San Antonio restaurateur Chad Carey is doubling down on downtown, uncorking a compact new wine and tapas bar right on the Houston Street corridor. Bar Bamboosh, the latest from Carey’s Empty Stomach Hospitality, hard-launched Friday and is pouring natural, low-intervention wines alongside global-style small plates in a snug storefront tucked next to Kaedama Battleship ramen. It joins a growing cluster of Empty Stomach spots slowly rewriting the neighborhood’s late-night script.
According to MySA, Bar Bamboosh sits at 122 E. Houston St., Suite 102, and is keeping 3 p.m. to midnight hours. The menu leans into small, tapas-style bites, with a fridge stocked with grab-and-go options and an all-natural, low-intervention wine list doing the heavy lifting behind the bar.
What to Expect
Carey told MySA the new spot will live "within the hemisphere of Little Death" but stretch "a little bit more global" on the wine side. In his words, "We're ready to go. We're ready to shake some ham and pull some corks out of some cool bottles," hinting at a laid-back, bottle-forward program that keeps the focus on fun, snackable plates rather than fussy fine dining.
Who's Behind It
Bar Bamboosh is run by Empty Stomach Hospitality, the same crew behind more than a dozen bars and restaurants across San Antonio. The group’s steadily expanding downtown footprint, and a portfolio that includes Hot Joy and Little Death, has been tracked by the Express-News.
Downtown Momentum
The opening adds another jolt of energy to Houston Street, where Empty Stomach has been especially busy. Nearby, the late-night-friendly ramen warship docks downtown, and Bar Bamboosh now helps solidify the block as one of downtown’s more interesting stretches for lingering over a bowl, a bottle, or both.
