FINDING THE FOOD
by Marq Manner
T
Burger and fries at Country Burger
“Byers, Colorado is one of the most
desolate areas I have ever traveled
through. There was only one place
to stop and eat... Country Burger.”
Rocky mountain oysters, fried okra and fried pickles were all on
the menu as was a wide selection of sandwiches, comfort food and
all-day breakfast. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and fries while
my friend ordered an omelet. We didn’t expect fast service as this is
probably the most busy they have ever been, but they were smartly
staffed for the event and our order was taken quickly.
The food took longer than average to arrive, but that was
expected. I received a large hand patted burger with thick,
“The Scarecrow” at Torchy’s Taco
“Torchy’s has creative tacos,
breakfast burritos and monthly
specials, such as ‘The Scarecrow’.”
farm-fresh bacon on a hearty, quality bun. Crinkle cut fries were
served on the side and the portion was generous. The quality and
quantity of bacon really made the burger for me, but the entire
sandwich was well prepared. My friend’s breakfast was very large
and he had to scarf that down quickly as the line of cars to get to
the festival was starting to get long. On the way out I took a glance
at one of the few townsfolk’s massive pancakes, which hung over
the sides of his dinner plate. Even though we didn’t try anything
too daring, Country Burger is kind of an oasis in that part of the
country.
The dining options in Austin are many, but during our time
there we were sticking close to the Zilker Park area, where the ACL
Festival was happening. The bus stop by the place that myself and
three friends were staying at was right in front of a Torchy’s Taco.
Torchy’s is actually a spot that was recommended to me and so
breakfast that first morning was a no-brainer for us. Torchy’s has
creative tacos such as this month’s special, ‘The Scarecrow’, which
is pumpkin seed breaded chicken tenders, roasted poblano peppers,
escabeche carrots, queso fresco, cilantro and a creamy chipotle ranch
on a flour tortilla.
We went for the breakfast burritos which were large, tightly
wrapped and filled with quality ingredients. I did a sausage and
a bacon burrito, and found that I could not eat both. My more
adventurous young friends played with the hot green sauce and
raved over it while also making bathroom jokes. Everything was
made to order, so we sat and drank some of the many organic sodas
available and took in the décor. From looking around, the décor
seemed to tell a story as if this was once a taco truck that became a
local chain. You never felt like you were not in a strip mall, but they
did their best to make it hip. We went back Saturday morning for
more of the same, and found a very long line leading out the door,
fsmomaha.com
his was the first year in a while that I have been able to
do some traveling. We headed out to Riot Fest in Byers,
Colorado and the ACL Festival in Austin, Texas this fall. With
festival food and amenities being so expensive, these trips were
going to be on the cheap. I did want to find a couple of unique
local eateries in each area, though.
Byers, Colorado is in one of the most desolate areas I have ever
travelled through. After traveling about 60 miles off the interstate
with barely a house or farm in site (there was a large Porsche
racetrack), we hit the small town of Byers. There was only one place
to stop and eat that we saw, and that wa s Country Burger.
The old sign was promising, as was the lived-in dining area upon
walking in. Every table but one booth was filled with young and
old punk rockers, all of whom looked very out of place. I thought
this would be very simple ‘Country Kitchen’ type food, but was
pleasantly surprised when opening the menu. The burgers were of
the gourmet type and not shying away from suggesting an egg, ham
or peanut butter on your burger. Multiple patty burgers up to at
least five seemed to be normal fare on the menu and not an eating
challenge, though they did have one of those also.
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