The Vitals:
the spot: Kincaid’s Hamburgers multiple locations in Fort Worth, tested at the Camp Bowie location
the eats: Cheeseburger
the bucks: $7
the full nelson: The most quintessential Texas Burger I have ever tried

It took me under a month of living in Texas to try Whataburger: what many Texans consider the quintessential Texan burger. Whataburger is also a fast food chain and carries with it the limitations of fast food, namely consistency and a quality benchmark that his hampered by a price point. I was completely underwhelmed.

Some Texans would say thats because I’m from California and probably like In-N-Out. I do. But I also think In-N-Out is overrated and so is Whataburger. So where does one find the true quintessential Texan burger? Fort Worth TX comes to mind.

Kincaid’s Hamburgers: The Quintessential Texas Burger

After a trip to Fort Worth earlier this year to cover the impressive burger scene, I walked away not only fat and happy but with a front runner for what I consider to the be the most quintessential burger in Texas: Kincaid’s Hamburgers.

Originally a grocery store with a full service butcher shop, Charles Kincaid began cooking up burgers made from steak trim. The burgers became a hit and by 1991, Kincaid’s transformed into a full time burger restaurant. By 2008, Kincaid’s Hamburgers made the pages of Hamburger America, Burger Scholar George Motz’s book about the best burgers in the country.

The third generation of Kincaid’s Hamburgers

When I visited Kincaid’s Hamburgers, I met Jonathan Gentry, the grandson of founder Charles Kincaid, pictured above. Like any well run family business, Jonathan has been working at Kincaid’s Hamburgers since college before taking over in 2021. He guided my burger order and encouraged me to keep it simple. I went with the eight ounce burger which like their four ounce, features a 73/27 Angus patty. Seasoned only with sea salt, not even black pepper makes an appearance.

Simple. Perfect. Quality burger.

The burger was tremendously beefy. Although my medium rare burger came closer to medium well, it was a juicy one, no doubt because of the meat to fat ratio. The lettuce, tomato and onion are all cut with a deli slicer, ensuring balanced topping texture, like a great East Coast deli sandwich.

The only wet condiment was mustard and that was all I needed. In fact, going “mustard only” is a popular request amongst Texas burger purists. It doesn’t hurt the pedigree that the pickles and bun, Best Maid and Mrs. Baird respectively, are not only Texas brands but Fort Worth brands as well.

Texans may always love Whataburger but I know what makes a good burger: quality ingredients and care. Kincaid’s Hamburgers checks the boxes while delivering the hallmarks of a good Texas burger: a burger you can wrap your hands around dressed with the basics. The best part is the burger only costs $7 – that’s true Cheap Eats right there.