I know my next review is going to make a lot of people happy. Chris Madrid's is one of those places for which I received TONS of review requests from readers. I have to be honest, I was hesitant to make the drive to San Antonio for Madrid's because they have a website. (www.ChrisMadrids.com) Typically mom and pop burger joints don't have the funds or the know how for a website... and after looking at the site, I thought Chris Madrid's might be an upscale joint. Nothing is worse to me than a mom and pop burger joint that is all fancied up to look like a chain burger joint. Well... suffice it to say that as I turned off the interstate into Madrid's neighborhood... those worries started to subside. When I actually saw the physical building... all worries of this being a chain burger joint wannabe disappeared completely. I am happy to say I was equally impressed with the burger I was served at Chris Madrid's. All in all - this place has all the right stuff....
IMPORTANT: If you haven't already, please read the Texas Burger Guy terminology post. That will help you understand the terminology I use in this review.
Chris Madrid's Cheeseburger
Every good burger joint has a loyal following. These people come in frequently and as a result, they know "the drill". The drill includes things like where, how, and what to order, favorite places to sit, etc. When I walked into Chris Madrid's, I could feel the looks from people because they could tell I didn't know the drill. In fact, it took me a few minutes to figure out exactly where the front of the place was to order. I tracked a lady that came in a different door for me and followed her to the place to order your food. Along the way I was soaking up the atmosphere in this place... and it was awesome. You want character? Chris Madrid's has got character deluxe. I knew that a place with this much character in the restaurant itself had to have a fantastic burger to go with it... boy was I right?!?! This is how I see the Chris Madrid's Cheeseburger ranking in the TexasBurgerGuy categories:
Oooze Factor
The first thing I noticed when I went and picked up my burger was the shine coming off the bun. I thought if the bun was shining... surely the meat was equally shiny. I opened the buns and lo and behold I saw a really shiny and ooozy patty. After the first bite, I saw ooozy drippings coming from the burger as well. Add to that the yellow paper that was made transparent from the oooze and this cheeseburger scores really high on Oooze Factor....
Oooze Factor Rating: 9
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Herd Killer
I'm really kicking myself for not taking another picture of this beauty. The patty was hanging out the sides of the bun. The patty was big but not so thick that it wasn't cooked all the way through. I really enjoyed the size and flavor of the meat. It was not so big that a entire herd was thinned out for this burger but suffice it to say some Bessies didn't come home because Madrid got his hands on them...
Herd Killer Rating: 9
Handling
The Cheeseburger was nice and big. It wasn't as hard to handle as some other burgers I have eaten, but it was still pretty big... a 2 hander all the way.
Handling Rating: 7
Bling Bling
I paid 5.25 for the Macho sized Cheeseburger. That seems like an OK price considering the size of the burger. However, I really wish it came with fries. The fries were a separate item all together. Once you add in a Macho size fries with the burger... you are approaching 8.50 which is a bit much for a burger and fries in my opinion. BUT... I did leave there hating life because I was so full... And I was also very happy with the meal I just ate.
Bling Bling Rating: 6
Gravedigger
Now for the great equalizer among the TBG categories... the infamous Gravedigger category. It occured to me as I was taking one of my last bites of the burger that if given the opportunity to eat one of these burgers day after day - I would definitely be taking some days off my life. The grease pooling up on the yellow paper reinforced this thought. The shine from the bun, the shine from the fries, the shine from the patty.... all these images still haunt me well after I put that burger in my belly. I can honestly say I left just a little scared for my life.
Gravedigger Rating: 7 Shovels
Overall Chris Madrid's Cheeseburger Rating: 8
Restaurant Review
Chris Madrid's Menu
One of the things I love about mom and pop burger joints is that they have the freedom to develop their own custom burgers. You could never go to Chili's and order a "Porky's Delight" or a "Squealer". Those burgers can only be found on the menu at a mom and pop place. Chris Madrid's has a few of these specialty burgers on their menu. One of the requests I received from a reader asked me to try the "Cheddar Cheezy" burger. Since I try and order the same burger at every burger joint, I went ahead and had the regular cheeseburger. But - Mrs TexasBurgerGuy tried the Cheddar Cheezy and I got a few bites of it as well. It was EXCELLENT. (see the picture below) WHEN we go back - I am getting one of those bad boys for myself.... We also ordered some nachos - again off a recommendation from a reader. They were excellent! The kids will eat just plain cheese nachos. I was pleased with how crisp the chips stayed even after having been saturated in grease from the cheese that covered every inch of the chip. Highly recommend the nachos! Also - the fries are the natural cut variety which are awesome! A must have in my opinion... All in all - everything we tried at Chris Madrid's was excellent!
Link to the Chris Madrid's Menu: Link
Chris Madrid's Cheddar Cheezy Burger, Fries, and Nachos
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Restaurant/Atmosphere
When we arrived at Chris Madrid's, it was at the end of a pretty long drive from Houston to San Antonio. The drive up to the restaurant is always a moment filled with much anticipation as I wait to see if my TBG readers made a bad recommendation. What we found was a textbook example of a mom and pop burger joint. Chris Madrid's had it all. Very nice and helpful waitstaff, extremely unique atmosphere which means lots of character... good menu... great food... the list went on and on. One thing that stands out in my mind is how it looks like they have added on a few times to the original building. That means they have established a presence in the neighborhood and instead of picking up and moving - they just keep adding additional room to the building. The floor is uneven which is awesome. They have a nice outdoor area. (see picture below) You can purchase Madrid's T-Shirts and look around at all the regulars that have left autographed shirts on the walls. Its quite a site and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. We will be back...
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Directions
Exit I-10 on Hildebrand Ave - go east. Take a right on Blanco. Madrid's will be on your left.
Address
1900 Blanco Road (Blanco & Hollywood)
San Antonio, Tx. USA 78212
(210) 735-3552
Map
Chris Madrid's Map
TBG Overall Rating
One of the readers that submitted Chris Madrid's for a review said that if I would go, they would guarantee that Madrid's would be in my Top 5. Well... I went into it very skeptical, but I came out a big fan of Chris Madrid's. This place has it all... I REALLY enjoyed it! I HIGHLY recommend Chris Madrid's if you are in the San Antonio area and in the mood for a good burger!!!
Overall TBG Rating for Chris Madrid's: 9
