RIP, Malt House, 1946-2018.
Just before Elvira Cisneros, the mother of former Mayor Henry Cisneros, passed away, she requested food from the Malt House, a West Side institution since 1949. After you’ve tasted the Malt House’s onion rings, you’ll understand why.
I thought that the Tip Top Cafe had the best onion rings in town, but I think that the Malt House gives the Tip Top a run for its money. Onion ring taste off, anyone?
My mother-in-love and I dropped into the Malt House for lunch on our way to the San Fernando Cemetery #2, also on the West Side. The Malt House has an extensive menu, but we both decided to order burgers, fries, chocolate malts and a side of onion rings. The waitress also brought free chips and salsa for us to enjoy. The Malt House’s fries did not stack up to Demo’s, still my favorites in town, but their onion rings more than made up for the not-great fries.
The gentlemen at the table next to us had been eating at the Malt House since they were kids. One of the men ordered fried chicken, and I am definitely going to order it on my next visit. Mondays through Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., the Malt House offers two pieces of white meat, fries and a medium drink for $3.95 on to-go orders. Who can resist that?
The real test, however, was the malt. After all, this is the Malt House. My MIL and I both drained ours to the very last drop, and I was reminded of the Nestlé Quik commercial, “That’s the saddest sound I know,” upon finishing mine.
The Malt House has drive-up service. Just put your headlights on, and a waitperson will be out to take your order. The interior, though, is worth a visit. The space screams Mom and Pop restaurant, and a bright panorama of San Antonio decorates one wall.
The Malt House, located at 115 S. Zarzamora between Buena Vista and Commerce, is open daily: Sundays through Thursdays, from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays, from 8 a.m. until midnight.
Stop in and see why the Malt House was one of Mrs. Cisneros’ final wishes.
Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” 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 her home ever since. 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!
