2.13.2014

The Great Burger Hunt…A Review of Bobby J’s in Helotes, TX

This past Sunday I decided to take advantage of a gorgeous day, get in a little saddle time, and continue my hunt for a great burger. With just a little coaxing, my wife, Sherry, agreed to ride with me. After last week’s post about In-n-Out Burger, a Reddit contributor recommended Bobby J’s in Helotes, TX. He said he’d prefer a Bobby J’s burger over In-n-Out’s any day of the week. With that kind of endorsement, we saddled-up and pointed the bike towards Bobby J’s.

Bobby J's Helotes, TX
The 30-mile ride to Helotes went quickly on State Loop 1604. Much like the interstate, 1604 is a multi-lane road with a 70 mph speed limit. When traffic isn’t heavy, you can make great time from one side of San Antonio to the other. Fortunately, traffic was light on Sunday and I was able to give the throttle a good twist. We left our house at 1:15 and pulled into Bobby J’s parking lot at 1:55. The ride in-between was like food to my soul. The sun was shining and the temperatures were in the low-to-mid 60’s. It was a Zen-like experience and I savored every minute of it.

Ready to Take Your Order
Bobby J’s parking lot was almost empty. I guess folks in Helotes must eat at more traditional times…1:55 is a little late for lunch. The first thing we noticed was Bobby J’s ain’t no chain. The building looked like it had been around for a long time…it definitely had character. The inside was clean and the décor somewhat shabby-chic. Country music was playing in the background. It was like being transported back in time to when life was just a little simpler. We took a few minutes to look at the large menu on the wall and decided to split a ½-pound Western Burger, fries, and an extra order of onion rings. We placed our order and sat down in a booth under a window.

The Western Burger
We didn’t have to wait long before our number was called. The portions were big. We made the right call in splitting a burger. There’s no way we could have finished everything had we ordered separately. The Western burger was slathered in grilled onions, bacon, cheddar cheese, and a secret sauce. We asked about the sauce but the only thing they would divulge is that it contained BBQ sauce and other “special” ingredients. Whatever was in there, it was tasty. The thick-cut fries and large rings were equally good. The burger was so juicy it was hard to eat without making a mess. Sherry decided to use a knife and fork to eat hers. I just used a lot of napkins.

Shabby-Chic?
 Was Bobby J’s better than In-n-Out? It depends. I liked the Bobby J burger better. It was much bigger, much juicier, and extremely flavorful. Sherry on the other hand had a different opinion. She wasn’t a fan of the size of the grilled onions. They were cut like onion rings and they were big. She also thought what I characterized as juicy was just greasy. From her perspective, In-n-Out had the better burger. In the end, it comes down to personal taste...and that’s okay. We did agree that Bobby J’s was an interesting establishment and worthy of a second visit. They have a large variety of burgers so next time we’ll try a different one. For me, the food and the atmosphere were great and I don’t think you could go wrong by giving them a try. Besides, Bobby J’s makes a great destination and/or jumping off point for a ride on State Route 16 and into the Texas Hill Country.

The great burger hunt continues. If you have a favorite burger joint within a 100 miles or so of San Antonio, leave a comment and tell me where it is…I’d like to try it. Until then let’s Live Free, Ride Hard, and Be Happy!

15 comments:

  1. Will ride for food......those are just some of the best rides in my opinion.

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    1. I would have never thought that riding would involve so much eating...but it is fun to ride to new places. :-) ~Curt

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  2. Great review Curt, much prefer places like this vs the franchise operations. I have heard it often said we ride to eat and eat to ride. This is the kind of place we look for to add to our phone apps at Motorcycle-Maps. In fact I will be heading out Monday, on 4 wheels unfortunately, in search of such places in NC and SC. Safe travels.

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    1. Dennis, do you have any places in or around San Antonio that you'd recommend? Have a great trip this weekend...hope you have good weather. ~Curt

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  3. I tried their Frito burger once and I couldn't finish the dang thing.

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    1. Did someone say Frito Burger??? Yuuuuummmmmm!!!

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    2. Curt, sounds interesting I'll have to try that one. ~Curt

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  4. I love food. I really, really love a juicy, greasy burger with bacon, cheese, BBQ sauce, grilled onions and now I'm drooling. . .
    I like Trobairitz idea. Will Ride For Food.Yup, my new motto.
    Highway and I always discuss food. We have a number of food review websites. Most of the food we consume for these sites is given to us for free. Loving food the way I do, I've found a way to put together my 4 loves, writing, riding, food and Highway. Heaven on Earth! So riding and food go hand in hand for me. I can't imagine one without the other.
    Curt, feel free to get in touch with me and I'll give you tips on how to ride for free food. :)
    Smooches,
    Sash
    SashMouth

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    1. Tina, free food? I'm all over that...sign me up! :-) ~Curt

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. Hey Curt, I will check it out. I'm always looking for good places to eat... Thanks... Ride safe... See you down the road...

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  7. I wish they'd a open a Big Kahuna Burger near me

    thehighwayking.wordpress.com

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  8. Curt:

    I love burgers, especially greasy/juicy loaded with bacon, cheese, fried onions, tomatoes, lettuce and secret sauce. Yummy. Now you've made me Very Hungry. We don't have any In-n-Out burgers around here and I've never had one. Most of the small, individual burger places around here have closed down and now all we have are mostly chains.

    Most of the time we ride to eat too

    bob
    Riding the Wet Coast

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    1. Bob, there are some great burgers to be had at many chains, but it's hard to beat a mom-n-pop, hole-in-the-wall burger joint. We're blessed in this area to have some great alternatives to the burger chains. You have a great excuse to ride...in search of a great burger. :-)

      Cheers,
      Curt

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