Bar America
723 S Alamo Street, San Antonio, TX 78205; Tel. 210.223.7462
Down along the Alamo Street strip, where one can find plenty of flamboyant entertainment, Bar America is a pleasant, theme-free, old-fashioned establishment, where the drinks are cheap and the stools hold your backside up off the floor. The décor is simple: beer ads are tacked to the walls and life-sized cardboard models holding lassos and six-packs adorn the atmosphere. A few rows of booths for sitting and talking extend from the back wall lined with inventory, and a few pool tables are available for those who'd like to indulge. At Bar America there's no frills, no fuss.
 

Broadway 5050
5050 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209; Tel. 210.826.0069
Flip the name and you've got the address of Broadway 5050. Serving “09ers” (the people who live in this zip code, hence the numeric name) for over 60 years, the recently renovated bar and restaurant has changed from an unremarkable watering hole to a hip neighborhood bar with a few plasma screens, bricks and natural tones, and a Quentin Tarantino theme. Try the Vincent Vega, a generous dollop of spicy guacamole atop a tasty slab of ground beef served on a hoagie bun (by the way, all of Broadway 5050's burgers are rectangular patties on a hoagie bun). There's also the Royale with Cheese, the Butch and the Big Kahuna (you get the point). Wash it down with a brew or a cocktail from the full service bar.

Bonham Exchange

411 Bonham St, San Antonio, TX 78205 · 210-271-3811

DOWNTOWN. You'll probably end up getting a workout at Bonham Exchange, although maybe not the one the original German owners of this former gymnasium intended. The Ramones, Iggy Pop, and Tina Turner have all graced Bonham, which describes itself as "San Antonio's premier progressive dance club." Three dance floors and four bars have taken over the 115-year-old building, attracting a truly diverse crowd to the longstanding local favorite. Daily drink specials; no cover charge for patrons 21 and over before 10pm.