The fact is, it’s San Antone that’s a different country, and they’ll proudly tell you so. You’ll find Starbucks every bit as insidious in Dallas and Houston as NY and LA.
I didn’t say that Starbucks was a sign of civilization. It’s just a landmark on every other corner in the rest of America. Wouldn’t have minded a raspberry scone this morning, though. Can’t quite get into beans for breakfast.
I live about 30 miles outside of Houston ina sleepy suburb, and I can walk to a Starbucks near my house. Knowing the politics of San Antonio, I am guessing that one or two factors, or both, are in play regarding Starbucks – 1) coffee doesn’t sell as well as margaritas, and 2) Starbucks hasn’t paid off the right people yet to get downtown.
I spent a summer in Texas and Puebla, Mexico where I subsisted on nothing but beans for breakfast. My roommate at the time was not amused.
Totopos con frijoles… good times…
I also remember my first morning in Texas on a high school summer trip where we stayed in a hotel outside of Dallas and awoke to find burritos and other such Tex-Mex delights in the morning spread. This was long before McDonald’s had gotten onto the breakfast burrito bandwagon, mind you. My Jersey classmates were scrambling for the miniature boxes of cereal while I had the southwestern goodies all to myself.
It’s San Antonio. Houston is so filthy with Starbucks that — I kid you not — they have a Starbucks… across the street… from a Starbucks. Lewis Black put it on the cover of one of his albums.
The mall in downtown Houston has a Starbucks in the food court on the first floor. Normal, right? They have another Starbucks… in the same mall… on the second floor. Two Starbucks, 120 yards from each other, sharing the same air conditioning.
Be sure and visit Mi Tierra for a little Mexican food while you’re there. San Antonio is also the birthplace of Texas Chili so you may want to sample those wares as well.
Mi Tierra is pretty good, not far from where you are, Jeff. I’d also check out Boudrou’s on the the River Walk, it’s expensive and touristy, but pretty good. Also, I agree with the other posters:
1) What on earth were you doing running around downtown San Antonio in August?
Starbucks isn’t completely penetrated everywhere – Here in New Orleans it faces fierce competition from the already-established (and growing) local coffee chains, with their free wireless and (often) better coffee. They’re outnumbered so far.
Well, “running” is a technical word meaning exercise taken on foot.
This time of year around San Antonio, when a coyote chases a rabbit, neither one of them gets above a walking pace, and they both stop for all the water points.
Ric: Well, yes, obviously, I’m quite familiar with running as I did it in high school, but I was wondering specifically what “running” is…I mean, I know what running is, but “running” seems a whole other matter. A scare-quotey matter.
This time of year around San Antonio makes sane people want to move back to Oregon. Despite prescription allergy pills and no self-serve gas.
Frisco, TX (North Dallas) also has a mall with a kiosk Starbucks on the ground floor, and a storefront Starbucks on the next floor. Right up the stairway from the other one. Then there’s the Barnes and Noble Cafe serving Starbucks.
Or some fried dough covered in powdered sugar, w/ some radioactive (Community) coffee?
Or a HandGrenade – Mountain Dew mixed w/ 190 proof EverClear – served 24/7?
Wow! Somehow that magical smiley just ‘appeared’ in my last post at the perfect location/moment. I’ve been lookin’ and lookin’ and Lookin’ for that big smile smiley on the net to insert here (without asking those of you who obviously are way ahead of me). Still don’t know where to find it. Help?
But meanwhile, magic occurs at Camp Buzz! Must be the hurricane/beignet/’community’ coffee combo, Cagun!
Forget about Starbucks. If you want that yuppy stuff go north to Austin or Dallas. What makes SA cool is that we are not trying to be like the trendy towns to our north. We are what we are and dont care about the hollywood B.S. Besides why do you want to support a corporation like starbucks? There are several other homegrown coffee shops near downtown. And jogging for 45 min downtown, you must have made lots of laps, downtown is very small.
You’ll find one at the Riverwalk… Although it may be harder to spot.
Yep, they only have about twenty of them. Starborg has not yet completed the assimilation.
Wwhen did the Starbucks become a must for a “civilized” city?
Anyhow, I agree with John – there “ought” to be one at the Riverwalk.
And San Antonio is a cute little town, at least its downtown. Its growing fast though.
The fact is, it’s San Antone that’s a different country, and they’ll proudly tell you so. You’ll find Starbucks every bit as insidious in Dallas and Houston as NY and LA.
I didn’t say that Starbucks was a sign of civilization. It’s just a landmark on every other corner in the rest of America. Wouldn’t have minded a raspberry scone this morning, though. Can’t quite get into beans for breakfast.
Wouldn’t have minded a raspberry scone this morning, though.
I know a guy in San Anotonio who could give you a shot of estrogen for fifty bucks, that way you could skip the middleman.
I kid!
I live about 30 miles outside of Houston ina sleepy suburb, and I can walk to a Starbucks near my house. Knowing the politics of San Antonio, I am guessing that one or two factors, or both, are in play regarding Starbucks – 1) coffee doesn’t sell as well as margaritas, and 2) Starbucks hasn’t paid off the right people yet to get downtown.
Come to Dallas… they are about as common as a Baptist Church here.
Forget the Starbucks. I’m trying to figure out what version of running you do that requires quotation marks.
