Travel story in San Antonio from the moment we left Houston. A short review of the hotel we’ve stayed for two nights in Red Roof+ and the eatery places such as Mi Tierra Cafe and Riverwalk San Antonio area.
Find out the food and drink prices at Lone Star Cafe, Club Sirius, The Ticket Sport Bar, Bier Garten, and also Dick’s Last Resort.
Houston to San Antonio
The walk for 17 minutes from Club Quarters Hotel to the Greyhound bus terminal in Houston was pleasant, it wasn’t cold, and I could still see the autumn leaves hanging on the tree branches.
The station was small, and the seats were limited. Fifteen minutes before our bus schedule for departure, we queued at the gate. After twenty minutes had passed, there was an announcement made about the gate change, and everybody walked in a line to the opposite side of the entrance to get on the bus.
There’s a power outlet in every seat, free Wifi and also a toilet. No smoking and alcohol allowed on the bus. While on the journey to San Antonio, I saw that all the United States Flags were at half-staff and quickly realised that it was to Honour George H.W. Bush, and according to the information on the net, it would remain that way until sunset on 30th December 2018.
When we reached our destination after travelling for 3 hours and 10 minutes, I could see that even San Antonio was shrouded by fog. We asked the taxi driver (an old man about 80 years old) who parked next to the terminal if he could take us to Red Roof+ Hotel, and he agreed even though it’s only for a short distance. The fare was $5.50. We saw the hotel on our way to the terminal, but we didn’t want to carry our backpack for a walk when we were still not familiar with the road.
Red Roof Plus+
A breeze check-in and we got to our room. We tried using the safety box, but the door couldn’t be closed, and the technician tried to fix it twice but to no avail. We then moved to the opposite room, and everything was great, only slight problem with the room’s door. The room was spacious, the view facing the motorway, had an iron & ironing board, a hairdryer, a little bathtub, and a comfy bed. It cost $147 for two nights.
The left picture below was our room’s view, and the right photo was our original room (with the broken safety box) – I wouldn’t want to look at the view at night! Just kidding though, the 13th Floor Haunted Houses was about 800 meters away, 9 minutes walking distance.
Riverwalk
Later in the evening, we went for a walk on the famous Riverwalk. It was beautiful at night time when all the neon lights came alive.
Lone Star Cafe
While sitting at the Lone Star Cafe, we watched the riverboats cruising along carrying passengers in it. Some were taking children in it, and they sang Christmas songs while cheerfully waving at the passersby and wishing them a Merry Christmas.
Some of the food and drinks menu and pricing at the Lone Star Cafe:
$6.99 – Apple or Peach Cobbler Skillet
$7.99 – Texas Sized Brownie
$9.99 – Grand Mozzarella Sticks
$10.29 – Marble Falls Fried Mushrooms/ Sweet Water Stuffed Jalapenos
$10.99 – Charlie’s Famous Fried Onion Rings
$11.99 – San Antonio Nachos
$12.49 – Texas Burger/ Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich/ Chicken Wings
$12.99 – Chicken Ceasar Salad/ Texas Pecan Salad
$13.99 – Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Burger/ Chili Cheese Burger/ Mushroom Swiss Burger/ Chicken Ranch Sandwich/ Buda Buffalo Sandwich/ Brisket Sandwich
$14.49 – Cross Road Country Fried Chicken/ La Grange Chicken/ Texas Ranger Chicken
$15.29 – Lone Star Country Fried Steak
$16.99 – Chopped Sirloin Steak (11oz/ Pipe Creek Salad
$17.29 – Canyon Lake Fried Catfish
$17.99 – Leon Springs Bar-B-Que Combo
$18.99 – Galveston Fried Shrimp
$19.49 – Forth Worth Sirloin (8oz)
$19.99 – New Braunfels Pork Ribs
$21.99 – Chuck Wagon Ribeye (10oz)
$24.99 – Ranchers Ribeye (12oz) / Alamo Strip (10oz/ Rustlers Bacon Wrap (8oz)
$27.99 – Texas T-Bone (16oz)
$28.99 – Big Hoss Ribeye (16oz)
Happy Hour Menu
$3.00 – Lone Star Margarita (Rocks or Frozen)
$3.00 – Draft Beer > Lone Star/ Blue Moon/ Miller Lite/ Shiner
$3.00 – Wine > Copperidge Chardonnay/ Copperidge Cabernet/ Copperidge Merlot
$4.00 – Hour Portion > Fried Mushrooms/ Fried Onion Rings/ Nachos
I love the view here on the terrace. The food was great, the waiter was attentive at first, but once you’d paid, and when you’re leaving, they didn’t even bother to look at you or say goodbye. The squirrel on the tree though was courteous enough to look at me in the eyes when I try to get its attention 🤣 We spent $57 for three beers, one margarita, one huge Pepsi and two burgers.
