When locals think of Fiesta, they think of sashes full of medals, royalty waving from parade floats, exuberant crowds and, of course, the food.
Guests line up every year to get a taste of Fiesta’s most beloved treats, from classic carnival fare to the iconic chicken on a stick. This year’s celebration, taking place April 24-May 4, brings back all the fan favorites. Here are just some of the Fiesta foods you’ll find at celebrations around town.
Chicken (and other foods) on a stick
Introduced by J.J. Gonzalez, better known as Mr.Chicken, at A Night in Old San Antonio, this Fiesta staple has been a fan favorite for years. The breaded chicken patty is skewered and usually paired with a jalapeño on top.
Chicken on a stick is also available at other Fiesta events. Although you’ll find an assortment of chicken on a stick vendors at Fiesta, the basic elements of the food stay the same, it just depends on the vendor’s taste.
If you prefer red meat, head over to the Mexican Market at NIOSA for anticuchos, another San Antonio favorite that consists of beef skewered and grilled. And for the seafood lovers, head to A Taste of New Orleans for shrimp on a stick.
For a more refreshing treat, Fiesta goers can opt for fruit on a stick, usually seen at Fiesta topped with Tajin, chamoy and lime.
100,000 oysters
Hosted by St. Mary’s University, the Fiesta Oyster Bake has been serving up oysters since 1916. A huge team of volunteers prepares a variety of baked, raw and fried oysters for attendees, totaling about 100,000 oysters over two days.
San Antonio isn’t exactly known for oysters, but what started as a small alumni gathering with oysters served to attendees eventually grew into one of Fiesta’s biggest events, with oysters as the centerpiece.
Shypoke egg
Spoiler: There is no egg.
The Texas-born concoction of layered mozzarella cheese on a corn tostada is topped with a pickled jalapeno covered in cheddar cheese to look like a sunny side up egg.
The take on Tex-Mex nachos was cooked up by Loyal D. Hipp at Hipp’s Bubble Room in the 1950s. His son Dick Hipp later put the item on his menu at Little Hipps burger joint in the 1960s before opening a vendor booth at NIOSA, where the snack was a hit.
After Little Hipps closed in 2002, cook Tim Lang carried on some of its traditions, including the shypoke egg, at his own restaurant named Timbos.
Timbos closed in 2017, but fans can still find shypoke eggs at Frontier Town at NIOSA.
Gorditas
A San Antonio staple and Fiesta tradition, gorditas are masa-made pockets stuffed with meat and an array of toppings.
You can find the Mexican dish at many Fiesta events, like Fiesta de los Reyes in Market Square, Fiesta Fiesta in Travis Park and the King William Fair.
Gumbo, jambalaya and beignets
Hosted by the San Antonio Zulu Association, A Night in New Orleans transports Fiesta goers to The Big Easy with authentic New Orleans-style food and music.
Guests can enjoy gumbo, etouffee, shrimp creole, beignets, boudin, catfish, alligator, red beans and rice, crab rolls, jambalaya and fresh crawfish without leaving San Antonio.
If you can’t make it to A Night in New Orleans, the French Quarter at NIOSA offers classic New Orleans foods like escargot, beignets and shrimp po’boys.
Bratwurst, Bavarian pretzels and beer
Honoring San Antonio’s German roots, Fiesta Gartenfest at Beethoven Halle and Garten will be serving more than just beer (though they’ll have plenty of brews on hand).
Try the famous bratwurst served on a bun and topped with sauerkraut, the Leberkäse (a type of meat loaf), Bavarian pretzels, potato pancakes and other German traditional foods.
And, of course, there’s the iconic German beer, with 15 different brews available on tap.
For those who are not able to make it to Gartenfest, German food like the classic German double-ring sausage served by Opa’s Smoked Meats, will be available at NIOSA, and German beer and waffles from Southtown Joe’s will be available at the King Williams Fair.
Carnival fare
No Fiesta would be complete without the fried festival classics.
Get funnel cake, corndogs and churros at Fiesta Carnival, where you’ll find a variety of concession stands and deep-fried treats like fried cheesecake, fried Oreos and fried pickles.
