San Antonio: Menger Bar (July 2013)

William and Mary Menger opened the Menger hotel in 1859 in San Antonio’s Alamo Plaza. The plans for the hotel arose through the popularity of William Menger’s brewery. William Menger had emigrated from Germany to America in 1847. Menger settled in San Antonio and resumed his previous trade as a cooper and brewer. With his German roots, Menger brought beer to San Antonio. He opened the Menger Brewery in 1855 on the battle-grounds of the Alamo. In 1858, the Mengers hired an architect who would complete the two-story fifty-room hotel. Up until this point, most businesses in San Antonio were boarding houses and there were few breweries. The Menger hotel opened in February 1859 and became an overnight success. With more than 150 years, the Menger has evolved into the rambling structure of today. Four of San Antonio's most important architects of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are associated with the design of the Menger as you see it today. Originally only a 50-room hotel, the Menger now boasts 316 guest rooms. While much of the rchitecture, history, appointments and artifacts found at the Menger Hotel certainly qualify as museum-quality, it remains true to its origin and continues to be the oldest continuously run hotel West of the Mississippi. Although much has changed at the Menger, much remains the same - most especially the attentive service performed by dedicated employees.