While so many restaurants in San Antonio and across the country are closing as a result of economic hardship, these iconic restaurants have stood the test of time. They’re not just culinary legacies, they are legendary.
La Fonda on Main
La Fonda on Main is the oldest Mexican restaurant operating in San Antonio. It was opened in 1932 by Virginia Berry and throughout its lifetime, has received many accolades.
In 1997, renowned San Antonio restaurateur, Cappy Lawton, was eating at La Fonda with a friend. The owner, who was the widow of Ms. Berry’s son, approached Cappy and asked him to buy the restaurant from her.
“I told her no,” explained Cappy. “To encourage her to leave, I gave her a very low offer. She was furious; however, she returned a few minutes later and said, ‘OK, I’ll sell it to you.’ In spite of a lot of pushback from friends and family, I agreed to the purchase, primarily because I wanted to save the vintage oak tree on the restaurant patio, and because I love to renew old things.”
So, La Fonda on Main closed for extensive renovations in 1997, reopened in 1998, and began a new chapter. It was the Lawtons’ goal to continue this restaurant’s long Tex-Mex tradition and to introduce more sophisticated cuisines of interior Mexico. Cappy, his wife Suzy, their son Trevor, and daughter Avery, traveled throughout Mexico and love the culture and food of our southern neighbor. Today, La Fonda on Main is one of the most popular restaurants in our city for both locals and tourists. It currently employs a staff of approximately 100, and serves about 700 guests daily — far more than its previous history.
Many on the culinary team are originally from Mexico and are committed to bringing the incredible dishes of their native country to our Alamo City. Victor Maldonado, La Fonda’s executive chef, immigrated to San Antonio from San Luis Potosi at age 17 and began as a dishwasher at Cappy’s Restaurant. Victor has worked with the Lawton family for 30 years and has a deep passion for ensuring that the menu features seasonal dishes, freshly-made using authentic Mexican methods and ingredients. Suzy Melson, La Fonda’s managing partner, along with the entire team, are committed to preserving the almost century-old legacy of this very special Monte Vista treasure.
After 50 years leading his restaurant business, Cappy passed the torch to his son. As of this year, Trevor, who was raised in the family business and is an excellent chef, now serves as the company’s CEO and oversees the five Lawton family restaurants. In the meantime, Cappy has purchased a downtown warehouse in much need of repair, and is continuing to do what he loves best — breathing new life into old things. He also continues to serve as an advisor to his gifted son and beloved restaurants.
Mi Tierra
Many moons ago, Pedro and Cruz Cortez started Mi Tierra as a little three-table restaurant, essentially a food stall, and have since established what could easily be considered a culinary empire. The impact they have had on San Antonio, and even the world through visitors and tourists, is nothing short of extraordinary.
The fledgling cafe in San Antonio’s Market Square was purchased by the Cortezes in 1941. It’s now the cornerstone of the city’s Historic Market Square and as the company claims, “the heartbeat of Latino culture in the Alamo City.” To this day, it’s still humbly and happily serving up the family recipes that the city has grown to know and love, from breakfast plates like traditional huevos rancheros to Tex-Mex favorites, such as cheese enchiladas, fajitas and menudo.
Mi Tierra must also be lauded for its expansive panadería case filled with over 100 vibrant and scrumptious Mexican pastries, or pan dulces, including everything from pan de huevo to orejas (a cinnamon and sugar pastry), sweet empanadas, yoyo de fresa (strawberry jelly-filled cake), peach tres leches and so much more.
The panadería came to fruition thanks to Pedro’s cousin, Maruca, who came to the United States to learn English and stayed with them for a time. She suggested that they open a bakery adjacent to Mi Tierra to save her the hassle of having to venture to other neighborhood bakeries for her favorite sweet breads.
Mi Tierra, along with several other concepts, is still owned by the Cortez family, with the third and even fourth generations preserving the legacy Pedro and Cruz established long ago.
“I like to believe they would be very proud of what they started and instilled into their family that is being carried forward. That’s never stopped,” shared CEO, Pete Cortez. “This is our daily bread. We come here every day and continue to make the city better, the restaurants better and try to support our team members, over 500 of them. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do it.”
