The best of 2016 Flavor Favs

Top 5 of 2016

SAN ANTONIO – While this list was hard to narrow down to just five places, of the close to 50 we tried this year, there were several that stood out the most. Here are the top five of 2016:

5. Sangria on the Berg (5115 Fredericksburg Rd.) - - By far the best new restaurant of the year. Chef Ceasar Zepeda has put together a unique menu of sliders, tacos and veggies. As for the sangria, there are different flavors to try fun but you are better off getting the sampler to try them all.  

New neighborhood hot spot on NW side getting attention 

4. Mad Mack's Burger Co. (2933 Roosevelt Ave.) - - Many places in town serve burgers, but for a classic burger with big flavors you have to head to Mad Mack's on the south side.

"It got to the point that it was really hard to find a good burger, so we set out to fine really quality ingredients," owner Shanda Kern said. 

South side burger joint gains following with classic menu items 

3. Nama Ramen (6565 Babcock Rd.) -- Over the past year the noodle dish of ramen has grown in popularity, and Nama Ramen is serving up delicious variations of the soup. The broth for the ramen is made daily and takes more than a day cook. 

Ramen soup growing in popularity in San Antonio 

2. Gilbert's Mexican Restaurant (8161 Latigo St.) - - This list would not be complete without adding some Tex-Mex food in it. Gilbert's Mexican is the place for that.One plate in particular, the Javi Special, includes two carne guisada enchiladas that will leave you wanting more. Gilbert will even take you back to his first love of music and sing you a song while you enjoy your meal. 

Tejano music hall of famer also known for his restaurant

1. Mia Marco's Pizza (5016 FM 1518) - - Pizza is a favorite food for many. After trying the Brooklyn style pizza from Mia Marco's Pizza, I would like to say it is life changing. It can be considered the best pizza in Texas, since they were the only ones in the state to place in a world pizza competition earlier this year.

All the pizza is made from a food truck in Selma, by Derek Sanchez and Joey Hernandez.

"We didn't invent it," Sanchez said.  "We just went to research it and we got the best of the best, and this is what we came up with," 

Did you know you can find some of the world's best pizza in Selma?

This year has been great, but we have many more places to visit to stop in 2017.

For a look a back at Flavor Favs from the past year, click here.


About the Author:

Erica Hernandez is an Emmy award-winning journalist with 15 years of experience in the broadcast news business. Erica has covered a wide array of stories all over Central and South Texas. She's currently the court reporter and cohost of the podcast Texas Crime Stories.