Over the last three decades, Tommy’s Restaurant has become synonymous with one of San Antonio’s favorite pairings: Big Red and barbacoa. With beginnings on Nogalitos Road, the Tex-Mex mainstay has grown to include five operating locations across the city with another one currently in the works.
The Tommy’s Restaurant we know today opened its first location on January 21, 1995, according to owner Brandon Ramos, who sat down with MySA at the San Pedro location to talk about the homegrown chain’s history. Ramos said that his mother, Oralia Salame, acquired a previously established business also called Tommy’s and decided to keep the name as a subtle homage to his grandfather.
“I remember we’re debating on what to call it, and my grandfather had Tommy’s Barbershop over by Lanier High School. His name was Tomas, and we were like, ‘Hey, you know, it’s perfect in his honor,'” Ramos said. “But there’s no official Tommy.”
Ramos was 16 years old when the first Tommy’s Restaurant opened, and he spent those early days in the back of house washing dishes and other tasks before moving to serving customers and eventually taking over as owner. The restaurateur said that Tommy’s success was only possible because of his mother’s strong influence on the restaurant’s customer-focused culture.
Servers at Tommy’s Restaurant preparing to dish out “unapologetically Tex-Mex” dishes to customers. (Polly Anna Rocha/MySA)
A mural pays tribute to the iconic Big Red and barbacoa pairing at Tommy’s Restaurant. (Polly Anna Rocha/MySA)
“She believed that great food is very important, but getting to know all your customers as much as possible, telling them ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ when they walk in, all that goes a long way,” Ramos said.
Somewhere in the restaurant’s 31-year tenure, Tommy’s Restaurant began centering Big Red and barbacoa, a combo that is universally loved across San Antonio. The pairing became the source of menu items, murals and even merchandise sold by the restaurant. Ramos claimed it was an idea brought to the restaurant by his mother, Oralia Salame, who saw the customer response to the puro San Antonio dish and soda.
That being said, the number one seller at Tommy’s isn’t the Big Red and barbacoa, though it is high up there. Rather, Ramo said the carne guisada is the dish most coveted by its dedicated customers.
“I know it’s the brown gravy people love. We trim it up nice, where it’s all meat, tender, and handmade flour tortillas just sets it off,” Ramos told MySA.
Other popular plates at the restaurant include the Taco Madre (barbacoa with chilaquiles), the Barbadill (barbacoa with pickles) and the Big Boy Special, an egg omelet with cheese, tomato and onion with a choice of ham or bacon served with a side of steak a la mexicana.
Tommy’s Restaurant eyes San Antonio expansion
When asked about the future of Tommy’s Restaurant, Ramos said some new menu items, like barbacoa nachos, will soon find their way into the existing spots. He later added that a new location is in the works.
“It’s going to be off 1604 in between Hausman and Babcock outside the loop, and I’m hoping to open that one by the end of the year or early next year,” Ramos said.
A carne guisada with cheese and a Taco Madre (barbacoa with chilaquiles) from Tommy’s Restaurant. (Polly Anna Rocha/MySA)
Tommy’s Restaurant on San Pedro is one of the largest of five currently operating locations in San Antonio. (Polly Anna Rocha/MySA)
The steady growth of Tommy’s Restaurant after more than three decades is no easy feat, as many local legacy businesses disappeared in that same time frame. With each new location, Tommy’s continues to share what Ramo calls “unapologetically Tex-Mex” cuisine to San Antonio customers.
“Everything’s gone up – the cost of goods, rent, utilities, you name it,” Ramos said. “We’ve been fortunate to have the customer base support us. And we just hope that the same taco you enjoyed over 30 years ago, you can come in today and still enjoy it.”
Find it: Multiple locations
This article originally published at ‘Unapologetically Tex-Mex’ San Antonio staple still a force after 31 years.