12 Best Restaurants at the Pearl

Just north of San Antonio’s infamous downtown hub is another historical hot spot for food, culture, and history. The Pearl is the 22-acre property on the same site of an old brewing company that began in the 1880s, but is now home to shops, restaurants, apartments, hotels, and the Culinary Institute of America.

At any given time of the year you can find markets, events, and concerts galore but what brings us all back, is the food. This guide is your best tool to navigate the marinade of amazing restaurant options the Pearl has to offer, so that you can feel confident in your choices.

Restaurants At The Pearl: Tips & Parking

A few tips on reservations and parking: lunch at the Pearl during the weekday is laid back, but can be busy during peak weekend hours. You likely won’t have a long wait on a weeknight for a table but if you plan to dine here on the weekend, call ahead at least two days for reservations. There are several hourly parking lots surrounding the Pearl and all are very affordable, but the free lots can be found under the 281, adjacent to Avenue A, and within steps of the Pearl’s main entrance. Definitely give yourself an extra 10 minutes to park if you’re going on a busy night. Onward!

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12. Larder

The crown jewel of the Pearl is the tower at its center, Hotel Emma. Supper, its restaurant is mentioned further down this list, but they also have one of the finest small grocery stores in the city. While not a full-fledged restaurant, this guide wouldn’t be complete without mentioning this little food gem for those on the go or in need of a snack or an excuse to shop from their shelves lined with spices, spreads, jams and sauces, cookbooks, kitchen tools, and drinks. Larder has an impressive assortment of sandwiches, snacks, and desserts to-go. Don’t sleep on their must-try browned butter, toffee rice crispy treat.

11. The Food Hall at Bottling Dept.

The best restaurant at the Pearl that offers both a variety of great food and a flexible atmosphere is the Food Hall Bottling Department. The food Hall sits on the site of the original bottling department and offers five foodcourt style options: Chilaquil, Howdy Child, Freight Fried Chicken, Wonderslice and Henbit. All are solid options and here are the best ways to start:

1) Chilaquil pays homage to the best of Mexican comfort food, Chilaquiles, while also delivering killer tortas and tacos. If you’ve never had chilaquiles, put a stop to that today and cozy up to a bowl of Chilaquilu’s perfectly sauced tortilla chips laced with queso fresco, pickled onions, avocado, and cilantro. It will fill your belly and any cracks in your heart.

2) Howdy Child is the most recent project of food genius Mattison Bills, who’s very pastrami is called the best in the state in Texas Monthly Magazine. It’s not piled high like you’ll find in NYC, but it is every bit as flavorful and balanced to perfection in their reuben sandwich. Here, BBQ collides with traditional delicatessen: Pastrami alongside chopped brisket, with sides from pickled vegetables and mac n cheese to salad or fries fried in beef tallow. You can’t go wrong with either pastrami sandwich and a side of fries. To offset the richness, the pickled veggies are magic. 

3) Henbit is the Bottling Departments current burger stop, headed up by the team at nearby Ladino. These smashburgers are hands down some of the best burgers in the city.  Juicy, flavorful, perfectly cooked, and topped with all the best things, you will be so glad you chose to eat here. Their garlic rosemary fries are perfectly crispy and seasoned and their sweet potato fries are that ideal place between sweet and savory. Good luck choosing between the two. Or save yourself the hassle and order both. One of their shakes in hand, strolling down the nearby Riverwalk is the best way to end your meal. 

4) Freight Fried Chicken is the newest creation from chef genius Nicola Blaque, who attended the Culinary Institute of America here in San Antonio. Her first restaurant (Jerk Shack) was listed by Eater as one of the best places to get fried chicken in America. To honor the tradition of fried chicken and its roots in African American history, Nicola created Freight Fried Chicken. The dry batter creates a lighter but crispy coating on well-seasoned, flavorful dark meat chicken. It is fresh, hot, salty, fatty, and simply the best fried chicken in San Antonio. The biscuits with honey butter are everything a biscuit should be and complement the chicken to a T. 

Wonder Slice is the best place to grab a quick slice when you’re in the area or a whole pie if you plan to stay with friends. Their pizza is akin to the chewiness and flavor of New York style pizza and executes just as well as they do in the big apple. Their pepperoni is perfection and the four cheese pizza is a definite go-to. Sometimes the simplest things are the best things. Definitely don’t sleep on their subs; the Italian and meatball subs are solid lunch options in case you had pizza yesterday. 

