Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

The Texas Bucket List – Butcher Boys in Nacogdoches

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Nacogdoches – Considered to be the oldest town in Texas, Nacogdoches is loaded with Texas history.  But if you want a burger loaded with toppings, head to one of the oldest restaurants in town— Butcher Boys. “They started making hamburgers, I mean, you could smell those hamburgers all over the county,” said customer Jan Castillo. “The…number one burger place… and they’ve lived up to that reputation,” confirmed another customer, Marsail Warner. “These restaurants, if you run them right, they’re tough. I always say you got to marry them,” said Billy Huddleston.

Billy moved to the middle of east Texas for a morbid reason. “Came up here to a funeral, liked it, and moved up here,” said Billy. He fell in love with the little town and being a butcher by trade, he opened up Butcher Boys in 1977. Now this isn’t our first stop at a hot spot run by a Huddleston here in Nacogdoches. Back in season two of The Texas Bucket List, we met Billy’s son, Billy Junior, at Nacburger. “We have a rule here when my kids, their eyes clear to top of the meat counter, they come to work. He worked all through school and everything. Then, all of a sudden, one day he come up and said, ‘I’m going in business for myself.’ I said, ‘Well, go for it.’ He’s doing real well,” said Billy.

Junior learned from the butcher master because when Butcher Boys first got started at, things were a lot different. “When I went in business, we’d bring in half the cows in the back door. Now, it comes in, in little boxes, already ready to go. Some of it was hard for me to accept,” Billy admitted.But that doesn’t mean they skimp on quality. “I was always taught to serve the best quality you can, and treat your customers like they’re your best friend, and I do,” he said.

Except for the one time he tried to start closing the restaurant earlier than normal for some personal time. “I decided I was going to start closing on Saturday at four o’clock so I can go fishing. They were calling my house. ‘What is wrong with you?’ Boy, when I closed at 4:00, that was a sin,” said Billy.

“You couldn’t work for a better person than Mr. B,” said Commella King. Commella has been working at Butcher Boys for over 20 years. She’s popular around these parts, everyone seemed to walk in waving at her. “Ah, yeah. I love my customers,” she responded. She led the charge on a burger we’re calling The Texas Bucket List Burger. Something we made on the fly with blue cheese, bacon, and mushrooms. It all begins with the beef.

“We use a one-third pound scoop… We going to do a double meat… Almost a pound of burger. You better come here hungry, when you come here,” she said. The bun is toasted while the mushrooms are grilled. Blue cheese and bacon are added and the bun is finished with your typical toppings. “Now, that looks delicious… Look how beautiful that is,” she admired. When it came to choosing a side, Commella twisted our arm. “Golden, delicious onion rings,” she said.

It’s always good when we bring back the burger and Butcher Boys knows how to cook them. The burger has a terrific taste. The blue cheese gets mixed in with the toppings—the mushrooms and the bacon, coming together for a flavorful, unique burger. “You’re just like, ta-da. You made it. It’s like a home run of the day,” said Jan.

This large burger is well worth a lunch for any lumberjack. “They’re very filling, they’re juicy, and they’re made really well,” added Marsail.

We can’t neglect Camilla’s onion rings. They taste as great as they look! Most onion rings, the entire onion is ripped from the breading with a single bite, but that’s not the case at Butcher Boys. They’re perfectly cooked, crisp and delicious.  “Oh, my gosh. Yeah. Their onion rings are to die for. I mean, you could just live on those,” raved Jan.

Well, if you ever happen to be in the oldest town in Texas and you need a big old burger, Butcher Boys is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List. “You don’t want to run afterward,” warned Marsail.  “We like it, and we love it… it’s local people and we’re supportive,” said Jan.

The Texas Bucket List – Panda Burgers in El Paso

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EL PASO, Texas – When it comes to big ol’ burgers in our great state, we’ve seen a lot but nothing like this. Before we get to this behemoth of a burger, we talked with Alan Ramirez, owner and creator of this El Paso eatery – Panda Burgers.

Alan’s creations are cosmic with toppings that only a mad scientist could come up with.

“I have people tell me, ‘Do you smoke something before you come up with the recipes?’” said Alan. “They do, they’re like, ‘Do you get the munchies?’ I’m like, no man…”

Because Alan is a family kind of guy.  Ever since he was a boy he’s been working with his Mom and Pop.  Even Grandpa Chito gets involved by preparing the freshly made aguas frescas.