The Ticket Sport Bar
There were just plenty of restaurants and bars along the Riverwalk to choose from, but we wanted to explore a different area that was not so touristy, so we wandered away from the river and ended up in The Ticket Sports Bar. It was quite empty, with just a few locals watching games on the big screens and two sexy servers on the bar counter. I had Austin Eastcider-Pineapple Cider and mike had Dos XX Lager. It costs $6.50 each.
Bier Garten
It was already late at night, and we were still walking around to find another bar, but couldn’t see any. We ended up walking back to the Riverwalk and stopped by at Bier Garten for a drink. I had Hoegaarden, and Mike had Alstadt Kolsch. Our server, Miles was friendly, and he immediately changed Mike’s beer when we told him that the beer tasted sour.
Here’re some of the food and drink prices in Bier Garten
Food
$5 – Potato Wedges of French Fries
$8 – Brats and Dogs/ Fried Kosher Pickles
$9 – Krautwurst Balls/ Sausage on a Stick/ Sausage Sliders
$10 – Curry Wurst/ Veggie Pretzel Burger
$11 – Nuremberger
$13 – German Chicken Schnitzel Club/ Hamburg Hamburger
$15 – Oktoberfest Burger
$20 – Biergarten Sampler Platter
$30 – Oktoberfest Sausage Platter
$40 – Oktoberfest Dinner Platter
Drinks
$3 – Mug of Rootbeer
$4 – Hot Cocoa/ Red Bull
$5 – Fruit Slushes (Mango, Strawberry)
$5.50 (Bottled Beers)
Hoegaarden/ Spaten/ Alamo/ XX Lager / Magners Irish Cider/ Strongbow Cider/ Redds Apple Ale/ Abita Purple Haze/ Guinness/ Pilsner Urquell/ Alaskan White/ Goose Island IPA/ Dog Fish Head 60 Minute IPA/ Deschutes Mirror Pond Ale/ Smirnoff Ice/ Mike’s Hard Lemonade
$7 – German Wine > Riesling/ Spatlese/ Haus Weines/ Chardonnay (White/ White Zinfandel (Rose/ Cabernet Sauvignon (Red/ Merlot (Red)
$7.5 (½ Liter) & $11.50 (Liter) > Draught Beers
Lone Star (TX/ Budlight (MO/ Coors Light (CO)
$8 – Texas Wine > Becker Chardonnay/ Becker Sauvignon Blanc/ Becker Merlot/ Becker Cabernet/ Becker Moscato
$8.5 (½ Liter) & $12.50 (Liter) > Draught Beers
Original/ Hofbrau Dunkel/ Hofbrau Marzen/ Paulaner (Hefeweizen/ Hacker-Pschorr Dunkle Weisse/ Warsteiner/ KrombacherDark/ Franziskaner Hefe Weisse/ Alstadt Kolsch (TX/ Shiner Bock (TX/ Shiner Seasonal (TX/ Hopadillo IPA (TX/ Ziegenbock (TX/ Angry Orchard Cider (MA/ Blue Moon (CO/ XX Lager (MX/ Tecate Light (MX)
$15 – Huge Margarita > -a-Rita/ Coron-a-Rita/ -a-Rita/ Orange-a-Rita/ Bier-a-Rita/ Redbull-a-Rita
Club Sirius
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped by Club Sirius. I had Angry Orchard Cider, and Mike ordered Samuel Adams, but halfway filling in the glass, the barrel finished, and the server gave the half glass to Mike for free! The others beer on tap also had the same fate, and the only one available besides mine was the seasonal brew. He tried half a pint of it but didn’t quite like it; I loved mine though, it tasted like Somersby.
