SAN ANTONIO — With holidays here, traveling is near. And while you wait to board the plane, San Antonio International Airport has restaurants that you won’t find anywhere else in the city or state. So, we had to check them out on Neighborhood Eats.
"Bringing people in from around the world to experience our people, our culture and the flavor of San Antonio is something we're really proud of and we're really excited to do more of," said Chief Commercial and Technology Officer & Assistant Director Jennifer Mills Pysher.
More than 15,000 people pass through the San Antonio International Airport every day, and that numbers ramps up during the holidays. So, for those wanting to grab a bite, we explored their newest addition -- Super Bien.
"It's dedicated to a lot of the foods that I grew up with. It is my very first Tex-Mex concept," said owner of Super Bien Chef Johnny Hernandez. "This concept is really grounded in San Antonio food traditions and flavors." If his name sounds familiar, one of his most famous restaurants is La Gloria.
But, this spot located in Terminal A, is the only location in existence.
"I honestly think that people may want to just buy a ticket, come through security, just for his burritos and bowls," said Mills Pysher.
We asked Hernandez to customize a bowl for us. He recommended one with rice, beans, picadillo, pico de gallo and crema.
You can also order tacos, burritos and aguas frescas.
Another new spot is Beercode Kitchen & Bar. It started in Europe, and the U.S. now has two locations, one of them being here.
"Basically what we wanted to do is create a menu that you can't get anywhere else in the airport except right here. And that was the idea we also wanted to do with a 210 Layover Beer made by Freetail Brewing Company," said General Manager Gilbert Escobar.
They’re also a scratch kitchen with options like chorizo hash and the six ounce salmon.
"It's painted with a Dijon mustard, along with a garlic streusel on top of it, over wilted spinach and grilled tomatoes," said Escobar.
We also had to go to a local classic -- Rosario's Mexican Restaurant located in Terminal B.
We had the Lisa’s Special, which has two cheese enchiladas, refried beans, rice, paired with a beef or chicken fajita.
"Our team has taken a lot of time and thought into, 'How do we cultivate a sense of place for San Antonio at the airport?' And if you were here a couple of years ago, it doesn't look the same," said Mills Pysher.
As for the holiday travelers, she told us that the hours of operations for the concessions are being extended. "That way we can ensure that the customers coming in for the busy holidays have many options for wonderful meals or retail."
For more information about San Antonio International Airport, click here.
"This is a fantastic city that we love with our entire hearts," said Mills Pysher.