Category: Culinary News

Culinaria’s Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival

Tickets are still available for some events for
San Antonio’s premier wine and food festival, taking place October 27-30. Photo: Culinaria, used with permission.

Culinaria is back for a four-day Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival, October 27-30, in partnership with Visit San Antonio (VSA) and the iconic James Beard Foundation (JBF). Culinaria welcomes renowned and up-and-coming Texas chefs as well as national all-stars focusing on platforms that will showcase their diversity of culinary talent and heritage at events ranging from walk-around tastings, intimate dinners, outdoor lunches, hands-on workshops, educational panels, and more. (Culinaria, 2022)

Festival attendees can customize their gastronomic experience by choosing between all-inclusive festival packages or a-la-carte event options starting at $100. Sportscaster and former San Antonio Spur Sean Elliott and his wife Claudia Zapata Elliott co-chair Culinaria host committee, an elevated sponsor package of $5,000 that includes recognition as an official host of Culinaria Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival and VIP access to events. Culinaria Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival will showcase James Beard Award Winners, nominees, and other titans of the food and beverage industry including:

GUEST CHEFS

  • Rick Bayless, past winner of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, host of “Mexico, One Plate at a Time” highly-rated Public Television series, and owner of Frontera Grill. See Chef Bayless in action at Agave, Saturday evening and at The Collective Grand Tasting on Sunday.
  • Alex Raij, Txikito, New York
  • Michelle Wallace, Gaitlins BBQ Houston
  • Tony Luhrman, El Topo Houston
  • Hugo Ortega, H Town Restaurant Group, Houston
  • Ruben Ortega, H Town Restaurant Group, Houston
  • Bobby Matos, State of Grace, Houston
  • Alex Au-Yeung, Phat Eatery, Katy, TX
  • Keisha Griggs, Ate Kitchen, Houston
  • Emiliano Marentes, Elemi, El Paso
  • Karla Espinoza, Mad Houston, Houston

LOCAL SAN ANTONIO CHEFS

  • Jason Dady, Dady Restaurants
  • Jeff Balfour, Southerleigh Hospitality
  • John Brand, Hotel Emma
  • Laurént Rea, Mon Chou Chou
  • Kristina Zhao, Dashi
  • PJ Edwards, Meadow
  • Geronimo Lopez, Botika
  • Elizabeth Johnson, Pharm Table
  • Esaul Ramos, 2M Smokehouse
  • Andres Farias, Mokara
  • Stéphane Leopoldo, Signature Restaurant
  • Camille De Los Reyes, Sari Sari

Visit Culinaria online for more information, including a complete list of chefs.

TASTING TEXAS EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

  • The Collective Grand Tasting: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, noon to 6p.m., Travis Park
    • The Collective is an expanded Grand Tasting event located at Travis Park featuring more than 100 chefs, restaurants, hundreds of beverage brands, Texas Wine Garden, live fire activations, cooking demonstrations, educational seminars, mercantile market, and more.
  • Southern Hospitality: Friday, 7p.m. to 9p.m., Pearl Brewery
    • Mashup of food and beverage celebrating the “Y’all Means All” culture of

Texas. From biscuits and gravy to hearty enchiladas and, of course, top-shelf cocktails, in a walk-around tasting event granting guest all-access to a front row seat of hospitality the Texas way.

  • Celebrate Agave: Saturday, 7p.m to 9p.m., Travis Park
    • Aged, sipped, neat, or mixed, this walk-around tasting event celebrates all things agave and the cuisines that embrace it.
  • Lunches and Dinners: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
    • Festival goers will have exclusive access to unique chef collaborations at dinner and lunch events held at varying locations across the city.
  • Seminars and Workshops: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, times and locations vary
  • With a theme to satisfy every interest, attendees will be able to sign up for seminars and workshops across a range of topics, including hands-on, small-group activities—from crafting cocktails and smoking meat—to panel discussions on women in the beverage industry, and concise eating and drinking.

