Category: Restaurant News

Amor Eterno announces grand opening date

Amor Eterno, a new craft cocktail bar in Southtown, will open on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. Photo: Amor Eterno, used with permission.

Amor Eterno, a new craft cocktail bar concept, is excited to announce its grand opening date in Southtown in downtown San Antonio on Wednesday, January 6, 2021 from 5p.m. to 12a.m. Amor Eterno will offer an elevated experience of craft cocktails and food in an intimate setting and atmosphere, paying homage to family history and the city’s culture. (Amor Eterno, 2021)

Developed by local bar owners Aaron Peña (owner of The Squeezebox) and Brian Correa (owner of Bar America), Amor Eterno is in the space formerly occupied by Don Martin’s Coffee Co. The entire food menu is being developed in partnership with ¡Bucho!, a popular pop-up concept that focuses on chef-inspired “Tejano street fare.” The food menu includes Ceviche Wonton Tacos, Pinche Hot Chicken Tacos, Tejano Cubano, Ol’ Fashion Donut, and more. The cocktail program, overseen by Peña, will offer handcrafted cocktails including the ‘Who’s That Lady’ featuring gin, PX sherry, lemon, orgeat, and Peychaud bitters; ‘Noches de Amor’ featuring tequila, lime, strawberry, angostura bitters and bubbles, and other house and classic cocktails. A curated selection of wine and beer will also be available. 

Amor Eterno is located at 540 S. Presa St. and the hours of operation will be Wednesday – Thursday: 5p.m. to 12a.m., Friday – Saturday: 5p.m. to 2a.m., and Sunday: 1p.m. to 10p.m. Closed Monday & Tuesday.

COVID-19 safety precautions:

During the era of COVID-19, Amor Eterno will be taking all the necessary precautions to make sure the experience is safe for both staff and guests—including additional sanitizing, frequent hand washing, mandatory masks for guests, associates, and operators, socially-distant tables, and offering hand sanitizer stations.

Pluckers Wing Bar announces North Star location

Pluckers Wing Bar set to open third San Antonio location in Fall 2021. Photo: Melissa Skorpil, used with permission.

With the success of Pluckers Wing Bar’s Selma and Landmark locations and the support for expansion into other parts of town from San Antonio locals, Texas’ favorite sports bar and wing restaurant, Pluckers Wing Bar, is pleased to announce its third San Antonio-area location will be opening near North Star Mall in early fall 2021. The new Pluckers Wing Bar will be located at 92 NE Interstate 410 Loop, San Antonio, TX 78216. (Pluckers Wing Bar, 2021)

Known for their perfect combination of homemade food and a great atmosphere for watching sports, the iconic Pluckers menu includes fan favorites, such as Fried Pickles, Holy Macaroni, the Bypass Burger, and the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. Family Meal Packs and Kids Birthday Party Packs are also available for purchase through online ordering. Pluckers’s famous wings are available in-bone or boneless, grilled, and paired with signature sauces, like Buffalo, Spicy BBQ, and Spicy Ranch, along with such unique flavors as Ginger Peach Sriracha, Gochujang, and Spicy Mandarin.

The new Pluckers location will also offer their legendary “Fire in the Hole” contest, requiring each participant to finish 15 wings dressed in their hottest “Fire in the Hole” sauce. The winner will be added to the famous Pluckers Wall of Flame. Customers will be able to participate in Pluckers’s signature rewards program, Pluckers Club. Members can enjoy a variety of rewards, including, but not limited to, free birthday meals, food and drink specials, and more. Pluckers Club specials are redeemable for dine-in only.

The Selma and Landmark Pluckers San Antonio locations are currently open for dine-in service at 75% capacity and offering curbside pickup. Pluckers is continuing their fun restaurant traditions, such as live streaming their popular Trivia every Wednesday at 7:30p.m. on their Facebook, as well as their Family Trivia Game Night hosted every Sunday at 6p.m. 

Owners Mark Greenberg, Dave Paul, and Sean Greenberg, 2017 Ernst and Young Central Texas Entrepreneurs of the Year, opened their first Pluckers restaurant in Austin in 1995. Over the past 25 years, Pluckers Wing Bar has opened 29 locations, expanding to Baton Rouge, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston Killeen, San Marcos, and San Antonio. Pluckers is known for its signature wings and is consistently recognized as the best sports bar and chicken wing restaurant in the cities where it is located. Offering guests a fun, laid-back atmosphere where friends, family, and co-workers can enjoy a great meal and watch sports, Pluckers has been named in USA Today’s “Top Ten Wing Restaurants,” ESPN’s “Top 5 Sports Bar in North America,” and Dallas Observer’s “Best Sports Bar,” along with being named one of “Austin’s Best Places to Work” for three years by Austin Business Journal.

