Ranch 616

616 Nueces St.

Austin , TX , United States http://www.theranch616.com/index.php

(512) 479-7616

The Burger: Ranch 616 is a South Texas–style diner that skews south of the border. The Chili and Fritos burger is quite the Tex-Mex mix: it’s an eight-ounce beef patty stuffed with crunchy corn chips, homemade chile con carne, pico de gallo, and tomatillo crema. But it’s the Framed Burger that takes the prize. It’s filled daily with different fixings—Maytag blue, cremini mushrooms, jalapeño peppers—on the short-order cook’s whim. And it’s worth stopping by on performance nights for live country by Lucas Hudgins & the First Cousins. This is Austin, after all.

Best Sides: The Texas Gulf Coast crab-and-fish cake and the fried fruit pies with Mexican vanilla ice cream.