Noi Mahoney

Best BBQ in Texas

It's Kreuz BBQ and Libby's favorite cook, Roy Perez!

Liberty Bar lives!

Dwight Hobart, owner of SA's famous Liberty Bar, recently told SA Current's Elaine Wolfe that his establishment would continue on. Read it here.
There has been speculation that the Liberty Bar, located near downtown on Josephine Street, would be forced out of its location because of rising rent. The famously leaning bar (a hangout for college students, blue collar workers, hipsters and Tommy Lee Jones) is located in Government Hill. It's also close to neighborhoods of Alamo Heights and Mahncke Park. Those neighborhoods are hotter than ever in terms of real estate prices. But Hobart said they would keep Liberty Bar on the 'Hill.

Starbucks Arrives in Olmos Park

Starbucks finally nailed down a location on Hildebrand and McCullough Avenues in Olmos Park. For a year, they spent big bucks on consultants and specialists who help them get the rezoning they wanted to build a drive-thru coffee shop. Olmos Park already has a coffee shop called Olmos Perk.

It's ironic that Starbucks fought so hard to get an Olmos Park location. The North Side of SA (richer) is already littered with Starbucks. There are about 30 in the area (the newest one is pictured above at 435 E. Quincy Ave. near downtown). But there's maybe one or two Starbucks on the South, East and West Sides of town.

Everytime I think of Starbucks, I think of a woman named Samantha Buck. She opened a coffee shop called SamBuck's Coffee in Astoria, Oregon. Starbucks sued her because the name sounded too close to their name. Starbucks won.

Old S.A. eateries

The times are changing fast in SA. In the last few years we have seen the demise of some grand old eateries. The original Earl Abel's restaurant on Broadway tops many people's list as the most missed place to fill your stomach (we know EA re-opened in Terrell Plaza shopping center, but it's not the same). Other eateries that are gone or will be soon include L'Etiole, Los Apache Cafe, the Olmos Pharmacy (O'kay it didn't close either, but it's not the same since its new owners took over). Photo courtesy of Ann Tarrillion.