The reason Alan keeps his family close is that he’s working with them since he was 12.

“It’s been 15 years of washing dishes, you know, washing, serving, cooking, you know you go through everything,” Alan said.

His father Alberto and mother Leticia owned a food truck in the 2000’s.

“My dad charging the customers, I was cooking and my mom was cooking also,” said Alan.

Alan learned the ropes of the business and one day decided to start making burgers of his own.  Those burgers got a big enough reputation that he took a big risk and sunk everything his family had into opening Panda Burgers.

“When we opened the doors at 11, I told my parents, you know what guys, if it doesn’t work today, I don’t know what’s going to happen because we actually just have $17 in our bank account,” Alan said.

Slowly but surely word got out and now Panda Burgers is kung-fuing the competition.

Well we wanted to see what the rage was all about but before we get started, a quick disclaimer.  NO. These burgers are NOT made out of panda.

“You’ll be surprised. We actually have some, like, comments on our Facebook page about how cruel we are of making burgers out of pandas,” said Alan. “And they’re serious, they actually think that we’re killing pandas and making them into burgers.”

Now let’s dive into the SUPER PANDA, a burger with overabundance of over-the-top toppings.

First Alan’s dad Alberto pre-seasons the 75/25 beef and hands forms the patties every morning.  Two of those 7 ounce patties get placed on the flattop and topped with more savory spices.

“We get our secret seasoning actually that not even my parents know what’s in there,” Alan said. “It’s just me. So this is what makes Panda Burgers Panda Burgers.”

Garlic butter helps the burger cook while Alan gets things started on a quesadilla with Monterrey jack cheese and corn tortillas.  Yes, this is going on the burger.

“A lot of people ask, ‘Does the quesadilla come inside like, or can I give it to my kid?’ And I was like, no…If you want a quesadilla for your kid, like, ask for a quesadilla,” said Alan. “Then again, just try the Panda Burger, no?”

After flipping the foundations of the burger, more butter and American cheese is added. The quesadilla goes on top and Alan’s mom takes over. Fresh chorizo, carne asada, and grilled onions are first. Half an avocado, mayo, and a chili toreado tops things off – and the final creation is a work of art.

“And that right there, my friend, is the Super Panda.” That is a work of art. “It is, huh?”

I’ve never made anything so beautiful with another man. “Wow.”

Look at that! A round of applause. “It’s for the burger. That’s when you know you need the burger.”

After sizing up the burger, it was time to dig in. It didn’t take long to figure out that the drive across Texas was worth it!

“When it comes to the ingredients, you know, your avocado, your meat, they don’t hold back, okay? They’re not skimpy,” said Kareem Cajer, customer at Panda Burgers.

Every bite, something different. Every roll of the tongue, something new. The chorizo is amazingly fresh, so delicious, and it all comes together with all those flavorings. You have the carne asada, and then out of nowhere you start feeling that little crunch, and then you realize, you just bit into a quesadilla in the middle of a burger!

Well, if you’ve ever pondered how perfect a panda burger would taste in your pie-hole, just put this in there and you’ll be pleased.

Being successful in his endeavor mean more to Alan then just feeding the masses with out of this world food, it’s a chance to give back to the people who have supported him from day one and continue to believe in their boy’s ability.

“That’s my reason to keep going, you know? My parents, because I’m the only child and they do everything for me, so I think it’s actually time for me to do something for them,” Alan said. “So we just love what we do. It’s been our dream and it’s finally coming through, and we’re just happy to be here and we are, like I said, we’re really thankful.”

The Super Panda at Panda Burgers in El Paso, Texas, well worth a panda pit-stop right here on The Texas Bucket List.

“You only live once, so you’ve got one time to do something, and if it’s that one place that you want to eat and enjoy good food, okay, get your money’s worth and get full, this is the place to be,” said Kareem.

 

The Texas Bucket List- Ye Ole Butcher Shop in Plano

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Plano- It’s time for the Texas Bucket List Bite of the Week, and this week we’re in Plano for a burger that’s definitely not plain-o. In fact, we’re getting’ two of ’em.

This week, we’re at the Ye Old Butcher Shop.

“I come in here in ag co-op. You know, where you work half a day and go to school half a day,” Jeff Sparks said.

Jeff is a renaissance man when it comes to meat.

