Hi everyone, it’s Brian!
One of my absolute favorite parts of the Tax Retreat every year is the small-group dinners.
Sure, the sessions are great. The hallway conversations are fantastic. But there’s just something different that happens when a group of accountants, bookkeepers, tech people, and tax pros sit down together over tacos, pasta, barbecue, or a giant basket of chips and salsa.
That’s where the Retreat starts feeling less like a conference and more like a community.
This year in San Antonio, we’ve put together a mix of restaurant ideas and food adventures near the Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa, ranging from “practically next door” easy to “worth the rideshare” memorable.
And yes… we’re bringing back the cooking class.
The sign-up link is in our Tax Retreat Network.
Blast from the past: Here are some pictures from last year in Denver, CO, when we went to Cook Street for a Spanish cooking class.
🍳 Featured Experience: Sur La Table Cooking Class
Date Night: Latin American Dining
A hands-on Latin American cooking class for anyone who wants dinner to come with chopping, sizzling, and built-in conversation.
Last year’s cooking class in Denver ended up being one of the most unexpectedly fun nights of the Retreat, so we knew we had to do something similar again.
Expect good food, teamwork, laughs, and the kind of bonding that only happens when multiple accountants are trying to plate dinner at the same time.
💰 $99/person
🚗 Plan on a rideshare from the hotel
🔗 Menu & Website
Spots are limited for this one.
If cooking classes aren’t your thing, don’t worry — San Antonio has plenty of dinner adventures waiting nearby. We’ve grouped this year’s restaurant options by the distance from our hotel. Check them out and then go make your select!
Practically Next Door
Dough Pizzeria – Neapolitan-style pizza, pasta, antipasti, salads, local brews, Italian wine, and cocktails. A cozy choice for folks who want dinner to be easy, familiar, and still delicious. 4.5 Stars $$ (0.2 miles from The Plaza) Menu / website
Casa Catrina – Day of the Dead decor, Mexican fare, and a Riverwalk terrace, all close enough that your shoes probably will not file a complaint. 4.2 Stars $$ (0.3 miles from The Plaza) Menu / website
Battalion – Upscale Italian in a renovated 1920s firehouse near the Plaza. Dramatic setting, pasta energy, and a little extra occasion built right in. 4.5 Stars $$ (0.3 miles from The Plaza) Menu / website
A Very Manageable Stroll
Boudros – A New American bistro with Texas and Southwestern flavors, a local flair, and a strong wine-by-the-glass situation. 4.5 Stars $$$ (0.4 miles from The Plaza) Menu / website
Iron Cactus – Contemporary Mexican food with a tequila-bar reputation that has picked up a few shiny feathers. 4.1 Stars $$ (0.5 miles from The Plaza) Menu / website Lots of gluten-free options.
The County Line – Texas barbecue, cold beer, margaritas, and an easygoing Riverwalk setting for anyone craving smoky, sauce-splashed comfort. 3.7 Stars $$ (0.5 miles from The Plaza) Menu / website
Paesanos – Riverwalk Italian with al fresco seating. Old-world meets new-world, preferably with carbs. 4.5 Stars $$ (0.6 miles from The Plaza) Menu / website Many gluten-free options.
Mi Tierra Cafe – Tex-Mex, mariachis, bakery cases, and full-color San Antonio joy at El Mercado. Walkable in theory, but rideshare-friendly in practice. 4.4 Stars $$ (0.9 miles from The Plaza) Menu / website
Rideshare-Friendly Dinner Adventures
Best Quality Daughter – A vibrant Asian-American menu from chef Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin, with dishes inspired by travel, family food, and second-generation Chinese-American comfort. 4.5 Stars $$ (2 miles from The Plaza) Menu / website
Southerleigh – Modern Southern comfort meets Galveston classics, with onsite craft beer production and Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024 and 2025. 4.5 Stars $$$ (2.1 miles from The Plaza) Menu / website
Boiler House – Texas Hill Country fare with locally sourced ingredients, seasonal produce, and Texas-raised meats in the Pearl District. 4.3 Stars $$ (2.2 miles from The Plaza) Menu / website
La Fonda on Main – San Antonio’s oldest Mexican restaurant, with interior Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes, patio seating, and lots of gluten-free options. 4.5 Stars $$ (2.5 miles from The Plaza) Menu / website Heads up: 20% gratuity is added, separate bills are not available, and the table can use up to four credit cards.
Vegan Avenue – Comfort food, but make it plant-based. This spot is a great pick for anyone looking for vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free-friendly options without feeling like they’ve been sentenced to a lonely side salad. Gluten-free pizza is on the menu, too. 4.5 Stars $$ (3 miles from The Plaza) Menu / website Great fit for vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diners.
Paladar Fusion – Mexican and Cuban flavors, plus dishes that happily blur the border between the two. Mocktails are on the menu; alcohol is not. 4.9 Stars $$ (3.3 miles from The Plaza) Menu / website
The Tax Retreat has always been about more than continuing education.
It’s about building real friendships and connections with people who understand this profession, and honestly, some of the best conversations happen outside the conference rooms.
Around a dinner table.
Over tacos.
Arguing about whether queso counts as a main course.
We can’t wait to see everyone in San Antonio.
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