Old School Bar and Grill

When I travel to a new city for work or a vacation, I frequently scout out restaurants ahead of time and try to hit as many highly rated places as I can.  Occasionally I like walking around and just stopping somewhere in the area that I am visiting and this is how I stumbled upon Old School Bar and Grill.  Some friends and I decided to have dinner together and thought we would just walk to 6th Street and find somewhere to eat.  After checking out a few places, we finally deciding to try this restaurant.

We were all starving and we decided to start with the Chicken Spinach Quesadillas.  These quesadillas were really good and had just the right blend of chicken, spinach, and pepper jack cheese.  The guacamole that came with them was also commendable.

Zilker Park Burger and Fries

I was in the mood for a burger and the restaurant had several that sounded appetizing.  After having an inner debate with myself, I finally decided to try the Zilker Park Burger, which was topped with guacamole, bacon, mayonnaise, and pepper jack cheese.  The burger was large with a juicy patty and the bun was light and slightly toasted.  The guacamole was the same delicious guacamole served with the quesadillas and blended well with the other ingredients.  The fries were perfectly cooked and seasoned with just the right amount of salt.

Creme Brûlée 

Our waiter recommended that we try the Creme Brûlée, which he claimed was so good that they only offered this one dessert choice.  This dessert was sweet, but not too sweet, and had a perfectly caramelized sugar crust.  I am usually not a huge fan of this dessert, but this was one of the better ones I have had in the last couple of years.  Other members of my party had the Club Sandwich and the Texas Two Step Burger.  They each gave their choices a thumbs up.  The service was as good as the food and we were all happy that we decided to stop in and try Old School Bar and Grill. 

Old School Bar and Grill
http://oldschoolaustin.com/
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Casino El Camino

Casino El Camino is another Austin restaurant that has been on my "must-eat" list.  I knew I wanted to try it when I caught a re-run of a Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives that featured Casino El Camino.  The restaurant has an unusual theme.  It is very dark inside the restaurant and it has a macabre-like ambiance.  I imagine that if Dante Alighieri ever opened up a burger joint, it would look a lot like Casino El Camino.

Dining area of Casino El Camino

Each burger at Casino El Camino contains three-quarters of a pound of charbroiled Angus beef.  Even for a big guy like myself, that is a good sized hamburger patty.  The restaurant offers several types of burgers which are all named after cities.  I chose the Chicago burger which had bacon, cheddar, lettuce, and tomato.  My buddy decided to go with the Pitts burger which had Provolone, sauteed mushroom, sauteed onions, and A-1 sauce.  Another friend got the BLT.

Three- Quarters of a Pound "Chicago" burger

Since the patty is thicker than most, the burgers do take a little time to cook.  Regardless, my Chicago burger and fries were still ready in under 15 minutes.  As soon as I was back at my table, I began to chow down.  The burger is certainly a mouthful, but it had great taste.  The cheese and crispy bacon went well with the incredibly juicy hamburger patty.  The grill marks on the bun were a nice addition to a perfectly toasted bun.  The Pitts burger and the BLT both got a thumbs up from my friends.  The BLT was stacked with bacon and was one of the more impressive BLTs I have ever seen.  As great as the burger was, my fries were slightly overcooked and was a disappointing addition to a very good burger.

BLT that is heavy on the B

Casino El Camino lived up the hype and gets a thumbs up from me.  The burgers here are much bigger than any I have had recently, but you are also served a quality burger to go along with the large size.  Our waitress on this visit wasn't the most attentive and seemed to be having a bad day, but I could care less about service when a burger is this good.  If you are looking for a unique burger joint in the Austin area that serves good grub, I suggest you give Casino El Camino a try.

Casino El Camino
http://casinoelcamino.net/index.html
Livin the Good Life Rating=4