You might want to try the Country Tavern outside of Kilgore. The last time I was there a birthday party had a stripper (down to panties and bra) for the birthday boy.

And then there is the nostalgia effect. If you grew up with a chain, it may be "comfort" food for you. Folks who grew up in California are likely to prefer In-N-Out, south Texas Whataburger etc. Both my kids went to university in San Antonio. While visiting them we tried out Bill Millers BBQ. Nothing to write home about. However, the kids say that all their friends that grew up in San Antonio think it's the best to be had.

My wife grew up in SoCal and is not a fan of InO. She used to like Jack in the Box but that quality has declined significantly since we moved from CA. Our daughter likes the burgers at Del Taco. Go figure.

i dont think i have ever eaten at jackbox as an adult.

IandO is such a rich burger..i dont love them. but thankfully there are so many choices out there, there is a fastfood burger for anyone. even vegans. :)

It is a good thing there are choices. If everyone were the same, life would be boring.

There are a couple local joints here that have great burgers.

it would be sick if one day we can all meet in person and ***** about the local burger joint one person picked. hahah.

If I ever won the lotto, travel costs on me to do that in each section of the country. West coast, east coast, SE, SW, Texas, Midwest (which has the best beef you know). It would be a hoot!

I just got home from a week in San Antonio. I just realized I didn’t have BBQ once. I can’t believe I did that.

i have a CA friend. first stop in San Antonio..(maybe Austin) was a Taco Cabana. haha.

pink taco joint...wait did i just type "pink taco"? err..it's a taco joint painted pink.

I ate at a Jack-in-the-Box when they first came to Tulsa. Absolutely horrible, never considered going back.

Didn’t like the burger and the tacos were probably the worst tacos I’ve ever eaten. They reminded me of those mushy little bite-size TV dinner tacos they made in the 1960s in some TV dinner, maybe El Paso. Little tiny corn tortilla folded around something that could’ve been anything from retried beans to Taco Bell meat. That’s how bad the Jack in the box taco tasted.

I went there with someone that grew up in Northern California and ate at Jack in the Box locations in California in the 70s and she didn’t even finish what she ordered.

I spent months in San Antonio on a project about 15 years ago and never found much that I liked there. They have a different take on Tex-Mex, it’s not my thing.

You have a kid going through Air Force Boot Camp there?

Bill Millers is great but not the traditional Texas BBQ, more of a fastfood place but their stuff isn't frozen prior. They have a Company HQ place in downtown SA where all the food is cooked then trucked around the city to the restaurants. It has a very cool old building and commissary restaurant. My office is about 2 blocks away. The smell on a crisp day is intoxicating.

They also do a great scholarship program for employees. Similar to Chick fil a, the kids that work there are usually the same as the Chick.

Next time get a Po Boy with extra brisket. That is the deal there.


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Right now the "hot" thing in LA is "Yellow Paper Burger". One of those Instagram "pop up" sensations, similar to Grilled Cheese Truck a few years ago.

Doesn't really look like anything you couldn't make in your own backyard....

https://la.eater.com/2020/11/11/21561054/yellow-paper-burger-monterey-park-pop-up-underground-new-burger-smash-los-angeles-coronavirus

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Edit to add: This article is from last year and reading the comments, let's just say there were a few "Chicken Little's" out there.

Taco Cabana is one of the original fast food type places that were started in former gas stations with the glass type garage doors. Some are better than others. The one we went to while living in El Paso was pretty good.

If you are familiar with Pollo Loco, give Taco Palenque a try. Both are owned by same guy from Tamauliepas Mexico and Laredo Texas. Just saw a bit about him and the restaurants on TV yesterday. Pretty cool success story, dude started the Pollo Loco in his early 30s then Taco P later.

I've seen YT vids of these pop-ups. For one, it was all in the meat quality. Sometimes I wish I lived in an area that liked pop-ups.

^^^^ This looks like something that would be right up your alley Shaun!

Absolutely, I have several international sandwiches that I would do like this gochujang grilled beef with ramen but I would have to move to CA to do it. It would be terribly fun to do a different sandwich each week.

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Taco Cabana (eubank and central) is my go-to when I'm at Sandia Labs/Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque. Good, fast, often has cabron and other interesting things - and if was just for a morning meeting - beer!

My wife's a Golden Pride girl, so whenever either of us go down there (often) we argue on what horrible choices the other made for lunch. GP does however make their own flour tortillas so I think that gets them a half point.

On the topic - Freddies > Whataburger > Culvers >>> everyone else. Blake's Lotaburger fits in there somewhere but I think that's only in a very limited area.

"Pop ups" are more accepted out here. We've been eating "L.A. street dogs" and tacos from pop ups on the sidewalk downtown for years.
Heck, I'm always game for some homemade Tamales out of the trunk of a car in the supermarket parking lot or an "Elote' Bowl" from someone's Abuelita pulling a cooler in a kid's wagon down the sidewalk.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

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My daughter in law is an Army nurse at BAMC. They live on base. We were hoping that our first grandchild would have been born last week. Nope, she went into labor today. We'll be heading back this weekend.

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I could eat Golden Pride Breakfast Burritos every day (And their western has browns covered with green chili and cheese is wonderful for what is essentially a drive up/through.....but if you want to go to full diners and dives, try Grandma's K&I Diner at 2500 Broadway Blvd (just off Gibson) for breakfast or lunch..

Is this in San Antonio or NM Fint?

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Albuquerque...