Ernie’s Bar
Once I finished my drink, which took me an hour for a glass of the cider, we walked back to the hotel. However, we spotted another drinking place and decided to stop there. Ernie’s bar which was located in The Crockett Hotel was quiet when we got there, with only five peoples having their drinks.
The server was a pretty lady about eight months pregnant. She told us that she had Japanese, Mexican and American blood. We also had a conversation with the guy who sat next to us and buying round for each other. It was a fun and enjoyable night.
Mi Tierra Cafe
The next morning we went to Market Square. We didn’t know the place well yet, so we decided to get the bus. The bus stand was about 100 metres away from the hotel, and the bus fare for the two of us was $3.70.
It took about 17 minutes journey to the market, and about a short walking distance to Mi Tierra Cafe, a Tex-Mex restaurant recommended by Mike’s aunt, Lona. This restaurant has been around since 1941, and it’s one of the favourites restaurants among San Antonio Residents.
The decoration in the restaurant was eye-catching, the wall and window panels were painted with bright drawings and looked very pretty. I’ve never been to such a beautiful restaurant before, and I believe that they will decorate it according to the seasons or celebration.
The waitress was attentive, and the food we ordered was lovely and very filling. There’s also a freelance musician who will play a song when requested by customers – chargeable per song.
Some of Tierra Cafe y Panaderia Food and Drinks Prices:
Daily Lunch Special (Mon-Friday 11am ~ 2:00pm)
Monday – Pollo con Fideo @ $8.25
Tuesday – Sirloin a la Mexicana @ $8.95
Wednesday – Gorditas de Picadillo o Pollo @ $8.75
Thursday – Enchiladas Nortenas @ $8.95
Friday – Pollo con Calabacita y Elote @ $8.25 / Tacos de Pescado @ $9.95
$7.95 – Enchiladas Verduras
$8.25 – Enchiladas Rancheras Queso
$8.50 – Chalupa Compuesta / Ladies Special / Pollo Al Carbon con Enchilada
$8.95 – Caldo Casero / Enchiladas de Carne
$9.50 – Caldo Del Mercado / Bean & Cheese Nachos / Chili con Queso
$9.95 – Caldo del Mercado
$10.25 – Chile Relleno / Guacamole Salad / Chef’s Salad/ Menudo
$10.50 – Queso Flameado
$11.25 – Quesadillas Mexicanas
$11.50 – Quesadillas de Pollo
$11.75 – Guacamole nachos
$12.75 – Nachos Mi Tierra
$12.25 – Mi Tierra Taco Salad
$13.25 – Enchilada Verdes
$13.95 – Botana Platter
$3.25 – Soft Drink > Coke/ Diet Coke/ Coke Zero/ Dr. Pepper/ Sprite/ 7-up/ Red Flash/ Root Beer/ Orange
$3.25 – Sweet, Raspberry, & Peach Iced Tea/ Freshly Squeezed Lemonade
$3.50 – Shirley Temple
$3.75 – Roy Rogers
$3.95 – Orange Juice
$7.95 – Mojito
$8.25 – Cosmopolitan
$9.00 – Blanco Tequilas
$10.75 – Mexican Martini
$4.75 – Domestic Draft & $5.35 – Imported Draft
Bud Light, Corona, Equis Amber, Equis Lager, Miller Lite, Modelo, Montejo &Shiner Bock
$4.50 – Bottled Domestic Beer > Bud Light/ Bud Light Lime/ Budweiser/ Coors Light/ Lone Star/ Michelob Ultra/ Miller Lite & O’Doul’s
$5.00 – Bottled Imported & Specialty Beers > Blue Moon, Bohemia, Carta Blanca, Corona, Corona Light, Equis Lager, Heineken, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo, Tecate & Tecate Light.
