Rick & Carolyn's Burgers and Fries (and homemade steak fingers too) is popular with a lot of folks!

Rick & Carolyn's Burgers and Fries has been in Abilene for a very long time. They once had several locations in town but are now down to only one located on S. Pioneer Dr. between S. 1st and S. 7th streets. They are a real hometown spot with some devoted customers.

Steak finger dinner with onion rings ($2 upcharge)

As the name indicates they have burgers and handcut french fries but the items that most people rave about are the steak fingers.

The parking lot was full at 12:30pm when I arrived. It looked like a lot of "regulars" were enjoying their lunch. Orders are taken at the counter and they will bring out your food when it is ready. Service was extra friendly. Also, even though it was the lunch rush, the food came out fairly quickly. The people working were on the ball. 

My friend and I both ordered the steak fingers dinner which comes with fries. I substituted onion rings for the fries which was a $2 upcharge. They are also made on the premises. The steak fingers are huge! They are not the pre-made frozen ones you get a most fast food places.

The steak finger dinner also comes with Texas toast, white gravy, and a drink. The meal also come with ice cream but I did not have room for it at the end. I paid just over $20 for my lunch but it will easily be two meals for me. The fingers are basically a chicken fried steak cut into thirds.You can also just order a chicken fried steak if you do not want it cut up. I doubt anyone is still hungry if they finish the entire plate. It is a lot of food.

The peppery batter is thick but there was still plenty of meat. The meat was tenderized well but could have used a bit more seasoning. The same batter was used on the onion rings, which did kind of overwhelm the vegetable a bit. The slice of onion could have been a bit thicker to stand up to the batter. All that being said, I was only able to eat one piece of meat and three onion rings before I was completely full.  

By the way, the hamburgers are pretty good as well, so the next time you are in the mood for some old-fashioned homestyle fried food or a burger, give them a shot. 

Rick & Carolyn's Burgers and Fries

302 S. Pioneer Dr.

Abilene, TX 79605

325-793-2706

Hours:

Mon-Sat 11am-8pm

https://www.facebook.com/RickandCarolyns/

Bill's Burger old fashioned drive-in burger joint that I've been going to since childhood

 Bill's Burger is a long-time Abilene burger spot. They keep things simple--only open for lunch, relatively small menu so that the food is done in a timely manner for folks who only have an hour for lunch, and local owners that treat their customers well...you can tell there are "regulars" that get there fast food fix at Bill's. They are only open for lunch from 10:30am-2:30pm Monday-Friday. They take cash or card.

"Baby" burger

They are located on the corner of S. 11th St. and Oak St. whichi is a couple of blocks to the west of Treadaway Blvd. You order at the window or can call in for a take-out order. The building may not look like much on the outside but they proudly display their "A" rating health inspection which if you follow such things is consistant for them. 

I put in my order and it was ready in less than 10 minutes. Service was efficient and friendly.

The "baby" burger that I ordered was the size of a Whopper Jr. or Whataburger Jr. but with a thicker patty than either of those. There are also regular and large size burger options, and you can get double meat too. I got the combo which included fries (they were using Ore-Ida crinkle cut ones today) and a small soda. It was more than enough to fill me up for $9 plus tax ($9.74 to be exact.) The lettuce and tomato on the burger were fresh, the lettuce had a crunch to it. The bun had been buttered and put on the flat top so it had a nice toast on it which always adds to the taste. There were pickles but I had them leave off the onion. Mustard is my condiment of choice on a burger. The meat was juicy and seasoned but could have used a bit more flavor so I put some black pepper to jazz it up a bit. I also appreciated that the fries were crispy. Sometimes restaurants rush the frying process and the fries come out underdone and wimpy.

There are also hot dogs, corn dogs, steak or chicken fingers, a blt, nachos, tacos, tater tots, onion rings, as well as shakes and malts on the menu. Even a taco salad or tossed salad if you want more greens.

Baby burger combo

All in all Bill's is a great classic drive in burger joint and I am happy they are still in business though I think there is not a "Bill" anymore. If I worked closer to where they are located, I would probably go there too much for my waistline to handle. There are not many places to get a quality lunch for less that $10 nowadays, and I do not mind eating it in my car or sitting in a park enjoying some mild fall weather. 

 Bill's Burger

834 S. 11th St.

Abilene, TX 79602

325-677-8442

Hours:

M-F 10:30am-2:30pm

 

Buddys Drive In--Andrews, TX

My husband grew up in Andrew's, TX. When it comes to fond food memories from his younger years, he has two (not counting home cooking)--Buddy's and Taco Villa. Every time we have visited Andrews we have eaten at one or the other...often both.

Buddy's Drive In is an institution in Andrews that is regionally famous for their steak fingers. For the uninitiated that is tenderized round steak cut into strips, battered and deep fried. Little mini chicken-fried steaks if you will. The meal is a pile of steak fingers, french fries, a "salad" of iceberg lettuce, Texas toast and gravy. The also have the usual burgers and such, even breakfast, but I've never had anything other than the steak fingers. They are tender and the batter is nice and crispy. Some people may think they have too much batter, not me.

Steak fingers galore!

You can dine-in or have a car hop come out to your vehicle if there is an empty spot under the awning for drive-up customers. It takes a while sometimes to cook the food so we just go in and grab a table (when one is available). It is not a fancy place. In fact, you may feel like you have stepped back in time to when they opened in 1969. That's okay with me but isn't for everyone. Smoking is allowed in the building during certain times of day.

Remember that Andrews is oil country and hard-working folks want to be fed. It takes quite an appetite to finish a full order. The gravy didn't taste homemade but as far as I'm concerned that is fine. I'd rather have it recently cooked (a mix is quicker and less greasy). The ranch dressing seemed to be made in-house though. It had a garlicy kick to fancy up that ordinary lettuce on the side of your plate. I like it for dipping my fries.

If you find yourself passing through and want some chicken-fried happiness, Buddy's is for you.
  
106 E Broadway St, Andrews, TX 79714-6505

432-523-4890

10am-9pm