Schilo’s
Schilo’s is, in fact, the oldest restaurant still in existence in San Antonio today, keeping the deep SA German heritage alive. It actually originated in Beeville in the early 1900s as a bar before relocating to San Antonio in 1914. Schilo’s added food to the menu in 1917, featuring German family recipes.
“When prohibition hit in 1920, Mr. Schilo developed a recipe for root beer, so Germans could still sit around with a mug of something,” shared Bill Lyons, one of the partners who now owns the restaurant. “He added egg whites to the recipe, I guess to give it more body, more of a head.” Unfortunately, due to potential egg allergies, the egg white has been removed and substituted with another non-allergic ingredient to still give it that frothy look and feel that customers have come to expect.
Schilo’s has sat in its current location, once a bank, since 1943 and although the Schilo family dynasty has long passed, Bill and his partners, along with a dedicated staff are still doing all they can to preserve the legacy the Schilos created of simple German comfort food like wienerschnitzel, split pea soup and the classic Reuben sandwich. The new guard have also added other popular dishes like the Papa Fritz breakfast (two eggs, sausage or ham, grits or potatoes, biscuit or toast), to satisfy the masses.
“We serve food that people keep coming back for. It’s very common to see cars pulling up on Commerce and elderly people getting out … kids bringing their parents back to a memory they enjoy, and I think, the nostalgic feel of the building and decor. It’s funky, but people think our root beer and split pea soup are just the best they’ve ever had,” said Bill, proudly.
If you ask Bill about some historical facts about the restaurant, he might tell you, “We have ghosts.” Schilo’s also used to have a staff made up of largely German ladies — these were WWII brides who married GI’s.
As you might have guessed, Bill credits the dedicated staff for Schilo’s perseverance. He recalls two veteran ladies they’ve retired who worked at Schilo’s for 50 years. Moving into the future, he is entrusting his daughter, Elizabeth Lyons Houston, to continue the traditions and preserve the roots.
“She really cares about people, and hopefully, my 2-year-old grandson, he’s the fifth generation, will be a part of it too someday,” said Bill.
M.K. Davis
M.K. Davis Restaurant & Bar is still a family-owned-and-operated restaurant. Established by Melvin Kimble Davis and Aurora Davis, the descendants of Michael K. Davis and his sister Melissa K. Davis, Michael K. Davis Jr. and Annette Olivarez continue to manage the restaurant.
It all started in 1956 when the Davises bought a Lone Star Ice House and renamed it M.K. Davis Ice House, after the reigning family initials, of which all of the kids also possessed. Initially, they sold groceries, as well as burgers and beer, but started slowly adding items like fried chicken, a sausage botana platter and other dishes they soon became known for, such as the chicken fried steak and fried fish.
Their big schooners of beer and house-made sangria-based wine coolers, patrons call homemades, also became, and still are, big hits.
What made them successful and a San Antonio staple seem to be the same basic principles of all of these legacy restaurants: good food and good service.
“Everybody loves a classic restaurant,” explained Annette. “They don’t have to think about what they want. Plus, we have a lot of variety, from American to Mexican and seafood, so it satisfies a lot of taste buds, even kids and picky eaters.”
At M.K. Davis, you can even find local specialties like crispy dogs and, of course, their fried chicken (freshly made per order). During the pandemic, they stayed open and kept the full menu even though it was all to-go. “My uncle wanted to stay open during our usual times for our loyal customers. He said everyone needs comfort food at this time,” remembered Annette. “The legacy of M.K. Davis is that we’ll always be a place to enjoy a good time, eat good food and be carefree.”
For Annette, the restaurant is full of fond memories — of both customers and family members. Every Thanksgiving, the family celebrates by cooking at the restaurant — enough food to feed an army. Afterwards, they hand out plates to the neighbors. And when Hank Williams’ song, “Hey, Good Lookin’,” plays on the jukebox, she can’t help but think about her grandparents dancing.
“I love the bustle of the restaurant in the background when that song comes on. Nothing makes me happier because it’s like my grandparents keeping an eye on things,” said Annette, who may someday see one of her daughters step into her restaurant-savvy shoes.
Tip Top Cafe
The Tip Top Cafe is an old-school diner that has been “serving the best food since 1938.” Although the original owners, Winnie and Pappy DeWese, and family aren’t involved any longer, the granddaughter of the original owners, Linda DeWese, still pops in occasionally for a cup of coffee and sometimes Tip Top’s homemade chicken salad, an original family recipe.
