In the October issue of EveryDay with Rachael Ray – on stands now – the El Naranjo food trailer is mentioned in ”From Wheels to Walls,” a feature article that showcases a handful of food trucks that have added a brick-and-mortar space to their concepts. In case you don’t rememeber, El Naranjo was the only food trailer to make Texas Monthly’s December 2010 list of the 50 best Mexican restaurants in Texas. Austin’s El Naranjo is one of three trailers mentioned in the October issue, along with New York City’s Big Gay Ice Cream Truck and Los Angeles’ Kogi BBQ. To find out more, pick up the October issue of EveryDay with Rachael Ray.

Tagged: austin, Big Gay Ice Cream Truck, El Naranjo, EveryDay with Rachael Ray, Kogi BBQ, Layne Lynch, Mexican food, October, texas monthly

Get your general admission tickets to the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival on Wednesday, starting at 10 a.m. But if you are in or around Austin, we can also feed you sooner.  Come downtown at lunchtime for the final TM BBQ Hunt, where we’ll pick four winners in a random drawing.

One person will score a pair of tickets to the festival, but the real prize, as ever, is meat. The final hunt haul will be brisket, from a truly celebrated joint that you might say has just 1/6th the line of Austin’s Franklin, without it being any less in demand. Along with the festival itself, this will be a rare chance to forego the early morning wake-up and a 50-mile drive. Could we make this any easier to guess? We’ll officially announce the restaurant, and more importantly, exact location, Tuesday via Twitter (@tmfood or @texasmonthly).

UPDATE: The hunt is on at 2nd and Lavaca in downtown Austin. Wednesday, August 10th. 12:30. With brisket from the legendary Snow’s.

Tagged: austin, barbecue, bbq, BBQ Festival, brisket, texas, texas monthly

You can access the full story on texasmonthly.com (subscriber-only), but here’s the list, just to get your tastebuds revved up. Also, there are lots of related burger sidebars that we couldn’t squeeze into the magazine. Check them out.

The list is ranked in order of our preference from one to fifty, with the name of the restaurant first. The exact burger we sampled is listed–if you haven’t had it, go try it before you leave a comment. The same place may offer burger variations that range from great to  good to yuck. Trust us on this–we ate at more than 250 places to choose the top 50.  (Pictured: Dutch’s, Fort Worth, #8.)

