La Gloria: Mexican Street Fare with a View

Reviewed by Jennifer Chiesa

By the look of the out-the-door line on two recent visits to Johnny Hernandez’ new La Gloria restaurant, San Antonians love them some Mexican street food. Who knew that a city with a Mexican restaurant literally on every corner was dying for more Mexican food? Nestled on perhaps the most scenic parcel of the River Walk extension, in the far corner of the Pearl Brewery complex, the restaurant is a culmination of both Hernandez’ dreams and his travels throughout Mexico, sampling regional cuisines and gathering recipes. And the resulting combination of fresh, simple flavors, casual ambiance and perfect setting is truly—heavenly.

The dining room is simple, with a concrete floor, bare tables and specially-crafted wrought iron chairs bearing the restaurant’s name and angel motif. Plates and baskets sit on low shelves under a long counter that also serves as the plating station for the open grill. Grab a beer from the wash tubs or ladle yourself up an agua fresca from the big glass jars perched nearby while you peruse the menu board—a task you may find somewhat daunting with over 40 items from which to choose. Keep in mind that once you’ve ordered and received a number at the register, you can get table service for any additional items you need.

A greeter at the door will offer you a printed menu with a helpful glossary while you wait in line to order—be sure to take it. There’s more than the typical tex-mex enchiladas and tacos here. Maybe you know what to expect when you order tlayudas, but our group was glad to have the cheat sheet handy. (And it’s Mexican pizza, by the way.)

This may be Hernandez’s take on food out of the vendor’s cart, but the guy who founded a chef’s table at the Pearl’s farmer’s market is not going to rely on rock-hard tomatoes and wilty lettuce to sell the concept. Without exception, everything we tried was incredibly fresh—so fresh in fact that you’ll be glad that most dishes are very light on spice, allowing the natural flavors of ingredients to shine. The flaky mesquite-grilled Pescado Zarandeado tacos ($5.00), were served with a juicy lime wedge, cilantro and tomato bits that accented the fish in a straightforward way. Camarones Agua Chile ceviche ($10.00) featured plump whole shrimp with crispy cucumber chunks and large slices of perfectly ripe avocado cooling the heat of the Serrano peppers in the lime curing juices. The marinated pork in the Al Pastor tacos ($5.00) benefited from a generous application of sweet pineapple chunks.

Whatever you do, don’t miss the Molcajete of Puerco en Chiles ($12.00). Our server told us the giant mortar bowl (as in mortar and pestle) made of lava rock is heated in the oven to 500 degrees, then put on the grill while the pork with chile and spices is finished. It’s the only dish on the menu big enough to share, and besides the wow-factor, it’s delicious.

As a group, we had a few minor quibbles. No one liked having to pay for the tortilla chips, especially after forking over $18 for a half-bottle of middling chardonnay. And the Pollo en Escabeche was almost impossible to eat—the plate-sized crispy corn tortilla kept breaking under the weight of the black beans and mass of lettuce, whether scooped with a fork or eaten by hand. Make the tortilla chips free, and we’ll call it even.

The covered patio area, with misters keeping diners remarkably cool, offers a more relaxing experience than the busy dining room. If it’s not already taken, choose the corner table nearest the river. On the day we visited, while we ate the last of our perfectly creamy coconut flan, we watched a yellow-crowned night heron wade slowly through the shallows. It was a glorious end to our meal, proving the line on La Gloria’s menu, “No hace falta morir para llegar a la Gloria.” You don’t have to die to go to heaven.