Cullum’s Attaboy, which keeps racking up the accolades, was named one of Texas Highways’ 50 Burgers Worth the Drive. Credit: Instagram / Cullum's Attaboy

Two San Antonio restaurants have been named to Texas Highways‘ new 50 Burgers Worth the Drive list. St. Mary’s Strip bistro Cullum’s Attaboy received a nod for its Oklahoma-style onion burger, while Reese Bros. Barbecue earned accolades for its take on the bean burger, a San Antonio staple.

Cullum’s Attaboy

Cullum’s Attaboy has been racking up the accolades lately. That includes a James Beard nomination for Chef Christopher Cullum but doesn’t stop there. The restaurant also received a glowing review from Texas Monthly and was named best brunch by San Antonio Magazine. The dining spot even has Michelin buzz as San Antonio awaits its first round of distinctions.

Cullum announced the burger honor on Instagram and Facebook Wednesday afternoon.

“In a state as vast and as legendary as Texas, this recognition feels like a dream come true,” he wrote.

Texas Highways praised Cullum’s use of high-end ingredients to craft a burger worth the pilgrimage.

“For almost eight years, chef Christopher Cullum channeled his love of Oklahoma-style onion burgers into a business he operated out of a 1977 Land Yacht Airstream trailer. But his burger appreciation transcends any one approach,” the magazine noted. “So, in 2022, when he opened a Parisian-leaning brunch bistro just down the street from his childhood home, he adapted to the concept. In place of that smash-happy medium, he hand-forms 8 ounces of Peeler Farms wagyu and layers it with gooey Gruyere, crisp house-cured bacon and an optional drizzling of a robust French demi-glace.”

Guests dining in at Cullum’s Attaboy will notice jazz playing in the background. Many of the tunes feature Cullum’s late father, renowned cornetist Jim Cullum, who also gave his son the idea for the restaurant’s name. 

“This journey began when I was 15, telling my father I wanted to dedicate my life to making hamburgers,” the chef’s social media post reads. “He named the concept Attaboy then, but it wasn’t until years later that the dream took shape.”

Appropriately, that’s quite a few “attaboy”s for a restaurant that only opened two years ago.

Reese Bros. Barbecue

Created in 1952 by Felix Stehling, the founder of Taco Cabana, the bean burger is a distinctly San Antonio creation.

When Stehling debuted the dish at Sill’s Snack Shack on Austin Highway, he smeared refried beans on a burger patty, adding the newly invented Cheez Whiz plus Fritos for crunch. 

Reese Bros. may not have invented the bean burger, but Texas Highways praises the barbecue joint for helping perfect it.

The Reese Bros. Verde Burger elevates each element of the original dish. Smashed and refried borracho beans are smeared onto H-E-B corn tortillas fried in beef tallow. The brisket-trim patty is topped with house-made hot sauce and melty, American cheese — all on a 5-inch brioche bun.

Though restaurants throughout the Alamo City have their own takes on the bean burger, Reese Bros. is the only one among them to land a spot on the Texas Highways list. The restaurant was also one of just 22 barbecue spots in the Southern U.S. to make Southern Living‘s The South’s Best New Barbecue Joints for 2024 roundup.

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This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 15, 2024.

Stephanie Koithan is the Digital Content Editor of the San Antonio Current. In her role, she writes about politics, music, art, culture and food. Send her a tip at skoithan@sacurrent.com.