SAN ANTONIO — With inflation and rising costs in recent years, one of the signs that San Antonians are struggling is the local restaurants that have closed. It seems like the headlines have been dominated the last several months with announcements of long-running local favorites forced to close their doors.
Here at KENS 5, we have put together a list of restaurants that have closed in the last year, including larger chains where San Antonio locations have closed. Some cite rising costs of food and other goods, while others cite difficulty in hiring as the pool of potential staff has shrunk. Other owners simply said they wanted to move on from the service industry and focus on other pursuits or even retire. The list is compiled from social media and local news reports. If you know of any other restaurants not included in the list, please email news@kens5.com.
Acadiana
The local favorite, which has been serving Cajun and Southern style cooking since 1986, said in a press release it will operate through Thursday, August 29, 2024.
Augie's Alamo City BBQ Steakhouse
The owner announced the location would close in March 2024 due to the difficulty customers have had to navigate downtown construction to get to the restaurant. He planned to focus efforts on his other location, Augie's Barbed Wire Smokehouse on St. Mary's, which is is still open.
Ay Caramba Taco Cantina
Located just opposite the Pearl, this restaurant and cantina closed back in May, just six months after it opened.
Bexar Kolache Co.
The restaurant specializing in kolaches closed its location on Fredericksburg Road. The restaurant planned to open a new location sometime in 2024, according to its website, but Google Maps still lists the restaurant as "temporarily closed."
Bier Garten River Walk
The long-running River Walk restaurant and bar announced it would close in January of 2024 after ten years in business. Their website says the closure is due to "the city's expansion of the Alamo." The restaurant was also the site of the annual Oktoberfest celebration. It was owned by the Mad Dogs Restaurant Group.
Blue Box Bar
Another long-running bar in a popular location announced it is closing. The Blue Box Bar had been situated at the Pearl Brewery since 2012. The owners announced it would close at the end of August.
Botika
Another Pearl-area eatery closed this month. The Japanese-Peruvian restaurant, Botika, announced Aug. 4 would be its last day to serve customers.
Brown Coffee Co.
The Southtown coffee shop had been around since 2005 and announced it was closing in February of 2024. The coffee shop's website says "Brown Coffee Company is currently paused."
Carnitas Lonja
The outdoor counter-serve taqueria on the south side announced it was closing in December of 2023. The taco spot was actually nominated for a prestigious James Beard award. The eatery was featured on KENS 5's Great Day SA.
Capparelli’s
There are multiple locations of Italian restaurants named Capparelli's around San Antonio, including the flagship location on N. Main Avenue. But earlier this year, the location on Thousand Oaks announced it would be closing its doors. It is listed as closed on Yelp.
However, Capparelli's on Main is still going strong and keeping its doors open.
Deco Pizzeria
At one point, the iconic Deco Pizzeria had three locations in San Antonio, the original location on Fredericksburg, a newer location on Babcock and take-out only location on the south side. The other locations closed in 2018 and 2020, but the Fredericksburg location, a popular spot for fundraisers and community events, seemed to be going strong. The owner, Jacob Valenzuela, announced in January the location was under new management. There was no official announcement of its closure, but Yelp reports that is is closed.
Elotitos
The unique corn-in-a-cup concept restaurant at one point had two locations in San Antonio, Government Hill and Fredericksburg Road. However in May, the restaurant announced on social media it was closing the Government Hill location. The Fredericksburg location is still going strong and serving up a variety of different corn cup options along with aguas frescas, ice cream and mini-waffles.
Fratello's Market & Deli
The casual Italian eatery on Broadway near Brackenridge Park announced it was closing permanently in January. It had been open since 2013.
Hooters
Chain restaurants are also not immune to the effects of inflation and rising costs. Hooters announced in June it would close its long-running River Walk location. It was part of a wave of closures from the company, which cited tough economic challenges at the reason for the closures. But don't worry, Hooter's fans, there are three other locations in San Antonio.
Godai Sushi Bar and Restaurant
Long-running sushi favorite, Godai, announced its last day will Aug. 31. The owner, William Pitchford, thanked his customers and employees in a Facebook post and said it was not goodbye, but "see y’all soon again." He also said he would be leasing his kitchen and restaurant space.
