San Antonio’s dining scene is playing musical chairs again, with one brunch heavyweight and one barbecue star sliding into new homes across town. Box St. All Day, the city’s brunch favorite, has landed a third location on the far Northwest Side, while a James Beard-nominated pitmaster’s Monte Vista barbecue shop is back in action after a renovation and already drawing steady crowds.
Box St. All Day opens at The Portico
Box St. All Day has quietly rolled out a new location inside The Portico at Shaenfield Ranch on Loop 1604, bringing its full brunch operation to the far West Side. As reported by the San Antonio Express-News, the latest spot at 7807 W. Loop 1604 North, Suite 2102, marks the restaurant’s third Alamo City outpost. Box St. plans to serve the same breakfast, lunch and brunch lineup at The Portico, including its coffee and cocktail program. The owners have grown Box St. from a 2015 food truck into a multi-location neighborhood fixture.
Scratch-made breakfast and a full bar
The kitchen leans heavily on house-made components. KSAT notes that the signature milk bread is the base for a Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast, while pancakes land on the table with house-made blueberry whipped butter and compote. KSAT also highlights savory choices such as a milk-bread breakfast sandwich and a Blackened Chicken Club, and reports that The Portico outpost includes a full bar to go along with the coffee and cocktail program. The new location is designed to plug Box St.’s scratch-made lineup directly into the Northwest Side neighborhood circuit.
South Barbecue's Monte Vista makeover
South Barbecue, led by James Beard-nominated pitmaster Andrew Samia, is now serving out of a renovated Monte Vista service station at 2100 N. Main Ave and keeps a late schedule that stretches into the evening. According to South Barbecue's website, the Monte Vista address and hours anchor a menu built around classic South Texas smoked meats with homemade sides. The shop offers counter service, a full bar and a pet-friendly patio, setting it up as a neighborhood stop for lunch and late dinners.
Local coverage of the relaunch described green booths and an interior that leans into the bones of the former service station, along with sides such as creamed elote, borracho beans and mustard potato salad served next to brisket, pork ribs and turkey breast. MySA reported on the Monte Vista reopening on Nov. 13, 2025, and noted that the team intends to keep a full menu available well into the evening. That mix of classic smoke and modern comfort food touches has helped South Barbecue build a steady neighborhood following.
Both restaurants were spotlighted this week on KSAT’s Texas Eats NOW. The show airs weekdays at 10 a.m., with late-night rebroadcasts on the weekend, and streams on KSAT.com and KSAT Plus. For the full segment and menu highlights, see KSAT.
