During my wife's recent adventure out and about with her camera at the ready, she, along with her mother and nephew in tow, checked out the coolness at Krazy Vatos, then stopped in to check out some cool cars at San Antonio Shoes on Zarzamora. Of course, all that excitement generates an appetite, so when one is in the area, why not lunch at Western Broiler on Kirk?
It has been years since I was in Western Broiler, but it used to be a favorite meeting place for lunch. Located at Frio City Road and Kirk Place, it isn't far from the old Kelly AFB (now Port San Antonio), and they would do a brisk lunch business and get people in and out of there in a hurry. I always had the fish lunch, so I'm not sure I even know what else they serve.
Inside, the place looks about the same it did probably when it was opened, who knows, 50 years ago? But that is part of the charm. Need to pee, gotta head outside. I think that cuts down on the over indulgence of iced tea refills.
Like many of the places we enjoy, Western Broiler still has the old style seating at the counter. This is great for the person who wants to dine alone or the regular who needs to catch up on the latest gossip with the waitstaff.
On this little lunch outing, the lunch would be about the same. My wife had the fish lunch with fries and a small salad (which has always been good). My mother-in-law opted for the green beans (which I love) and the mashed potatoes with gravy. Both had corn bread with lunch.
Mmmm, smell the lovely blue tree. Along for the ride and lunch, my nephew picked up the cheeseburger and I am told it was a solid substitute for the standard Happy Meal action he might have expected.
Oh, and on a final note, if you like tarter sauce with your fish, they will give you all you need. But please, put it on the fish, don't just eat it from the bowl. Geeze, Gramma, we can't take you anywhere!
Have you been to Western Broiler? What is your favorite lunch, or are you more of a biscuits for breakfast type? Tell us about it in the comments below.
You may recall from a previous report how my wife and I met a very nice family during our visit to SAS. The husband mentioned to us that not enough people get out and see the San Antonio Missions (the actual missions, not the baseball team), so if the rain ever decides to cease and desist, we are making an effort to visit them.
Last week after leaving Espada Park, we took a short drive up the Mission Trail to Mission Concepcion. The road seems to be one of San Antonio's typical dual-named roads, called Mission Parkway or Padre Drive depending on which intersection you are at. (Don't even get me started)
Anyway, we took the drive up Mission Parkway to where it turns into Padre Drive near Padre Park, then up further to Mission Park. This is a really nice drive where the city has gone out of their way to make things look nice. There are lots of fancy looking street posts and in conjunction with regular sidewalk, lots of brick work.
I was surprised at how nice things were along this drive and thought of people on bikes or joggers taking advantage of the area. Unfortunately, there are lots of heavily wooded stretches that, frankly, say "mugger or sexual assaulter, please hide here". And, this may explain why on the first break in rain in several weeks, it was not full of joggers and bike riders.
I don't mean to scare you away, but before you explore a new place outside of your car or by yourself, you ought to at least get a lay of the land. I'm sure that during the day on weekends and such, there is nothing to worry about, but I'm about certain that I wouldn't take a nice late night stroll along this road without a can of mace or a shotgun. I could be wrong though.
By the way, from what we saw, Mission Park looks awesome with baseball and soccer fields etc. Thumbs up to Parks & Recreation. Also near Mission Park is a thing called the San Antonio Charro Association. They have a regular rodeo stadium right there like something straight from Mexico. That looked really interesting, but I was not equipped with my spurs, lasso or fancy sombrero. Perhaps next time.
After a short zig and zag, we were off Padre Drive and back on Mission Parkway on the way to Mission Concepcion.
When you see old movies where the star rides up on a church out in the middle of nowhere, think of this place. Of course, now, there are neighborhoods built around this one. But in sort of the same way they have strategically built the city of San Antonio around the Alamo where you can still take a good photo without the disturbing visual of progress and tall modern buildings, you can visit Mission Concepcion and appreciate the architecture and the beauty of the place without feeling like a traffic jam complete with honking horns and the obnoxious thumping of stereos will take away from the religious history of the place.
And yes, it is a church. They do hold mass there and though quite small, it is very beautiful.
You can tell that there is a lot of work taking place to rehabilitate the mission. In fact, they had one area blocked off to visitors as work progressed.