TICKET PACKAGES

  • Super VIP – $1,025
  • Choice of one dinner on Thursday night plus Southern Hospitality, VIP Access to all three days of The Collective, Celebrate Agave, VIP Parties and VIP Only Seminars.
  • The Weekender – $600
  • General Admission to The Collective (all three days), Celebrate Agave and Southern Hospitality/
  • Just the Collective – $300
  • All three days of The Collective. Enjoy this all-inclusive and immersive experience. All food and beverage are included. You’ll only need one ticket to enjoy it all.
  • Individual Tickets – starting at $100

“Culinaria is a lover of all things wine and food. We curate experiences for those who love to enjoy amazing pairings, in all forms. We can’t wait to welcome locals and visitors to the great city of San Antonio to experience the confluence of culture found across the culinary landscape.” – Suzanne Taranto-Etheredge, President and CEO, Culinaria.

Culinaria is an independent, not-for-profit organization, committed to promoting San Antonio as a premier food and wine destination, while fostering community growth and enrichment within the city we call home. For the past 22 years, Culinaria has been promoting locally sourced food and wine experiences in the San Antonio region through community events and culinary education opportunities, including Restaurant Weeks, a festival, and many others. Proceeds from events directly support this mission, enabling Culinaria to be a largely self-sustaining organization

 

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Pharm Table welcomes Scott Ota as Resident Sommelier

Pharm Table in San Antonio will be hosting two Wine Wednesdays. Photo: Google

Pharm Table, San Antonio’s nationally recognized plant-forward restaurant in Southtown, has added a notable new member to its team as Resident Sommelier, Scott Ota. Scott is one of San Antonio’s most celebrated sommeliers and brings his expertise of almost two decades within the restaurant and wine industry to Pharm Table, where he has built the restaurant’s new wine program from the ground up. (Pharm Table, 2022)

Under Scott’s leadership, Pharm Table’s dinner menu now features a small, grower-focused wine list of over 25 selections, with numerous sustainable, biodynamic and organic options. To encourage food and wine pairings, wines by the glass are available in a 3 ounce and a 5 ounce pour. Each wine has been hand-picked by Scott, taking into account flavors that pair especially well with the restaurant’s fresh, plant-forward fare. When selecting wines, Scott focuses on producers that mirror Pharm Table’s ethos of strong sustainable and regenerative farming practices, placing a special emphasis on highlighting female winemakers and owners.

Scott is well-known throughout Texas as an Advanced sommelier, having reached level III certification by the Court of Masters Sommeliers. Some of his most notable accolades include being named one of Wine & Spirits Magazine’s 2014 “Best New Sommeliers” and one of Food & Wine Magazine’s 2018 “Tastemakers to Revolutionize the Business,” among others.

Pharm Table now hosts periodic “Wine Wednesdays” tasting events that are curated and led by Scott. The evening event features a selection of approachable wines and small bites, and each one centers around a different theme, such as female winemakers, a specific varietal, or a specific region of the world.  The next two events will take place on September 28 and October 19. Tickets for the September 28 event are available now for purchase.

Pharm Table is an entirely unique concept and one of just a few true anti-inflammatory restaurants of its kind. Its philosophy is to help heal the body through food by blending the principles of Ayurvedic medicine with naturally healthful and gourmet global cuisines. Featuring local San Antonio heritage foods as well as a fusion of diets from the East, West, and Mesoamerica, the evolving menu is shaped by locally sourced produce and a global spice library and is free of dairy, refined sugar, wheat, and processed foods. While plant-centric, the menu also offers diners a selection of sustainably raised meats and fish. In addition to physical health, soil health and regeneration is a top priority at Pharm Table, and it is the first commercial restaurant composter in San Antonio. Supporting local businesses is also a priority, and Owner and Executive Chef Elizabeth Johnson partners with numerous local farmers along with supplying produce from her own backyard organic micro-farm.

Resident Sommelier Scott Ota. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Full Goods Diner at Pearl announces opening date

With an opening date set for Thursday, September 22, Full Goods Diner will be operating seven days a week and will offer breakfast and lunch service. Photo: Full Goods Diner, used with permission.

