The Hayden, located at 4025 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209, opened in October of 2020. Their goal is to be the cool, casual neighborhood diner, and they describe themselves as Jew-ish. We have only been twice, once in March of 2021 and again on July 16th, but they have already succeeded in my opinion. The Hayden has got character with a beautiful mural on one of the walls, swanky booths with complimentary lights draped over the wooden structures, and homey plants strategically placed throughout the restaurant. We sat on the back patio the first time we visited and watched the sunset, which painted their neighboring coffee house, PRESS Coffee, in a beautiful light. The wait staff is friendly, accommodating, efficient, and knowledgeable about the menu. Their food is packed with flavor, is priced fairly, and isn't overly filling. I remember saying I felt like I got my comfort food fix without leaving the restaurant miserably full. Finally, their cocktails are unique, refreshing, and tasty. Alex & I spent an ample amount of time last night going back and forth about what we were going to order because everything sounded so delicious. We knew whatever we landed on would be good, and we left impressed once again. We agreed not to wait nearly 4 months before we go back again.
Update (9/23/21): Alex & I go to The Hayden at least twice a month now, and I got to meet the owner recently. Talk about a friendly, down-to-earth guy who really loves what he does! I left with the cutest t-shirt.
Another thing we love about this place is that we can decide to go there on a whim on a Friday evening, and we won't have to wait long to be seated. This is a rarity in San Antonio, but that's not to say they aren't busy! They don't require reservations for groups of 4 or less, but you can make one up to 24 hours in advance if you'd like; they also have a join wait-list option on their website that you can check out for a same-day visit.
I tagged The Hayden in my Instagram story last night, and they reached out thanking me for my positive feedback and saying they hoped to see us again soon. I tag quite a few establishments in my Instagram stories, and the businesses that respond to me with personal messages or re-post my stories to their own always seem to be the businesses I end up at again and again. You can just tell how proud they are of the business they are running and how much care goes into each detail of their establishment.
Beginning on July 21st, they will begin breakfast service Tuesdays-Fridays from 8 am to 11 am, and we fully intend to check this out! *We have gone for brunch on a weekend now, and oh my goodness. . .I don't like Bloody Mary's, but Alex loves them and has deemed the Pastrami Bloody Mary his favorite in San Antonio! We split the Meatloaf Hash, which was frankly delicious.
They also now serve breakfast for dinner on Wednesday nights - genius.
View of PRESS Coffee from The Hayden's Patio
Upside Down 75
Stalk & Loaded
Lupe's Heart
I don't remember exactly what these fries were called because they occasionally change their menu, but these were the BEST loaded fries I've ever had. I still dream about them periodically. Luckily, they do have Barbacoa Fries or Pastrami Poutine Fries on their menu right now that I bet are just as yummy. *We have since tried the Pastrami Poutine Fries, and they are just as incredible as we thought they would be.
Meatloaf
Soul Shaker
This drink is made with tequila, cold brew coffee, vanilla, Montenegro, and Velvet Falernum. After the first sip, I thought it maybe had too much tequila as it was a little stronger than I normally like, but by my second sip, I was hooked. It was light, refreshing, unique, and wasn't overpowering. The flavor combinations worked together in perfect harmony.
Stalk & Loaded
This drink is made with gin, Aquavit, Lime, Celery Soda, and beet and dill salt. This is one of Alex's favorite cocktails in San Antonio. He hasn't tried too many of The Hayden's other drinks because he loves this one so much. I got one the first time we were there, and I can definitely see why he's so hooked.
Hot Honey Mustard Salmon
To say that I love salmon is an understatement. I generally fix meals with it at least once a week, for example. This salmon dish was one of my favorites that I've ordered out at a restaurant, probably ever. I actually finished the whole dish. Highly recommend if you're a salmon lover like myself.
Pastrami & Swiss Sandwich
I only took one bite of this sandwich, and it was incredible. The cut of the meat was essentially perfect. Let's just say Alex had it in front of him for about 5 minutes before he'd already devoured half of it; it was THAT good! The potato salad was clearly made with fresh ingredients, and our waitress warned us it might be a little spicy before Alex ordered it. They put a dash of Peperoncino juice in it, which adds the perfect little kick in our opinion. I stole several bites of that!
Key Lime Pie
Now, Alex isn't big on sweets, but I have a massive sweet tooth, and my love for Key Lime Pie runs deep. This Key Lime Pie was tangy, flavorful, light, and fluffy. Alex normally skips dessert because he prefers sour candies, but they brought us an extra spoon, so he tried it. He said it was one of the better key lime pies he's ever tried, and he took several bites. We couldn't finish it because we were full by this point, but it was so dang good. This is one of those items that's worth the extra calorie splurge.
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