Help with day trip to San Antonio

Our family is planning a day trip from Houston to San Antonio. We will be traveling with children ages 13 to 2 months. Can you tell me if the following itinerary will work?

1. Pick up BBQ at Texas Pride and drive to Mission San Jose. Can anyone confirm that there are picnic tables there?

2. Mission San Jose

3. The Alamo

4. Riverwalk- We only want to see/walk through a portion of the Riverwalk. With 8 kids in tow we don%26#39;t plan to shop/eat a meal. Any suggestions for a bakery or ice cream/candy store where we can buy the kids a treat?

5. Japanese Tea Garden

We would like to be done by 7:00-7:30. Is there a good place for hamburgers on our way out of town or on the drive back to Houston?

Thanks for your help!

Help with day trip to San Antonio

Yes stopping at Texas Pride would be on the way to SA + they have an outside patio area that you can eat the BBQ that%26#39;s very relaxing. www.texaspridebbq.net

Mi Tierra has a bakery in the Market Square area www.mitierracafe.com There is a Ben %26amp; Jerry%26#39;s on the Riverwalk, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Whataburger has good hamburgers %26amp; there are several locations or in the downtown area you have Timbo%26#39;s.

Your itinerary looks good but you%26#39;ll be rush in seeing all of the sites.

You may want to do the Japanese Tea Garden before Mission San Jose cause it%26#39;s a park %26amp; you could take your BBQ there + a play area for kids at the Brackenridge Park http://www.wildtexas.com/parks/bracken.php

Have a great quick visit to SA. You may want to consider spending a night in SA??????

Help with day trip to San Antonio

We always stop at Bucee%26#39;s in Lulling when we go to Houston. I don%26#39;t know if they have burgers, we always get kolaches, beef jerky, dried sausage and cheese in some combination. There are several ';truck stops'; with restaurants just as you get on I-10 going east from 410. I know there%26#39;s a Burger King, not sure what else. The exit is Foster Road. This is also usually the cheapest place for gas in SA.

Might I suggest The Smokehouse over Texas Price.

Wow! You guys are quick to reply. Thanks! I like the idea of having our picnic at the Japanese Tea Garden except if we have to eliminate something this is what we were planning to cut out. We will re-think the order.

I may not have been clear about where we are considering having our picnic. We wanted to do it at Mission San Jose. Are there tables there? If not, perhaps we can find something else or just eat at the resturant. Is it kid friendly?

Someone mentioned The Smokehouse instead of Texas Pride. I don%26#39;t really know anything about Texas Pride other than it has been on the Food Network and is somewhat on our way into San Antonio. Can you compare the two or tell me why you prefer The Smokehouse?

Thanks again for all your help.

Actually I%26#39;m not sure of any tables at the Mission.

Texas Pride is kid friendly + they have outside tables on a patio that overlooks a open field.

Texas Pride BBQ is very good so tender %26amp; yummy. DH %26amp; I prefer Texas Pride over the Smokehouse, IMO a lot better %26amp; it%26#39;s on your way where the smokehouse isn%26#39;t + not in a good area of town %26amp; nowheres to eat except inside. Texas Pride also has nostalgic which gives you the feel of TX BBQ.

Chris Madrid%26#39;s is fairly close to the Japanese Tea Gardens. Best burgers anywhere. I would not eliminate the Tea Gardens, make sure to take your camera. Consider spending $100 and staying at a Drury overnight. Free dinner and breakfasts! For your group those two meals would pay for the hotels!

BTW Texas Pride has the best peach cobbler in TX.

If you want to try another great place for BBQ you may want to stop in Luling %26amp; go over to the City Market they also have great BBQ which we stop at either on our way to Houston or on the way back for a nice change. You could then stop at the rest stop for a picnic lunch near Seguin. Website is www.lulingcitymarket.com also very tender %26amp; yummy!!!

IMO since the owner of the Smokehouse has pass on it isn%26#39;t what it used to be.

Your best bet for good TX BBQ would be 1 of the 2.

I also agree with Octoboy about a stop at Buc-ee%26#39;s http://buc-ees.com/ for a snack for the kids %26amp; a break from driving. Lots of interesting things, anything you can think of they probably have it, also the same place you would get off to go to the City Market BBQ.

Have a great visit in SA.

BTW, I have to agree, if you got to cut out a place I agree with the Japanese Tea Garden, the others would be of more interest.

Website for the missions www.nps.gov/saan if you have a little time left over you may want to visit 1 of the other mission. Also you can visit the Guenther House for Free www.guentherhouse.com

One thing that the Smokehouse has that is really worthwhile is breakfast. For BBQ, Texas Pride would be better, but for breakfast, you can%26#39;t go wrong with the Smokehouse.

This means it only really makes sense if you head out early, as the Smokehouse is basically mid-trip. It is right on the highway, so it is easy to find and get to.

For lunch/dinner, I honestly find the Smokehouse only slightly better than Cracker Barrel. It%26#39;s better, but nothing special.

I can confirm that there are picnic tables at Mission San Jose. I have never been there at lunchtime, though, so I don%26#39;t know how quickly they fill up. I can%26#39;t remember how many tables there are, but there are not a lot.