I think if you have any interest in photography, this is a must see place. Some of the shot set-ups are obvious - I was surprised that Kodak had not figured out a way to post those little "Photo 
Spot" signs in front. For example, I took this one shot of the porch in front of the mission using my inexpensive, often beat-up, just hanging on by some scotch tape, digital camera, and I thought the picture came out okay. It may have been nicer had some guy not walked into the scene just as I snapped the picture, but you get the feel of the place. Only later, I was doing some searches on-line and found a web page where some guy had taken pretty much every photo I had taken, though he used a professional camera and seemed to understand something about lighting and such.
There are lots of other spiffy shots you can take, so even if you are like me and just want to take pictures as a reminder of the things I saw, or if you are into setting up the shot and doing it as art. By the way, if you are getting married or just want to take some really nice family photos, this would be a great place to use as a backdrop.
I don't know if it is part of the official rehab or if some volunteers have pitched in to clean things up, but out in front of the mission 
is a little grotto similar to what we saw at Lourdes Grotto near Blanco Junction. People seem to be putting in a nice do it yourself stone walkway and adding some bricks and other landscaping work.
Like all national parks, there is an office which has information and of course, souvenirs and books for sale. But the most important thing you should know abou this place - assuming you decide to visit, is that the bathrooms are clean and have the most kick-ass air conditioning EVER! My wife went in to the ladies' and I stood out in the shade looking at a map of the mission trail, but due to the high humidity, I started sweating just standing there. I decided to hit the boys room and I swear, as soon as I opened the door, the wave of cool air nearly knocked me over. I stood there at the junior sized urinal mumbling to myself about how good it felt before realizing how incriminating it might look to Park Police. I did take an extra long time to wash my hands and comb my hair as a father and son walked in and both started commenting on how nice the air felt inside. My wife later told me that a young lady in their restroom who had worn long pants simply wasn't going to leave the comfort of the restroom.
So - note to homeless folks: Be a good tourist and wipe down the counter-tops after you take your afternoon bath. And hit the donation box on the way out.
And as is obligatory in our fair city, please Do Not Write on the Wall.
Where else can you go and get a Coke for a dime, a bag of fresh popcorn for a nickel, see a bunch of antique automobiles and watch a lady make a pair of shoes right before your eyes? Right here in San Antonio of course.
Another in my series of places you should see even if you live here is the San Antonio Shoe Factory and General Store located at 101 New Laredo Highway. This place is a great outing for people who have little kids. Not so you can let them run like wild banshees around the place, but because the price of admission is FREE, and the cost to feed your little hellions isn't much more.
When you first arrive at SAS, you see what looks like an old movie set that might have fit in an episode of The Waltons, contrasted against the tire shops and furniture stores of San Antonio's South Side. Before you get in, you'll appreciate some well maintained older cars and the long covered walk reminiscent of the loading platform of the old stage coach or maybe a train station.
From the outside, you can see the nicely restored signage and a a comfortable front porch where customers sit and mostly, wait for their wives to finish shopping. Yes, not everyone who visits SAS is there for the popcorn and cookies, a good number of visitors are there for the shoes.
In case you didn't know, SAS is famous for their comfortable designs and you can see them on fashion runways in communities for the aged, everywhere. Though I do have to confess to owning several pairs of the more fashionable penny loafers, which are very comfortable.
When you get inside the store, the first thing that greets you is the kitchen area complete with old fashioned stoves, refrigerated cases and friendly ladies ready to serve up a soda from the new fountain, a hot cookie or some fresh popcorn.
Up until just recently, they used to serve Cokes in the small bottles for a dime. Now you get your choice of Coke or Diet-Coke in a fountain cup for the same price. If you'd rather skip the soda, enjoy a cup of really good coffee for just a nickel. Don't let your Starbuck's Barrista know - he may just shit himself!
Inside the store, there are several older cars that members of the staff will be happy to take your picture while you sit in them. Or you can pose with a big Brahma Bull standing down in one of the aisles.
I can't overstate what a great deal this is for the aunt or uncle who finds the need to entertain the little beasts that your sis dropped off so she could go to the mall. The cost is less than the price of gas and the kids will learn how to make shoes from scratch. 
Seriously, I say put the little rug rats to work and call it a day.
