The Alley On Bitters

Like Tabitha said, this place reminds me of a tree house! The rustic wood deck-​style walkways and built-​in picnic bench seating are welcoming with a touch of country. The area has a trendy-​beatnik vibe with businesses including a wine-​and-​paint spot, a great café, and several little shops with vintage, antique, and trendy items. Many of the smaller boutiques stock clothes, knick-​knacks, décor, furniture, and gift items that are similar to the country-​chic stuff you’ll find trending on Pinterest or Etsy. Little to nothing for male shoppers, everything is brightly-​colored, blinged out, and/​or covered in a cutesy phrase– not my personal style, but I know a lot of people who don’t mind shelling out for what is sold here.
Unfortunately, there are about as many empty storefronts here as full ones, and the area experiences little weekday traffic, so some stores are only open on weekends or have odd hours. Though it’s out of their control, this spot would be helped by a turn lane out front for south-​bound traffic– without one, it can be difficult to turn into the area.

I just moved to San Antonio and I was looking for «chalk paint» for some home projects. Chalk paint by Annie Sloan, is not what you’d think of as ‘blackboard’ paint. It is paint that is clay-​based; your piece requires no sanding, stripping, or prepping. It’s SO easy to use. The Shoppe at the Alley was a Annie Sloan Stockist! And they do classes! The lady there was so very helpful. Anyone can use that paint! It is SO easy!
The Shoppe also had gift-​shop like items; jewelry, clothes, décor etc. Their prices were a tad high, but I get it– small and local business. Lots of inspiration there for chalk paint as well– everything was painted!
The Alley shops are beautifully landscaped and adorable. It’s like walking around a tree house. Most shops are closed on Mondays, and the place was very deserted, which is a real bummer. We learned that they do not do much advertising or marketing, and business is very slow. There’s also Painting with a Twist (wine + canvas), a coffee shop, yoga studio, bead shop, antique shop and more.
I will definitely return for more Annie Sloan paint or just to check out the rest of the shops!

Very cute place to walk around and relax. It’s like a big tree house. There is something new to look at around every corner. Landscaped beautifully… Kind of like a secret garden. The stores set their own prices and they are kind of pricey, in my opinion, but it’s fun to walk around and look at everything. There’s a great variety. Lots of antique stores so if you have «handsy» children it’s probably not the best place for you. Lots of parking. Huge handicapped ramp so good for strollers too. Just an all around peaceful place to enjoy some fresh air.

Very cute, but very very slanted towards the female shopper. Pity. Just one small store geared towards men and they could capture more market share. But I must give props to the Antique Alley. Damn good selection of quality pieces.

The Alley is really one of the most adorable places in San Antonio. It’s basically a giant tree house. The furniture shopping is great and everyone is very friendly. They also have a new salon there, Hot Box which is beautiful! They gave my brother the best haircut he’s ever had. A lot of people don’t know how to cut men’s hair, Hot Box does. I’m giving Hot Box 5 stars!

This is a great little place to simply enjoy being alone discovering the hidden treasures in this place. If you come with a small group, it quickly becomes an adventure.
The shops are varied and each is unique. The two restaurants (Bin 555 and Bahia Azul) are both great places. although I prefer Bahia Azul due to its always amazingly flavorful seafood and neat desserts. Moreover, the atmoshpere is great for a nice and intimate date.

The Shops at the Alley are a wonderful place to disappear and wander for a few hours. You are sure to find something that catches your eye and you may just have to take it home. Around the holidays, you can count on tasty treats, warm drinks and live music. Nowadays, Saturday mornings feature a Farmer’s Market with fresh veggies, ‘local’ olive oil, flowers and crafts.
There are a few options here to grab a bite to eat, I love to stop at Bin 555 for a long weekend lunch.
The entire area is pretty rustic and multi leveled but there are ramps so it is also stroller friendly.
Enjoy this unique attraction hidden away on Bitters. Visit to pick up a gift, a treat for yourself or just to spend some time away from it all!

Artisans Alley is a great boutique shopping center hidden in the middle of San Antonio. You would never know about it because they don’t advertise much, which is a shame because there has been so many great boutiques that have gone out of business or moved including Apple Annies (new location off of W Military), Tuscany, Gardening Galore, Shayne Sauce, and The Pomagranet, some others. This place has HUGE potential if only they had better marketing. The stores still there like Rebecca Kathleen (which will be closing in feb), Yasmins, Bada Bling, Originals, and Chic Deeva are so worth it going. Support your local business, please!

