San Antonio
You're flying out of San Antonio Airport, you have 90 minutes to kill, and you'd like to do better than a Pret. Good news: airport drinking has improved more in the last five years than the previous fifty. Pre-flight drinks at San Antonio Airport range from chain reliability to surprisingly polished hotel-style bars in the airport hotels. This is barsforKings's editor-curated guide to drinking better at San Antonio's airports.
Pearl District · $$$
Boutique cocktail bar with one of the longest mezcal lists in Texas.
Southtown · $$
Speakeasy hidden behind a doorway on South Alamo.
Pearl District · $$$
Heritage tavern restoration inside the Hotel Emma.
Downtown · $$$
Cocktail bar inside the St.
Want a real drink before flying? The fastest play is to get to airport hotels next door — most run polished bars that beat anything post-security. We list them at the bottom. If you've got 60 spare minutes pre-airport, see our shortlist of bars in San Antonio proper at the end.
Plays for San Antonio Airport: post-security, pre-security, lounges, and the airport-hotel cheat code.
Pre-flight drinks, hotel-bar reviews, and the openings we're watching across 176 cities. Friday mornings, no filler.
Looking beyond San Antonio? See our guide to the best airport bars worldwide, or compare airport bars city by city.