Clementine is a Castle Hills hidden gem that provides an unexpected fine dining experience just outside Northwest Loop 410. Owned and run by John and Elise Russ, the restaurant serves up seasonal, regional dishes with a Southern touch and remains one of very few places in town that features gamier meats, like quail and pheasant. The menu changes often, but diners can expect dishes like braised oyster mushrooms, gulf fish en papillote, and chamomile-brined spatchcock chicken served with a garden chimichurri. There’s also a prix fixe option designed to highlight the flavors du jour. Though walk-ins are welcome, reservations for dine-in service can be made online or by phone.

On any given day, the drive-thru line at the Original Donut Shop extends into the street, and during peak hours, it might even spill over into the parking lot of the adjacent Texaco. What brings people far and wide to this bakery and taqueria? It’s simple: the toasted bean and cheese tacos. Sure, everything on the Original Donut Shop’s menu shines, including its wide variety of specialty doughnuts, but the toasted bean and cheese (with or without bacon) is a Fredericksburg Road delicacy. Orders are placed online, and the restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor services.

Las Nieves Fruit Cups & More on Hildebrand Avenue is one of the best places to go for a frozen chamoy-covered mangonada on a hot summer day. The lime-green building has a wall menu featuring photos of its many raspa, piccadilly, and mangonada variations. Additionally, the snack stand offers an assortment of fresh fruit cups, Italian ice, and savory bites, like the timeless classic corn in a cup. Recently, the shop expanded to have a location on Thousand Oaks Drive, which offers the same wide selection. All Las Nieves locations have outdoor dining options.

After a car crashed into Singhs last summer, the restaurant is back to doing what it does best: serving up its full menu of Vietnamese dishes, including banh mi, bún, and goi. No stop would be complete without trying the “winghs” — fried chicken wings tossed in a spicy Thai chili butter. Pickup and delivery orders are placed online, and the restaurant is open for indoor dining.

Combining Texas barbecue and Southeast Asian curries, Curry Boys BBQ became an instant hit when it opened on the St. Mary’s Strip in the fall of 2020. Within a small, very pink building, Curry Boys seamlessly pairs two distinct cuisines with dishes like the brisket smoke show — tender slices of smoked brisket slathered with green curry and served over a bed of rice and potatoes. There’s no indoor dining space for Curry Boys yet, but it has plenty of shaded picnic tables where diners can sit and eat. Additionally, orders can be placed online ahead of time.

A collaboration between chefs Nicola Blaque — of one of Eater’s best new restaurants of 2019 — and Lionel “Butch” Blache, Mi Roti takes a choose-your-own-adventure approach to Caribbean cuisine. The restaurant’s highly customizable menu includes numerous toppings and perfectly seasoned protein options, including jerk chicken and curry chickpeas, making Mi Roti a popular stop at Pearl’s Bottling Department Food Hall. Orders are placed online, and the restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor service.

Best Quality Daughter began in 2018 as a series of pop-ups to spotlight female Asian-American chefs in San Antonio. Since then, co-owners Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin and Quealy Watson (both of Tenko Ramen) have transitioned the pop-up into a physical restaurant at Pearl. With menu items like curry shrimp fried rice, thick noodle short rib, and Taiwanese popcorn fried chicken, the restaurant makes creative, specific dishes and presents them in a familiar way. The boozy boba tea is a standout option that fully represents the restaurant’s lighthearted sensibility, with drink names like “I Used to Live in Thailand” and “My Husband at the Time.” Orders are placed online, and the restaurant is open for indoor and patio service.

Nestled inside the historic St. Anthony Hotel, Rebelle is an upscale seafood restaurant with a luxurious, cool atmosphere that simply works. While Rebelle is probably best known for its decadent seafood towers, make no mistake: The chefs can also prepare one heck of a rib-eye. The seven deadly sins-inspired cocktail list is another menu highlight, and the restaurant’s bar also offers a number of classic libations that are very affordable during happy hour. Reservations can be made on OpenTable.

Though many restaurants have come and gone in Southtown, Rosario’s is still going strong after 29 years in business. With its colorful lounge aesthetic, the restaurant is a step up from casual dining, making it a great place to grab frozen margaritas and a plate of nachos to share while catching up with friends and family. The fish tacos and the enchiladas Mexicanas are some of Rosario’s dinner standouts. Orders are placed online, and the restaurant is open for indoor and patio service.

Owner and chef Alejandro Paredes opened Carnitas Lonja in a small, unassuming location, just south of downtown, back in 2017. Since then, the Michoacán taqueria has garnered high praise from critics and diners alike for its carnitas-filled menu and its quick-and-easy service. The restaurant offers half- and full-pound portions of tender, perfectly seasoned pork carnitas, served with pico de gallo, pickled onions, salsa, and a stack of fresh corn tortillas. Orders can be made in person or online, and there’s plenty of outdoor seating on the premises. 

Rudy’s Seafood has been a mainstay of the Southside since it first opened in the 1960s. With feed-the-family combo options, Rudy’s is known for its ample helpings of fried fish, shrimp, and oysters, which come with tartar sauce, lemon slices, bread, and a giant serving of fries. Pickup orders can be placed over the phone, and the restaurant is open for indoor dining.