“Whenever I started cutting meat I wanted to be a butcher. It’s a lot of fun,” Jeff said.

Former owner, Mr. Bob Giddiens, sold the store to Jeff in 1986.  Five years later, Jeff had an epiphany while packing meat.

“We always wanted to start smoking meat and making hamburgers, making sausage,” Jeff said. “We started making our own sausage. People liked it.”

Their biggest draw, however, is their burgers.

“During lunch time we do sell a lot of burgers,” Jeff said.

It wasn’t long until Jeff enlisted the help of his boy, Joshua. Together, this father and son duo have teamed up to make massive hamburgers the people of Plano had never priorly tasted.

“Somebody told me you want a good burger,” Greg Carlson said. “Ye Old Butcher Shop. They didn’t lie to me. “

We headed to the back with Joshua, but as we got ready to bring home the bacon, we couldn’t help but overhear Jeff taking orders.

“When I order burgers I have to stop him in the middle,” Harold Davis said. “He does the lettuce, tomato, pickle thing so fast I just have to say, “No, no, no. I’ll get it my way.”

The Ye Ole Butcher Shop is known for two burgers: The Buffalo Burger and the Wild Hog.

“Today’s Wild Hog burger day,” Jeff said. “It’s a ground pork patty. Its got a little slice of that black forest ham on it. Its got a couple slices of bacon on it. It’s a really good burger.”

As for the Buffalo Burger, it’s a staple of the restaurant and has been around since 1993.

“The Dallas Cowboys were playing the Buffalo Bills, so we started making Buffalo Burgers,” Jeff said. “The Super Bowl. We were eating’ buffalo. “

Joshua Sparks doesn’t waste any time throwing both burgers on the grill.

“We’re gonna start with the buffalo and the pig, and I’m gonna work right to left on the grill cause that’s how I was always taught,” Joshua said. “The buffalo, they’re almost half a pound. We gotta butter the buns, of course, these are brochette buns that come from a company down in Dallas that we get our buns from.”

Once the meat is cooked, ham and bacon hit the wild hog and both are topped with cheese, onions,  one tomato, lettuce and pickles.

“Oh man, there it is,” Joshua said. “That’s the beauty. The wild hog and the buffalo. Quick, easy and simple.”

The Buffalo Burger helped put the Ye Ole Butcher Shop on the map.

“Buffalo’s low in fat,” Jeff said. “It’s low in cholesterol. It’s got a really good, rich flavor. It’s really sweet. Once you taste it, it’s kinda hard going back to eating’ beef. It’s just really good stuff.”

Next, we tried The Wild Hog burger. The wild boar is a very light meat with great flavoring mixed with the garlic and pepper. Put on that incredible bacon and ham, and you have got a pig explosion.

“Hog, it’s a magical animal,” Greg said. “You’re getting ham. You’re getting pork chops. You’re getting pulled-pork and ribs, and you put it all on one sandwich. How can you go wrong with that? I strongly recommend it. Just come after we’ve already had our lunch.”

This old meat market is more than just a place to get your grub on.  It’s a connection to the community thanks to the bond between a father and son who continue the tradition together.

“To know that the next generation is preparing to take over this is awesome because that means you’re gonna have quality going forward like we have today,” Greg said.

So whether you feel like getting buff with a Buffalo Burger or wild with a Wild Hog Burger, either one is a great pick. This makes the Ye Old Butcher Shop in Plano, Texas well worth a stop on the Texas Bucket List.  

“I get to learn how to process meat,” Joshua said. “I love working with my dad. He’s got a lot of knowledge. He’s a very smart man. Only somebody I could hope to be.”

 

The Texas Bucket List – Herd’s Burgers in Jacksboro

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JACKSBORO, Texas — Since 1980, Herd’s Burgers has been slinging out a time-honored tradition out of a house on the north side of town.

What makes Herd’s such a sought after hamburger joint is it’s history prior to 1980, a story that goes all the way back to the teens of last century!

Danny Herd took over the family business, which was started by his great Aunt Ella Gafford in 1916, in 2008 after retiring from his day job.

“I think the business was 92 years old when I took it over,” Danny said. “How many businesses do you know that are even 92 years old, even how many that are in the same family. I’m just blessed to be able to take it over and keep it running.”

For Danny, the secret to success was simply not to change a thing. Danny’s Grandparents took it over in the restaurant in 1946 and Danny’s parents started their tenure in the 70’s.