The owners behind successful Paperboy in Austin are excited to announce that Full Goods Diner will be opening to the public at Pearl on Thursday, September 22, 2022. The new diner is the product of San Antonio native and restaurateur Ryan Harms and chef Patrick Jackson of Paperboy in partnership with Potluck Hospitality. Beginning September 22, the restaurant will be open Monday through Sunday from 8a.m. to 3p.m. at 200 E. Grayson St., San Antonio, TX 78215. (Full Goods Diner, 2022)

Full Goods Diner will serve seasonally driven food made from scratch for breakfast and lunch with a menu consisting of comforting and familiar everyday food. Seasonal and local ingredients will be used to connect the restaurant to its central and south Texas roots with a blend of Mexican and American fare. Guests can expect to see menu items like handmade pastries, seasonal toasts, breakfast enchiladas, pancakes, sopes, carnitas tortas, hill country salads, and more.

Full Goods Diner
200 E. Grayson St.
San Antonio, TX 78215

Founded in 2022, Potluck Hospitality conceives, operates, manages, and partners on culinary and experiential brands in San Antonio, TX. Potluck Hospitality concepts include Best Quality Daughter, Brasserie Mon Chou Chou, Carriqui, Food Hall at Bottling Dept., Ladino, and Stable Hall (coming 2023). Potluck’s team is made up of chefs, designers, strategists in culture-crafting, brand, and finance that all share a love of food and gathering. Potluck Hospitality’s name pays tribute to memorable experiences with great food, great music, and great company–where everyone has something to contribute. Being together, sharing meals, and communally experiencing music is elemental to what it means to be human.

Mediterranean Grill House Ladino to open next week

The new restaurant concept from Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group will open Monday September 19 in San Antonio. Photo: Ladino, used with permission.

Ladino, a Mediterranean Grill House celebrating Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisine, will open Monday, September 19, 2022. Brought to you by Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group and led by Executive Chef Berty Richter, Ladino will pay homage to Berty’s roots with a menu centered around the charcoal grill. The restaurant will be located in the Pearl at 200 E. Grayson St #100 and reservations are now open. (Ladino, 2022)

The name Ladino, was chosen because Berty wanted to showcase and share not only the cuisine he grew up in, but also the influences of the surrounding cultures and cuisines on his style of cooking and eating, sharing food, and the excitement of a bountiful and colorful table of delicious food.

“I grew up in Israel mainly with my mom’s side of the family that came from Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria. We spoke Ladino, a dialect of Spanish mixed with French, Italian, Greek and Turkish,” said Chef Berty Richter. “Large family gatherings and endless feasts were part of our daily lives and I’ve always dreamt of one day creating a concept that will pay homage to my family’s roots and culture. Naming this concept Ladino was the natural choice for me and is the realization of this dream.” 

Using a wood burning oven, Ladino’s menu features freshly made pita and other regional specialties accompanied by an abundance of dishes that are playful and bold including Coal Charred Eggplant Dip, Jerusalem Mix, Meat Dumplings in yogurt, and a modern take on Agristada, a traditional Sephardic fish in a lemony egg sauce. The dessert menu is inspired by the sweet and savory staples of the region with a modern touch. The beverage program highlights regional wines and spirits. 

The team worked with partner Rand Egbert on the design of the space. Egbert says, “Sephardic Jews have origins all over the Mediterranean with deep roots in North Africa, so much of the interior is influenced by Morocco and the Moorish culture of Spain during the time the Ladino language first came to be. The space is meant to be transportive and that is created through beautiful tile accents, handmade light fixtures, traditional patterns, and pops of color. ” 

This marks the seventh concept from Austin-based Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group and the first venture into San Antonio. Other restaurants from the renowned restaurant group include Emmer & Rye, Hestia, Canje, Kalimotxo, Henbit and TLV. 

Ladino will be located at 200 E Grayson St #100, San Antonio, TX 78215 and is open Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 5p.m. to 10p.m and Friday and Saturday from 5:30p.m. to 11p.m

Tucker’s Kozy Korner announces updated menu

New menu offerings include Vietnamese coffees, pho, Texas barbecue plates, Southern comfort food and more. The Eastside joint will also be launching weekend brunch pop-ups with guest chefs. Photo: txtroulblemaker, used with permission.

