Casino El Camino

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Bubbavia Google

29 days ago

A unique old school dive bar and counter order food service. This burger comes highly recommended and is considered by many to be top ten in Austin. We ordered 2 burgers, both had large patties and were cooked perfectly to order. I was not overly impressed and thought it lacked in flavor. The meat was under seasoned and the condiments were bland. We tried the cheese curds, and found them to be mediocre. The drinks are typical baseline 6th street drinks.

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Matthew Hughesvia Google

about 1 month ago

If you ask people from Austin where to get a good burger in the city, you're 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 couldn't 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 Frank's 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. It's 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!

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Celine munyanavia Google

2 months ago

I don’t know if this is a fluke. But I’ve had great food from here every time until NOW. The burger is literally uncooked. I got a Gluten-Free KC burger and verde fries. The Fries were fine but the burger was botched. On a non-busy Thursday night I really don’t get it…

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Amber Duttonvia Google

4 months ago

We’ve been in for drinks before but tonight had time to try out the food. I have friends who rave about them and I finally get it. The kitchen staff are all super cool & make it fun. I liked watching them mess with the tourists. lol. These are the biggest and best quality burgers I’ve had in years. The bread is fresh, burgers cooked perfectly, and toppings are great. We loved the sweet potato waffle fries with Parm on top! The basket was huge and more than enough to share for 2-3 people. We sat in the back patio & it was a nice little oasis where you didn’t feel like you were in the middle of the city. Can’t wait to go back!

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Jake Poskittvia Google

6 months ago

Me and my family came here because Guy Fieri was here! I wish there was more lighting in this place and I don’t like that they don’t do table service. You have to go to the counter to order your food. Other than that my experience was really good there. My Chicago Burger was amazing, so were the fries, and my margarita!!! The staff there is very welcoming and friendly! Eric one of the bartenders was super sweet, friendly, and welcoming!!! Thank you guys for a great first experience here!!!! I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!!!!!!!!!