“People remember my parents working down here,” Danny said. “For 30 something years they ran it together. By the time they retired, for a lot of people that was their entire life.”

While the location has changed, nothing else has. Danny still makes the burgers on the same cast iron grill that his father and his father before him.

“You know as I got ready to retire I came back and stood next to him cooking,” Danny said. “He gave me a lot of his little tips.”

The magnitude of carrying on this family tradition that means so much to the town of Jacksboro is an honor that Danny doesn’t take lightly.

“It’s a lot of history, a lot of family, a lot of memories,” Danny said. “I’m just blessed and fortunate to be able to take it over and keep it going however I can.”

When food and family can bring a grown man to tears, that something we truly want to support so we headed about 4 feet to unleash the double double.

“There’s no frills it’s just basic,” Danny said. “I think that’s probably why it has been around for so long. There’s no gimmicks it’s just a good burger.”

So good, some people eat two at time!

“I only get a chance to come here every two or three weeks so I just come in and get my fill,” customer Jack said.

Danny starts by taking a chip off the old block…..of beef. Two quarter pound patties are cooked while the bun rests on top of the patty. Once the beef is cooked, the burger is topped with salt, mustard, cheese onions, pickles, and lettuce.

“You know to me trying to cook away, you want to make sure everyone is getting their money’s worth,” Danny said.

There’s no denying a burger with this much Lone Star State lineage.

“It’s a one of a kind experience that they will never get anywhere else,” Jack said.

Well, we definitely hit the jackpot in Jacksboro.

“It’s just a testament to this place has been here a little over 100 years,” customer Doug said. “What restaurant has that? Seriously, what restaurant has that?”

Not an incredibly greasy burger, just enough grease to make it excellent, and the history in here is amazing. Whenever you go across Texas eating hamburgers like this and you can taste the difference just because of what the griddle is cooked on, that’s why you come.

“Everyone in the town kind of rallies around this place,” customer Jordyn said. “Every time I come here people are saying you need to get you a Herd’s burger.”

When in Jacksboro just follow the herd to Herd’s Burgers for a burger that is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“If they want the best burger in Texas you got to come here,” Jack said.

 

The Texas Bucket List – Galaxy B&G in Killeen

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KILLEEN, Texas — In the downtown quadrant of Killeen Texas, you’ll find a fine food establishment that does not attract a hive of scum and villainy, it brings in burger lovers.

Jaime Myers is one of the owners here and she works side by side with her fellow far away galaxy good friend Veictor. This is Galaxy’s second location, the first being in Harker Heights.

Well we’ll throw it into hyper drive for a hot hamburger with one heck of a name: The Outer Rim. A quarter pound patty of 90/10 beef gets seasoned and hits the cast iron cooker.  As it cooked, Veictor cleared his mind and told us the real inspiration behind his bold burgers.

“My mom always told me, you know, she said ‘Si sabes cocinar, nunca morirás de hambre,’” Veictor said. “If you know how to cook, you’ll never die of hunger. … So ever since then I’ve never ever doubted myself and I can go upon the limits every time. My expectations of my food.”

Four massive tortillas land on the grill and get filled with Colby jack cheese, while the burger is topped with swiss.  The queso filled quesadillas will bring balance to the burger, serving as the bun. Top those with the burger, lettuce, tomatoes, and a homemade spicy ranch aioli.

“It’s just cool and the burgers are so good,” Carola said.

So we will land on in, with the Outer Rim burger. A quesadilla with a burger inside of it. Quesadillas on both sides, a crazy looking concoction. It’s like the cross section of the Millennium Falcon. Well, it’s time to see if we can kick this into light speed. BITE.

“I just like a good burger,” Scooby said. I just like good burgers. They give you a good burger.”

Well, there’s no reason to go to a galaxy far, far away, Galaxy Burger is right here in Killeen and it’s well worth a stop on a Texas bucket list.

“May the fork be with you, I guess would be the only thing I have left to say,” Jamie said.

 

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The Texas Bucket List – Ringo’s BBQ and Burgers in Laredo

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LAREDO, Texas — When you head to the southern side of our state, you don’t expect to find a whole lot of BBQ by the border, so Johnny Castaneda did something about it.  He busted out his smoker and brought same bodacious bbq to Laredo.

“I learned to cook from my mom,” Johnny said. “That was one of the things. We were really big on family. Cooking barbeque brings family together.”