Tucker’s Kozy Korner is excited to announce a complete menu revamp and updated hours with new offerings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The bar is working with local chefs to develop distinctive food offerings for each of its services so the breakfast, lunch, and dinner experiences are all unique. The Eastside joint will also collaborate with guest chefs on Saturdays and Sundays for brunch pop-ups. The new food offerings will be available starting on Wednesday, August 17, 2022. (Tucker’s Kozy Korner, 2022)

Breakfast offerings include Vietnamese soups with beef, chicken and vegetable options, allowing guests to also add eggs, steamed vegetables, tofu, and more. Guests can also enjoy the beloved breakfast taco, with options like brisket and egg, bacon and egg, and more. Unique coffee offerings include Vietnamese Egg Coffee (pour over coffee with egg and milk custard) and Vietnamese iced coffee. 

Local San Antonian Chef Jenny Nguyen developed the Vietnamese menu items. Originally from Vietnam, Jenny came to Texas and worked jobs in various industries while quietly selling her fare on the side to friends. Her menu inspiration comes from her background growing up in Vietnam and adding a little Texas twist. Partnering with Daniels Family Barbecue, Jenny’s soups and phos include Daniels’ famous brisket, chicken and ribs.

Master Chef Charles Daniels, known as Mr. Daniels, has been in the barbecue business for more than thirty years with his wife, Michelle. They have served up authentic pit barbecue and soulful dishes out of his Eastside San Antonio kitchen since the late 1980s. Mr. Daniels developed Tucker’s Kozy Korner’s menu to include breakfast tacos in the morning and traditional barbecue plates for lunch including brisket, chicken, or ribs served with side options like coleslaw, potato salad, borracho beans, green beans or cornbread. During lunch service, Chef Jenny’s pho options of beef, chicken or vegetable will also be available. 

Tucker’s Kozy Korner dinner menu is in partnership with Sweet Yams, an Eastside cafe offering a healthy menu with organic, gluten-free, and vegan options. Sweet Yams program at Tucker’s, called “Loretta’s Finest Southern Fried Chicken,” includes Southern fried chicken wings or chicken breast, with side options including garlic mashed potatoes, organic steamed vegetables, Southern red beans, and more. 

Hours of operation for Tucker’s Kozy Korner are:

• Closed on Mondays
• Tuesday – Thursday: 7a.m – 11p.m. (bar open entire time, kitchen hours below)
   o Breakfast: 7a.m. – 10:30a.m.
   o Lunch: 11:30a.m. – 2p.m.
   o Dinner: 5p.m. – 9:30p.m.
Bar remains open until 11p.m.
• Friday: 7a.m. – 2a.m. (bar open entire time, kitchen hours below)
   o Breakfast: 7a.m. – 10:30a.m.
   o Lunch: 11:30a.m. – 2p.m.
   o Dinner: 5p.m. – 9:30p.m.
Bar remains open until 2a.m.
• Saturday: 11a.m. – 2a.m. (bar open entire time, kitchen hours below)
   o Brunch pop-ups by special guest chefs: 11a.m. – 3p.m.
Bar remains open until 2a.m.
• Sunday: 11a.m. – 3p.m.
   o Brunch pop-ups by special guest chefs: 11a.m. – 3p.m.

Highly anticipated restaurant Carriqui announces opening date

Potluck Hospitality announces Carriqui opening date for September 2, 2022. Image courtesy of Don B. McDonald Architect, used with permission.

Potluck Hospitality is excited to announce that the highly anticipated 380-seat restaurant Carriqui will be opening to the public at Pearl on Friday, September 2, 2022, offering lunch and dinner service seven days a week. Named after the green jay of South Texas, the flightpath of the carriqui is the inspiration for the menu, which showcases South Texas foodways—from the Rio Grande Valley to the Texas coast and north to San Antonio. Such menu items include fresh seafood from the Gulf, Rio Grande-inspired botana platters, pit-cooked barbacoa and brisket, a masa program, and a robust cocktail and beverage program. (Potluck Hospitality, 2022)

Led by Executive Chef Jaime Gonzales, Carriqui is opening in the historic building formerly home to Boehler’s Liberty Saloon and Liberty Bar. The restaurant features three different main dining spaces: The Carriqui House, The Rock House and Courtyard & Back Porch. Private dining options for large groups and parties will also be available.