Market Square
Finished with our brunch, we walked around Market Square. There’s plenty of beautiful souvenirs, decorations, wood carvings etc. could be found in this market, and while walking around, we often heard the sales pitch, the discount only for today, buy two get one free etc. It was tempting, but in the end, we didn’t get anything. Walking back to the hotel wasn’t difficult, just straight down the road, and it took about 25 minutes.
Big Hops Growler
Back at the hotel, there’s a Jeeper Creepers movie marathon on the TV, and while watching it, we booked our bus ticket online to Austin tomorrow. In the evening, we walked over to the Big Hops Growler which was about 600 metres away from the hotel. The place was in an industrial area, a bit quiet to our liking.
Nevertheless, it’s still a great place for drinking while gathering with your friends, and also for sports or movies watching with the big screens on the wall. However, if you’re looking for snacks, there weren’t any. What they have was beers and also interesting beer soap for sale at $10 each, and if you run out of cash, there’s an ATM inside the premises.
Some of the drink prices in Big Hops Growler Station Hops & Grain Porter Culture – $5 (16oz), $8 (32oz), $16 (64oz) La Muerta Coconut – $8.50 (10oz Draft), $24 (32oz), $48 (64oz) Celis Dubbel Coffee Porter – $6 (16oz), $10 (32oz), $20 (64oz) Real Ale Nitro Dry Stout – $6 (16oz Draft) Buffalo Bayou Key Lime Pie – $6 (16oz), $9 (32oz), $18 (64oz) Buffalo Bayou Gingerbread Stout – $6.50 (10oz) New Belgium Mural Agua Fresca – $5 (16oz), $8 (32oz), $16 (64oz) Bishop Cider Crackberry – $6 (16oz), $9 (32oz), $18 (64oz) Ace Cider (The California Cider Company) Space Bloody Orange – $6.50 (16oz), $10 (32oz), $20 (64oz) Real Ale Moonwalk Brut IPA – $5 (16oz Draft), $8 (32oz), $16 (64oz) Santa Fe 7K IPA – $5.50 (16oz), $8 (32oz), $16 (64oz) Weathered Souls West Coast IPA – $6 (16oz Draft), $9 (32oz), $18 (64oz) 4th Tap Brewing Co-Op Brut of All Evil – $6 (16oz Draft), $10 (32oz), $20 (64oz) Real Ale Swifty – $5 (16oz), $8 (32oz), $16 (64oz) Alamo Beer Alamo Golden Ale – $4.50 (16oz), $7 (32oz), $14 (64oz) Celis Celis White – $6 (16oz Draft), $9 (32oz), $18 (64oz) Freetail Concerveza – $5 (16oz), $8 (32oz), $16 (64oz) Real Ale Hans’ Pils – $5 (16oz), $7.50 (32oz), $15 (64oz) 8th Wonder Weisstheimer – $6 (16oz), $9 (32oz), $18 (64oz) Brash Milk the Venom – $6.50 (10oz), $15 (32oz), $30 (64oz) Real Ale Devil’s Backbone – $5.50 (12oz), $7.50 (32oz), $15 (64oz) Epic Brewing Co. (Utah, Colorado) Tart ‘N Juicy Sour IPA – $6 (16oz Draft) Brooklyn Bel Air Sour – $5 (16oz Draft), $7.50 32oz), $15 (64oz) Save The World Apple Froctum Bonum Saison – $6 (12oz), $13 (32oz), $26 (64oz) Non-alcoholic > Saint Arnold Root Beer – $3 (16oz Draft), $5 (32oz), $10 (64oz)
Dick’s Last Resort
At night, we walked to the Riverwalk again, but this time we had dinner at Dick’s Last Resort. When we entered the place, a server greeted us with a rude tone, and during that time, I wasn’t aware of the restaurant’s concept until Mike told me about it. The worker was trying their best to be a dick, and they did their job well. I also loved the fact that while trying to stay rude, they didn’t force the customer to wear the ridiculous hat that they’ve made.
