So after being friends with a fellow Devils fan on Facebook for a few years, it was finally time to meet up in San Antonio! He was so kind to swing by the hotel and bring us to the Pearl Brewery District. Not too far from downtown, you’ll find some great bars and restaurants there. There’s also some shops, a farmers market, and the Culinary Institute. The buildings and brewery have been around since 1881 and with the numerous apartments, retailers, restaurants, and cafes, it’s become the neighborhood for locals and tourists.
Pearl Brewery
We met up with his friends at Blue Box Bar. The first bar in Pearl that opened back in May 2012. They offer hand-crafted drinks served up by an in-house mixologist.
Blue Box Bar
Cheers to new friends!
I tried one of the daily specials written on the board. A gin based cocktail with berry and mint. It was very refreshing and gone in a flash!
Done!
After getting acquainted over a couple of drinks, it was time for dinner. My friend suggested La Gloria. Chef Johnny Hernandez spent years traveling throughout Mexico to developed the tasty menu based on the street vendors and taquerias. Now we’ve been eating Tex Mex for the past couple of days, but this was the good stuff you can’t find on the River Walk.
Dinner at La Gloria
Benches
Hola!
We opted for an outdoor table and there was a bit of a wait for our party of eight. No problemo. We ordered some drinks at the outdoor bar while we waited. Margaritas, of course!
Menu
We were seated after a little while with new margaritas in hand! Salud!
Outdoor Table
The menu sounded really good. I had no idea what to get. My friend and I agreed to split a few dishes to try as much as possible. True Filipino style! We decided to start with the Chorizo con Rajas Queso Fundido – melted cheese with chorizo and roasted poblano peppers.
Chorizo con Raja Queso Fundido
It was delicious! The hot melted cheese with bits of salty chorizo was heavenly. It was even better scooped up and put on a warm flour tortilla. So good! This is a must-try.
Cheesy Goodness
The next dish was the Arrachera en Adobo Molcajete – skirt steak in a chile pasilla sauce served in a stone mortar.
Arrenchera en Adobo
It had nice tender chunks of skirt steak and the pasilla sauce had a nice smoky flavor, a bit milder than expected, but still good.
Chili Pasilla Sauce
Then our array of tacos started arrived one after the other. We tried 3 kinds. The Al Pastor (marinated pork), the Pescado Baja Califas (battered fish), and the Puerquito Echado (spiced pork). We may have ordered too much, but had to try it all!
Al Pastor
The Al Pastor had savory pork with chunks of sweet pineapple, a nice combination of flavors.
Pork and Pineapple
The fish tacos were much better than the ones I had at Rio Rio, but they were still a bit heavy as expected. The grilled fish would have been a better choice.
Fried Fish Tacos
That’s okay because the favorite of the night turned out to be the spiced pork tacos. These were awesome. The pork didn’t have much spice, but had tremendous flavor. It was nice and crispy. It reminded me of shredded lechon kawali (Filipino fried pork belly). Put it on a warm tortilla with some chopped onions and cilantro – simply amazing!
Puerquito Echado
Spiced Pork and Onions
It was a delicious dinner with great company. There was no way we were calling it a night without some shots!
Tequila Shots
A Great Dinner
It was only the beginning of a fun night. We went to a bar outside San Antonio in my friend’s neighborhood afterwards. Good times!
Good Times
If you’re in the Pearl District and craving Mexican food, give La Gloria a try. I highly recommend the queso fundido and some tacos. Enjoy!
La Gloria
100 E Grayson Street
San Antonio, TX 78215
(210) 267-9040
Website
Blue Box Car
312 Pearl Pkwy #2107
San Antonio, TX 78215
(210) 227-2583
Website
Pearl Brewery
303 Pearl Pkwy #300
San Antonio, TX 78215
(210) 212-7260
Website
