Schilo's Deli, San Antonio, Texas

The first thing that comes to my mind when I associate San Antonio with food is Tex-Mex. Excellent restaurants like Casa Rio or Mi Tierra provide visitors with a taste of San Antonio's Spanish influences. Although San Antonio is heavily steeped in Spanish culture, the history of San Antonio reaches to many continents, with a wide range of early settlers bringing their traditions, food and architecture to the city. Among early settlers, German influences were heavy.

Among the German influences with a deep tradition is Schilo's (shee-lows) Deli located on Commerce Street next door to Casa Rio. Schilo's Deli dates back to the early 1900s. The restaurant and bar survived prohibition and the great depression, moving a couple of times along the way. The current location became Schilo's permanent home back in 1942.

Schilo's Deli is located close to the Riverwalk but does not have any frontage property. The entrance is on Commerce Street. The large restaurant has high ceilings that give the building a slightly industrial feel. The bar against the far wall completes the somewhat rustic look. Small tables that seat four are closely clustered in the center of the room, with booths running along the walls. I visited during lunch. The lunch crowd indicated that this restaurant is a popular lunchtime destination.

For lunch, I ordered the corned beef and cabbage special. My wife ordered the Wienerschnitzel. Our waiter arrived promptly and took drink orders which were quickly delivered to the table. After ordering our entrees, we waited another five minutes until our lunch arrived. Considering the size of the lunch crowd, I was impressed with how quickly we were served. The corned beef and cabbage had a good flavor, but the meat was sliced like lunch meat, which was a bit disappointing. The Wienerschnitzel came with a breading that appeared to be homemade and had visible chunks of breading. It was made from pork loin instead of veal. The Wienerschnitzel also had a nice flavor, while the breading gave it an interesting texture.


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Casa Rio, San Antonio, Texas

A landmark restaurant, Casa Rio, opened its doors on the banks of the San Antonio river in 1946. Casa Rio became an early cornerstone of the Riverwalk, with gondola rides originating near the restaurant. Although ample indoor seating is available, Casa Rio operates the entire frontage area as well as tables located beneath the Commerce Street Bridge. This restaurant is a definite must-do during any vacation to San Antonio.

Casa Rio is open for lunch and dinner. I dined at this restaurant once at lunch time and once at dinner time. Both experiences were exceptional. The first thing I noticed during my original visit was the service. I checked in at the hostess station located on the Riverwalk and indicated that I would like to dine indoors. They advised me to step inside, where I was greeted by another hostess who seated me immediately. After browsing the menu, I decided upon the Regular Plate. This meal consists of one cheese enchilada, one tamale (complete with cornhusk), chili con carne (which is said to be a San Antonio creation), Mexican rice and refried beans. This entire plate was mine for the low price of six and a half dollars.

After placing my order, it seemed like moments before it arrived. In reality, I probably waited two or three minutes. I was provided a basket of warm chips and a bowl of medium heat salsa to nosh on while I waited for my meal. I only downed a couple of chips before my meal arrived. I was surprised at the question posed upon the arrival of my lunch. My waiter asked the pointed question “how does your meal look?” followed shortly thereafter with the question “how does your meal taste?” This specific line of questions made me feel as though my waiter was genuinely concerned with the quality of the meal, and not just “doing his job.” The exchange between my waiter and I did not feel like platitudes…it was the way service was intended to be.

The flavor of my meal at Casa Rio was also exceptional. In my region of the country, I generally do not order cheese enchiladas. What I normally get is a queso-filled enchilada with very little flavor or texture. The Casa Rio enchilada was served in a red tortilla shell. The yellow cheese inside had a sharp flavor like cheddar, although I did not ask what type of cheese it was. There was more cheese and sauce on top, creating a dense tasty enchilada that was one of the best I’ve had. My experience with tamales has also been a mixed bag. I have had many greasy tamales where the red grease and juice seeps through the corn meal leaving discoloration. Although these tamales generally have a good flavor, the grease can be a bit much. The Casa Rio tamales were a bit dryer than I am used to, but the flavor was spot on. The chili con carne consisted of thick chunks of meat covered in a nicely spiced sauce. They were served with tortillas, which created a meal too big for me to eat in one sitting. I enjoyed the chili con carne although I did not have anything to compare it with.


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