Nice little casual authentic restaurant?

I am splitting this off the last thread because this question didn麓t really belong there anymore:

could anyone recommend some nice little restaurants, casual and authentic, no big crowds with fancy dining (that, you can get anywhere in the world), but maybe a small family-owned local place where one can get a little bit of the local flavor off the beaten path and off the tourist crowds? Price range medium.

All I can do so far, is to look on the Web where one can find tons of lists, but rankings are always tricky..

Nice little casual authentic restaurant?

There are so many good options...

Barbecue: Rudy%26#39;s (http://www.rudys.com) is a small chain, but it really is from San Antonio, and has great BBQ. The original one is in Leon Springs, in a fairly rustic setting. It is next door to another nice restaurant, The Grill, which was itself the original Macaroni Grill, but is now much nicer.

In New Braunfels, many recommend the GristMill, but coming from Austria, you%26#39;ll probably be disappointed. It IS an area populated by German immigrants, but the best authentic German restaraunt I know of is in Walburg, north of Austin (http://www.walburgrestaurant.com). I have taken German nationals there, and they%26#39;ve all said ';as good as'; or ';better than'; back home. It is an old Bavarian town, where the locals still speak an old Bavarian dialect...

In San Marcos, there is a nice little restaurant called Palmer%26#39;s (http://www.palmerstexas.com), in the middle of town. San Marcos itself is nice to visit, and the shopping there is fantastic, due to the unbelievably massive array of outlet stores there. The town itself is a college town, and still has the old forntier town square. Palmer%26#39;s serves food that is uniquely Central Texan, blending German and Spanish influences. The Pecan-crusted chicken is great. It feels like a formal restaurant, but it is casual and affordable.

For Tex-Mex, there are dozens of smaller restaurants about town. La Margarita (http://www.lamargarita.com) is worth a stop, and are right near the Riverwalk. Out in the burbs, try Hacienda De Los Barrios (http://www.lhdlb.com), on Redland Rd (far north), or Cielito Lindo (http://cielitolindorestaurant.com). Cielito Lindo serves fantastic food, but the service is a bit slow at times. They%26#39;re on Stone Oak parkway on the north side.

For breakfast, try the Magnolia Pancake Haus (http://www.magnoliapancakehaus.com/). If you get there early, seating is plentiful, unlike the larger restaurants in-town. They%26#39;re just north of the airport, off West ave.

Nice little casual authentic restaurant?

Thanks for the great tips here! You are correct, German or Austrian food wouldn麓t be exactly my first choice, but I think we will focus on Tex-Mex or Southwest or whatever the people living in San Antonio eat. For me, the atmosphere is almost more important than the food itself. I loathe the so-called ';in';-restaurants because they tend to be too expensive and overcrowded, and let麓s be honest, the real fancy restaurants maybe very nice, but this type of establishment is pretty much interchangeable all over the world.

again, thx for the tips, we麓ll try as many of them as possible in 8 nights!

Alexander

(1)Where are you staying (area or location)?

(2)Will you have a car?

(3)And if you will have a car what distance/time frame are you will to drive?

I麓ll be staying at the Grand Hyatt, I will have a car, and I would travel 30-50 min if the restaurant is really cozy, authentic and maybe even in a nice romantic setting.

Palmer%26#39;s is *definitely* that romantic setting. If you will spend a day on that corner of town (in the space between San Antonio and Austin), it%26#39;s worth planning a lunch or dinner stop there. Oh, and get the tortilla soup with your pecan crusted chicken...

The Grill is romantic affordable gourmet. Move it up your list a bit, if that%26#39;s what your interests are.

Rudy%26#39;s is still a must, though. County Line will be nearer to the hotel, but it is actually a bigger chain, and is overpriced and overcrowded.

At some point, you may want to make an exception to the small restaurants to go to Papadeaux. If you can%26#39;t get the real Cajun experience while in Houston, Papadeaux can be found in each of the other big cities. Get some etoufee and a nice cut of fish while you are there.

In Corpus, be sure to stop under the bridge for some good local seafood. It%26#39;s not quite on par with Kemah seafood (Houston area), but it%26#39;s still very good. Look for snapper or roughy if you can get it.

There are a lot of expensive boutique restaurants on the north side of San Antonio, and some are very good. You will pay for them, though...

For a proper Texas steak, Texas Land %26amp; Cattle is a nice place. It%26#39;s a chain, but a very small one, with a great atmosphere. You will enjoy it.

For Barbeque check out Augie%26#39;s by the park...near SA Zoo. La Tuna in Southtown is also an awesome local%26#39;s spot. A little upscale bistro to try is La Frite Belgiam Bistro, also in Southtown.

Thx a million, guys! This is gonna keep me pretty busy :-)))

Any good tips on Mexican food?

Alexander

El Mirasol, Rosarios, La Margarita (fun atmosphere), or, if you must do on the riverwalk, Rio Rio. Do not go to Casa Rio!

Great. Now I麓m gonna have to stay another week ;-)))

thx!!

El Mirador on South St Marys,El Milagrito on North St Marys,Blanco Cafe on Blanco Road,Los Barrios also on Blanco,and Cha Cha%26#39;s on Babcock(do not confuse with Cha Cho%26#39;s)..