South Side delivers

Fruteria La Mission at 553 E. White at Roosevelt, across from the Mission Drive-In and next door to Nicha’s Comida Mexicana, is worth the drive across town for those of you who never cross Highway 90.

Plus, the Fruteria is just down the street from Mission San José, one of San Antonio’s five missions, so you will have to treat yourself after exploring this stunning UNESCO World Heritage site.

Cups of goodness

I ordered a $5 cup of corn and a $5 fruit cup, and I was reminded, once again, of what an awesome place San Antonio is to call home.

The corn is cut off of the cob, layered with sour cream and chili powder (sugar, salt, citric acid and red peppers) and handed to you with a plastic spoon. If I lived closer, this would be a weekly stop. I scraped the bottom of the cup, wishing for more.

The fruit cup was overflowing with watermelon, grapes, strawberries, mango, cantaloupe, honeydew, coconut and pineapple. Is there anything more summery than fruta fresca (fresh fruit)?! I know that die-hard fruit cup aficionados put chili powder on their fruit, but I’m not there yet. Convince me!

But wait, there’s more!

Aguas frescas (fruit-flavored water), nachos, Frito pie, Hot Cheetos with cheese, snow cones, strawberries with cream, ice cream, mangonadas (mango with chili powder, salt, sugar and citrus juice), chango, ruses, picadeli and piña loco round out the Fruteria’s menu. No one will go home hungry.

Drive-through or walk-up

The Fruteria has a drive-through lane, but you may also order at a walk-up window and sit in their covered shelter. I did, and I made a new friend, Kimberly, whose precious pup, Lily, sat patiently while we dug into our delectables. Our conversation included talk about new moons, fun places to visit in San Antonio and the art program at Palo Alto College. That wouldn’t have happened if I’d stayed in my car.

Catering also available

Fruteria La Mission is open every day except Tuesday from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. They also make fancy fruit displays for parties and special events. Check out their Facebook page to eyeball their artistry.

Put Fruteria La Mission on your summer (and fall, winter, spring) to-do list! You won’t be sorry.

Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been home ever since. For even more ideas of fun things to do and see in San Antonio, visit Barnes & Noble, The Twig, Whole Earth Provision Co. and Nowhere Bookshop to purchase Denise’s book, “100 Things To Do in San Antonio Before You Die” . Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!