“You Could Put a Roll of Dimes in There and No One Would Know”
When Guy Fieri walked into Casino El Camino on Austin’s famous Sixth Street, he didn’t mince words about the atmosphere: “I feel like I’m in a 1975 bad horror movie.” The owner’s response? “Thank you. That’s a compliment.”
That pretty much tells you everything you need to know about this Austin dive bar, where the burgers are massive, the hot sauce is serious business, and the guy behind it all goes simply by Casino—”as far as anybody needs to know.”
A New Yorker’s Vision for Austin
Casino isn’t a Texas native. He made his way from Long Island to Buffalo as a musician before landing in Austin, where he transformed this joint into the kind of late-night hangout he missed from back east. As he put it, he wanted a place where you could “have good food and buffalo burgers” and “be able to have food until almost closing.”
Don't lose this list! Drop your email and we'll send it to you, so you've got it handy next time you're hungry or planning a trip.
His friend summed up the vibe perfectly when Casino first opened: “Wow, this is like going to Casino’s house, except you have to pay for drinks.”
The Buffalo Burger: Wing Sauce Meets Beef
Every burger at Casino El Camino starts with a 12-ounce patty made from an 80/20 beef blend. That’s not a typo—these are massive burgers. But the Buffalo Burger takes things to another level entirely.
A cook named Buffy handles the grill, and he walked Guy through the signature wing sauce that makes this burger legendary. The sauce combines cayenne pepper, Tabasco, barbecue sauce, and red wine vinegar—and that’s just the base. Then they add regular buffalo wing hot sauce on top of all that heat.
When Guy saw the sauce coming together, his reaction said it all: “You rub some of that on your chest, you’ll be cleared out.” He wasn’t kidding about needing some “Pepto-Bismol blue cheese” to go with it.
The patty comes off the grill medium rare—a beautiful pink center—then gets absolutely smothered in that wing sauce and topped with blue cheese. Similar to how the DYNAMITE Mac & Cheese builds layers of bold flavor, this burger doesn’t hold back.
Guy’s Verdict
After taking a bite, Guy declared: “I’ve had a lot of burgers that have been called a buffalo burger. That tastes about as close to that as I’ve ever seen.” He called it “pretty perfect”—high praise for a burger trying to capture authentic Buffalo wing flavor on a beef patty.
Beyond the Buffalo Burger
The segment also showcased other Casino El Camino staples: burgers topped with thick-cut bacon and fresh roasted chilies, plus chili fries that bring the Texas heat and quarter-pound hot dogs. As the locals confirmed, “Everything is bigger in Texas.”
One customer summed up the appeal: “The best burger in town. Huge chunk of meat… juicy and tender as it can be.” Another simply declared Casino “the coolest place in Austin.”
Tips from the Kitchen
Build your hot sauce in layers: The Casino method starts with a cayenne-heavy base featuring vinegar and barbecue sauce, then adds traditional hot sauce on top. This creates complexity, not just heat.
Don’t skimp on the patty: A 12-ounce, 80/20 blend gives you the fat content for juiciness and the size to stand up to aggressive toppings.
Medium rare matters: With a patty this thick, proper temperature control keeps the center tender while developing good char.
If you’re exploring other bold flavor combinations from the show, check out the Bolognese Pasta or the Arepas in Puerto Rico episodes. And to find Casino El Camino or other Triple D spots near you, browse our restaurant directory.