Taking inventory of San Antonio restaurants that opened in the first half of 2023

Restaurant openings and reopenings have kept diners busy in the first half of 2023 as local business owners and national chains enter the landscape.

Why it matters: The growing restaurant scene is diversifying the city's offerings and introducing foodies to new cuisines.

New arrivals European Dumplings Cafe serves Ukrainian eats while Leche de Tigre offers Peruvian favorites.

Context: Other new restaurants include Santa Diabla, Arenas Marisqueria Lounge, Mae Dunne, Tokyo Cowboy, Go Fish Wine Bar, Colette, Blush and Wurst Behavior.

Chains Seasons 52, Sweetgreen, Dave's Hot Chicken, Chicken Salad Chick, Jinya, Mr. Teriyaki and Postino's have also opened their first local outposts.
Though not entirely new, local favorites such as Rosario's, Curry Boys and Luna Rosa have had splash grand reopenings.

Leche de Tigre

Southtown's Peruvian restaurant opened in February with brothers Emil, Axel and Alec Oliva at the helm.
Emil Oliva tells Axios lomo saltado and the nekkei ceviche — tuna-based with fried sweet potatoes, cucumbers and scallions — are early favorites.
"I think that the community has been so accepting of a different type of cuisine. I think that people in San Antonio knew about Peruvian food, but they were just waiting for somebody to do it," Emil Oliva says.

Mexican restaurateurs Grupo Orraca opened their first U.S. concept, Santa Diabla, in San Antonio in January. The restaurant focuses on traditional Mexican dishes, rather than Tex-Mex.
"It's been tough; we started slower than we expected. It was a challenge to show what we were bringing because people thought we were another Tex-Mex restaurant, but as soon as people started walking in, they were leaving with really good impressions," owner Rodrigo Orraca tells Axios.
Business has been consistently growing since May with crowd-pleasers like the barbacoa de costilla, quesabirria, tostadas de atun and pastel de elote (an Instagram favorite) selling the most, Orraca says.

Orraca says his family's restaurant group is planning two more concepts for San Antonio.

The Mexican resort-inspired seafood spot opened in Stone Oak in March with a one-page menu that Luis Vasquez tells Axios is intentional to focus on the dishes his team does "exceptionally well."
"It's been surprisingly good. The reception from the neighborhood has all been very kind," Vasquez adds.
Despite the one-page menu, Arenas serves a range of seafood entrees, tacos, soups and salads and aguachiles options, but Vasquez says the poke tostadas are ordered "nonstop."

What's next: Newcomers planned for the latter half of 2023 include La Malinche, Nineteen Hyaku and Maeve.