Presented by James Beard-recognized husband-and-wife restaurateurs Lizzeth Martínez and Francisco Estrada
SAN ANTONIO (Nov. 11, 2026) — Santonia Cantina, the deeply personal concept from Lizzeth Martínez and Francisco Estrada, the husband-and-wife team behind Naco Mexican, is excited to announce its opening date of November 19, 2026, at Pearl in San Antonio (200 E Grayson St., Suite 120). Santonia Cantina is the couple’s take on a borderland cantina, built around the food, drinks, culture, and hospitality. Using northern Mexican cooking techniques with South Texas flavors to bring family recipes to guests, the menu is bold, approachable, and meant to be shared. The vibrant space also boasts a bar serving original cocktails featuring flavors and spirits like sotol, mezcal, tequila, tuna roja, mezquite, pecan, damiana, avocado leaf, grapefruit, piloncillo, roasted corn, chile, and more.
“We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to be part of Pearl,” shared Estrada and Martínez. “At Santonia Cantina, we look forward to welcoming our San Antonio community and everyone visiting our city, sharing the warmth and hospitality of our table.”
Rooted in Estrada and Martinez’s culture and experiences throughout Mexico City, Nuevo Laredo, and San Antonio, Santonia Cantina doesn’t ask guests to choose between Texas and Mexico but rather celebrates what brings them together. Since opening Naco Mexican in 2017, the couple has been recognized by UNESCO City of Gastronomy, Netflix's Taco Chronicles, Food Network, Texas Monthly, Forbes, and named James Beard Award semifinalists for Best Chef: Texas.
“We are very excited to welcome Lizzeth and Francisco to Pearl,” shares Michael Joergensen, Pearl’s Chief Marketing Officer. “They are such authentic people, and it translates into the flavor of their food and the feel of Santonia Cantina. San Antonians have loved Naco Mexican, and we can’t wait for them to experience this new concept from Liz and Francisco.”
Santonia Cantina is located at 200 E Grayson St., Suite 120, San Antonio, TX 78215, and is now accepting reservations. For more information, please visit www.santoniacantina.com or follow @santoniacantina.
About Santonia Cantina
Santonia Cantina is a San Antonio restaurant and bar concept from chefs Lizzeth Martinez and Francisco Estrada, the team behind Naco Mexican. Rooted in the cultural exchange between Northern Mexico and South Texas, Santonia approaches the border not simply as a physical dividing line, but as a broad cultural region. For Martinez and Estrada, that exchange begins kilometers before reaching the international bridge and continues miles after crossing it—through food, language, music, ingredients, traditions, and everyday life. The menu brings together cantina-inspired dishes, shareable plates, tacos, comforting classics, bold flavors, and cocktails influenced by ingredients and traditions from both sides of the border. Familiar references are interpreted through the chefs’ personal perspective, creating food that feels nostalgic without being confined by tradition. Santonia Cantina builds on the culinary foundation Martinez and Estrada established through Naco Mexican, whose work has garnered national and international recognition, including appearances on Netflix’s Taco Chronicles and Food Network/Cooking Channel programming, as well as James Beard Awards recognition. Martinez has also represented San Antonio as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy Chef Ambassador. While connected to the story behind Naco Mexican, Santonia has a personality entirely its own: spirited, welcoming, playful, and centered around the social energy of a neighborhood cantina. Santonia Cantina is located at Pearl in San Antonio, Texas
About Potluck
Potluck is a San Antonio-based hospitality company and private equity fund with a focused investment thesis around experiential businesses, primarily in the hospitality sector. Potluck’s portfolio features acclaimed concepts at Pearl in San Antonio including Best Quality Daughter, Brasserie Mon Chou Chou, The Boiler House, Ladino, Full Goods Diner, WonderSlice Pizza, Food Hall at Bottling Department, and Stable Hall. Guided by a vision to be a cultivator of extraordinary experiential concepts in hospitality where all participants can flourish, Potluck is dedicated to fostering innovative dining, vibrant community spaces, and a positive workplace culture that celebrates the rich history and diversity of San Antonio and South Texas. Learn more at potlucktx.com.
About Pearl
Pearl is a dynamic destination in San Antonio, built on the site of the former historic Pearl Brewery along the banks of the Museum Reach of the San Antonio River Walk. The neighborhood’s architectural gems—like the original 1894 brewhouse and stable—are home to the MICHELIN Two-Key and Five Diamond-rated Hotel Emma and Stable Hall, a standout live music venue. At the heart of Pearl, Pullman Market features acclaimed culinary concepts including two MICHELIN-starred restaurants. As a driving force for San Antonio’s hospitality, culinary, and cultural scene, Pearl welcomes more than 5 million visitors a year to experience unique culinary concepts, distinct retail, nationally recognizedweekend markets, vibrant residential communities, innovative office tenants, and the San Antonio campus of the Culinary Institute of America. Learn more at atpearl.com.