“Everything is homemade here, from our gravies and hamburger patties to our salad dressings. We have a baker here who makes everything from scratch, even the pie crust,” noted General Manager, Angela Castaneda.
Also well known for their pies, like their luscious mile high lemon meringue, various fruit pies and ice box pies like banana cream and chocolate, it’s a must-try after a hearty homestyle meal, which always comes with freshly made yeast rolls or cornbread.
“We want to keep the history alive. My grandma used to bring me here as a kid, so it’s personal to me. And the current owners, Jim Scott and Greg Balitsos, just love the history of the restaurant and so have left it as-is,” added Angela.
As the DeWese family used to like to go fishing and hunting, the restaurant is still decked out with the original decor of mounted fish and deer heads, along with pictures from the 40s through the 70s. An old coin-operated juke box still plays old music, along with some smaller ones in the booths. For four quarters, you can play three songs.
Although Tip Top Cafe, like so many
other restaurants, struggled during the pandemic, they managed to survive thanks to a long list of regulars who refused to live without their weekly favorites.
On Tuesday nights, you can still get their popular hand-battered Chicken Fried Steak (and two sides), which is the size of the plate it’s served on, for a discounted price. The restaurant’s been offering this discount since before the new owners and it’s made many a customer happy, that they’re still honoring this tradition as well.
Hung Fong
In San Antonio, Chinese food is often synonymous with the beloved restaurant, Hung Fong, which has been owned and operated continuously by the Huey family since it opened back in 1939.
Hung Fong has been at 3624 Broadway since its doors first opened 85 years ago, making it one of the oldest restaurants in San Antonio today. Broadway is quieter now than back in its heyday, but the warm glow of Hung Fong’s neon sign still welcomes its guests inside.
Currently run by the fourth generation of the Huey family, Hung Fong is led by Kenneth Huey, who follows in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. His father, Maury Huey, at 75 years old, remains very much a part of the restaurant’s operations. Maury’s grandfather, K.A. Huey, was responsible for founding the restaurant, after immigrating here from southern China in 1916 and traveling the United States from San Francisco to Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Louisiana before finally settling in San Antonio. “He was very young and seemed to like the restaurant business,” said Maury. “In Chicago, he earned the nickname, ‘King of Chicago,’ but found his home in San Antonio.”
Maury explained that historically, you’d seldom find authentic Chinese food in America as the recipes have to be adapted to cater to the local market and are also dependent upon the availability of ingredients. When Hung Fong opened, it was the first introduction to new flavors and ingredients to many in the city.
If one thing has helped the continued success of Hung Fong, it’s been the ability to adapt and modernize. With the help of specialized equipment, the restaurant still makes delectable scratch-made Chinese food, in large enough quantities to feed its hungry patrons. That includes everything from classics like Lemon Chicken to Egg Drop Soup all the way down to the in-house soy sauce.
One of the most popular dishes is Maury’s original recipe for Lemon Chicken, made with a generous portion of breast meat crisped to perfection and fresh lemon juice in the lemon sauce. During Hung Fong’s humble beginnings, they were serving 10 pounds of Lemon Chicken a day. Now, they sell up to 500 pounds a day.
Hung Fong has seen many changes. The neon flag on the ceiling has only 48 stars, as it was mounted before the statehood of both Alaska and Hawaii. COVID presented different challenges, but Hung Fong remained open and busy during the pandemic, thanks to an already well-established to-go system.
“Our Shrimp with Bacon is also an original recipe from my great-grandfather, along with our handmade egg rolls. They’re the best in town and made fresh every day based on a recipe my great-grandfather created and my dad perfected,” noted Kenneth. While many restaurants take various frozen food shortcuts, woven into the fabric of Hung Fong’s identity is the dedication to preserving the original recipes that patrons have always loved.
According to Maury, their success comes from being a casual, family-style restaurant. “Part of our success has to do with nostalgia. We have families that have been coming here for 30, 40, even 50 years. They grew up eating here,” said Maury. He’s proud to have served so many in San Antonio, including former Mayor Henry Cisneros and his son, John Paul, who would tell Maury that his dad “eats like a horse when he’s at Hung Fong.”
“Those stories really warm my heart,” said Maury reflecting on his many years at Hung Fong. “We hope to keep making more.”
