San Antonio’s dining scene has been busy in July with restaurant openings bringing Northern Mexican tacos and Southern Indian biryani, but a pair of temporary closures have got the most tongues wagging. Two acclaimed concepts — Landrace downtown and The Good Kind in Southtown — are on breaks, leading to much speculation. Read on for more juicy Alamo City food news.
Openings and closings
Two of San Antonio’s standout restaurants are on a break, which is naturally leading to chisme. Via Instagram, The Good Kind in Southtown said that it will be closed until July 22, leading to some speculation in online forums. The property seems to have been listed for sale in March, but it’s unclear if that will affect the restaurant business. CultureMap has reached out to chef and owner Tim McDiarmid for further comment.
Meanwhile, chef Steve McHugh‘s Landrace at downtown’s Thompson Hotel is also temporarily closed this summer for renovations. There’s no word yet on when the New American restaurant will return. A request for more details was not returned at press time. The restaurant did not give any advanced notice of the move, but the concept’s social feeds have been dark since May 6.
Regio’s Jr. specializes in Northern Mexican fare.Regio’s Jr./ Facebook
Dignowity Hill has a new neighborhood breakfast and lunch spot specializing in Northern Mexican cuisine. Regio’s Jr., located in the old Dignowity Meats space at 1701 E. Houston St., serves tamales, pozole, menudo, nachos, and tacos filled with deshebrada, carne guisada, carnitas, barbacoa, and chicharron. The taquería is not to be confused with San Antonio’s many other royal taco stands. The owners hail from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and are not associated with Tacos Regios, Regio Cafe, nor St. Mary’s Strip staple Tacos el Regio.
A new hybrid restaurant coming to 4841 Fredericksburg Rd. is combining the powers of two Texas chains specializing in traditional Indian cuisine. The combination Hyderabad House and Monk’s Indian Bistro will debut with a soft opening on July 28. Hyderabad focuses on Hyderabadi cuisine, a rich mix of Mughal, Turkish, Arabic, and local South Indian flavors that is especially renowned for aromatic biryanis. Meanwhile, Monk’s has gained a reputation for Indo-Chinese fare, a style of Chinese cooking immigrants created in Calcutta to adapt to the Indian palate.
New food truck park Iris’ Garden is also getting ready to soft launch on the South Side. The compound at 17020 SH-16 N will debut July 19 with an opening lineup that includes pizza, churros, burgers, and tacos. Project update photos show a charming backyard environment with fountains, pavilions, and picnic tables.
Lick is giving back to LGBTQIA-plus youth. Courtesy of Lick Honest Ice Creams
Other news and notes
Lick Honest Ice Cream is marking National Ice Cream Day on July 20 with a sweet charitable campaign. The Austin-based mini-chain will donate 10 percent of its proceeds to the Thrive Youth Center, a local nonprofit that provides crucial support for LGBTQIA-plus youth.
River North Icehouse is celebrating its first anniversary with a full slate of activities from July 18-20. The party begins with a live show on July 18 by DJ duo Twin Diplomacy, followed by a pop-up pickleball activation and UFC watch party on July 19. The jam-packed weekend ends with Sundown Social, an evening of house music with pies from 1472 Pizza.