I’VE been in San Antonio for 48 hours and I’m 60 per cent Tex Mex and 40 per cent margarita.
San Antonio, Texas, that is — not the famous party town in Ibiza, in case you were wondering about the interesting choice of food for a Balearic island.
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Although it is the seventh largest city in the US, it is fair to say that this San Antonio is the lesser-known of the namesake destinations among Brits, which is a huge shame, because it is an incredible place.
The city in south-central Texas, is an intoxicating mix of Mexican influences and Texas cowboys, resulting in unforgettable food, music, shopping and history.
It is also the place I first discovered the joy of breakfast tacos.
Woolly-headed after a night on the margaritas, an angel in a cowboy hat and boots suggests I try out the mother of all hangover cures — pre-rolled fajitas, with huge dollops of guacamole, sour cream, salsa and grated cheese on the side.
Forget the fry-up, this is practical magic and once I have cleaned the plate, the next round of margaritas, offered shortly after midday tacos, seems like a good choice.
This is pretty much how my entire trip goes down.
Tacos, margaritas, interspersed with some chilli, nachos or a michelada — the Mexican version of the Bloody Mary that uses lime juice instead of tomatoes.
This is, after all, where Tex-Mex was invented.
Native Americans called the land that is now Texas home for thousands of years before European settlers arrived in the 16th Century, and for 300 years after that it was colonised by the Spanish.
Texas won its independence in the mid 1800s, becoming part of the United States, but thanks to its Tejano history and close proximity to Mexico, the hybrid Tex-Mex cuisine was formed.
It started in the Rio Grande valley in southern Texas, then was brought to the masses in the late 1800s.
As the birthplace of one of the world’s most popular foods, San Antonio was designated as a Creative City of Gastronomy by Unesco in 2017 — one of two cities in the US with the title.
Shopping is thirsty work
And historic food hotspots include the legendary Mi Tiera, a family-owned restaurant and bakery that has been in business since 1941.
The 24-hour spot never closes and is randomly decked out in Christmas decorations all year.
Huge helpings of fajitas, tacos, chilli and their excellent salsa are musts, as well as the pan dulce from their bakery.
Walk off the massive portions with some retail therapy at the nearby El Mercado Historic Market Square, the largest Mexican market in the US.
I could have filled a suitcase, but made do with a lucha libre (wrestler) mask, Mexican garlands, an oversized market bag and some spiced hot choc.
Shopping is thirsty work, but fortunately an excellent mariachi band were performing inside the plaza, so I grabbed a jumbo-sized michelada from one of the stalls and put my feet up.
The 24-hour spot never closes and is randomly decked out in Christmas decorations all year
Another must-visit restaurant is Rosario’s — consistently voted best Mexican restaurant in San Antonio.
Given the amount of calories I was putting away, it was helpful that many of San Antonio’s best bars, restaurants and attractions are dotted along its famous River Walk, where my hotel — The Westin — was perfectly located.
The 15-mile stretch of tree-lined riverside path meanders for about five miles and is magical at night with strings of multi-coloured lights and vibrant awnings.
This weekend sees the start of the annual Fiesta San Antonio, a river parade featuring colourful floats decorated with flowers, and we joined thousands cheering and partying on the riverbank as the boats passed by.
In October, the River Walk hosts another parade for Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), with specially decorated barges paying homage to the tradition of remembering loved ones who have passed away.
San Antonio claims to have the grandest Dia De Los Muertos in the US and every year they hold a huge festival in downtown’s Hemisfair park.
Of course, no trip to San Antonio would be complete without a visit to The Alamo mission — the site of huge national importance where, in 1836, a two-week siege and massacre occurred during the battle for Texas to gain independence from Mexico.
The mission has been preserved as a museum and you can visit for free, with historical documents, guns and clothes all on show.
It also displays, quite randomly, a huge collection of memorabilia from the Texas revolution from the British singer Phil Collins, who donated what is now considered to be one of the pre-eminent collections of the era to the Alamo in 2014.
Some light entertainment was needed after an afternoon studying a bloody siege, and thankfully the Texans are great party hosts.
Keen to bag a dance with a cowboy before we left, my friends and I made our way to one of the city’s best-loved country music saloons, The Thirsty Horse.
The country-western dance hall features live music from up and coming bands.
San Antonio is certainly one of a kind
I felt incredibly out of place without a pair of cowboy boots and hat, while watching the couples perform the two-step around the dancefloor from the sidelines.
Asked for a dance
But I needn’t have worried, as a Texan gentleman in a large Stetson managed to overlook my poor choice of sandals, making me feel like an extra from Gone With The Wind as he proffered his hand and asked for a dance.
He was probably pleased by the flimsy footwear by the end of our turn around the dancefloor, as my awful attempt at dancing resulted in me standing on his toes at least twice — though his southern charm kept me laughing through the embarrassment.
Hailing a cab back to our downtown hotel, we were delighted to discover that our taxi driver had a karaoke machine in his car and proceeded to serenade us with his favourite country hits.
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It was yet another quirky surprise in a fascinating city break.
A 24-hour tex-mex in a Christmas restaurant, karaoke taxi, breakfast tacos and midday margaritas mixed with a hefty dose of culture and history — San Antonio is certainly one of a kind.
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