4 /5 Matthew Hughes: If you ask people from Austin where to get a good burger in the city, youre going to hear the name Casino El Camino come up a lot.
Since 1994, Casino El Camino has been slinging burgers, dogs, sandwiches wings and fries to patrons with beer and shots of Tequila or Jack on the side. Located on 6th Street, not where all the frat boys and millennials hang out, but Dirty Sixth where punk and metal sounds pulse loudly through the speakers even at lunch.
I went with friends Sandy and Jeff Putnam, and together we sampled three burgers, wings and verde chili fries.
Several of the burgers were recommended by the owner, Casino, who stopped by to say hi while paying a few bills at the bar. He led with the Amarillo, which he said is by far their top seller. All of burgers weigh in at three- quarters of a pound. The Amarillo is covered with roasted Serrano chilis, jalapeño jack cheese and brushed with a cilantro mayo. They suggest putting the burger on a jalapeño cheddar bun, but regular buns are also available. Go with their suggestion!
So obviously there is some heat to this choice, but everything works well together. The burger was grilled to medium and the bun held all that beef really well. It was a bit messy with the mayo put on a little too heavy for some but I enjoyed the cilantro taste which was able to shine through the peppery bites.
Sandy went with the LA Burger, slightly modified for some health restrictions. BTW for a dive bar they were great in working with things she couldnt eat. Stacked on another large patty, the LA had lettuce, spinach tomatoes and avocado. Condiments on the west coast inspired burger included a lemon vinaigrette and a smoked shallot aioli.
I got to try a bite of her choice and I really enjoyed how the aioli tasted with the beef. Her burger was cooked a little less than medium. Sandy felt it needed a little more salt and pepper on it. While I enjoyed the burger, I would probably not order it if I went back. The Pitts Burger might need to be sampled on that visit along with Double Dog Texas Tommy.
Back to our final burger, and second recommended by Casino, the Madison Burger. This burger was actually a beer-braised pork belly served with a Shiner Bock gastrique, jalapeño jack cheese, sautéed onions and baconnaise. Jeff and I traded halfs and when I bit into the Madison, I had the same reaction as him, it was very sweet.
After the boldness of the peppers on the Amarillo, the sweetness was too much for me. Maybe if I would have had it first I would have enjoyed it more. I wanted my Amarillo half back. Casino said it the second most popular, so give it a try if that is a flavor profile ia something you enjoy.
Sandy is a fry connoisseur, and was disappointed they were not hand-cut. I am not a big fry guy, but I tried a bunch of them to see how the verde chili flavoring tasted. Excellent, but I would ask for a side of the sauce to dip them. Not sure if they offer it, but if not, get some of smoked shallot mayo.
In talking with Casino he also said they are very traditional in their Buffalo Sauce for the wings - butter and Franks Red Hot (Anchor Bar would be proud). The wings were large and the sauce was excellent. However the wings themselves were just average. Here is why. I watched the cook drop the raw wings directly into the frier. While there is nothing wrong with that, and yes they were cooked through, they did not have the consistency I like in a non-breaded wing. I prefer wings that have been cooked off first, most often in the oven or even steamed at some places. You get a different feel on the outside and inside the meat falls off the bone better. Again, some people are not as picky as me on wings and the sauce was perfect.
All in all, you probably need to try Casino El Camino if you visit Austin. Its a staple downtown that has endured for over three decades. You feel the nostalgia of the place just after you open the front door. Rock on Camino!