Culinaria Restaurant Weeks in January to support local eateries

Culinaria Restaurant Weeks will be a month long promotion to support local eateries. Photo: Culinaria San Antonio, used with permission.

Culinaria Restaurant Weeks’ bi-annual event to promote local eateries begins January 2 and runs through January 31, 2021 and is offering three course lunch and dinner menus for both dine-in and to-go.  Due to the current situation limiting capacity to 50% for dine-in, Culinaria encourages to-go and curbside pick-up. Three course lunch menus are $20 and dinner menus are $35 and $45, and most also offer bar beverages for take-out. (Culinaria, 2020) 

Guest safety and satisfaction is a priority. All participating restaurants are enforcing safety procedures and protocols when it comes to sanitizing and service. 

Reservations are required for those preferring to dine-in. For a complete list of participating restaurants and to view menu options visit Culinaria online. While there, visit the Hospitality Fund tab for information on how you can help furloughed workers and businesses on the financial brink. 

“Restaurants are continuously adapting, so keep in mind that hours are subject to change along with availability of some menu items. Restaurant teams are working hard to provide the best experience and service while working under unusual circumstances,” says Suzanne Taranto-Etheredge, president and CEO, Culinaria. 

“The mission of Culinaria has always been to promote San Antonio as a culinary destination, and, to support the restaurant and hospitality community when they need us in times of financial hardship or family emergencies, as they have been there for the community in times of hardship – natural disasters, flood and hurricane relief. So, we ask the community to give what you can to help restaurant owners keep their establishments operational. Donations are 100 percent tax deductible.” – Suzanne Taranto-Etheredge.

Whataburger Spicy Chicken Sandwich and BBQ Bacon Burger are back

Whataburger’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich is back for a limited time. Photo: Whataburger, used with permission.

Whataburger’s long-requested Spicy Chicken Sandwich was such a big hit when it was introduced in September that they decided to keep it around a little longer – and it is now on a new brioche bun. Also back is the BBQ Bacon Burger, perfect for BBQ lovers everywhere. Both items are available now for a limited time and prices vary by market. (Whataburger, 2020)

The Spicy Chicken Sandwich starts with a perfectly marinated, crispy chicken filet, topped with a fresh, cool leaf lettuce, pickles, and mayo, on a new delicious brioche bun. The BBQ Bacon Burger has three slices of savory bacon, smoked cheddar, and Monterey Jack – paired with two of Whataburger’s 100% fresh, pure beef patties, and a smoky tangy BBQ sauce, all atop a five-inch bun.

Whataburger has been making burgers since 1950 when Harman Dobson opened a humble hamburger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas.  He wanted customers to take one bite and say, “What a burger” so he named his stand on Ayers St “Whataburger.” Whataburger now has over 800 locations across the country and continues to deliver fresh, made to order meals every day with superior customer service.  Community support includes charitable giving and volunteerism to nonprofit organizations that focus on children’s charities, cancer research, hunger assistance, disaster relief and military support.

Whataburger makes childhood wishes come true

Whataburger delivered on childhood dreams for a selected group of fans. Photo: Whataburger, used with permission.

As a year, 2020 has been more Scrooge than Santa, more coal than cookies, more “no, no, no!” than “Ho, Ho, Ho!” But for some of Whataburger’s biggest fans, it was the year that their childhood wishes came true.  Whataburger asked fans across its social channels “What’s the one thing you asked Santa for but never got?” Then, Whataburger surprised 15 lucky fans across the United States from Arizona to Florida with their childhood dream gifts. These included retro game consoles, action figures, model cars, Legos, light sabers and more.  Santa even hand-delivered gifts to two lucky fans in his orange hot-rod sleigh, a 1939 Chevrolet Master Deluxe.  His gift bad also included their favorite Whataburger meals and Whataburger-For-A Year gift basket. (Whataburger, 2020)

Whataburger has been making burgers since 1950 when Harman Dobson opened a humble hamburger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas.  He wanted customers to take one bite and say, “What a burger” so he named his stand on Ayers St “Whataburger.” Whataburger now has over 800 locations across the country and continues to deliver fresh, made to order meals every day with superior customer service.  Community support includes charitable giving and volunteerism to nonprofit organizations that focus on children’s charities, cancer research, hunger assistance, disaster relief and military support.