Business hours:
Open seven days a week
Sunday through Wednesday: 11a.m. – 10p.m.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 11a.m. – 11p.m.

Carriqui
239 E Grayson St.
San Antonio, TX 78215

Founded in 2022, Potluck Hospitality conceives, operates, manages, and partners on culinary and experiential brands in San Antonio, TX. Potluck Hospitality concepts include Best Quality Daughter, Brasserie Mon Chou Chou, Carriqui, Food Hall at Bottling Dept., Ladino, and Stable Hall (coming 2023). Potluck’s team is made up of chefs, designers, strategists in culture-crafting, brand, and finance that all share a love of food and gathering. Potluck Hospitality’s name pays tribute to memorable experiences with great food, great music, and great company–where everyone has something to contribute. Being together, sharing meals, and communally experiencing music is elemental to what it means to be human.

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Taco Cabana launches new limited-time menu items and Hatch Chile Margaritas

Taco Cabana celebrates Hatch Chile season with a new limited-time Hatch Chile Margarita and a full platform of new menu items. Photo: Taco Cabana, used with permission.

Launching August 17, 2022, for the first time in the company’s history and in celebration of Hatch Chile season, Taco Cabana is offering all-new Hatch Chile Smoked Pulled Pork menu options at all Taco Cabana locations in Texas. Guests can enjoy Tacos for $3.19, a three-pack of Street Tacos served with Hatch Chile Ranch for $4.99, a Breakfast Bowl for $5.49, and a Crunchy Burrito served with Hatch Chile Ranch and tortilla chips for $8.59. Items are available for a limited-time only and while supplies last. (Taco Cabana, 2022)

Following the launch of Taco Cabana’s Margarita Headquarters, guests 21 years of age or older can enjoy the perfect complement to the new Hatch Chile food items – a refreshing frozen margarita with a kick, the all-new $4 Hatch Chile Margarita. The spicy tequila beverage will be this season’s rotating flavor offered alongside Taco Cabana’s 12 permanent margarita options available for $3 each all-day, every day.

“Hatch Chile season in Texas is a tradition, one that Texans look forward to every year. For the first time in Taco Cabana’s 40+ year history, we wanted to celebrate Hatch season with an exciting new Hatch Chile platform showcasing both food and beverage items. We’re introducing a Hatch Chile Breakfast Bowl, a Crunchy Burrito made with tortilla strips and adding to our recent Margarita Headquarters launch, a one-of-a-kind Hatch Chile Margarita. Guests can also enjoy Hatch Chile flavors with Taco Cabana favorites like street tacos and tacos served on our warm flour tortillas made daily in-restaurant.” – Ulyses Camacho, Taco Cabana’s Chief Operating Officer

Taco Cabana’s limited-time Hatch Chile menu options can be ordered in-restaurant, via online ordering for front counter and curbside pick-up, in the drive-thru, or by mobile order when using the MY TC!® App or ordering online. 

Taco Cabana, a subsidiary of YTC Enterprises, LLC, was founded in 1978. The brand specializes in Tex-Mex-inspired food including enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas, flautas, tacos, flour tortillas, and a selection of made-from-scratch salsas and sauces. Restaurants feature open-display cooking, a selection of bottled beer and signature tequila margaritas, patio dining, drive-thru windows, curbside pick-up, delivery, and catering. As of August 8, 2022, Taco Cabana operates 143 company-owned restaurants in Texas.

 

Austin’s newest female-led and garden-inspired mixology program

The Mansion is debuting a new immersive cocktail menu inspired by the resort’s lush grounds. Photo: Auberge Resorts Collection, used with permission.

