Take-out Review: Buon Giorno Cafe in San Antonio, Texas

15033 Nacogdoches Road
San Antonio, TX 78247-1222
(210) 967-9830

A quiet Saturday 'round mid-afternoon found me hungry and craving something of the non-fast food cuisine. I knew I did not want to spend an hour among the lunch crowd, so my only option was take-out and it was a happy option. My culinary light bulb was bright with the suggestion of Buon Giorno Café, conveniently located less than sixty seconds from my neighborhood. I have passed the establishment everyday for the last two years and had never bothered to stop by. I was cleverly storing it away for a day such as this.

This café is warm and welcoming with its walls adorned with books, postcards, pictures and newspaper clippings. It's a museum of sorts and is as distracting as it is intriguing. The two Italian women who obviously own and run the café probably could write a book of their experiences and talents and will sail into a story or two if you give the impression that you have the time to hear one. For the time of day, the café was very busy.

Nevertheless, I ordered a classic Rueben, which included chips and a pickle spear. Of course pre-packaged chips cannot be ruined, but the Rueben sandwich is a simple complexity that can indeed be ruined if not careful. In this instance, the sauerkraut had a nice balance of tang and bitterness and was not too soggy, nor too crunchy. The Rye bread was nicely toasted with a hint of butter flavor. Altogether it was hands down the best Rueben I have ever tasted. My only complaint is that the sandwich was rather small.

I indulged in a Strawberry Italian Soda that was decadent and complimentary to the saltiness of the sandwich. To round off the meal, I choose a classic Italian dessert called Cannoli. It was probably as good as you can find in San Antonio, with its rich chocolate chip filling, dusted with the right amount of powdered sugar.

I paid less than ten dollars for the whole meal, so it was quite affordable and well worth the five-minute wait in line. Additionally the menu offers fresh fruit salads, Italian Subs, Seafood salads, soups and an array of fresh pastries and breads. I can't wait to stop by on my way to work for a Caffe Mocha and a slice of Tiramisu cake. Buon Appetite!