It was my first time eating a Gator, and I found it tasted like chicken and also fish. Overall, I had so much fun in this place, and whenever the server tried acting rude to us, I just laughed it off. However, regarding the view overlooking the river, I much prefer the one in Lone Star Cafe.
While waiting for the bill, the server took Mike’s pint glass for wash and wrapped it before giving it back to us. Since then, the glass had been with us, travelling to another two countries before finally reached Colombia.
Some of the food and drink prices in Dick’s Last Resort
$2.99 – Black Beans ‘N’ Rice / Fresh Seasoned Green Beans / Roasted Squash Medley / Redskin Mashed Potatoes / Frys
$3.99 – Roasted Asparagus
$6.99 – Fry’d Pickle Chips
$7.49 – Extreme Brownie Meltdown
$8.49 – Cheez Sticks
$8.99 – Crabby Balls
$9.99 – Spinach Kale Artichoke Dip / Wicked Gator
$11.99 – Nacho Nachos
$12.99 – BBQ Nachos
$13.99 – Bacon Cheddar Burger / Apple Pecan Chicky Salad / Motha Cluckin’ Good Chicky Wings / Baja Fish Tacos / Mama Dick’s Mac ‘N’ Cheez
$15.99 – Steakhouse Chopped Salad / Ragin’ Cajun Chicky Pasta / Goldy Fry’d Katfish
$16.99 – Crabby Cakes / Chicky Fry’d Chicky / Shrimp-A-Palooza / Fish ‘N’ Chips
$17.99 – Fry’d Shrimpies / Island Salmon
$18.49 – Ribs ‘N’ Wings
$18.99 – Drunken Shrimp Cocktail / Steak ‘N’ Shrimps
$19.99 – Dick’s Sampla Platta / BBQ Combo / Capt’n Dick’s Seafood Platta / Grilled Sirloin
$20.99 – Bubba’s Baby Back Ribs w/ frys ‘n’ slaw (Full Rack) & $15.99 (Half Rack)
Drinks
$7.00 – Ballast Point Mango 12
$12.49 – Dos XX Lager (24oz) + Glass as a Souvenir & $8.50 for a Refill
$22.99 – Mucho Margarita > The Infamous Killa-Rita
$24.99 – Mucho Margarita > The Dos-Rita
La Panaderia Bakery Cafe
The next morning, we had our breakfast in La Panaderia Bakery Cafe, about 950metres away from the hotel. Walking and crossing over the road to the place was so easy because there’re not many cars on the streets.
La Panaderia Bakery Cafe Food and Drinks Prices $1.75 – Baby Conchas Vainilla / Baby Conchas Chocolate $2.25 – Concha de Vainilla / Concha de Chocolate / Oreja|Palmier $2.50 – Mono|Bow Tie $3.00 – Croissant / Empanada Guayaba / Empanada Fresa / Empanada Pina / Empanada Manzana / Rol de Nuezy Pasas|Cinnamon Roll $3.25 – Oreja con Chocolate / Pan de Muerto|Orange Brioche / Paineta Cajeta / Paineta Vainilla $3.50 – Blackberry Croissant/ Chocolatin / Garra de Oso | Bear Claw / Kouing Amann / Rosca de Reyes $3.75 – Tequila Almond Croissant
Alamo Museum
Before heading back and checking out from the hotel, we stopped by the Alamo Museum to understand the history. However, we didn’t have time to go inside.
San Antonio to Austin
By 11 am, we started our walk to the Greyhound bus terminal. It was a windy day in San Antonio and also at the place we’re heading to, Austin, and according to the news, the condition would last until 6 pm today. Just before reaching the terminal, we saw this beautiful memorial in honour of the Vietnam Veterans.
Extra
Found this flyer in the hotel, it said that the food was Halal, but while looking at the menu, I saw Bacon and also Pepperoni in the menu, maybe it’s made from chicken right 🤔 ?
There’s also plenty of e-scooter here in San Antonio up for rent, and a beautiful horse carriage for a romantic ride.
President Donald Trump at Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks
Travel Date: 18th ~ 20th December 2018