While this separates 188 South’s fare from most chain restaurants and some of its locally owned peers, the feather in the proverbial cap is the accessibility of the menu.
Many of the dishes produced by Obando Sancho and his kitchen can be made gluten free or tailored to other sensitive diets, said General Manager Chadd Borden.
Italian food, renowned for its liberal use of pasta and cheese, is typically unavailable to people with certain food allergies, or they have a very limited selection. 188 South took a different approach.
“It’s not just going somewhere where you can have gluten-free options, but an amount [of options] where you can actually make a decision and then an environment where you actually trust it,” Borden said.
Borden has been gluten free for five years and collaborates with Obando Sancho on dishes that can be modified for sensitive diets. The chef had initially been hesitant to the idea but has fully embraced the need for such a menu.
Fried gluten-free menu items are cooked in their own fryer, and gluten-free pasta can be carefully prepared with clean kitchen utensils and pasta water by request to prevent allergen cross-contamination. Gluten-free pizza receives similar attention.
Even the focaccia bread served with meals can be substituted with a gluten-free recipe if desired.
“People sometimes don’t even believe that,” Obando Sancho said, noting the parity of flavor between options, but also the lack of similar offerings from other restaurants.
Much of the kitchen’s prep work is done painstakingly, with pasta, bread and all manner of dish components made in house. Tonic for drinks is also homemade and is used in some of the bar’s signature drinks.
“It’s a labor of love,” Borden said. “We’re not going to cut the corners and ... we’re not going to do things that are going to jeopardize the quality that we expect out of ourselves.”
188 South
188 S. Castell Ave., New Braunfels, 830-609-9194. www.188southnbtx.com
Hours: Tue.-Sat. 3-9 p.m., closed Sun.-Mon.
