettes wanted to go to the zoo on Wednesday so we went there first.   Actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would.   Had a late lunch at Tycoon Flats on N. St. Mary's and enjoyed it.   Portions were pretty big.   We ended up just buying some fruit, veggies, cold cuts and cheese for dinner from the HEB and having a quiet night in after we  had spent the afternoon at the pool.  

Six Flags was, well, like every other amusement park.   Crowded, over priced and (IMO) totally not worth the price.   But my kids enjoyed it.  At some point I bit the bullet and starting paying too much for beer and that made it a little better.  We had arrived at the park officially before they opened but the kids got on the Boomerang early then ran for a couple of other rides.   10 hours later they finally ran out of steam and we ended up back at Mi Tierra's for dinner.    Food was good and the plus side was that we ordered a platter of food and had enough leftovers to do a nice little Mexican breakfast the next morning. 

I'm not sure the next time I'll voluntarily visit San Antonio but I'd definitely stay where I did if it's available.   The price for Spring Break was higher due to demand but worth it.  

Nice follow up. SA is a great town.

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mdmost

mdmost 42167

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Riverwalk for something unique, Alamo for Texas history buffs, Missions for religious buffs, centrally located for easy access for the rest of the state minus the panhandle. There aren't a lot of Texas cities that have all 4. I'm from Dallas and there's absolutely no reason why it should or would be a good tourist destination unless you want to see the spot where Kennedy died. Houston gets a huge exception on being a tourist destination due to  proximity to the Gulf and NASA. Austin you have the river and State Capitol so that's more in line with what SA offers for tourist options.

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Macanudo

Macanudo 12649

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I'll chime in and agree with what mdmost said.   For a 3-4 day family vacation spot within a couple hours drive of the rest of Texas, it's what we have.   I would have preferred going to Denver or Seattle but didn't feel like paying close to $500 per airline ticket.   My real want was to drive to the Gran Canyon but that's 4 really long days out and back of just being in the car. 

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AustinMT

AustinMT 952

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6 hours ago, Macanudo said:

I'll chime in and agree with what mdmost said.   For a 3-4 day family vacation spot within a couple hours drive of the rest of Texas, it's what we have.   I would have preferred going to Denver or Seattle but didn't feel like paying close to $500 per airline ticket.   My real want was to drive to the Gran Canyon but that's 4 really long days out and back of just being in the car. 

Agree.  Our kids are older now (college and beyond), but I remember the days of trying to find places we could go in Texas for a quick trip.  SA is at the top of the list for that.  Houston has some  places (NASA, Natural History Museum, Astroworld — no, now bulldozed, and Galveston, admittedly not a great beach). Dallas is lacking for a family trip (unless you stay in Arlington and hit Six Flags, catch a game, and go to the water park), and Austin really doesn’t have a lot of kid places.  Heading to Port A and South Padre is fun, but not at Spring Break when you have the college crowd there.  SA is not at the top of my vacation choices, but if I was looking for a reasonably priced destination for a 3-4 day trip in Texas, that I could drive to and that offered options for kids, SA is the place.

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Nueces River Rat

Nueces River Rat 5485

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On 3/18/2019 at 7:03 PM, AustinMT said:

Agree.  Our kids are older now (college and beyond), but I remember the days of trying to find places we could go in Texas for a quick trip.  SA is at the top of the list for that.  Houston has some  places (NASA, Natural History Museum, Astroworld — no, now bulldozed, and Galveston, admittedly not a great beach). Dallas is lacking for a family trip (unless you stay in Arlington and hit Six Flags, catch a game, and go to the water park), and Austin really doesn’t have a lot of kid places.  Heading to Port A and South Padre is fun, but not at Spring Break when you have the college crowd there.  SA is not at the top of my vacation choices, but if I was looking for a reasonably priced destination for a 3-4 day trip in Texas, that I could drive to and that offered options for kids, SA is the place.

Agreed.  But I think Austin has more options than you give it credit for such as the museums, capital, and outdoors stuff like hiking and biking trails and in  or near town too which makes it easy to stay in town.   Plus with the lakes to the west and other hill country stuff, it makes it a good time to have the kids put the damn phones up and do stuff that we Gen X'ers did back in the day.

San Antonio is kind of the same animal.   A good thing for anyone who is from the  DFW area and rarely makes it down south past Austin is to try to book a few days in the Hill Country region such as Concan or Leakey and then comeback up to SA and spend a day or two there.   If the drive to  the Frio region is too far, then the Guadalupe offers some of the same options.   

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Helobious

Helobious 9393

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On 2/27/2019 at 5:38 PM, ztejas said:

Violence there has gotten... not good. Someone I knew from high school was shot and killed on the northeast side a few years back. A lot of drugs coming in and out 

Stone Oak isn't on the Northeast side (source: any fucking map; and I live in SA), but thanks for the input. It's not remotely dangerous and I have no idea why anyone would think that. 

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AustinMT

AustinMT 952

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3 hours ago, Helobious said:

Stone Oak isn't on the Northeast side (source: any fucking map; and I live in SA), but thanks for the input. It's not remotely dangerous and I have no idea why anyone would think that. 

Yeah — Stone Oak area is Reagan High School area.  Not exactly the hood....

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Both Tacos

Both Tacos 1805

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Anyone looking for a cool place to stay, whether it be 2 of you or family check out Lambermont Castle at www.lambermontevents.com. it is primarily used as a wedding event place but they have rooms or an apartment over the carriage house to rent.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

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C-Man

C-Man 26535

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Lady that works with my wife is going to SA this weekend. They're staying downtown and have a car. She wants Mexican recommendations. They're already doing Mi Tierra, which IMO is just fine for tourists. Sure it's touristy AF but I think the experience is fun for out-of-towners. I've thrown out La Fogata to get away from downtown a little. What else should I tell her? Mexican Manhattan, Rosario's, OG Blanco Cafe????

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miguelito

miguelito 11061

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1 hour ago, C-Man said:

Lady that works with my wife is going to SA this weekend. They're staying downtown and have a car. She wants Mexican recommendations. They're already doing Mi Tierra, which IMO is just fine for tourists. Sure it's touristy AF but I think the experience is fun for out-of-towners. I've thrown out La Fogata to get away from downtown a little. What else should I tell her? Mexican Manhattan, Rosario's, OG Blanco Cafe????

Is the lady that works with your wife hot?  We could all meet her somewhere for meals.

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SHOOTER12

SHOOTER12 8766

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2 hours ago, C-Man said:

Lady that works with my wife is going to SA this weekend. They're staying downtown and have a car. She wants Mexican recommendations. They're already doing Mi Tierra, which IMO is just fine for tourists. Sure it's touristy AF but I think the experience is fun for out-of-towners. I've thrown out La Fogata to get away from downtown a little. What else should I tell her? Mexican Manhattan, Rosario's, OG Blanco Cafe????

Don Pedro's, 1526 Southwest Military Drive.

Edited by SHOOTER12
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Nueces River Rat

Nueces River Rat 5485

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3 hours ago, C-Man said:

Lady that works with my wife is going to SA this weekend. They're staying downtown and have a car. She wants Mexican recommendations. They're already doing Mi Tierra, which IMO is just fine for tourists. Sure it's touristy AF but I think the experience is fun for out-of-towners. I've thrown out La Fogata to get away from downtown a little. What else should I tell her? Mexican Manhattan, Rosario's, OG Blanco Cafe????

Blanco Cafe.   Ate there this last weekend.  Authentic,  inexpensive, and quick.

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