Jeff, here are photos of all the Starbucks in San Antonio — Unlike those Manhattan ones on every corner, they’re often found in free-standing buildings out in the real world — some even have drive-thrus!
oops. sorry I didn’t close that tag.
Can’t quite get into beans for breakfast.
I spent a summer in Texas and Puebla, Mexico where I subsisted on nothing but beans for breakfast. My roommate at the time was not amused.
Totopos con frijoles… good times…
I also remember my first morning in Texas on a high school summer trip where we stayed in a hotel outside of Dallas and awoke to find burritos and other such Tex-Mex delights in the morning spread. This was long before McDonald’s had gotten onto the breakfast burrito bandwagon, mind you. My Jersey classmates were scrambling for the miniature boxes of cereal while I had the southwestern goodies all to myself.
They’re all over Austin.
Wait.
You went running in San Antonio. In August? Downtown?
I’d be surprised if you saw any people, let alone Starbucks!
Jeff, please please come to Austin – lots more Starbucks and generally cooler city overall.
It’s San Antonio. Houston is so filthy with Starbucks that — I kid you not — they have a Starbucks… across the street… from a Starbucks. Lewis Black put it on the cover of one of his albums.
http://aolshop.com/media/coverart/pop/cov200/drf900/f907/f90764bwo3n.jpg
The mall in downtown Houston has a Starbucks in the food court on the first floor. Normal, right? They have another Starbucks… in the same mall… on the second floor. Two Starbucks, 120 yards from each other, sharing the same air conditioning.
Be sure and visit Mi Tierra for a little Mexican food while you’re there. San Antonio is also the birthplace of Texas Chili so you may want to sample those wares as well.
Mi Tierra is pretty good, not far from where you are, Jeff. I’d also check out Boudrou’s on the the River Walk, it’s expensive and touristy, but pretty good. Also, I agree with the other posters:
1) What on earth were you doing running around downtown San Antonio in August?
2) What is “running”?
3) Austin is cooler than here is.
Starbucks isn’t completely penetrated everywhere – Here in New Orleans it faces fierce competition from the already-established (and growing) local coffee chains, with their free wireless and (often) better coffee. They’re outnumbered so far.
Bah, SoupNazzi beat me to it. Come to Dallas, you’ll be tripping over the darn things.
Even Harlingen (way down in the Rio Grande Valley) has a Starbucks now. Even with the Starbucks, Texas is still a different country.
It.s the REAL world. where you can still get a cup of coffee at a Diner , served by a Real person for less than two dollars. A’int it great.
Candice: “(often) better coffee”
How hard is that?
Robert: “you can still get a cup of coffee at a Diner”
You’ve got the right idea.
Welcome to San Antonio! Wonderful place. Hotter’n hell! Friendly folks! No riots when you win or lose NBA championships.
Timothy,
Well, “running” is a technical word meaning exercise taken on foot.
This time of year around San Antonio, when a coyote chases a rabbit, neither one of them gets above a walking pace, and they both stop for all the water points.
Regards,
Ric
Ric: Well, yes, obviously, I’m quite familiar with running as I did it in high school, but I was wondering specifically what “running” is…I mean, I know what running is, but “running” seems a whole other matter. A scare-quotey matter.
This time of year around San Antonio makes sane people want to move back to Oregon. Despite prescription allergy pills and no self-serve gas.
Frisco, TX (North Dallas) also has a mall with a kiosk Starbucks on the ground floor, and a storefront Starbucks on the next floor. Right up the stairway from the other one. Then there’s the Barnes and Noble Cafe serving Starbucks.
DRB:
Frisco is NOT North Dallas. It has a fine downtown (can you say historic) area which I suggest you visit.
DRB and others:
San Antonio’s riverwalk by the way is FDR – CCC product. imagine the city without it?
Jeff, I hope you didn’t miss the wonderful caving possibilities while you were there??
RiverWalk. . . please! It’s a friggin’ ditch.
Come to N.O. & have a Hurricane for breakfast.
Or some fried dough covered in powdered sugar, w/ some radioactive (Community) coffee?
Or a HandGrenade – Mountain Dew mixed w/ 190 proof EverClear – served 24/7?
And the voodooo doll de rigeur.
Ruth Calvo,
Just curious why you continue to link to your non-working web site so many months on (as in Sixty Years On).
Cagun,
Hurricanes and beignets for breakfast…along with chicory ‘community’ coffee? I’d try it, you bet
. Hopefully late morning..
Wow! Somehow that magical smiley just ‘appeared’ in my last post at the perfect location/moment. I’ve been lookin’ and lookin’ and Lookin’ for that big smile smiley on the net to insert here (without asking those of you who obviously are way ahead of me). Still don’t know where to find it. Help?
But meanwhile, magic occurs at Camp Buzz! Must be the hurricane/beignet/’community’ coffee combo, Cagun!
admiral Buzz (see Katzenjammer)
Forget about Starbucks. If you want that yuppy stuff go north to Austin or Dallas. What makes SA cool is that we are not trying to be like the trendy towns to our north. We are what we are and dont care about the hollywood B.S. Besides why do you want to support a corporation like starbucks? There are several other homegrown coffee shops near downtown. And jogging for 45 min downtown, you must have made lots of laps, downtown is very small.
Starbucks sucks, you yuppy scum!!!