{"id":179520,"date":"2026-02-25T11:23:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T11:23:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/179520\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T11:23:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T11:23:14","slug":"inside-the-members-only-spurs-club-at-the-rock-at-la-cantera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/179520\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the members-only Spurs Club at The Rock at La Cantera"},"content":{"rendered":"

On a third-floor lobby of the Victory Performance Capital Center<\/a>, a host greets Robby Brown<\/a> by name. When the doors swing open to the Spurs Club, another host welcomes Brown and asks about his family.<\/p>\n

A bartender brings him his favorite drink. A waiter offers a plate of appetizers. Brown turns to a floor to ceiling window next to the bar and watches Victor Wembanyama and his teammates practice on the basketball courts below.<\/p>\n

As a member of the exclusive Spurs Club<\/a>, Brown receives VIP benefits before he takes a seat in the upscale dining room.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel it\u2019s similar to walking into J-Prime<\/a> or Bl\u00fc Prime Steakhouse<\/a> but it\u2019s in another class because it is so elevated,\u201d said Brown, president of South Texas DOCUmation<\/a>. \u201cThis is something I don\u2019t feel San Antonio has ever had or seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Spurs Club is a chef-driven, private social club at The Rock at La Cantera. It is a culinary jewel occupying 10,873 square feet with multiple bars, televisions, lounge, workspace and a room for private parties known as \u201cThe Fortress.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"The inside of the entrance of the Spurs Club which overlooks the Spurs\u2019 practice basketball court at The Rock at La Cantera. Credit: Amber Esparza \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Spurs Club was the first of its kind in the NBA when it opened in March 2022,\u201d said Lucy Kaneb, Spurs\u2019 associate manager for corporate communications. \u201cTo date, there are no other comparable clubs in the NBA.\u201d<\/p>\n

Natural light from window walls illuminates a modern space inspired by the practice facility.\u00a0The club and the courts emerged from an old quarry that reflects the team\u2019s philosophy: pounding the rock.<\/p>\n

Large, 3D-printed acrylic resin globe fixtures deliver soft ambient light for members moving through the venue to the The Fortress in the back.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It was here that chef de cuisine Robert De La Mora provided a sampling of dishes for the San Antonio Report. His menu, a modern take of American fare, includes nods to his Mexican roots: an empanada with picadillo and poblano pepper and guacamole with chicharron.<\/p>\n

On this day, De La Mora presented three dishes. He began with lacinato kale, a mix of greens, grapes, croutons and avocado with green goddess dressing. Next came a slice of porchetta, or pork belly, topped with red mole, poached quince and shishito pepper salsa. For the final offering, De La Mora served a filet of branzino with green curry, brussel sprouts, chili-lime vinaigrette and roasted peanuts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"The Spurs Club\u2019s Bronzino dish features green curry, brussel sprouts and a chili-lime vinaigrette. Credit: Amber Esparza \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n

The servings revealed the hand of an exceptional culinarian, one who learned not from a big name school but from time spent with renowned chefs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

De La Mora spent two years as a line cook under Mexican chef Enrico Olvera<\/a> at Cosme<\/a> in New York City. The experience marked him. His mentor, Olvera, founded Michelin two-star Pujol<\/a> in Mexico City.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Later, De La Hora honed his craft in San Francisco Bay area kitchens. He learned from Peter Armellino at the Michelin-starred Plumed Horse<\/a> in Saratoga. De La Mora also spent nine years at Shepherd & Sims,<\/a> a fine-dining spot in Los Gatos, California, near his native San Jose.<\/p>\n

So what brought him to San Antonio?<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, it was affordability,\u201d he said. \u201cTrying to own a house in California is pretty much impossible. I\u2019m married and I\u2019m trying to start my own family soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

De La Mora responded to an online ad from the Spurs. He started in August.<\/p>\n

\u201cComing here felt like the right fit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Brown would agree. He says De La Mora\u2019s menu compares favorably with the best he\u2019s sampled in San Antonio.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Spurs Club Chef de Cuisine Roberto De La Mora inside the Fortress dining room at The Rock at La Cantera. Credit: Amber Esparza \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir food is incredible,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThey have some amazing empanadas, which is sort of a nod to the San Antonio community. You can get anything from a Spurs Club burger to a half chicken and fish items. I love their salmon and branzino. I\u2019ve had their ribeyes and sirloins. There\u2019s not a bad item on the menu.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown and DOCUmation, a tech company, have belonged to the Spurs Club since it opened nearly four years ago. Brown often brings guests to dine, relax and talk business.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re partners with the Spurs,\u201d Brown said. \u201cAnd we do business locally. So having a club and an elevated space to be able to have private meetings and lunches to engage with people was appealing to us. I was there today hosting a party. I was running through the menu with some people who said, \u2018You must eat here a lot.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

De La Mora\u2019s most regular customers are the players. Many show up for lunch. Most come after games for late-night dinner. Players share the same space as members, who travel from the club to the Frost Bank Center and back through club-provided transportation. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur players are our closest clients,\u201d De La Mora said. \u201cIt\u2019s a great spot for them to be able to wind down after games and enjoy an exclusive space that is kind of like a sanctuary. It\u2019s a post-game spot for a lot of them and their families.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Assistant General Manager Ian Cooke tends bar and mixes the most popular drink, The Suavecito, a blanco tequila with jalape\u00f1o, pineapple and agave. Cooke, De La Mora and Membership Manager Hannah Lucas check on players and guests until closing, which sometimes stretches to 1:30 a.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Spurs Club Assistant General Manager Ian Cooke at the Fortress Bar inside the Spurs Club at The Rock at La Cantera. Credit: Amber Esparza \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n

\u201cThe three of us are always mingling and mixing with our members,\u201d Lucas said. \u201cRob is table-touching, making sure our members and guests and players feel like they are truly a part of the family. That\u2019s an experience you don\u2019t get at a lot of restaurants.\u201d<\/p>\n

How much does it cost to join? To find out, you\u2019ll have to apply<\/a> for an individual or corporate membership. \u201cI\u2019ll keep pricing close to the chest,\u201d Lucas said.<\/p>\n

The Spurs Club counts nearly 700 individuals and businesses as members. Only 40 percent of them are season-ticket holders. Brown comes for the entire package of benefits.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat makes the club stand out is the food and the service,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThey train their team to know the names and faces of everyone so when they walk into the club, they feel the welcoming atmosphere. The best part, though, is you have a birds-eye view of the practice facility. It\u2019s just outstanding.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On a third-floor lobby of the Victory Performance Capital Center, a host greets Robby Brown by name. When…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":179521,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[72096,72097,72098,37131,72099,82,84,83,1594,72100,72101,72102,10619,72103,92,93,509,72104,3440],"class_list":["post-179520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-antonio","tag-documation","tag-enrico-olvera","tag-exclusive-social-club","tag-members-only-club","tag-pujol","tag-san-antonio","tag-san-antonio-headlines","tag-san-antonio-news","tag-spurs","tag-spurs-club","tag-spurs-fans","tag-spurs-practice-facility","tag-the-rock-at-la-cantera","tag-the-spurs-club","tag-top-story","tag-typefeature","tag-victor-wembanyama","tag-victory-performance-capital-center","tag-wc-1000-1500"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179520","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179520"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179520\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/179521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}