A huge fan of the movie Tombstone, he’s known as Johnny Ringo in these parts.

“Ever since the movie Tomb Stone came out everybody would always call me Charlie Ringo and I was like I don’t know why they would call me Johnny Ringo because I’m not a bad guy,” Johnny said.

Since it sounded cool, Johnny rolled with Ringo and he doesn’t mind throwing out a famous line from time to time.

“Well bye,” Johnny said.

We’re not going anywhere, because we called down the thunder and we’re about it get it with one beefy burger.

“Put barbeque and a burger together,” Johnny said. “Henceforth, the Doc Holiday.”

First a half pound patty is placed on the grill, while a sourdough bun gets toasted and an egg fried.  As it all cooks, Johnny south Texas BBQ smoked with oak gets ready for the showdown.

“Here, mesquite is in abundance,” Johnny said. “We can go to the back right now and get some mesquite but oak is totally different. It gives it a milder taste. A little nutty. People notice it.”

The bun gets a layer of chopped beef, held together with the hatch sausage. Add to all of that, the burger itself topped with shredded cheddar, bacon and an egg.

After getting every morsel of meat mixed up in my mouth, it was marvelous. On occasion you get the brisket and on occasion you get the sausage. Just an incredible combination of flavors for the barbeque or burger lover in your life.

“This is Texas soul food,” Abraham said. “The barbeque is really good.”

Seeing people enjoy his BBQ means a lot to Johnny because not to long ago, a stroke sidelined him from stoking the fires at Ringo’s.

“I was in a coma for six, seven days,” Johnny said. “When I came to I look to my right and I saw my wife, my daughter and my son that lives in Washington and I knew something had happened.”

Johnny is recovering but is unable to play as big of role in his business.

“Seeing him today was a blessing and I’m glad that he’s here,” Erasmo said. “He’s on his way back. It will take time but you know what? Never give up.”

Well if you happen to be down at the border and happen to have a hankering for a sandwich that happens to have beef, brisket, sausage and egg on it, Ringo’s down in Laredo is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“I wish people would understand that it’s something you should eat at least once in your lifetime but once won’t cut it,” Erasmo said. “It’s like a potato chip. Once you have it one time you have to have it all the time. It’s good.”­­­­­­

 

The Texas Bucket List – Ol’ Railroad Cafe in Rosenberg

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ROSENBERG, Texas — In the town known for its rail lines to the really big city of Houston, you’ll find an eatery with a burger that barely fits in fort bend county.

The Ol’ Railroad Café, is a restaurant run by three chefs who are really into hamburgers. The building the Ol’ Railroad Café calls home has been a part of Rosenberg since 1910.  It’s home to a wine bar, an antique shop and what may be the oldest working elevator in Texas.

This culinary Café first went down the line in 2012 when Daniel Ornelas opened up a small sandwich shop. But it wasn’t until he partnered up with fellow chefs Clint Stump and Dillion Kao (Cow) that things really started chugging along at the café.

“We’re all three different cultures of food,” Clint said. “All have a little different thing to bring to it so we all kind of complement each other.”

Together, they’ve created some crazy concoctions.

“When you get three chefs together you sit down and start beating your heads up together going ‘Okay what are we going to do? What’s something different that we haven’t seen? What’s something that might taste good?” Clint said. “And we just did a bunch of different things.”

The Hobo Burger will jump in your belly for a ride to taste town. Daniel get things started with a half-pound hand formed patty that’s topped with house made seasoning.

“This is our KC seasoning with a little mix of pepper and a little bit of salt,” Daniel said. “We also make a mix ourselves.”

As the beef gets brushed with the blaze. Daniel starts toasting a sourdough bun and frying an egg. By this point the burger is flipped. Cheese and bacon top the burger while homemade garlic jalapeno aioli top the bun. Add some onion strings, top it and that’s a Hobo Burger.

So here we are. Something any hobo would be hungry for, the Hobo Burger.  A huge beef patty topped with bacon, cheese, onion strings and that yolk ready to pierce down into those onion rings and give it full of flavor. Will it be messy? I have a feeling it will be very messy, but you know what? That’s how we do it. Here’s to the Hobo Burger here in Rosenberg.

After the first bite you definitely get a bunch of flavor. It definitely makes you wanna all the way through this thing because it is amazing.

