Austin Burger Smackdown!

I went to Texas for the first time last weekend and as I do in all my travels, I searched for the perfect burger. I've lived in seven states and been to about forty so I do have a track record of comparison. I had very high hopes based on reviews of Casino El Camino but sadly the three star rating comes mainly from the atmosphere as the burger itself was a colossal dissapointment. Let me start off with the only strength of this offering the burger itself. Having a good burger is about 60A% patty, 20% toppings and 20% bun, however if the toppings and bun stink, then all you get is a 60 out of a 100 which is a D. The meat was tasty but not spectacular, was cooked to the medium rare I ordered and was a nice size. I ordered the Chicago Burger which came with romaine lettuce, tomato and bacon. The toppings missed on all cylanders. Firstly, any serious burger has to include pickle chips, I never figured out the pickle spear on the side; what do you do with it? You can't put it on your burger so therefore it has no purpose. If a tomato is not ripe it actually takes away from the taste of the burger. This was a very thick not ripe slice that I had to instantly remove. Read my words, absorb it, live it: Romaine lettuce has no place on a hamburger. The only lettuce that goes or belongs on a burger is iceburg. If you are going to do bacon it must not be one of two things: 1) undercooked or 2) overly fatty or greasy. The bacon here was all of the above. And now, the grand finale, the bun. What was that? A bus seat cushion. Seriously, this may have been the worst bun I've had on a burger and it was about three days past it's due date. The atmosphere was great and I really enjoyed the Gargoyle and the rest of the decore but there isn't a single reason on earth why I would ever seek this place out over Fuddrucker's.

-----
Casino El Camino
517 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701

kinglouix in Austin

Best Pizza in Orlando?

Cornerstone may be the worst pizza I've ever tried in my life. I would rather it Geno's from my freezer.

kinglouix in Florida

Best Pizza in Orlando?

Sadly, there is no close to perfect pie in Orlando and the best you can hope for is something not awful. I got a pie at Paulie's in Altamonte Springs and thought it was better than Del Dio. Paulie's is just West of I-4 on Wymore Road, just South of 436. They have a website for directions. I personally thought they were better than Del Dio. Del Dio is okay but their sauce is low grade tomato paste and their Italian entrees are pretty scary. Amazing that low grade Anthony's can open a pizzeria on every corner and actually sell any they don't resemble New York in the least with their cardboard crust.

kinglouix in Florida

Best Pizza in Orlando?

Keep dreaming!! Orlando per size and population is the most pathetic food city in the country. There is no good New York Pizza in Orlando. Anthony's is cardboard with tomato paste as sauce. The Chinese is worse than the pizza. What is with the yellow fried rice with barely any pork and peas and carrots? Where did they import the Asians from here? Also downtown Orlando doesn't have a single edible restaurant, it is a bunch of vacant storefronts with empty highrised designed to appear like a city. Counting the days until I can get out of this crime ridden cesspool.

-----
New York Pizza
302 SW Tulip Blvd Ste C, Port Saint Lucie, FL 34953

kinglouix in Florida

Waynesville NC. Big Mountain BBQ

Insane ribs, I thought pulled pork and sides where mediocre. Ribs where fantastic, huge rack, fell off the bone.

kinglouix in Southeast

Visiting Orlando and Tampa from San Francisco

I didn't say the food in Florida is all bad, just mainly Orlando For cuban food I love Don Arturo but it is in Ft. Lauderdale. Tampa has an old Cuban population so I'm sure it has some good Cuban spots, I just don't know any of them. I don't like Carribean food either. You'll like Stone Crabs!!!

kinglouix in Florida

Visiting Orlando and Tampa from San Francisco

Why would you ever visit Orlando from South Fransisco unless you are enamored with theme parks? Orlando food is complete crap, the worst in the country for a metro area of 2 million or more people. Although calling the transients that have assembled in the only population center without a beach people is a stretch. Each meal you have in Orlando will be the worst meal you ever had, pure chain restaurant garbage. The food in Tampa is much better, go to Bern's Steakhouse it is an experience you will never forget. Although I'm not a filet lover, it's the best steak they serve. The desert room and wine list are first rate. I like Rigatoni's on Kennedy for casual Italian. Columbia is a chain and has rapidly gone down hill. It is overpriced, mediocre at best and truly a waste of time from someone used to good San Fransiscan cuisine. Inland Orlando has Red Lobster and Long John Silver, seriously most people in Orlando are from the midwest or Puerto Rico and sit outside the Olive Garden all night waiting for the thrill of their buzzer going off. There are no good seafood restaurants. One thing I would recommend in Tampa is sunday brunch at Oystercatchers. It gives you a wonderful bayview and is one of the best brunches you will ever have with plenty of fresh seafood. It is not cheap, but the food and view are an experience you will never forget. If your not there on a Sunday look into it for dinner. Hope this helps.

kinglouix in Florida

4 Rivers Smokehouse Winter Park

Went back again yesterday, the brisket is still worth driving hours for.

kinglouix in Florida

Orlando's Absolutely Best Pizza

IF it is the place in Winter Park villiage, it's not bad but nothing to go out of the way for. Anthony's, Lil Anthony's and Anthony's in Thornton park are all the same family and again the crust is cardboard and the sauce is acid. It is better than Pizza Hut and Papa John's but no New Yorker would ever drive around the block to seek it out. The closest thing within 1oo miles to real New York Pizza is Bazzaro's in Melbourne which is worth the trip. Check my spelling but those who have been no what I'm talking about and know the difference between it and the garbage served in the Orlando area.

kinglouix in Florida

Orlando's Absolutely Best Pizza

This board is an a complete indication of what any New Yorker would agree 100%: the pizza in Orlando is total crap. I can't speak for Giordiano's which is decent Chicago pizza but for NY pizza Orlando has no options. Anthonys is garbage, NY pizza is a minimum 18 inches and thin, Anthony's is 16 inches and complete cardboard. The only Pizza I have had that remotely resembles the NY Pizza experience is Al's in Kissimmee which is just off the John Young Parkway a half mile south of Vine. However, the sauce is battery acid which is commonplace down here. The food in general in Orlando sucks outloud and the Pizza is no exception. I"ve had some of the worst pizza I've ever tasted down in Orlando.

kinglouix in Florida

4 Rivers Smokehouse Winter Park

Brisket dinner is now increased to $12.99, let's hope this is not a trend. Shane's in Maitland did the same thing (increased their prices every time I went in there for a month) and now you can't find a customer in there.

kinglouix in Florida

4 Rivers Smokehouse Winter Park

Are you kidding me? I could kiss the ground. Finally a BBQ place in Orlando where I didn't feel like jumping over the counter and punching the cook in the face. This is the worst food city in America, full of chain restaurants and chefs that can't understand how to flip a burger; until now. The brisket was bar none the best I've ever had. The pulled pork is good but not nearly at the level of the brisket. The sides were very servicable. Fries are crinkle cut and not bad. Beans where good as was Mac and Cheese. The brisket alone is worth a drive for miles. If you ever eat again at Sony's, Roach Boys, Bubbalou's or any of the other terminal bbq spots in central florida, you should have your tongue cut out.
The only drawback I see is that you eat only outside, which works November through March. What do you do the other 7 months when it is 95 degrees with 95% humidity? I guess, I answered my own question, you take it out. Also, sweet tea is good with real lemon. We are so starved for anything edible in Orlando: Thank you 4 RIVERS.

kinglouix in Florida