I had a Golden Pride breakfast burrito this am...pretty good stuff

As for K&I dinner... that place is what my grandfather would call a Greasy Spoon...

Albuquerque NM...lots of good food if you look around.

FYI, Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q is pretty good fare in San Antonio...or Albuquerque for a small chain restaurant. I wish we had one on the east coast to supplement all the great pork BBQ. Beef brisket and potato salad are tasty...but like everything, a little pricey since COVID.

Exactly! But a bit more authentic than the Taco Cabana. Cevantes New Mexican Restaurant in Albuquerque NM | Cervantes Restaurant and Lounge - New Mexican Restaurant Albuquerque NM right out the gate on Gibson is also pretty good. Traditional fare with very good sopapillas with honey. Hard core local fare (close to Kirtland) is the other side of the railroad track at El Modello on second El Modelo Mexican Foods "Since 1929" | Great Mexican Food in Albuquerque, New Mexico "Since 1929". Choose the pork tamales. We used to buy them by the dozen and bring them home (no indoor easting area, patio and outdoor tables. mmmm. I called first and they were waiting.

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A little classier fare is The Range or El Patron on Wyoming.

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With my Vance&Hines pro stock 1980

Winner!

Grew up in SoCal and have eaten my share of burgers. Char West in Santa Barbara, DJ burger, of course IaO which were consistently ok, BK lounge, the original Habit in Goleta , now a franchise that is not associated with the original, 5 guys in San Diego which is pretty decadent, Rockies and of course Hodads for off the charts. I would guess any reasonable sized city has the best place for the area. It’s not rocket science, keep it simple, abundant, and fresh made. Winner!

I’ve actually been there. I thought it was very good. The cream corn was awesome.

When I was in high school, I fancied myself as a photo artist. I liked to drive around and take photos of whatever caught my eye. I was struck by the macabre juxtaposition of this scene off of 61st street in Galveston. I wonder if they served soylent green burgers.
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My dark room skills usually let me down.

Great picture Jolly.

BBQ ... Can't say I really have a place in SA that I frequent other than Rudy's, which is a chain but good. Brisket has gotten upwards of $12 per half pound there now. Rudy's was started by the same guy that founded Fudruckers, Macaroni Grill, and a bunch of others.

For BBQ I always make a short trip to Lockhart near COTA. BBQ capital of Texas. Give Kruez Market a try, one of the best!

In SA go to El Milagtrito on N St Mary's, which is pretty close to Ft Sam. They still do whole head barbacoa and it is amazing. Only open until 3 pm.

When I lived in Texas (Austin)...and travelled to San Antonio now and then...I was too poor to eat out. The only time I remember eating out in Austin was at a Dairy Queen right outside Bergstrom Air Force Base (now closed) and once at Jack in the Box (It was horrible...never again). I did eat in the chow hall a lot when in San Antonio in Basic Training and then Officer's Training (now at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery AL)...but never downtown. Travelled to SA once later for work and went down to the River Walk...and that had some fairly nice restaurants there (but that was still many years ago).

Bergstrom is now the Austin airport.

As for River Walk. It has changed a lot, most restaurants are chains or places that aren't very good. It is all still there but not like I even remember from 20 years ago. There is even a Ripley's Believe It or Not on the street above the main part of the Rive Walk if that is any indication.

The good stuff is now on South St Mary's near King William District. And the old Pearl Brewery is pretty trendy.

One of the places our local PCA group does for a super easy tour - drive is up Rt-66 to Stroud, OK to the Rock Cafe.

ROCK CAFE ON ROUTE 66 - ROCK CAFE

The folks that did the movie Cars 2 used the owner lady as the inspiration for Sally Carrera. They have a pretty good Onion burger. It is a small place and always crowded.

Yes, they have closed a lot of the bases I served at. The ones that I can talk about: Lowry in Denver, Bergstrom in Austin, Myrtle Beach SC, and Rhein Main in Frankfurt. They have totally changed the mission of others like Shaw AFB in Sumter SC and Medina Annex (to Lackland) in San Antonio. It is a pity as some were great assignments...and less great ones where I served (like Minot ND) never close.

Stopped at a place in Newton IA and the boy had this. Yes, it is a grilled cheese around a burger topped with cheese curds.

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Anyone been to a Wahlburgers? The menu looks good...but pricey.
One just opened near me.

the lowest price burger is $11.25...but that includes fries (which I never eat)
The other burgers are $14.45 and up...but they come with fries!

The range is too classy for me - but those others look awesome! I'm so boring, after 20 years in NM I finally "discovered" Mary and Tito's.

Now for a reason to back to ABQ. After a recent job change and WFH I don't go to the base any more. Then again, I don't usually wear pants during my workday...

One of my favorite lunchtime motorcycle rides is 30 miles to a little town of Sterling Nebraska. Only 500 people, but they have a great hole in the wall bar and grill. And the best bacon cheeseburger I’ve ever had! With a side of mozzarella sticks!

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Haven't been there but used to frequent Good Stuff Eatery near Reagan Airport in Virginia. It filled a void.

I love hole in the wall joints that can't be matched by the fru fru chains with their expensive burgers on brioche buns with house made special sauces, duck fat grilled onions, and other specialty stuff.

Five Guys filled the void as well but has gotten pretty expensive. One of my kids went to school with one of the "Five Guy's" kids, it is actually 5 brothers IIRC. They used to bring in burgers for the kids fairly frequently and would set up a grill at Church Parish fairs. Nice folks.