Austin’s glamorous Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection’s The Mansion is debuting a new, immersive cocktail menu inspired by the resort’s lush grounds that incorporates the tastes, smells, and sights in the property’s beloved rose garden. The Mansion’s Lead Mixologist, award-winning Sarah Rahl, a veteran of the industry who has held positions at Proper Hospitality and Four Seasons, inspires guests to experience the property with rose-colored glasses, embracing the unique flavors that are exclusive to the renowned hotel. (Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection, 2022)

The Location: Step through the Mansion’s ornate wrought-iron doors and be transported to an era when Texan businessman Edgar “Commodore” Perry and his wife Lutie presided over lavish Jazz Age soirées. Their intangible spirit lives on in the 10,800-square-foot Mansion, reimagined by acclaimed designer Ken Fulk as a glamorous social hub.

The Inspiration: Sip on craft cocktails curated by the Mansion’s Lead Mixologist, Sarah Rahl, that run the spectrum of the rose garden’s particular pantone: pinks, fuchsias, blush, and bright reds. Each cocktail boasts vastly varying flavor profiles, including body, heat, herbaceousness, salinity, and fresh produce.

From the refreshing Desert Rose cocktail, a medley of mezcal, watermelon and lime juice, to a custom Sunken Garden (referring to the on-property garden), featuring gin and sparkling wine, cucumber and lime juice, topped off with green chartreuse – there is a hyperlocal, artisanal cocktail for everyone. Guests and members can enjoy the spectacular cocktails in the charmingly distinct Mansion, or perhaps by the European-inspired chaises for poolside dining.

With this new female-led mixology program at The Estate, the property reaffirms its dedication to exceptional dining and celebrates the story of each cocktail’s unique inspiration and methods.

 

Full Goods Diner coming to Pearl in September

Full Goods Diner, a new restaurant concept by the owners of Paperboy in Austin, will offer casual and approachable fare with a nod to San Antonio’s culinary traditions. Photo: Paperboy, used with permission.

The owners behind successful Paperboy in Austin are excited to announce Full Goods Diner, a new restaurant coming to Pearl. The new diner is the product of San Antonio native and restaurateur Ryan Harms and chef Patrick Jackson of Paperboy in partnership with Potluck Hospitality. Full Goods Diner will open in September 2022 in the Full Goods building on the property, with an official opening date to be announced soon. The restaurant will be located at 200 E. Grayson St., San Antonio, TX 78215. (Potluck Hospitality, 2022)

“Having grown up in San Antonio, I am particularly excited to be back here, contributing to the city’s dining scene. We are so proud of what we’ve created with Paperboy in Austin and can’t wait to bring this fresh, yet familiar style of food and hospitality to our guests.” – owner Ryan Harms. 

Full Goods Diner will serve made from scratch, seasonally-driven food for breakfast and lunch with a menu consisting of comforting and familiar everyday food. Seasonal and local ingredients will be used to connect the restaurant to its central and south Texas roots with a blend of Mexican and American fare. Guests can expect to see menu items like handmade pastries, seasonal toasts, breakfast enchiladas, pancakes, sopes, carnitas tortas, hill country salads, and more. 

“We are excited to welcome Full Goods Diner to Pearl. Their menu is very reflective of San Antonio and we’re thrilled that they are anchoring Pearl’s new plaza and joining the excellent lineup of culinary concepts in the neighborhood.” – Pearl CEO Mesh Millsap

The design of Full Goods Diner embodies the warm and welcoming environment at Pearl with rich wooden accents, plenty of natural light, and a greenhouse-style entry. Full Goods Diner will also feature a patio that extends out into the new plaza space at Pearl that is also set to open this summer. The Full Goods team is excited to create this environment by working with Laura Brittain of Kempt Design Studio and architect Chioco Design. 

After graduating from Baylor University’s entrepreneurship program, San Antonio native Ryan Harms began working in the hospitality industry in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex before moving to Austin with the ultimate goal of owning his own restaurant. In 2015 he launched the successful Paperboy food truck, which ultimately transitioned into an even more successful brick-and-mortar location by the same name. 

In 2017, chef Patrick Jackson joined the Paperboy team as executive chef and was integral in helping to get the permanent location off the ground. Patrick grew up making pasta with his Italian grandfather and has been in the kitchen ever since. He was an invaluable part of the opening teams at The Lark and Lucky Penny in Santa Barbara’s funk zone, as well as Herb & Wood in San Diego’s Little Italy before his move to Texas. Patrick is joined at Full Goods Diner by chef de cuisine, Ruvin Samarasundera, who has worked under legendary chefs including Thomas Keller and Michael Chiarello and has been with the Paperboy team since 2021.

