La Tuna

I had the pleasure of sitting and talking with this stunningly bright, beautiful young woman at my favorite Icehouse. La Tuna! I was so lucky to hear her loving family story because I learned about their passion, vision, commitment, hard work, teamwork, and blessings. I hope you enjoy Ruby's story!

We’re a family business through and through. Back in 1992, my father, Michael Berrier, and my mother, Suzanne Martinez, and their business partners Mike Looney and Marlys Dietrick bought this property on Probandt and opened La Tuna. Now, the Martinez-Berrier family is happy to continue serving the community cold beer and providing a chill space for great conversations!

We have seen so many places in the neighborhood come and go over the years, so imagine the happiness of being one of the places that grew and changed, having a frontrow seat to watch it prosper, and seeing so many different types of people come through and continue to come back. One of my favorite stories about this bar is truly genuine: My dad Mike Berrier and his partner/friend Mike LooneyMike y Mike - would come up here with a bunch of beers and ask their friends to come over and help them build this little shack that became the great La Tuna Ice House. It was not like they hired a bunch of work - ers. They did this on their own on Saturdays and Sundays; whenever they had free time they would build this tiny shack. My dad designed it. It was so small and non-pretentious.

My mom's idea was to name the ice house La Tuna after the Cow's Tongue Prickly Pear Cactus she brought from her grandmother's place - the same one that now surrounds the front patio. La Tuna means the purple fruit of the cactus. It was great when it started because my mom, dad and Marlys and Mike would take turns working every shift. My sister Philippa was born just before they opened. My sister is now 31, and the bar is 31, so they were babies together! Some of our first customers were all the Pioneer Flour Mill guys. Their business back in the day is literally what kept us going. There was practically nothing here in the area except for us. Beer on ice! As simple as that!

My dad was born and raised in Dallas and was new to San Antonio. My mom and dad met in Austin, Texas. My dad worked for the Texas governor then, and my mom worked for the first-ever Whole Foods Market. He would check out at her line all the time. One day she made a funny comment about his legs and the next thing you know they are getting married! They have been together for 36 years, which is wild. She came back here to finish school at UTSA. He fol - lowed her and fell in love with the area and the town.

My dad earned a Ph.D. from Berkley in Public Affairs, and my mom has a Master's in Politics and Government, and they both taught at SAC for years. My dad only recently stopped teaching. He has always had multiple things in the hopper. They have always enjoyed living a bit differently and creating their own lifestyle, and you see that reflected in the bar because they truly attract all kinds of people.

My mom has been a home and hearth to my dad and a constant supporter of stability. My dad is an absolute workhorse; he is 73, still gets up every morning, goes down to Tuna, checks everything, and ensures everything is okay. It is a labor of love, and it takes serious dedication to be here every day. Seeing his leadership taught me a lot about being a good person. He works so hardhe won't retire. Ultimately it always comes back to the fact that he loves to be at the bar, watching things.

We have seen a massive influx of people moving to the neighborhood. More wealthy homeowners and younger people. It has changed the landscape, but we have tried to maintain a space where our OG's (our original customers from the start) feel really comfortable. Like Bugger! I have never not known Bugger. My sister and I grew up here. On more than one occasion, I would fall asleep on the beer boxes. You can see the history of this place in our favorite pictures on the walls in our recent new room addition. These pictures are beautiful memories.

Our newest addition is the BBQ Pit. We now have BBQ

Sundays for the first time! From noon until five or Sell Out! Our Head Chef, Mark, and the “front of the house”… his wife, Anna have been operating La Tuna Grill for over 15 years. Chef Mark's talent is undeniable, and his food is excellent. He cooks up delicious Tex-Mex, Seafood, Cajun, and American Classics. Chef Mark is really creative and has run with some fun, unique recipes.

La Tuna has been used for a lot of different things for a lot of different people. I meet people all the time that met, fell in love, and had their wedding here. We have had multiple weddings, live music gatherings, Fiesta events, mini-festivals, fundraisers, and gatherings of women to talk and organize. My sister and I have also helped out through the years. We’ve combined our ideas and talents and helped promote the place and get the word out. We’re really excited to continue to serve cold beer, host new events and foster a community in the neighborhood!

ICEHOUSE HOURS:

Monday-Wednesday

4 PM-12 AM

Thursday-Sunday

NOON_12AM Bar# 210-224-8862

GRILL HOURS:

Monday-Thursday

11 AM-2 PM & 5 PM-9 PM

Friday

11 AM-2 PM & 5 PM-10 PM

Saturday

12 PM-10 PM

BBQ Sundays!

12 PM-5 PM or SELL OUT!

LA TUNA

100 Probandt, San Antonio, TX 210-212-5727

Cold beer. Good people. Pecan trees. Picnic tables. Come one, Come All!!!