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10. Down on Grayson

Casual and unassuming, Down in Grayson offers delicious food in a beautiful indoor space with a relaxed, easy patio. While technically not located within the Pearl, Down on Grayson sits a block away and deserves a try when considering the best restaurants at “the Pearl”. Their menu is creative and very approachable, offering great burgers, sandwiches, and delicious small plates for sharing. Try the fire-roasted shishitos and JK club for lunch or the chimichurri strip steak for dinner. The six layer strawberry cake is the perfect sweet and fluffy ending to any meal.

9. Savor

Savor is the restaurant of the San Antonio campus of the renowned Culinary Institute of America. Here their students hone their craft and present you with many options on their prix fixe menu, where you can choose from a three or four-course meal with choices ranging from simple and flavorful salads to rich, satisfying mains. You will not find better hospitality at any of the restaurants at the Pearl, as their staff is incredibly attentive, kind, and efficient. Because it’s run by the CIA, calling ahead is a must as their hours are dictated by the school schedule.

8. Botika

This Latin/Asian-influenced restaurant at the Pearl isn’t afraid to incorporate influences from around the world for their guests. At Botika you’ll see bento lunch boxes with Brazilian items and steam buns with Mexican influence. The lomo saltado is a fun Latin play on steak frites– beef shoulder sliced thin and perfectly cooked, paired with crispy wedge fries, pickled veg, and fried plantains. If you love Latin and Asian cuisine and delicious food this is a great place to experience something new, yet still within the flavor profiles that you love.

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7. Southerleigh

If you’re a FF veteran you may have heard of this gem of a restaurant before. Southerleigh is the Creole star of the Pearl and one of the best southern restaurants in San Antonio. Serving up southern classics with a cajun spin, the atmosphere, grits, and the mac n’ cheese can’t be beat. Their gulf redfish and fried chicken are favorites and you can always count on us ordering one of their wood-fired pretzels, too. They have a festive patio overlooking the main Pearl courtyard and a stunning interior that shows off the old and working brewery equipment.

6. Supper

Supper is the New-American restaurant of Hotel Emma and sits on the corner of the Pearl district facing the riverwalk. Their Patio overlooks one of the most peaceful and beautiful sections of the famous San Antonio Riverwalk, but in a much more quiet section, delivering the best view of all the restaurants at the Pearl. The seasonal menus at Supper are high quality and local with their Bronzini and salt and vinegar brussels sprouts being stalwart favorites. The burnt sugar panna cotta is the best way to end any meal with the sticky toffee pudding being a close second.

5. Best Quality Daughter

The newest kid in the block that sits on the old site of the Granary is Best Quality Daughter. Here you will find Chinese food with a New American flair. The familiar presence of pungent garlic, peppercorns, and peanuts are reminiscent of Sichuan cuisine while making room for their spin on tradition with mapo hummus and char siu spring rolls. Their creative take on Chinese food is exciting and delicious, qualifying Best Quality Daughter as one of the best restaurants at the Pearl.

4. Bakery Lorraine

Bakery Lorraine is one of our go-to’s for pastries and croissants not just at the Pearl, but in San Antonio. Their almond croissant, pain au chacolat, and kolache assortments are all stellar with the kouign-amann being the show-stopping favorite. Flakey buttery layers of pastry encasing creamy, tart lemon curd just can’t be beat. For lunch, their sandwiches are perfect and a few handmade pop tarts to-go are never a bad idea.

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3. Lick Honest Ice Creams

Lick is one of the best ice cream shops in San Antonio and certainly the best among the restaurants at the Pearl. They have several everyday staples and revolve their creamy and creative menu around the seasons, sprinkled with delicious non-dairy flavors too. The goat cheese, thyme, and honey flavor stands amazingly on its own, but the Texas sheet cake and the coffee cream are an excellent pair. Of all the restaurants at the Pearl to eat at, make sure to save room for ice cream at Lick after.

2. Brasserie Mon Chou Chou

Mon Chou Chou is French comfort food at its finest. Their menu, which is sure to satisfy any french fry lover, feels so indulgent. From the impressive assortment of cheeses to all the rich decadence you would expect from any traditional French restaurant that goes through hundreds of pounds of butter a week. Highlights include their roasted chicken, steak frites, and rack of lamb. So flavorful, served with a rich red wine demi-glaze and the best fried potato pancake topped with flakes of salt. Not a place to eat every night of the week but the best splurge among all of the restaurants at the Pearl.

1. Cured

If you’re looking for a unique experience with the best quality of food, Cured is an exceptional place to make that happen. Cured is our favorite restaurant at the Pearl and for good reason– their forte is their house-cured meats but their high quality touches everything on the menu. Here, ordering a charcuterie board is an absolute must, and have full confidence in adding a few seasonal small plates for a diverse and outstanding upscale dining experience.