Cantwell Burgers
5310 Airport Blvd., 459-9609
M-Sat, 8am-8pm; closed Sunday
Airport Haven Hamburgers
Airport at 6801 Guadalupe, 459-6859
M-Sat, 10:30am-10pm; closed Sunday
Holiday House #4
5325 Airport Blvd., 452-3136
Daily 11am-9pm
Despite such pleasant aberrations as Quality Seafood and Tamale House #3,
Airport is really a boulevard of hamburger wishes and chicken-fried dreams.
You can’t drive under the flightpath on Airport for more than 30 seconds
without passing some newfangled hamburger emporium trying to beat out the big
guys.
Our latest challenger is Cantwell Burgers, an operation that just moved into
the double drive-thru previously occupied in quick succession by The Healthy
Habit, Boogie’s Burgers (I’m not making this up), and Bud’s Burgers. Cantwell’s
tastebud-wetting slogan is “You can’t well live without a Cantwell Burger,” and
I’d have to concur. Their liberally sized burgers have a distinct, homemade
taste that falls somewhere between Dirty’s and Whataburger. The skins-on fries
are a treat you wouldn’t expect from a double drive-thru, and the truly
adventurous can do battle with a meat loaf/mayo sandwich and butterscotch
milkshake.
Further on up the road, Airport Haven Hamburgers (est. 1953) supplements their
burger offerings with a $3.99 Monday-Thursday lunch special that is
bland-yet-palatable in the finest employee cafeteria style. The specials are
all of the meat ‘n’ potatoes variety, including chicken-fried steak, meat loaf,
and roast beef. The plates come with two vegetables and a nice piece of Texas
Toast to sop up your drippings. Though my chicken-fried steak was shaped
suspiciously like South America, after eating my way down to Tierra del Fuego,
I decided I had at least consumed my money’s worth in sheer food volume.
Another plus for Airport Haven is the tall booths and planters that seclude you
from the petty whines of fellow diners. If you’re in the area, this place is
perfect for a secret noontime tryst or arms-for-hostages exchange.
If you’re still jonesing for chicken-fried bargains later in the day, you can
head on down to the venerable Holiday House, where yet another chicken-fried
steak plate with fries and salad can be had for a mere $2.49, after 4pm
weekdays and all day on the weekends. Such a great deal easily knocks the
gravy out of Dairy Queen’s Country Basket. A wide variety of “flame-kissed”
hamburgers is also available. The Airport Holiday House is easily one of the
funkiest-looking edifices in town, and the seafaring decor inside is a marvel
to behold. Between that and the roaring thunder of 737s making their final
approach, Holiday House is a glorious way to conclude your greasy tour of
Airport Blvd.’s hamburger heaven.
— Greg Beets
This article appears in November 24 • 1995 and November 24 • 1995 (Cover).