San Antonio, TX

Mi Tierra’s is not your average Tex Mex restaurant. 

Walking into Mi Tierra’s is a sensory overload. The smells of the fresh-cooked Tex Mex dishes, baked goods, coffees, and tortillas waft through the air. The atmosphere is loud and energetic. Regardless of the hour, there always seems to be lines of people standing inside and outside waiting for tables. Laughter fills the air. You are surrounded by lights, flowers, seasonal decorations, pinatas, photos, murals, tinsel, flags, etc. as a variety of colors explode on every wall, counter, table and ceiling. Dozens of brightly dressed servers hustle around with food-laden trays. Mi Tierra’s is a party waiting to happen. It is not just a breakfast, lunch or dinner place. It is a true dining experience.

The official name of this restaurant is Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia. This San Antiono landmark began in 1941 as a three-table restaurant to feed the local farmers and workers who arrived at the San Antonio Mercado in the early morning hours before their work shifts. Seventy-eight years later, Mi Tierra’s is a world-famous landmark known for their authentic Tex Mex fare, margaritas, desserts, and mariachis. The cafe and bakery now seats over 500 patrons and is open 24/7. 

Every opportunity I have to visit San Antonio, I will try to enjoy at least one meal at Mi Tierra’s, visit the bakery for take-out items, and shop at the Market Square. I dined here three decades ago with my husband, as a young married couple. We dined here with our kids as toddlers, adolescents, and then as teenagers.  We took relatives from North Carolina here to introduce them to Tex Mex. They loved the mariachis! I recently ate lunch here with good friends while enjoying a girls’ weekend of shopping in the area. Throughout the years, every visit has been memorable and we have enjoyed each and every meal. This past week, we spotted Elvis (complete with jet black hair, sunglasses, and a glittery cape) enjoying a bowl of tortilla soup for lunch.  You just never know who – or what – you may see.

I readily admit that my favorite part of Mi Tierra’s (besides the festive year-round decorations) is the bakery or panaderia. The pastries, sweet rolls, pralines, empanadas, candied fruits, cookies, etc. are the reason the line for the bakery is always out the door. Patrons may also purchase tamales, tortillas, and a variety of salsas here as well. The pecan pralines, pumpkin empanadas, fig empanadas and the beautifully-colored Mexican conchas are the things my dreams are made of! Flaky crusts, sweet fillings, crunchy nuts, and pastel-colored sugar toppings – what is there NOT to like?

If you find yourself in South Texas within driving distance of San Antonio and have a hankering for Tex Mex, I urge you to give Mi Tierra’s a try.  And let me know if, or when, you plan to head that way in the near future. I may want you to pick me up a little something from the bakery!