Foodtour 2014 Day One: Arrival in San Antonio

Posing with the vintage truck outside of Bun 'N' Barrel. 

Who's my longest-running travel buddy and biggest supporter? My dear old Dad. He's really cool. We both love food and being outside. So when I schemed up the idea of doing a food tour of San Antonio this year, there was no one else I was going to take.

We left Friday after work, arriving in San Antonio about 8:40 — much later than we meant to. We had saved all our calories for the day for dinner, and we were HUNGRY.  

We knew we wanted something, local, great and heavy. Bing! The light went off in our heads. Barbecue!

To that end, we headed to Alamo Heights for Bun 'N' Barrel, a cool 50s-themed dive featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

We arrived just in time, only a few minutes before the kitchen closed — and the restaurant was still pretty full, a good sign (when looking for good food, go where the people are). 

Outside, cool, vintage cars revved their engines.  People mulled around, talking and looking at the cars. It added to the old-fashioned ambiance of the restaurant. Downside: you had to walk through a cloud of gnarly exhaust to enter the door. A sign advertising the day's special, a cheddar burger, hung close to the entrance. Dad looked thrilled. 

Inside was equally cool. Vintage pictures hung on the wall. A jukebox was tucked into a recess near the door. The waitresses wore poodle skirts. 

Despite the fact we arrived moments before closing, the staff were happy to see us, polite and helpful. In our experience, the service was EXCELLENT! We ordered — I got a brisket sandwich, which I was attracted to on the promise of a hand-twisted poppy seed bun from Chicago Bagel & Deli. Dad got the cheddar burger. 

I can't say who ordered better. Both were very good. Dad's burger was served with cheddar fries and topped with cheddar cheese. It was juicy and not over-cooked. The beef was flavorful and the toppings were fresh. 

My sandwich was delicious. The bun — perfect! It was everything I hoped it would be when I heard the words "hand-twisted." I could taste the care. It was buttery and good and did not overwhelm the brisket, which was tender and also perfect. 

Our check, two sandwiches and two sweet teas, came out to about $20. It's reasonable AND great. Guys, I can't recommend this place for a quick bite enough.