SAN ANTONIO - The history of San Antonio's south side is rich. It's home to treasured missions and deeply cultured cuisine.
On this episode of Neighborhood Eats, we take you into several south-side eateries that you can try for free at our block party Thursday at Pearsall Park. The event is free and open to the public from 4 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. There will be free food and Que Rico t-shirts!
Brenda's Burgers
Brenda Berry is a product of South San Antonio. She opened Brenda's Burgers in 1988. Berry started near Lack land Air Force Base before moving to 3837 SW Military Drive. She's been there for 18 years.
"Nothing is cooked until you order it," Berry said. "I don't skimp on the meat, the buns and our produce is cut fresh every day."
Berry decided to focus on burgers because it was simple. Her sister who worked at the burger joint urged Berry to name the place Brenda's.
Berry handed the reigns over to her daughters. They still serve burgers, onion rings and shakes.
In fact, they granted Neighborhood Eats a Brenda sized sampler.
The Bacon avocado burger with cheese is great. According to the restaurateur, the Berry special is their signature burger.
It's a beef patty stacked with the trimmings topped with grilled onions and grilled jalapenos. ¡Que Rico!
The same can be said of her milkshakes made with Bluebell ice cream.
Tamale Boy Tacos and Tamales
Juan Rodriguez beams with the energy of a salesman. His mother must have thought the same thing when she had him selling tamales as a child.
The 38-year-old is from Somerset. He also spent part of his life growing up on San Antonio's Westside.
"I got really good at selling," He said. "When it came to the making (tamales) I wasn't any good."
Fortunately, he didn't allow that to become an obstacle. Rodriguez and his wife opened Tamale Boy Tacos and Tamales in January at 5300 S. Flores. The business' name harkens back to the time when he sold tamales door-to-door, business-to-business and at nightclubs.
"People called me the Tamale boy," He said.
Rodriguez' feature fare may be tamales but he also sells other items. Neighborhood Eats sampled his variety in a taste test.
The menudo and charro beans, were good. As for the tacos, the carne guisada with cheese and carne con chile are worth the stop alone.
His pork tamales are good. The Kadillac tamale is the number one seller: Lean chicken meat, cream cheese, organic spinach and chopped jalapenos. These are good too.
South BBQ and Kitchen
Andrew Samia lives on the eastside. He drives down Mission Rd to his latest restaurant: South BBQ and Kitchen.
"So I thought the name was a way to encapsulate everything that we wanted to do in our cooking," Samia said.
2011 Mission Rd was dormant until Samia's landlord from Dignowity Meats got him to take a look at the property.
Samia saw a huge BBQ pit and potential. The next step was learning the art of Texas BBQ. It was research and smokey trial and error. The yield was a BBQ joint with Southern-style smoked meat and even sides that are indigenous and unique.
For instance, the green beans are lightly cooked, served cold, crunchy, tossed in a vinaigrette, cherry tomatoes and cheese. Samia said the sides were designed to fill-up for non-BBQ lovers who might simply want his tater tot casserole.
South BBQ and Kitchen with its intentionally fire charred wooden walls and tables opened in May. Neighborhood Eats was provided with a tester from the new pit on the block.
The prime Angus sliced brisket is cooked for 12 hours. The meat receives salt and pepper only. ¡Que Rico! Try the brisket with the house made mustard or tangy BBQ sauces. It's an elevation in taste! The meat pairs well with his tangy cucumbers too.
The borracho beans are decent. Neighborhood Eats felt an immediate connection to t he creamed elote: Hot creamed corn, mayo, white cheese and cayenne pepper. ¡Que Rico!
An absolute yes to the smoked chicken with it's Cajun seasoning. The same delight if not more for Samia's pulled pork sandwich: Pork shoulder, house sauce and a vinegar slaw on a potato bun. Delicious!
That's this week's Neighborhood Eats. If you have a suggestion for Marvin send he an email (Mhurst@kens5.com), a tweet (@Mhurstkens5) or post it on his Facebook page.#KENS5EATS