The #1 Southern restaurant in San Antonio right now, according to diners—plus, see the runners-up

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Highest-rated Southern restaurants in San Antonio by diners

When you travel below the Mason-Dixon Line, you'll find some of the most mouthwatering, comforting cuisine in the U.S.: Southern food.

Southern dishes are a vital part of American cuisine, from hush puppies to ham hocks and beignets to barbecue. It's impossible to define a classic Southern meal, but a solid one starts with the sharp savory flavor of pimento cheese dip, followed by the delicious crunchiness of fried chicken or a spicy Louisiana étouffée, culminating with a sugary slice of chess pie that's best washed down with a tall glass of sweet tea.

What's unique about Southern fare is that multiple ethnic and cultural groups have influenced it. Spanish staples, such as potatoes and cocoa, are in many Southern dishes; the Acadians, who traveled to Louisiana from Nova Scotia and later became Louisiana Creoles, contributed their seafood to many Southern meals; African ingredients—okra, sorghum (an ancient grain), and black-eyed peas—became a part of the cuisine through the forced labor of enslaved people; French cooking methods, like braising and sautéing, are used for many Southern recipes; and Native Americans introduced corn to Southern recipes, yielding dishes like succotash and grits.

The Southern culinary scene is an explosion of cultures. To find out where you can sample some Southern offerings, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Southern restaurants in San Antonio using data from Yelp . Data is as of June 11, 2024. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 10 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, restaurants with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

Read on to find the perfect spot to get a taste of the South near you.

Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.

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#18. Bush's Chicken

- Rating: 2.7/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 11061 Westwood Lp San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: chicken wings, fast food, southern
- Read more on Yelp

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#17. Mr C's Fried Chicken & Waffles

- Rating: 3.7/5 (428 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7907 West Lp 1604 North Ste 102 San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: southern, american, breakfast & brunch
- Read more on Yelp

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#16. The County Line

- Rating: 3.7/5 (444 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4334 Hyatt Place Drive San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: barbeque, southern, caterers
- Read more on Yelp

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#15. Southerleigh Haute South

- Rating: 4.0/5 (491 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5822 Worth Pkwy Ste 112 San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: southern, beer bar, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#14. The Smoke Shack

- Rating: 4.1/5 (1580 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3714 Broadway San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: southern, barbeque, sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#13. Faust Tavern

- Rating: 4.1/5 (85 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 517 East Woodlawn San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: dive bars, cocktail bars, southern
- Read more on Yelp

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#12. Bobbie's Cafe

- Rating: 4.2/5 (239 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6728 South Flores St. San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: american, southern, breakfast & brunch
- Read more on Yelp

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#11. The Pigpen

- Rating: 4.2/5 (305 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 106 Pershing Ave. San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: bars, southern, barbeque
- Read more on Yelp

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#10. Meadow Neighborhood Eatery + Bar

- Rating: 4.3/5 (274 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 555 West Bitters Road Ste 110 San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: southern, breakfast & brunch, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#9. Ida Claire

- Rating: 4.3/5 (1344 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7300 Jones Maltsberger Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: southern
- Read more on Yelp

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#8. Four Brothers

- Rating: 4.4/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 112 College St. San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: southern, breakfast & brunch, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#7. Jazz TX

- Rating: 4.4/5 (261 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 312 Pearl Pkwy Bldg 6, Ste 6001 San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: southern, jazz & blues, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#6. Bayseas Catfish House

- Rating: 4.5/5 (387 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 13954 Nacogdoches Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: southern, seafood, soul food
- Read more on Yelp

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#5. South BBQ & Kitchen

- Rating: 4.5/5 (180 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2011 Mission Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: barbeque, southern
- Read more on Yelp

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#4. Mr A Ok's Kitchen

- Rating: 4.6/5 (229 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5532 Walzem Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: soul food, southern, american
- Read more on Yelp

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#3. Mama's Gumbo

- Rating: 4.7/5 (33 reviews)
- Address: 3131 Nacogdoches Road Ste 101 San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: cajun/creole, southern
- Read more on Yelp

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#2. Snow Island Soul Food & Daqs

- Rating: 4.8/5 (29 reviews)
- Address: 102 Springfield Road San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: southern, seafood, steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp

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#1. Nelson's BBQ

- Rating: 5.0/5 (72 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7327 North Loop 1604 West San Antonio, Texas
- Categories: barbeque, food trucks, southern
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Rasha Aly, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 143 metros.