SAN ANTONIO — I've already been back twice as their newest customer since shooting our latest Neighborhood Eats segment!
"It is all very influenced by basically all of Latin America," said owner Bryan Rojas. "A little Cuban, Colombian, Venezuelan, Argentinian, Peruvian, all that," he added.
Bilia Eatery was born five years ago all the way from South Beach (Miami) to South Texas.
"Once we moved to San Antonio five years ago from Miami, we decided that San Antonio was missing a little more Latin flavor," said Rojas.
And of course we know our Mexican food in San Antonio.
Bryan told us that’s what make's his eatery work, is the fact it is in the neighborhood, so to speak.
"We use black beans, and I’m not saying they are the same as pinto beans, but I feel like there are similarities that you don’t have to go so far," he said. "We do sandwiches that are very similar to gorditas. I feel like we have a little bit for everybody. More black beans. More rice. A little bit of everything that I grew up with."
We tried three of Bilia's top-sellers, starting with the Cuban sandwich. It's as good as any you'll find in the Alamo City.
"It is very popular," said Bryan. "People definitely know us for our Cuban sandwich."
Next, we tried the Barbaco Melt. I mean, come on, this is San Antonio! Who doesn't love some Barbaco?
"It is like a jalapeno popper in a sandwich," said Bryan.
The last dish we tried was the ever popular Havana Bowl. I loved it! I could eat it every single day!
"It is a personal favorite," said Bryan. "I grew up on rice and beans. It is in the heart."
Oh, and we also had their very unique Guava Limeade to wash it all down. I didn't take my first sip until we shot the taste test segment. It blew me away! So perfect!
Bilia's location is easily found just off Highway 410 and NW Military Highway.
"Castle Hills has accepted us with open arms," said Bryan. "We are really happy to be here. We are here to stay. We definitely love San Antonio. (We don’t have the beach like Miami does.) That’s why we wanted to open this place to make it feel like we’re still in Miami."
It's food that's fun! You'll love it!