Chris Madrid's - San Antonio, TX, August 14, 2010

Chris Madrid’s is all that is right with San Antonio food. Visiting SA without hitting Chris Madrid's or Henry's Puffy Tacos can seem like a waste. Unfortunately I’m now past the age of being able to eat a “Macho”, and can only eat a regular sized burger if I want to be able to stay out of the hospital.

The bun comes out shimmering with goodness from the grill. It sits on top of a wonderfully seasoned patty covered in melted cheddar cheese that has been adorned with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, onions, pickles, and yellow mustard. Of course like most food in SA, vegetables are ancillary to the discussion. I’ve tried many times at home to duplicate the seasonings of the patty, but have never come close to getting the mix right.

I was particularly gluttonous on this trip. My aunt ordered nachos for our table of seven diners. Halfway through my Regular Cheddar Cheezy I noticed that no one had touched the nachos so I proceeded to stuff the nacho quarters into what was left of my burger creating my own Tostada Burger. My idea was inspired and terrible at the same time. Satisfied with my expanding waistline and constricting arteries I made the drive back home knowing that no burger in Austin can come even close to Chris Madrid’s.  Then again, I've never had any burger better than Chris Madrid's.