Grady’s Bar-B-Q
In a heartbreaking loss, Grady's Bar-B-Q announced it was suddenly closing all three locations in 2023. The restaurant company had been operating in San Antonio for more than 70 years. The owners did not give a reason for the decision.
Jim's Restaurant
The iconic Jim's Restaurant location on San Pedro Avenue at West Hildebrand announced their closure on social media in June. Jim's Restaurants say that the current economy and rising costs are among the reasons for the closure. There are many other Jim's locations serving coffee and its signature pie all around San Antonio.
La Hacienda de los Barrios
The Barrios family of restaurants is an institution here in San Antonio. Many were shocked when the restaurant group announced the closure of La Hacienda de los Barrios on Scenic Loop back in June.
Noodle Tree
Chef and owner Mike Nguyen broke many hearts when he announced the closing of the beloved Noodle Tree back in March. Since then, he has opened a new restaurant concept, Breeky, which serves breakfast sandwiches with a Korean twist. The new restaurant was a recent feature of KENS 5's Neighborhood Eats.
Pig Stand
The iconic Pig Stand, located at the corner of Broadway and Casa Blanca, closed its doors after more than 100 years back in March. Huge crowds came out in the final week to get their last taste from the eatery.
Red Lobster
The seafood chain has been a part of most of our lives for generations, but sadly, in June, Red Lobster announced it was closing three locations in San Antonio as part of a bankruptcy plan. A month earlier, it had announced one San Antonio locations. More on the company's plans here.
Rio Rio Cantina
We said goodbye to another River Walk favorite, Rio Rio Cantina, back in January of 2024. The reviews of the Tex-mex staple were good, not great, but visitors liked the colorful setting and tequila drinks in the buzz of the River Walk. It had been open since 1989.
The Rustic
The popular restaurant and music at the Rim announced its heartbreaking closure at the end of May. The Rustic cited ongoing highway construction, saying that it affected access to the establishment on nights and weekends. TxDOT is adding new flyover ramps at Highway 1604 and I-10 resulting in months-long traffic disruptions.
Sangria on the Burg
This Medical Center-area foodie spot had been at its Fredericksburg location for seven years and announced its closure in December of 2023. Owner Ceasar Zepeda cited the rising costs of keeping a restaurant running as the reason for the closure and begged people on social media to "support local." He later reopened the spot as a short-lived breaded chicken concept restaurant.
Sari-Sari Supper Club
This Filipino favorite on Highway 151 announced its closure in December of 2023. But, the family that runs it has three other locations including Sari-Sari Filipino Restaurant on Wurzbach Road in Leon Valley. Check them out in a recent episode of KENS 5's Neighborhood Eats.
Saucy Birds
This chicken concept restaurant from Chef Cesar Zepeda gave us some delicious chicken strips and, true to the name, a massive selection of sauces. We were saddened once again when the word came that the fast-casual restaurant would also close in May of 2024. But, we are excited to see what this innovative Sangria on the Burg owner comes up with next!
Second Pitch Beer Co.
This award-winning brewery abruptly closed in March 2024, breaking many hearts in the brewery community. Apparently, a plan to revive the business fell apart over the summer. Google Maps lists the north-side taproom as permanently closed.
Thai Taste
The closures the past couple of years have affected all types of cuisines, including Thai. Back in May, the owners of Thai Taste announced it was closing temporarily in a Facebook Post. The post said the restaurant was exploring "pathways and solutions" to be able to reopen in the future. The restaurant had been in business for 29 years.
Yolanda's Uptown Cafe
Another decades-long restaurant announced its closure within the last year. Yolanda's Uptown Cafe was a colorful favorite on Fredericksburg Road for 34 years. It is listed as permanently closed on Google Maps.
A Way to the Heart
A Way to the Heart, located on 5251 McCullough Avenue began as a way for four chefs to take visitors on a trip around the world with international cuisine. They announced their closure on their Instagram page in June but promised to be back with pop-ups around the city.
Windmill Ice House
This neighborhood barbecue restaurant on Nacogdoches Road announced its closure on Facebook in June. In the post, the owners asked its fans to "stay tuned."