Streaks of pale blue sky glimpse through massive dark clouds of smoke. You feel the earth beneath your feet tremble. Chunks of rock spray around as you try to maintain your stance and your rifle in position. The blasts are coming from the 12-pound cannon balls bursting through the once powerful walls. Gun shots are sounding through the air whilst our Mission San Antonio de Valero starts to crumble. What are we fighting for? Death is inevitable. Two days before the historic invasion at The Alamo, William B. Travis had unsheathed his sword, drawn a line in the sand and declared, “We must die. Our business is not to make a fruitless effort to save our lives but to choose the manner of our deaths.” All soldiers present crossed over that line to join Travis save one. French-born Moses Louis Rose decides he doesn’t want to die; so he waits until night falls March 5, 1836 to plan his escape. Most historians brand him the coward of the Alamo, others call him a hero who simply saw his odds and chose to fight another day. So where did our friend run off too? Where did he hide until the battle was over? {This isn’t a history lesson so you’ll have to Google the ending.}
Get ready to experience Moses Rose’s Hideout. In the midst of downtown’s trendy, tourist taverns such as Pat Obrien’s, Mad Dogs & Coyote Ugly it’s nice to know one venue can live up to that good old San Antonio flair which pays tribute to our history. All the while, you can check out live rockin bands 7 days a week and satisfy those munchies with an order of a huge chicharon with some Tabasco sauce. (Pork rinds for those of you non-Texmexicans). Just skip a two-step away and you’ll find yourself at the entrance to Moses Rose’s Hideout located at 518 E Houston St.
Now before you ask about the dress code I might as well lay it out. There's no need to dust off those old Justin Ropers or bust out that ridiculous ten-gallon hat your fiancé forced you to wear at the Rodeo. The dress code is casual here so don’t sweat it. Any normal afternoon you can step in, order an ice cold Lone Star and drown your tears while listening to Garth Brooks sing “If Tomorrow Never Comes” on the jukebox. Now wait a few hours till the sun goes down and the place is filled with both locals and visitors of all ages. Owner Vince Cantu likes to keep his place friendly to people from all walks of life. Every Thursday night there’s a Blues Jam with Billy Kiesel and Cantu likes to keep the hard Rock for the weekends. “We usually have a cover band once or twice a month and we have strictly dedicated Fridays to feature original music.” Cantu continues, “Our open mic nights have been pretty exciting we’ve had a lot of different people that have wandered in to play and those can been kind of fun. We had a couple of shows break down from the Majestic. We had some musicians wander in that played with Enrique Iglesias. Others were musicians that played with come big name acts then show up and jam out with some of our local musicians.” Having a backline and full sound provided makes it easier for Monday & Tuesday night jam sessions.
“This venue is so much different than the other venues I’ve previously owned. And being able to have live music here 7 nights a week has been giving me the chance to get acquainted with the local music scene here.” Cantu’s eyes brighten. “It’s been a nice experience getting to know the bands, the musicians as well as the fans that follow them.” Given the location Cantu expresses his ideas behind the motif at Moses Rose. “I thought it would be real cool to tie in the whole idea of Moses Rose escaping the Alamo and coming to a hideout.”
“I would definitely like Moses Rose to be known as a reputable place of course, with great food, great drinks & great people but also be a well known venue for live music.” Right now Cantu is very proud to be able to offer a broad spectrum of music. Enjoy country during the day on the jukebox, two-stepping in the afternoon & rock n roll in the evening. Since Moses Rose’s Hideout first opened, Vince has experimented with a few different menu changes. The venue has gotten the chance to revamp the menu thanks to Chef Albert Vasquez.
Vasquez has recently rolled out a brand spankin new taste bud explosion of a menu which caters to the night life crowd. You can actually hear the excitement is his voice as he describes his tasty menu ideas. “We’re going towards a more bar friendly menu. I definitely kept the Texan feel when creating this menu. One of the most fun dishes for me that I’m going to be putting out here is a nice healthy cup of beans & weenies.” Also on the menu Vasquez will serve up some homemade pico de gallo with some flour tostadas. You can choose from A Large Portion of Chicharones, served with a delicious white bean dip with lime or fried okra with Limón mayo. For you big eaters, a healthy sized Brisket Burger topped with Texas Cheddar will fill your appetite. “I’m gearing more towards Texas bar food. It’s going to be a little bit progressive and I’ll be making changes when necessary as the crowd gives us feedback.”
Cantu thinks back on the fun time the staff had during the decoration of Moses Rose Hideout. “We had a great time with finding decorations for the bar. We have a tack wall with saddles, boots, cowboy hats and lassos. We wanted people that weren’t from San Antonio to be able to come into a place close to the Alamo and get a feel for Texas and SA in particular.”
This past February was the grand opening of the Moses Rose Gift Shop at the entrance to the bar organized by local artist Bell Solloa. Upon recently chatting with the enthusiastic Solloa she shared a brief rundown about her new venture. “I will be selling work from local artists including originals & prints, Jewelry, T-Shirts, Purses, Photography & more. Most of the artist work is not available in stores, so this is a unique opportunity to find their work under one roof.” Solloa continues, “We will be also carrying local music cds, retro items, spices and other gourmet products. A combination of high end pieces along with budget friendly merchandise for both locals and tourists alike!”
A nice twist to the bar is the famous Moses Rose entrance. Besides the new gift shop, Cantu expressed his gimmick of having a prohibition type bar entrance where you had to know the secret password to gain entry. Thus the secret & entertaining entrance to Moses Rose was created! I choose not to share the mystery of secret Moses Rose entry; you will have to find out for yourself. I can just guarantee that you will get a laugh or two before you leave Moses Rose Hideout.
G.Tomas Vasquez 2012
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