Day Trips: Elsewhere Garden Bar and Kitchen, San Antonio

photos by Gerald E. McLeod

Elsewhere Garden Bar & Kitchen is no saint, but it's a lovely beer garden in a lush stand of trees overlooking the San Antonio River on the outer edges of downtown San Antonio, away from all the tourist haunts.

Readers of the San Antonio Current have chosen the 3-year-old establishment as the Best Bar for the last two years. The title is well deserved.

Walking into the bar is like entering a neighbor's well-kept backyard. The pair of giant topiary giraffes flanking a sign that says "Be Kind" at the entrance sets the laid-back atmosphere.

This is such a chill place, it hardly needs misters to cool the hot summer air. A large covered pavilion reminiscent of an outdoor, old-world beer hall attracts most of the patrons. Off to the side, a line of porch swings overlooks the river and the occasional barge filled with tourists.

Of course, man and woman cannot live on ambience alone. The bar offers almost five dozen beers, including a fair representation of local and regional craft brews. A full bar services everyone else.

The food menu is basic pub grub done well. It covers an assortment of food groups between two slices of bread headlined by a big, juicy hamburger. The Philly cheesesteak sandwich with waffle fries is the star of the show. The kitchen landed a win for Best Bar Food in the Current's Best of San Antonio list last year.

Elsewhere Garden Bar & Kitchen is at 103 E. Jones Ave. in the northern corner of downtown San Antonio, within walking distance of the San Antonio Museum of Art. The taps open Monday through Thursday at 4pm and earlier on weekends. You can be forgiven if your mind is Elsewhere when you're in San Antonio.

1,675th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere: Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/daily/travel.