Well the textures of that Hobo Burger are amazing. You get through that soft bun and into the egg which squeezes out into those crunchy onion rings and coming up you got the meat and the crispy bacon. But it’s not too entirely crispy. It all breaks off into one big beautiful bite.

That jalapeño aioli mixes in really well with the onion strings and the egg, and you’d be surprised how fast your lips start burning. But it all mixes in very well, a good addition to the Hobo Burger.

You can see how three chefs came up with this crazy concoction and it is worth craving and well worth a stop on the Texas Bucket List.

The Texas Bucket List – Muddbones in Bonham

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­­BONHAM, Texas — Ten miles from the Oklahoma border you’ll find Bonham Texas. Home to Sam Rayburn and named in honor James Bonham who died at the Alamo, this Texas town just can trace its roots all the way back to 1837.  But we’re not here for a history lesson, we’re here for burgers.

Kyle Sanderson and Jarrett Munger teamed up to birth this Bonham Burger business and to say these guys are polar opposites might be an understatement.

“I’m not one to brag or boast or anything but I think this place put Bonham on the map,” Kyle said.

Their ying and yang way of doing businesses has worked.

“It’s an adventure everyday, I’ll say that,” Jarrett said.

Kyle, a former prison guard and Jarrett, a former electronic rentals expert, somehow struck things off with a conversation about what else, but food.

“Bonham needs a good, greasy burger,” Kyle said. “I said, ‘Well shoot, I could be your partner. I’m pretty good with people. You could be the cook.’ We had this plan from that day going.”

But they have a secret weapon that Jarrett generated to glorify the great burn Texans love in their food. Smokey Jalapeno Sauce.

“It’s a homemade jalapeno sauce,” Jarrett said. “This is not something you’re going to get anywhere else, this is something you’re going to get here.”

Jarrett got things started with a quarter pound pattie personally pressed by Kyle. Onions and jalapenos hit the grill, the bun get’s toasted, while house made seasoning hits the hamburger.  Then comes the sauce. The bun is prepared like your typical burger and pepper jack is put on the patty.

We unwrap the smoky deluxe, pull it out of this wrapper and get a look at this burger that smells incredible. It smells like an outdoor grill on top of barbeque on top of spice. It’s very hard to explain but we are going to go ahead and do what we do best: Take a big ole bite and see what the smoky deluxe is all about.

That is amazing. It’s almost like a spicy rub you find on some ribs with jalapenos, put on a burger that just explodes.

“I’ve never had anything like it,” customer Chance said. “I really wouldn’t know how to explain it, it’s just a jalapeno sauce.”

The more you get into it, the more that flavor sits in your mouth, the more it sizzles.

“Goes down smooth,” customer Corey said. “Has a nice little tingle to it so it’s not too hot.”

The smoky deluxe at Mud Bones in Bonham Texas. Worth setting your lips on fire for right here on The Texas Bucket List.

“If you like cheese burgers, don’t make a mistake, you have to come here and try it,” customer Cody said.

The Texas Bucket List – Mark’s Outing in San Antonio

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SAN ANTONIO, Texas – In the shadows of the Alamodome on the city’s east side you’ll find a burger business that’s been a part of this community since 2005, Mark’s Outing.

For 15 years, Mark produced rap music in the rapidly growing Alamo city, but a religious epiphany redirected the road he was taking through life.

“A relationship with Jesus Christ got me out of the music business,” Mark said. “Listening to a gospel preacher and realizing my state before a holy God. That’s what changed it. The Lord gave me a heart change.”

The Sunday morning that Mark made up his mind to take a more spiritual swing at life is one he remembers well.

“You know how you go to church and you’re there listening but you’re really not listening but this particular time the Lord allowed me to open up my ears to hear so I was able to hear what was being said,” Mark said. “It was very fearful at that point because I realized I wasn’t right with the Lord.”

Mark quit repping rap and a found this old building to start his burger business.

“It used to be a pawn shop many years back and then before we got it it was a funeral home. Actually was a funeral home for a little while. We came in and said, ‘There used to be death here, we’re going to bring life here. That’s where we’re at right now.” There you go. Raising from the dead. “Raising from the dead. Amen. Just like Christ rose from the dead.”  ***

Becoming a builder of burgers isn’t the only epiphany Mark encountered.   While trying to come up with new creations a trip to the ice cream parlor put a preposterous idea in his head.