1. The Grape, Dallas, Classic Cheeseburger

2. Counter Cafe, Austin, Counter Burger

3. Alamo Springs Cafe, Fredericksburg, Cheeseburger (with green chiles on a jalapeno-cheese bun)

4. Toro Burger Bar, El Paso, Toro Burger

5. The Cove, San Antonio, Texas Burger

6. The Porch, Dallas, The Stodg

7. Perini Ranch Steakhouse, Buffalo Gap, Hamburger Steak on a Bun

8. Dutch’s, Fort Worth, Bacon and Bleu Cheese Burger

9. Beck’s Prime, Houston, Bacon Cheeseburger

10. Orlando’s, Lubbock, Cheeseburger in Paradise

11. White Buffalo Bar, Gage Hotel Marathon, Buffalo Burger

12. Cover 3, Austin, Chop-House Burger (with cheese and bacon)

13. Burger Fresh, Conroe, 1/2 Pound Burger

14. Burger Tex II, Austin, Burgogi Burger

15. Twisted Root Burger Co., Dallas, Hamburger

16. Max’s Wine Dive, Austin and Houston, Kobe Beef Burger

17. Love Shack, Fort Worth, Dirty Love Burger

18. Fatty’s Burgers & More, San Antonio, Ref Burger

19. MoMak’s Backyard Malts & Burgers, San Antonio, MoMak Classic Burger

20. Kelly’s Eastside, Plano, Southwestern Burger

21. Big’z Burger Joint, San Antonio, Big’z Famous No. 1

22. Chicken Oil Co., Bryan, Snuffy Burger

23. Cafe Michael Burger, Galveston, Tiki Burger

24. Burgers, Fries and Cherry Pies, Midland, The French Connection Burger

25. Mockingbird Bistro, Houston, American Kobe Beef Burger

26. Parkside, Austin, Cheeseburger

27. Black Sheep Lodge, Austin, Black Buffalo Burger

28. Miss Hattie’s Cafe and Saloon, San Angelo, Miss Hattie Burger

29. Mel’s Country Cafe, Tomball, Double Hamburger

30. Roaring Fork, Austin, Half Ass Burger (also in San Antonio)

31. Gene’s Tasty Burger, Wichita Falls, Frisco Burger

32. Cliff Cafe, Dallas, Brie and Granny Smith Burger

33. Bracken Store Cafe, San Antonio, Bean and Frito Burger

34. Sam’s Deli Diner, Houston, Hamburger

35. Dry Creek Cafe, Houston, The Regular (with asadero cheese)

36. Hamburger Store, Jefferson, Build-Your-Own Burger

37. Mighty Fine, Austin, Hamburger

38. Roadhouse, Bastrop, Jalapeno Cream Cheese Burger

39. Lankford Grocery and Market, Houston, Old-Fashioned Hamburger

40. Classics Burgers and “Moore,” Kerrville, Cheeseburger

41. Koffee Kup Family Restaurant, Hico, Jalapeno Cream Cheese Burger

42. Hruska’s Store and Bakery, Ellinger, Cheeseburger

43. Rosco’s Burger Inn, El Paso, Rosco Burger

44. Port Aransas Brewing Company, Port Aransas, Stopher Burger

45. Goode Company Hamburgers and Taqueria, Houston, Mesquite Burger

46. Snuffer’s Restaurant and Bar, Dallas, Green Chile Swissburger

47. Fred’s Texas Cafe, Fort Worth, Diablo Burger

48. Speedy’s Burger, Houston, Hamburguesa Mexicana

49. Gourmet Burger Grill, San Antonio, Hamburger

50. Jakes, Dallas, #1 Jakes Special

Tagged: 50 best burgers, dallas, dutch's forth worth, texas monthly, the grape

My good friend Laura Kelso, queen of Dishola.com, sent this report on yesterday’s barbecue demo and “crash course,” held at Emo’s as a satellite SXSW event (what it had to do with music, I don’t know, but there you go . . .). It was organized by Dishola.com and the Austin Chronicle (specifically food editor Virginia Wood).  Star appearances were made by a red carpet’s worth of BBQ maestros. First and foremost were Kim and Kerry Bexley, owners of Snow’s BBQ (which Texas Monthly named the best barbecue joint in Texas in our June 2008 issue).  Located in Lexington, Texas, an hour’s drive from  Austin, Snow’s did fantastic brisket. Kevin Williamson of Ranch 616, upped the ante with smoked cabrito (and pineappple relish), neatly tucked into a flour tortilla. Inman’s Ranch House, in Marble Falls, served up spicy pure-turkey sausages. The County Line Austin offered pork and beef ribs so tender the meat fell off the bone. And Louie Mueller, of Taylor,  did two kinds of sausage, jalapeno and original, plus mouthwatering brisket. Art, of Artz Rib House in Austin, doled out great pork and baby back ribs. That’s about it, but now you’ve got a whole bunch of links to barbecue in the Austin area, so give one or more of these folks a visit (just remember that Snow’s is only open on Saturday mornings, and they sell out early). For more bbq around Texas, check out our whole story.

Tagged: bbq, pat sharpe, texas monthly

If times weren’t so darned tough, I’d predict that La Condesa was going to take off like a rocket. I mean, the space is crazy contemporary, the drinks are awesome, the food is by and large excellent (based on, oh, about eight apps and dishes). The only thing standing in the way are the prices, which I think are kinda high for now. But maybe the beautiful people who haunt the warehouse district still have folding money and noncanceled plastic. I loved the ceviches, which are  offbeat, and the  tuna tostada. Great duck in black mole with toasted sesame seeds (did not love love love the huarache with huitlacoche–I can barely even type those words!). You definitely ought to give the place a try. You know, be there or be square.

Tagged: la condesa, pat sharpe, texas monthly