An Average Joe in San Antonio

Biff Buzby’s Burgers may be a tongue twister to say, but will you be glad that you said it when your friend asks where you want to go grab some grub?

Located off of Topperwein and I-35 on the NE side of San Antone and in/near the little city of Live Oak is a burger joint that makes you recall the days of old.  I happened on this restaurant off of a suggestion from a friend; I decided to go on a Friday night when I was over in that part of town.

When I arrived to the restaurant I noticed that it was packed and was almost tempted to turn around.  I’m glad I didn’t because it turns out that every Friday Night (weather permitting) is an impromptu car show complete with a DJ spinning some tunes outside.  You see everything from 30s model Ford coupes, old hot rod pickups, 60s/70s muscle cars, on up to the recently released and redesigned Chevy Camaro.  There is a booth set up outside that sells beer, so you can drink while admiring some classic cars.

I definitely advise you going on a Friday night to see the cars, and need to pass on the following piece of info: it costs $5 to park, but don’t fret, you are given a $5 coupon to be put towards the cost of your meal at the restaurant.  As long as you are eating, it essentially doesn’t cost you anything.

The inside of the restaurant is really retro with a lot of the yellow and blue neon; the checkered table cloths complete the feel and you are transported back to the days when rock was young.  On this night, there was a special of a 1/2 pound Philly burger (came with cheese, grilled onions and peppers) with fries for $8.00 (there was a smaller sized burger that ran $6.50) so both my friend and I got this burger and a beer and were out only $10 for dinner.

The amazing Philly Burger; I really thought the fries were holding the burger back, but you may like them

The fries are incredibly disappointing; they are those “steak fries” look like you are eating planks.  I am assuming that they are not fresh cut, and this is unfortunate, because of how good the burger was…

The burger was nothing short of spectacular; the onions were caramelized just right and the patty was nice and thick.  The item that stole the show was the bun; it was really fluffy, hot, and had a nice sweet taste to it.  I am not sure if it is homemade or not, but it is a hamburger bun that I don’t think I have ever tasted.  The meat was excellent too and had a nice taste.  I would suggest putting a little bit of salt on the burger because it really brings out all the different flavors (in particular the onions).

Value: 9/10 (pretty solid value of getting a 1/2 pound burger and beer for $10 at dinner)
Atmosphere: 10/10 (the inside has a throwback feel and if you go on Friday you are treated to a classic car show with a beer booth outside)
Service: 9/10 (very friendly and prompt at getting tables cleaned)
Taste: 9/10 (so if all you get is a hamburger, then the restaurant is by far a 10/10 and probably the best burger in San Antonio; unfortunately the fries bring it down a bit)

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If you are going to Pam’s Patio for lunch, be sure to get there a shade on the early side. Pam’s cookin’ has been known to pack the locals in the smallish dining area right when traditional lunch time starts; however, true to the name, there is abundant seating in the outside patio. You just have to be able to brave the Texas heat to snag a spot!

I have to start out by saying that the most striking feature about Pam’s Patio is the fact that the staff is so friendly given the fact that their restaurant is so packed that they must have to negotiate around the maze of people to deliver food and pick up the plates. Amazingly they all have smiles on their faces.

One of the big minuses to Pam’s, although something that would not typically bother a consumer at any other restaurant, is the whole ordering process. You wait in a line that snakes around tables and then order your food, but instead of paying, you are told to walk down the line to the register. The line is quite congested because there are multiple servers to the queue that takes the orders; top that off with the fact that some people are being served their salad instantaneously along with the fact that the soda refills are in the same line, and you get a cluster pretty quick.  This cause you to be in a line for a while in order to finally pay. I think the biggest minus to this is that you don’t get to talk to your friends because it is pretty much a single file line and you have to be on point to figure out where to go and incoming people to dodge.

Ok, enough about the ordering process (I know that is not why you are here).

I ordered the strawberry lemonade and the chipotle chicken sandwich which came with a piece of watermelon, homemade chips, and mango avocado salsa. The total of my meal was $11.35 (it would have been $9.25 if I just got the sandwich).

The strawberry lemonade was fresh, and the added bonus was having real strawberries (not some syrup) floating at the top of my glass. I definitely recommend this choice and bypassing the soda.

The chips were all right, but what really made them was the mango-avocado salsa that has some red onion and maybe cilantro in it. I know that it may sound a little gross, but I wish I could have had more! It really tastes like summer and that with the lemonade made me feel like I was free.

They were out of focaccia bread, so I got it on their sub bread, which I think turned out for the better. I have to say that the sandwich was pretty dang amazing. The chicken was hot, the bread was soft, and the homemade chipotle mayo was muy delicioso.  The sandwhich really brought it.

My friend got a chicken salad sandwich and said that it was equally as impressive.  He did make a lot of sense when he said that, “The reason that I got a chicken salad sandwich is because if I am going to spend $9 on a sandwich, there better be more work involved than just slicing meat and putting it on bread.”  In spite of Expensive Sandwiches being Number 63 on the popular list www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com, I think it is a little absurd to charge that much for a sandwich.  This is callous, but it is true.

Then again, it was an amazing sandwich and I might be tempted to set aside some money from the next 3 paychecks and go back…

Value: 6.5/10 (lunch is steep, but (1) it is a restaurant that prides itself on “fresh ingredients” and (2) it truly does taste good; I just want you to know your dollar won’t go far)
Atmosphere: 7/10 (I like the inside atmosphere, the paintings, and the patio, however, as a person with a background in Industrial Engineering their ordering process is nothing but frustrating that robs you a quarter to a third of your lunchtime from talking with your friends)
Service: 9/10 (Incredibly friendly folks that somehow can wind around the crowds to make every table clean; the service is quite good in spite of what they have to work with–imagine what it would be like if they got the ordering process straightened out)
Salsa: 9/10 (yes, this is San Antonio so we do have chips and salsa at our sandwich shops; it is a funky take on salsa that really delivers)
Taste: 10/10 (as much as I want to complain on the price, it is a dang good sandwich)

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