Late July
After a great day of fun in the sun and swimming in San Pedro Springs Pool with our trusty co-diners Geoff and Allie, we worked up an appetite for burgers. Looking for something within biking distance and open on a Sunday for dinner, we pedaled to Alamo Heights to 5050 Broadway Street.
Service and Setting
Conveniently named after its street address, The Broadway 5050 carries a lot of history with it. One of the oldest restaurants in San Antonio, it has operated under several different iterations. To say it is eclectically decorated would be putting it mildly: It looks more like a dorm room decorated by 2 teenagers with conflicting tastes. There are skateboards, Star Wars murals, and Green Bay Packers paraphernalia. They have two Pulp Fiction homage items, though nothing else in the bar would tip off they are Tarantino fans. Despite the clash, it has that nice comfortable dive bar feel.
Menu
Pretty standard bar food. Some adventurous items like the Diablo Chicken which consists of jalapeños wrapped in chicken wrapped in bacon. Otherwise lots of fried appetizers, a figuratively healthy list of burgers and other sandwiches. Cheeseburger with fries will set you back only $9.
Beverage
It's a full-bar first and a restaurant second. They have a respectable draft list along with a wider selection of bottles and cans. It seems that if you stick to the specials you can get out of there for pretty cheap.
Sides
Pretty good fries. Great crisp. A few different hot sauce options and good seasoning salt on the table. You can sub tots, rings or sweet potato fries for a dollar.
Patty
Probably just under a half pound burger. The waitress asked how we wanted our burgers done, but unfortunately, that didn't seem to factor into the cook's decision. We ordered three medium-rare burgers, and two were over cooked. It had good flavor. I could have had it a little juicier as there was no burger run-off, but the meat avoided being dry.
Dress and Bun
The cheeseburger was straightforward. I added an egg, but it was just a tad overcooked. When I think fried egg, I want the a biblical yolk "runneth over" my burger. This fell short. The "09'er Eleven" had ghost-pepper cheese, pickled jalapeño and a fried egg. We were assured by our waitress that it was less than a 3 of 5 on the Thai heat scale. I am not the heat-seeker I used to be, as I aim to avoid the "Ring-of-Fire" as much as possible. Perhaps I should give this review the scrutiny of 24 hours of digestion to ensure I don't get burned in the end (literally and figuratively), but we will forge ahead. Flavors on the 09'er were really well matched, and not over powered by burn. The bun was one of the best we have had in SA. Fresh, buttery and delicious - almost like a Hawaiian roll. A little over matched for the burger, but enjoyable in every bite.
Geoff's Take
"The ghost burger was great. The people were friendly. They had interesting stuff on the walls. But then it took a long time to pay the bill, which should not happen."
The Verdict
The Broadway 5050 has been open for 77 years and collected a lot of character over that time. The burger has a very good flavor and a delicious bun. Maybe even a better day for the chef executing the burger and fried egg could have put this burger over the top. For now, the "09'er Eleven" burger earns a very respectable 4 spurs.
