Over the last several years, Austin has become one of the greatest food cities in the country.  While there are plenty of traditional eateries that are worth your time, you may find that the waiting times are too long, the restaurant is too expensive, or you’re just not always in the mood for overly classy vibe.

So what do you do in a time like this?  Follow what endless other people have done and head to the dive bars and gastropubs.  Dive bars don’t always have the highest accolades when it comes to good food – they’re usually synonymous with cheap burgers and cheap beer.  But every now and again there’s a pub that offers the grungy ambience along with a great meal.   

Despite the name, you can’t be whisked away to a world of slots or gambling tables like the betting sites in Australia, but their choices of bar and grill food and the shady looking guys at the bar is enough to keep anyone satisfied.

One of a kind experience

The key to a good restaurant does not always lie in the food, to many people’s surprise. Sure, the food can be absolutely fantastic, but if you’re selling it in a lifeless room, you’re not going to be able to hold on to many customers for long.  The answer to this, then, is ambience, and at Casino El Camino, ambience is what they do best. It’s not just about the lights, colours, sound, and food, but a palpable atmosphere that has made the eatery so popular in recent years that it’s been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

Started in 1994, El Camino was, at first, a simple bar. It didn’t take long for them to realise that there was a strong calling for food in this already unique, atmospheric venue that they had created, which is when they started up the grill.   While they serve a variety of dishes, their most famous meals come in the form of big, juicy, and extremely spicy burgers. Their featured burger is the Amarillo, which comes fresh from the kitchen covered in jalapeños, hot sauce, and with a side of American-style fries.

It’s hot, and it’ll kick you like few other dishes can, but it’s undeniably tasty and adds that much more to the overall environment of the place.  El Camino’s doesn’t concern itself with having tiny, gourmet dishes with 5 courses at a time; it doesn’t attempt to recreate something you’d find in the upper districts of New York City. What it does do is provide an experience, above all else.  The blasting jukebox and the burgers alone at this Austin original will keep you coming back for more.