🇺🇸 San Antonio | 5 Days & 4 Nights of Tex-Mex & Texas Spirit 🌮

I came to San Antonio for a conference, and this vibrant city totally won me over! San Antonio is a culturally rich, Latino-flavored gem where you’ll hear Spanish guitar and mariachi music filling the streets 🎶, and see colorful Mexican tiles and arched architecture everywhere — so charming, it often feels like a historic Spanish town 🏡💙. Did you know? This land was originally home to Indigenous peoples like the Payaya tribe, who lived along the San Antonio River 🌊. In 1718, the Spanish founded the first mission and presidio here, which later grew into the UNESCO World Heritage Site: the San Antonio Missions 🏛️🌍. After Mexico gained independence in 1821, the city remained a key border settlement. Then in 1836, the legendary Battle of the Alamo took place — where Texans fought bravely and “Remember the Alamo!” became a lasting symbol of Texas pride and resilience 🗣️💥. 🏨 Stay: We stayed at the Marriott RiverCenter — got upgraded to a higher floor with a nice view of the Tower of the Americas 🌆🗼. 🍽️ Eat & Drink: ✅ Pinkerton’s Barbecue (went 3 times!): Highly recommend the brisket and pulled pork 🥩. Pork ribs were a bit salty, and we missed out on the beef rib. ✅ La Panadería Bakery Café: The almond croissant was pretty good 🥐, but the coffee and Eggs Benedict didn’t impress (maybe UK brunch has spoiled me! ☕😅). ✅ Domingo Restaurant: Waited an hour — not super hungry by the time we were seated. The short rib quesadilla was tender and tasty though 🌯. ✅ The Frosty Dog: Sipped a peach frozen margarita by the river with live jazz in the background — pure bliss 🍹🎷🍑. ✅ Fogo de Chão: Finally tried Brazilian churrasco! Loved the lamb chops and ribeye 🍖🔥. The cheese bread was amazing — but skip the maple-spiced papaya. Classy setting, too! ✅ Amorino: Got the flower-shaped gelato 🌸🍧 — even cheaper than in Cambridge, and just as delicious! We spent most of our time along the River Walk, and even caught a Spurs vs. Pelicans game 🏀💥 — my first NBA match! With an ice-cold Modelo in hand, I truly felt that “Fighting spirit of San Antonio” 🍻❤️. #SanAntonio #TexMex #TravelTexas #Alamo #RiverWalk #NBA #FoodDiary #CulturalVibes