Founded in 2022, Potluck Hospitality conceives, operates, manages, and partners on culinary and experiential brands in San Antonio, TX. Potluck’s team is made up of chefs, designers, strategists in culture-crafting, brand, and finance who share a love of food and gathering. Potluck Hospitality’s name pays tribute to memorable experiences with great food, great music, and great company–where everyone has something to contribute. Being together, sharing meals, and communally experiencing music is elemental to what it means to be human.

Taco Cabana launches ‘Margarita Headquarters’

Taco Cabana launches ‘Margarita Headquarters’ with twelve permanent Margarita flavors to choose from all day every day. Photo: Taco Cabana, used with permission.

Following three wildly successful launches of Taco Cabana’s popular MargaritaPalooza over the last two years, Taco Cabana recently announced its plans to establish its Texas locations as “Margarita Headquarters,” featuring 12 permanent margarita offerings on the TC menu. Available flavors will include beloved frozen classics like Lime, Strawberry, Mango, Strawberry Mango and Mangonada, in addition to returning favorites like Blue Curacao, Watermelon, Dragonfruit, Blood Orange, Green Apple and new exciting flavors including Coconut and Pineapple. Each will be available for $3 all day, every day. (Taco Cabana, 2022)

“Margaritapalooza was a game changer for Taco Cabana. There was so much fun and excitement for both guests and team members when we previously executed it across the TC system. We pride ourselves on listening to what our guests want, and they have consistently asked us for on-going, everyday margarita innovation and variety, not just during certain times of the year. We are now thrilled to establish ourselves as the ‘Margarita Headquarters’ with so many margarita flavors for our guests to choose from each and every day.”  – Ulyses Camacho, Chief Operating Officer at Taco Cabana

In addition to the 12 margarita flavors, a rotating thirteenth flavor will also be seasonally available for $4. Previous seasonal margarita offerings have included flavors like Pickle, Pumpkin Spice, and Cherry, among others. New or returning seasonal margaritas will be announced on an ongoing basis. Margarita Headquarters launches in San Antonio on Wednesday, July 20, 2022 and across all other Texas TC markets on Wednesday, August 3, 2022.

In addition to launching “Margarita Headquarters,” Taco Cabana will offer a summertime happy hour from 4p.m. to 7p.m. Sunday through Thursday for dine-in and drive-thru guests starting July 20, 2022 at all San Antonio locations.

Happy hour items will include:

  • $2 Lime or Strawberry Margaritas 
  • $2 domestic beer 
  • Half-price bean & cheese nachos 
  • $1.50 bean & cheese chalupa 
  • $1 bean & cheese taco 

Taco Cabana is also extending its drive-thru hours of operation at all restaurants across San Antonio. Below are the new hours of operation for all San Antonio location drive-thrus:

  • Open Sunday through Thursday from 6a.m. to 12a.m. 
  • Open Friday and Saturday from 6a.m. to 2a.m.
  • Dining rooms will continue to close at 10p.m. 

Lastly, Taco Cabana will welcome the return of its beloved salsa bar in all restaurants in San Antonio on Wednesday, July 20, 2022. The salsa bars will include Roja, Fuego, Salsa Ranch, Taco Cabana’s new salsa Verde, Pico de Gallo, and pickled jalapeños. 

All new menu items can be ordered in-restaurant, via online ordering for front counter and curbside pick-up, in the drive-thru or by mobile order when using the MY TC!® App or Taco Cabana.

Taco Cabana, a subsidiary of YTC Enterprises, LLC, was founded in 1978. The brand specializes in Tex-Mex-inspired food including enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas, flautas, burritos, tacos, freshly-made flour tortillas and a selection of made-from-scratch salsas and sauces. Restaurants feature open-display cooking, a selection of bottled beer and signature tequila margaritas, patio dining, drive-thru windows, curbside pick-up and delivery. As of July 18, 2022, Taco Cabana operates 142 company-owned restaurants in Texas.