Pluckers Wing Bar ‘Anti-Resolution Special’ returns this January

Pluckers Wing Bar’s Fried Twinkie dessert. Photo: Pluckers Wing Bar, used with permission.

In honor of the new year, Pluckers Wing Bar will feature an anti-resolution special from January 1 to January 7, 2021. During the week, guests can expect half-priced desserts and a $1 upcharge on salads when dining-in at the restaurant. The extra dollar will be donated to Breakthrough Central Texas, an education nonprofit that creates a path to and through college for students who will become the first in their families to earn a college degree. (Pluckers Wing Bar, 2020)

To ensure the well-being of guests and their employees, safety procedures and precautions currently implemented at all Pluckers locations include taking the temperature of all guests before they enter the restaurant. Any guest who registers a temperature above the current guidelines will be asked to place a takeout order; strongly encouraging guests to use the Yelp waitlist; kindly requesting that guests limit their dining times to 45 minutes after they receive their food; per Texas requirements, Pluckers will only seat parties of ten or fewer people at a table. Children of all ages are included in the party number; checking employees for fever upon arrival for their shift; installing sneeze guards at the host stands; requiring all back-of-house employees to wear gloves and requiring all employees to wear face masks. All Pluckers locations are currently open for dine-in service at 75% capacity.

Owners Mark Greenberg, Dave Paul, and Sean Greenberg, 2017 Ernst and Young Central Texas Entrepreneurs of the Year, opened their first Pluckers restaurant in Austin in 1995. Over the past 25 years, Pluckers Wing Bar has opened 29 locations, expanding to Baton Rouge, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston Killeen, San Marcos, and San Antonio. Pluckers is known for its signature wings and is consistently recognized as the best sports bar and chicken wing restaurant in the cities where it is located. Offering guests a fun, laid-back atmosphere where friends, family, and co-workers can enjoy a great meal and watch sports, Pluckers has been named in USA Today’s “Top Ten Wing Restaurants,” ESPN’s “Top 5 Sports Bar in North America,” and Dallas Observer’s “Best Sports Bar,” along with being named one of “Austin’s Best Places to Work” for three years by Austin Business Journal.

House of Má and Hugman’s Oasis to open in downtown San Antonio

House of Má and Hugman’s Oasis will be opening in early 2021 in downtown San Antonio. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Restaurateur Chris Hill, responsible for the award-winning Esquire Tavern and Downstairs at the Esquire Tavern, is excited to announce both a new restaurant and a new bar coming to downtown San Antonio in early 2021. The bar concept, Hugman’s Oasis and the restaurant, House of Má, will be in the Historic Witte Building on East Commerce Street. (Hugman’s Oasis, 2020)

Jill Giles and Project Lead Mark Anders conceptualized and designed Hugman’s Oasis and the street level space for House of Má. To assist with the design of Hugman’s Oasis, Giles Design Bureau brought in Bamboo Ben, a well-known tiki bar expert whose work has been featured in numerous bars throughout the country including Frankie’s Tiki Room in Las Vegas and Luau in Beverly Hills. 

The bar menu will feature drinks like the Bermuda Triangle, a tropical rum-based drink, a Piñagroni, a pineapple version of a traditional negroni, and more under the supervision of Beverage Director and Boulevardier Group Owner Jeret Peña. Hugman’s Oasis, named for the visionary architect responsible for the creation of the San Antonio River Walk, Robert H. H. Hugman, will occupy the river level of the Witte Building.

House of Má is a concept by Louis Singh and Eric Treviño, the same team behind the popular Singh’s Vietnamese restaurant in San Antonio. Guests will be able to order items from the menu like Hủ Tiếu (Cambodian Noodle Soup), Phở Gà (Chicken Pho), and more from House of Má, while dishes like Candied-Jalapeño Rangoons, Seasonal Yakitori Skewers, and more will be featured on the bar menu at Hugman’s Oasis.

Jeret Peña will also lead the bar program at House of Má, where guests can order cocktails with names like Old Siam, Soi Cowboy and more. House of Má will occupy the first floor of the building, with private dining available on the second floor. Hugman’s Oasis will be located on the river level directly on the River Walk. 

The Witte Building received additional transformations to accommodate guests including a new elevator and a set of stairs leading up from the River Walk to the street level. The new elevator tower was designed by Architect Tobin Smith. Andrew Douglas of Douglas Architects served as the lead architect on the project and Lewis Fisher of Fisher Heck Architects served as historical architect for the project. 

