Meadow Neighborhood Eatery + Bar
Seasonal Sensations from Chef PJ Edwards
By Janis Turk
Many restaurants claim to be a best-kept-secret place or a neighborhood spot “tucked away” from traffic and the noisy world outside, but Meadow Neighborhood Eatery & Bar really fits that bill. In fact, the place is so hidden from the hustle and bustle of nearby Bitters & 281 that the first two times I went there, I passed it and had to do a U-turn.
Set behind a little enclave of boutiques and small businesses called The Alley, in the space that formerly held chef Jason Dady’s Bin 555 and Tre Enoteca, Meadow offers a hideaway dining spot with an outdoor patio with shady Live Oaks, an outdoor stone fireplace, and three spacious indoor dining areas where neighbors and friends may gather for a casual and delightful meal. With a full bar, craft cocktails, and a substantial list of quality wine and spirits, Meadow is the kind of place that makes folks feel at home.
It all started with a simple concept: fresh, seasonal, Southern, Texas fare. Chef/owners Patrick “PJ” Edwards and wife Lindsey had long dreamed of a place of their own in San Antonio. Their story has come full circle, for they met here while working for chef Jason Dady when this space was Bin 555. In 2012 the couple moved to Charleston, where PJ cooked at celebrity chef Sean Brock’s famed McCrady’s restaurant. Eventually, the couple returned to Texas and later took over the former Bin 555 space. Opening in September 2018, Meadow now serves North Central neighbors with a fresh, seasonal menu using ingredients sourced from local farmers, ranchers, and gardeners.
“From the start, we’ve been intentional about leaning on PJ’s passions and philosophy, focusing on all that is seasonal and Southern,” says Lindsey.
“Our vegetables come from Grandma’s Garden in Beebe, Texas, and we get our beef from a Floresville ranch serving Dean and Peeler beef… Staying true to all that’s fresh and seasonal, we change our menu often. Of course, we always are sure to keep our customers’ favorites,” says PJ.
This month’s menu featured comfort foods like a fried half chicken, crispy creamed corn fritters with an andouille-based marmalade, wood-fired-oven made cornbread in a cast-iron skillet, spaghetti squash salad, and other warm winter dishes. Divine sides include the grilled broccoli tossed with crispy shallots, Texas pecans, and drizzled in a hearty helping of béarnaise sauce.
Divided into four sections, the menu offers Snacks & Sharables, Vegetables, Large Proteins, and Sweets. A hearty starter is the pork belly biscuit with arugula and red-pepper jelly. We shared a Texas Honeycrisp Apple and pear salad with arugula, blue cheese crumbles, and candied pecans, splashed with light honey vinaigrette. Then we enjoyed savory Southern shrimp and grits and the cabbage pancake.
The cabbage pancake is oh-my-gosh-good. Based on a popular Japanese street food called “Okonomiyaki, this gluten-free dish is made with fresh herbs and red cabbage. Okonomiyaki literally means “As You Like It”—and like it, I did. Topped with a fried egg and the addition of pork belly, this sharable dish made a robust dinner drizzled in sweet red cabbage syrup. I’ll order it again or maybe try the braised pork ravioli.
“Our wood-fired pizza oven makes the perfect pizza: this season, we use Grandma’s tomatoes, roasted peppers, goat cheese, mozzarella, patio-grown fresh oregano, and house-made tomato sauce,” says PJ.
“This winter, the Berkshire Pork Chop, and the monkfish are also popular. We also offer tasty vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options,” says Lindsey.
Leave room for dessert. Eat the “Candy Bar” with a fork because it’s made of a creamy peanut butter mousse, peanuts, and caramel covered in a dark chocolate ganache that comes from Casa Chocolate next door. For a winter treat, try the small North Texas Apple Terrine served with butterscotch ice cream and brown butter crumbs, or the Carolina Gold Rice Pudding with pears, toasted marshmallows, spiced pepitas and pecans, and a pumpkin tres leches sauce.
With more than 30 wine-by-the-glass selections and a curated cocktail menu, the bartender gets creative. Sip his 281+Bitters cocktail of Seersucker Gin, Aperol, Grapefruit, Bitters, and Tonic.
Good for lunch, family nights, and a casual date place, Meadow ticks all the boxes. With reclaimed barn wood walls, sliding barn doors, a mellow mix of country music and 70s soft rock on the playlist, and a pleasant patio, Meadow is a hidden gem worth finding.
Meadow Neighborhood Eatery + Bar
555 W Bitters Rd #110, San Antonio, TX 78216
