Paul Eighmey moved from Buffalo to Austin in 1990 with a dream of owning a bar. In 1994 he and his partner Mark Supples opened Casino El Camino on East Sixth Street, named after Eighmey’s stage name from his punk rock days. For the first 14 years, the bar’s food was what Eighmey calls Sixth Street’s best-kept secret: 12-ounce burgers, chargrilled to order, with toppings including roasted serrano peppers, Texas-hot buffalo sauce, and thick-cut bacon, served to whoever was sober enough to order but not so hungry they’d go somewhere nicer. Casino El Camino appeared in Season 4, Episode 3 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Burgers and Dogs,” which aired July 28, 2008. Guy Fieri called it “the best burger in town.” Food sales after the episode began to rival drink sales, which is not what a punk rock bar owner expects to hear. Eighmey put it best: “I opened up a beer joint that sold a few burgers. Now I have a burger joint that sells a few beers.”
Quick Facts
Restaurant: Casino El Camino
City: Austin, Texas
Cuisine: Burgers / Bar Food
DDD Season: 4
DDD Episode: 3
Episode Title: Burgers and Dogs
Original Air Date: July 28, 2008
Address: 517 E. 6th St., Austin, TX 78701
Phone: 512-469-9330
Website: https://www.casinoelcamino.net/
Status: Open
About Casino El Camino
The interior is dark and deliberately so: horror movie posters, tiki idols, gargoyles, pinball machines, a jukebox that was voted best in Austin by the Austin Chronicle every year from 1994 to 2009, and a patio out back that is one of the better spots on Sixth Street when the Texas weather cooperates. The bar has been voted best jukebox and best burger in Austin repeatedly, which are two things that don’t usually show up together in the same establishment. The kitchen operates on a simple premise: a small menu, done with quality ingredients, at a pace that matches a bar rather than a restaurant. Burgers take 30 minutes. That is not a complaint, it is a fact of life at Casino El Camino and the regulars have made their peace with it.
What to Eat at Casino El Camino
The Amarillo Burger is the signature, a 12-ounce chargrilled beef patty topped with roasted serrano peppers and cheddar cheese. The Buffalo Burger with house buffalo sauce and blue cheese is the heat seeker’s order. The Verde Chili Fries are the side worth pairing with any burger on the menu. The Bloody Mary, built tall with serious garnish, is regularly cited as the best in Austin and functions as a meal in its own right.
Bring Casino El Camino burger energy home with Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Burger Joint Seasoning and Guy’s Flavortown Top Secret Sauce.
Plan Your Visit
Casino El Camino is open 11:30 AM to 2:00 AM every day, with happy hour running 11:30 AM to 7:00 PM. No reservations. First come, first served. Budget 30 minutes for the burger.
Address: 517 E. 6th St., Austin, TX 78701
Phone: 512-469-9330
Website: https://www.casinoelcamino.net/
Status: Open
Flavortown Approved
Austin has a strong Triple D presence. Find a hotel in the city on Booking.com and stream the Burgers and Dogs episode on Amazon.
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Casino El Camino appeared in Season 4, Episode 3 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Burgers and Dogs,” originally aired July 28, 2008. The bar opened in 1994 and has been voted best burger in Austin by the Austin Chronicle multiple times.