My husband and I met a friend who graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1960 for dinner at DeWese’s Tip Top Cafe. When we got to the restaurant, located at 2814 Fredericksburg Road, Tony said, “Welcome to the time warp.” In all the years he’s been eating at the Tip Top, it hasn’t changed.
Why ruin a good thing? Winnie and Pappy DeWese started the family-owned restaurant in 1938, and their granddaughter, Linda DeWese, has carried on. Winners of the San Antonio Express-News’ 2014 Readers’ Choice Gold Award for Best Onion Rings in the city for the umpteenth time, the Tip Top was also recognized as the favorite restaurant inside Loop 410 and a favorite longtime restaurant.
The Tip Top gives its loyal customers what they crave: tried and true comfort food. Tony ordered a chili burger with cheese and a side of their over-the-top onion rings. My husband ordered their famous chicken fried steak, and I ordered their grilled tilapia. (FYI: The Chicken Fried Steak costs $6.95 on Tuesday nights from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dine-in only. Otherwise, it’s normally $10.50.) All the food was tasty, but the onion rings alone are worth the trip. My mouth is watering as I type this.
Like Earl Abel’s, another San Antonio time warp restaurant, the Tip Top has pies galore to top off your meal. Or if you want just a little something sweet, pick up an Aunt Aggie De’s Praline or two when you’re checking out. They were named the Official Best Gourmet Praline and Pecan Candy in Texas last year. I bring Aunt Aggie De’s Pralines for host/hostess gifts whenever I travel, and they are always a hit.
DeWese’s Tip Top Cafe is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Bring cash! Credit or debit cards are not accepted. Just what you’d expect from a place where time seems to stop or stand still.
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!