"Because of your incredible support, we've outgrown our Alamo Heights location and our last day there will be Saturday, October 17th!"
Margherita Ciccone wrote that to the regulars of Sorrento Ristorante & Pizzeria, a restaurant that has been at 5146 Broadway since 2001. The note says where Sorrento is going: 2311 NW Military. Around the same time, a Thai-style chicken-and-wine restaurant picked Castle Hills Market for its second location, and a Mexican kitchen moved in two suites down. When a San Antonio restaurant needs room to grow this fall, it has been coming to the Castle Hills stretch of NW Military Highway.
The timing works out neatly. Castle Hills incorporated in 1951, which makes 2026 its 75th year. On Sept. 26, the Castle Hills Community Organization marked the anniversary with a free, '80s-themed party with live music and a food truck. It was held at The Commons, 209 Lemonwood Drive, next to City Hall. The city's main road is getting its own update a few weeks later.
What Sorrento Said About the New Space
Sorrento's long run on Broadway is part of what makes the move stand out. The late Gino Ciccone founded the restaurant in 2001, a couple of years after coming to San Antonio to help open Naples Pizza, according to the San Antonio Current's account of Express-News reporting. His daughter Margherita owns and runs it now. Sorrento has expanded and renovated over the years, but it has stayed in the same Alamo Heights storefront the whole time.
The restaurant's moving page lists what the new location offers:
- A more spacious dining room
- Improved parking
- An upgraded kitchen to expand its handcrafted recipes
- The same recipes and the same staff
The owners haven't said why they picked NW Military in particular, and the Current noted that the first announcement gave no reason for the move. Margherita's note says they had outgrown the Broadway space. The Current reported that the new spot is near Thirsty Horse Dance Hall & Saloon and Mr. Juicy's satellite location. Mr. Juicy lists that location at 2321 NW Military Hwy. Focus On San Antonio described the move as going to Lockhill Village in the Castle Hills area. Sorrento's own page uses a San Antonio mailing address. So the new dining room is on the Castle Hills stretch of NW Military, but no source we reviewed confirms whether that address is inside city limits.
Sorrento's last night on Broadway is Saturday, Oct. 17. The grand opening on NW Military will be "announced soon," and diners can sign up for a VIP list to get the date first. The Current reported the relocation was planned for "sometime in October."
Castle Hills Market Gets a Second Thai Bird
Sorrento is moving. Thai Bird is expanding, which brings a growing restaurant to the same few blocks for a different reason.
Thai Bird is a Thai-style chicken-and-wine restaurant whose menu centers on Thai-inspired rotisserie and fried chicken. Co-owners David Gilbert and Kristin Alvarez chose Suite 121 at Castle Hills Market, 2211 NW Military Highway, for their second location. The opening date kept moving. When WhatNow San Antonio first reported the plan on March 27, the owner expected to open in the spring. By Aug. 14, WhatNow reported plumbing work in the suite and a summer 2026 target, with no grand opening date set. As of early September, Thai Bird's locations page still read "New location coming soon!"
Viva Kitchen is two suites over. Its website lists 2211 Northwest Military Hwy., Suite 131, Castle Hills, TX 78213, and describes cooking that honors Mexican heritage and authentic Mexican flavors. On Sept. 30, CultureMap San Antonio ran both restaurants under the headline "2 new eateries debut in Castle Hills restaurant row." We couldn't find confirmed opening days or hours for either restaurant, so call ahead before planning dinner around either one.
The phrase "restaurant row" fits. The 2100, 2200 and 2300 blocks of NW Military now look like this:
| Address | Restaurant | Status as of Sept. 30, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 2110 NW Military Hwy. | Zorba's Greek Mediterranean Grill | Closed Aug. 14 after 18 years; no successor found in local coverage |
| 2211 NW Military Hwy., Suite 121 | Thai Bird, second location | Reported debuting; opening day not confirmed |
| 2211 NW Military Hwy., Suite 131 | Viva Kitchen | Reported debuting; opening day not confirmed |
| 2311 NW Military Hwy. | Sorrento Ristorante & Pizzeria | Moving from 5146 Broadway after Oct. 17; grand opening to be announced |
| 2321 NW Military Hwy. | Mr. Juicy satellite location | Open nearby, per the restaurant's site |
What 18 Years at 2110 Says About the Road
The one closure on the list supports the same point. Zorba's Greek Mediterranean Grill announced on Aug. 14 that it had closed permanently after 18 years at 2110 NW Military Highway. The announcement, as WhatNow reported it, gave no reason. Eighteen years is a long run for an independent restaurant anywhere. It also shows that a family-style spot can keep a loyal following on this road for close to two decades, which is the kind of track record a 25-year-old Italian restaurant would want to see before leaving its first home.
We didn't find any announced replacement for the Zorba's space in the local coverage we reviewed. That makes 2110 the address to watch on this stretch this fall. Thai Bird, Viva Kitchen and Sorrento chose spots within a few blocks of it.
Castle Hills Market Hosts More Than Restaurants
Castle Hills Market is also drawing weekend crowds. The Boho Market has scheduled a market at 2211 NW Military Highway on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with free admission and free parking. So the center that just added Thai Bird and Viva Kitchen will also host a vendor day before the holidays. Anyone visiting the new dining rooms that weekend will find the parking lot doing double duty.
Getting there may take a detour for a while. Under the Blanco Road–Orsinger Lane water main project, SAWS crews are installing main across Pebble Oak Drive and George Road. They are continuing along George Road near the Castle Hills Forest community pool toward NW Military Highway, according to the utility's Sept. 25 update. The full $14.66 million project is scheduled to run from summer 2025 to summer 2027, and SAWS warns of lane closures, traffic controls and detours in work areas. If you usually take George Road to NW Military, expect it to be slower, or use another route, while crews work on that stretch.
Dates on This Stretch Through December
- Saturday, Oct. 17: Sorrento's last day of service at 5146 Broadway.
- Date to be announced: Sorrento's grand opening at 2311 NW Military. The Current reported the move itself was planned for sometime in October.
- Opening days not confirmed: Thai Bird in Suite 121 and Viva Kitchen in Suite 131 at Castle Hills Market.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.: The Boho Market at Castle Hills Market, 2211 NW Military Highway.
- Summer 2025 through summer 2027: SAWS's full Blanco Road–Orsinger Lane water main project. As of Sept. 25, crews were working along George Road toward NW Military.
Sorrento's new location gives it a more spacious dining room, improved parking and an upgraded kitchen. Thai Bird came to add a second location. The next tenant at 2110 NW Military will be choosing this stretch at a time when established restaurants are clearly looking for space on it.
New tenants, shifting traffic and a 75-year-old city's main road all affect what a Castle Hills address is worth day to day. If you're thinking about how changes on NW Military affect your own home, Patrick Bean is glad to walk through it with you, block by block. You can start with the Castle Hills neighborhood page or start a conversation whenever it suits you.