“We are particularly excited to add some depth and interest to not only the Riverwalk, but to the overall food and drink scene in San Antonio. We wanted to create an environment on the River Walk that can be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.” – Restaurateur Chris Hill

Taco Cabana announces new home for beloved ‘Tango Frogs’

The ‘Tango Frogs’ have a new home at the Truck Yard. Photo: google

For six years, the late Texas artist Bob “Daddy-O” Wade’s beloved “Tango Frogs” — a collection of three 10-foot-tall frog sculptures perched atop Taco Cabana’s former Dallas Greenville location — brought joy to Taco Cabana guests and passersby. Following the location’s closure earlier this year, several members of the Dallas community have begged the question, “what will happen to the frogs?” Today, Taco Cabana has officially announced their new home. (Taco Cabana, 2020)

Taco Cabana will donate the “Tango Frogs” to the Truck Yard at 5624 Sears St. off Lowest Greenville Avenue in Dallas where they will take up permanent residence. The “Tango Frogs” will be prominently positioned atop the popular beer garden’s roof facing Sears St., welcoming visitors to the venue. 

The former Taco Cabana location was originally a nightclub called Tango, where the “Tango Frogs” first claimed their home in 1983 and reclaimed the rooftop in 2014 when recovered and reinstalled by Taco Cabana.

“I couldn’t be more hoppy. Truck Yard has always desired and worked toward being an iconic Dallas location that our city can be proud of. We will position the ‘Tango Frogs’ so they can be an Instagram-worthy staple in our city and to continue to show the appreciation of this ‘unfrogettable’ artwork.” – Jason Boso, owner of Truck Yard

Taco Cabana, a subsidiary of Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRGI), was founded in 1978. The brand specializes in Tex-Mex-inspired food including enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas, flautas, burritos, tacos, flour tortillas and a selection of made-from-scratch salsas and sauces. Restaurants feature open-display cooking, a selection of beer and tequila margaritas, patio dining, drive-thru windows, curbside pick-up, and delivery. As of Nov. 1, 2020, Taco Cabana operates 144 company-owned restaurants in Texas.

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., owns, operates and franchises Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana® restaurant brands. The brands specialize in the operation of fast casual/quick service restaurants that offer distinct and unique flavors with broad appeal at a compelling value. The brands feature fresh-made cooking, drive-thru service, and catering.

 

Christmas-themed trivia at Pluckers Wing Bar

Pluckers Wing Bar is hosting two nights of Christmas-themed trivia nights. Photo: Melissa; Skorpil, used with permission.

This month, Texas’ favorite wing restaurant, Pluckers Wing Bar, will be hosting two virtual Christmas-themed trivia nights on Sunday, December 20 and Wednesday, December 23, 2020. (Pluckers Wing Bar, 2020)

Christmas-themed family trivia game night

On Sunday, December 20 beginning at 6p.m., Pluckers’ weekly Sunday Family Trivia Game Night will return on Facebook Live for three rounds of Christmas-themed trivia and fun physical challenges, both kid-friendly.  Pair with a Pluckers’ family meal pack and you are sure to have a safe and fun night with the kids.

Christmas-themed trivia

On Wednesday, December 23 beginning at 7:30p.m., participants can access the Christmas-themed live stream trivia on Facebook Live.  Round up your team for an evening featuring 10 questions in each round: sports, nerd, movie lines, movie quotes, name that tune, random, and more. Guests can complete the form to participate and all participants will receive a freebie menu item on their next order, just for playing.  Just submit your entry before the start of the following week’s trivia night to receive your coupon code in your confirmation email.  The order must be $30 or more to qualify.

Pluckers Wing Bar holiday gift guide

Pluckers Christmas Bundle. Photo: Pluckers Wing Bar, used with permission.

Pluckers Wing Bar is having a Holiday Gift Card Promo and a Christmas Bundle offer perfect for gift giving season.  (Pluckers Wing Bar, 2020)

Now through Christmas Eve, when a guest purchases an e-gift card of $25 or more, 20% will be added free to the purchaser’s e-gift card account on January 1, 2021. When a guest purchases a physical gift card of $30 or more, 10% will be added free to the purchaser’s physical gift card on January 1, 2021.

For the devoted Pluckers’ fan, there is the Pluckers Christmas Bundle, valued at $45 and includes the following below items. When purchasing a Christmas Bundle, add a sauce bottle of your choice to your cart and get it FREE.

  • Ugly Christmas Stocking
  • Ugly Christmas Sweater Shirt
  • Button Pack (6-count)
  • Chicken Wing Keychain
  • Chicken Wing Socks
  • Bumper Sticker
  • Choice of Sauce Bottle (FREE with purchase of Christmas Bundle)