Tip Top Cafe Celebrates 85 Years in 2023

Several weeks ago, I noticed that Tip Top Cafe had closed, with a very ambiguous reopening date noted on their sign. A number of old San Antonio restaurants, such as Karam’s, Mexican Manhattan, and Jacala,  have closed in recent years, and I was concerned that another favorite might soon join that list.

I first ate at Tip Top when I moved to Monticello Park in 2009.  I am a sucker for fantastic onion rings, and Tip Top certainly delivered.  In fact, I was so impressed, a couple of years later I took my steel casement contractors there for lunch to seal the deal on restoring my original windows.  They also fell in love with the onion rings.  Over the years, I found that Tip Top also made a great hamburger and chicken fried steak.  I learned to arrive hungry and usually did not eat for the remainder of the day!

This icon of San Antonio opened for business in 1938 as Tip Top Sandwich Shop at 1940 Fredericksburg Road, several blocks south of the current location.  Proprietors Winnie and J. A. “Pappy” DeWese advertised that they had a complete fountain service, and they were known for “The Superior Sandwich.”  Just a year later, they moved the business to its current location and kept the same name.  But bad luck would soon change this young shop’s fortunes.

In 1940, Tip Top caught fire, and since the location was then outside the city limits, San Antonio refused to send a fire truck.  Just six weeks later, the building had been enlarged and rebuilt, into approximately the structure we still see today.

The San Antonio Express ran an article about the reopening and stated that Tip Top “specializes in fried chicken prepared the modern way…and [also features] sandwiches, steaks, and drinks of all kinds.”

DeWese’s Tip Top prospered, and Pappy DeWese was soon elected as president of the San Antonio Restaurant Association.  By the 1950s, they had changed the name to Tip Top Café and were advertising “Tops in Everything. Steaks, Fried Chicken, and Mexican Foods.”  Eventually the business passed to son Ancel DeWese, and finally to Pappy’s granddaughter Linda in 1981.

During her tenure, Tip Top gained national recognition when it was featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.  And she made headlines again in 2014, when Tip Top started taking credit cards!  During these years, Tip Top amassed numerous “Best Onion Rings” and “Best Chicken-fried Steak” awards.

In 2016, Linda DeWese retired and sold the business to partners who have kept everything just the same.  Same food, same décor, same ambiance.  Of course, the COVID pandemic was hard on all restaurants, including Tip Top. They closed down for a while, but eventually reopened with curbside service and eventually with full inside service again.

Neighbors have relayed that “the ambiance and waitresses [are] what made it enjoyable.” “Been going there for over 30 years.  It is iconic.” “Everything from pie to fried chicken to the best chicken-fried steak in town.”  Clearly, the neighbors of Monticello Park love this comfort food gem.

So back to the original concern.  I was extremely happy to see that Tip Top reopened the last week of February with a number of areas spruced up, including some new bright highlights on the building facade.  But I’m equally happy that the inside has lost none of its charm.  This made me, and I am certain many of my neighbors, very happy.

The Office of Historic Preservation lists Tip Top as an official Legacy Business for the City of San Antonio, and 2023 will mark the 85th anniversary of this classic cafe. I know I speak for so many when I say we all look forward to seeing Tip Top continue to prosper.