My mother-in-law used to take my kids and the their cousins on a SAS field trip several times during the summer when she would watch them, and the kids loved it. 
They would each come home with their own bag of selected old fashioned candy, perhaps a set of free shoelaces, and quite often, a stomach ache.
Look, don't take my word for it; you owe it to yourself to take the short drive, stop in and check it out. And the next time your family comes to visit San Antonio and they have had enough of Sea World, Fiesta Texas, the River Walk, the Missions and the hundreds of other places to go, take them to a genuine inexpensive treat, and get yourself some nice loafers.
*And no, I don't get paid for this, I really do like the place.
Saturday my wife and I were off on one of our many weekend adventures and while visiting the San Antonio Shoe Factory, we met an interesting family that I'd like to take just a moment to write about.
We often get strange looks when we enter a store or restaurant and I start in with the snapping of pictures. To take happy snaps at Sea World or the Zoo is one thing, but to meticulously take before, during, and after pictures of your lunch is quite another. So, my wife has become quite skilled at explaining that I'm a nut, but that I also like to write about the different places we visit throughout San Antonio. Just a hobby, she tells them, no need for alarm.
When I finished taking a few pictures of the SAS place (which I'll be happy to tell you about later), my wife was sitting at a table eating some popcorn and sipping a soda, and she was telling this nice family about our daughter who is in the Air Force. You would be surprised at how many people ask you about your kids when you where a T-Shirt that says, "I'm an Air Force Mom".
I have a maddening shy streak in me that makes me want to avoid conversation with strangers unless forced by danger or beer, whereas my wife is one of those people who has never met a stranger. She is friendly to everyone and people seem to like her enough to engage in lengthy conversations as though they have known one another for years. So to find her talking to these friendly people about our daughter was no surprise at all.
Soon, the husband began talking to me about our idea of visiting different places in San Antonio and telling of our encounters. He suggested that we visit the Missions - how he often felt embarrassed that young kids from Mexico know more about the Missions here in San Antonio than we as residents do. It's true. Somehow, his conversation turned to current events and the war, but mostly about Iran.
Though this man had a very solid perspective (in my opinion) on the issues facing the country as related to Iran, I could feel myself wanting to find an excuse to move along and continue taking pictures. I listened and agreed with most of what he had to say but still, there is something about me that wants to escape in situations like this. But I'm glad I sat and listened to this man speak.
As a parallel conversation was going on between my wife and his wife, I heard the woman say that they had lost their son in Afghanistan.
Her husband paused for a moment and then confirmed what I had just heard and told us a little bit of their son's story. I felt a twinge of stupidity in myself when I finally read the words on the cap he was wearing, a memorial to his son with accouterments of miniature medals and such.
When we did finish talking and we all shook hands and bid farewell, I thanked the Peña's for their son's service to our country. Not surprisingly, these fine people wanted us instead to thank and think of the others who have served and still do serve.
These are good people and it was a pleasure to meet them.
You can read more about their son, Sgt Roger P. Peña, Jr., here.
It has been years since I was in Western Broiler, but it used to be a favorite meeting place for lunch. Located at Frio City Road and Kirk Place, it isn't far from the old Kelly AFB (now Port San Antonio), and they would do a brisk lunch business and get people in and out of there in a hurry. I always had the fish lunch, so I'm not sure I even know what else they serve.
Inside, the place looks about the same it did probably when it was opened, who knows, 50 years ago? But that is part of the charm. Need to pee, gotta head outside. I think that cuts down on the over indulgence of iced tea refills.
Like many of the places we enjoy, Western Broiler still has the old style seating at the counter. This is great for the person who wants to dine alone or the regular who needs to catch up on the latest gossip with the waitstaff.
On this little lunch outing, the lunch would be about the same. My wife had the fish lunch with fries and a small salad (which has always been good). My mother-in-law opted for the green beans (which I love) and the mashed potatoes with gravy. Both had corn bread with lunch.
Mmmm, smell the lovely blue tree. Along for the ride and lunch, my nephew picked up the cheeseburger and I am told it was a solid substitute for the standard Happy Meal action he might have expected.
Oh, and on a final note, if you like tarter sauce with your fish, they will give you all you need. But please, put it on the fish, don't just eat it from the bowl. Geeze, Gramma, we can't take you anywhere!