“They made their own cone for their ice cream and that was kind of mind boggling to me because I’m watching them make it,” Mark said. “I said, ‘Well if they can make a cone, we can make an ice cream burger, it’ll be great.’ … If it had been left at that we probably never would’ve had our ice cream burger but my wife said, ‘That’s disgusting and no one would eat it,’ and I said, ‘Really? Yes they will.’”

The experiment began.

“If you’d have been here when we first tried the first sample of it you would’ve laughed,” Mark said. “We literally made a shake and poured it on the burger and we all at it. It was good but it was a mess.”

After finalizing the feature with fried ice cream, Mark’s heavenly hamburger was a reality.

“My wife ended up liking the burger, she just likes it with bacon,” Mark said.

The burger is seasoned and prepared and nothing seems odd until the ice cream hits the fryer. The bun gets all the toppings including mustard and mayo. Put it all together and everyone scream for ice cream. After letting the flavors come together, it’s actually not bad.

“If it seems a little weird to you, then just think of it this way: Most people have eaten a burger and most people have drunk a shake and we’re just going to marry them together,” Mark said. “Bring it all in one bite. Delicious.”

The ice cream burger at Mark’s Outing in San Antonio. A crazy conundrum of flavors that’s well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“It’s good, I can say that,” Mark’s Outing customer David said. “It’s interesting, it’s different. … If you get the opportunity to talk to Mark himself and hear where he’s coming from and see where his mind is at, it is a one of a kind experience.”

The Texas Bucket List – Flip ‘n Patties in Houston

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HOUSTON, Texas – For this week’s burger of the week we’re in west Houston at a burger joint that kind of fuses some flavorful things together. We’re at Flip ‘n Patties.

Along the Energy Corridor of the Space City you’ll find the typical h-town population.  Very, very diverse.  The blending of all these cultures makes for some incredible food combinations and that’s exactly what we found at this Filipino inspired eatery.

Michael Jante started Flip N Patties with his creative cousin Don.

“We grew up together, spent almost every day of our lives together up until we started school, elementary, kindergarten and stuff,” Michael said. “We still hung out. Family is huge here in Houston.”

Their parents immigrated from the Philippines in the 70s.

“A lot of immigrants come here for the American dream, you know, and they got great jobs when we got here they were both engineers,” Michael said. “Moved to Houston and it’s a big oil industry here in Houston. Then kind of passed that onto me as far as wanting to be successful here in the states.”

Both took the business path to start their careers, but it just wasn’t what they wanted to do.

“Went to school, kind of just followed that road then I was like, ‘Hey man, I’m not really loving this. I kind of want to live life loving what I do,’” Michael said. “And so I love food and when I travel that’s all I do. I travel for food, I don’t travel for landmarks.”

So the cousins opened a food truck in 2012 dedicated to their taste of home.

“How can we get people to a food truck, especially people who don’t really know Filipino food,” Michael said. “So we said let’s make burgers. Filipino style burgers. We took what our parents came here with and we took what we were born with and kind of put it together.”

The successful combination of authentic Filipino food and creative burgers lead to their first location and now their infused food is flying out the door. Head chef Cameron Terry introduced us to one beautiful burger.

“We’re going to be making the Jeepney Burger,” Terry said. “It has a certified Angus beef patty, slice of tomato and a longanisa patty which is kind of like pork sausage, with a fried egg.”

A 6 ounce patty of beef topped with house made seasoning and Worchester sauce along with a specially blended Filipino sausage starts frying up. Then an egg and a very special Siopao bun hits the grill.

“We make everything in house,” Terry said. “Everything you’ve seen here is made in house, except for the egg. We don’t have chickens.”

The grilled bun gets a banana ketchup aioli, the beef, a tomato, more aioli, the sausage, and egg and we’re happy, happy.

“Overwhelming aroma,” Claudia said. “I feel like I smell all of it before and it just kind of infuses as I’m starting to chew because it’s just juicy and you feel all the spices running through. It’s just very unbelievable.”

You’ve got that soft bun that’s just a breeze to bite through followed by the beef patty. And then you get to that longanisa sausage, which has the same texture as the beef, but tastes so much sweeter. And then the egg and the banana aioli. Even the Westchester sauce they put on there comes together to make a burger you’ll do flips over.

“It brings different flavors together, it brings different cultures together, just like Houston brings the different cultures together,” Jessie said.