The Alley on Bitters has a whole new look with a new name/​brand and it’s conveniently located between 1604 and 281, near the airport. The Alley has unique boutique shops, a photo studio, art gallery, coffee bar, restaurant/​wine bar, antique shop and more.
They also have a new Farmers Market open every Saturday from 9 a.m. — 1 p.m. They have live music and the best fresh produce grown locally.
If you like to shop in an environment that has personality, you should check this place out.

This collection of small stores and restaurants is a hidden gem that not a lot of people seem to know about. It has several unique, local stores with an interesting and diverse collection of items. My favorite store has to be Originals — they have a great collection of beads, jewelry, gemstones and minerals that are fun for a would-​be rockhound or jewelry maker. But all of the stores are worth popping into, if only to patronize more local businesses instead of big chains.

I have been in San Antonio all of my life. I visited Artisans Alley many years ago and ate at a little restaurant that has since moved to another location. It seemed like the place wasn’t being taken care of back then. I wanted to visit Bin 555 so I decided to go back to what is now known as The Shops at Artisans Alley. Going back after all of these years was really cool. The grounds are clean & well cared for. The shops are unique and they have 2 restaurants. I got a tour of the Pomegranite restaurant and found it to be very nice with lots of windows and a beautiful little private «party» room that will comfortably seat 10. The menu has some great sandwiches, soups, & beautiful looking desserts. I’m looking forward to going back & trying The Pomegranite.
I had lunch at Bin 555 (tune in to their business for my review). I went through the Garden Store. It was really cute and, if I were into gardening, I could see myself spending a lot of money there. I was ver excited to see that Shayne Sauce Foods has finally opened a store front and it is right across from the Pomegranite. Having spent a lot of time in Fredricksburg because I love the shops and quaintness of the area, I would recommend The Shops at Artisans Alley to get a «quaintness» fix without the 1 ¼ hour drive. Stroll the boardwalk and enjoy shops that include antiques, jewelry store with workshops, clothing, unique gifts from Mexico, garden store, and many, many more.

Small, quaint for San Antonio. Also quiet and not as touristy. Has a place called shayne sauce, with tons of delicious salsa, jam, etc. All homemade. and my favorite– free samples! I did the buy 6 of anything for 30 $ deal. The other stores were mostly boutiques. The selection was limited, but it was definitely fun and relaxing to try and it was great to do something a little different.

I love this rustic little shopping center. It’s so artsy, Texan and local. If you’re into crafts there are a few great little shops to help you in your habit. The antiques here are both beautiful and affordable. There is a great little baby boutique. And having a wine bar on the premises gets any shopping excursion off to a good start in my opinion!
There was a fire here not too long ago and I’m happy to see the renovations going well and business getting back to usual. All of the shops are up and running and many of them are offering great art classes, which I love to do!
The shops at Artisan’s Alley are my go-​to place for unique gift ideas. So many great little stores to wander through I know I’m going to find what I need!

Artisan Alley consists of about 15 cute little stores and two restaurants that used to be located on a dairy farm. The end result is a shopping center that is rustic and charming, albeit a little pricey. The coolest features (in my humble opinion) are all the stores that actually teach you a hobby or craft. Whether you want to learn how to make glass jewelry, paint a wine bottle, or sculpt a vase, you can learn at Artisan Alley.
My favorite shop is Sunrise Pottery, where you can walk in at any time for a 90-​minute pottery lesson for only $ 25. I think this is the best deal at Artisan Alley and would make for a totally fun girls’ night out or date night. That even includes the supplies and you get to keep the end result.
There are two restaurants at Artisan Alley, the homey Apple Annie’s and the modern Bin 555. They are about as different from one another as possible, so it works that they are so close to one another. Apple Annie’s supposedly has great pie, but I just tried a lemon bar, which was pretty tasty.
Overall, this place is the perfect area to spend a lazy afternoon. You can browse all sorts of shops, from antique to garden and candles to cards. I love these shops and, while I usually don’t spend a lot, I enjoy just browsing.

Artisan’s Alley is a really neat area to shop and dine in. There’s Apple Annie’s restaurant which serves traditional American fare such as sandwiches, soups, and the like. It tends to get pretty busy as well (hey Kimmie — they serve your PB&J sammiches here too btw! Lol). From boutiques, to pottery, you’ll find a lot of different varieties of shops at the alley. And of course, there’s nothing wrong with just coming here to browse.
Sometimes they have events where a few of the businesses get together for an evening and give discounts on some of their stuff. I even saw advertisements for things like sewing classes and what have you.
FYI — I know that sometime within the past few months, the alley experienced a fire but I don’t know how far everything went ALTHOUGH from what I understand, the businesses that were affected are pretty much up and running again.