We've had threads on Best Burgers and Whataburger, but I just had the strangest burger experience today. I got invited to King & Cardinal Burger Joint for lunch in Frisco, Texas. It is an Indian burger joint, which is weird in itself. In India you aren't going to get a (beef) burger in a restaurant. It will be mutton or chicken. (You might find buffalo, as in water buffalo, but I doubt it.)

Well the two of us walked in to King & Cardinal, and everyone in the place turned to look at us. There were about thirty people in the small restaurant, and every one of them were Indian or Indian-American. Every one working there was the same. There were a lot of vegetarian burgers on the menu as you would expect, but about as many beef burgers. https://kingandcardinal.us/ I ordered a Masala Burger with Cheese and Curly Fries. It was good, also spicy. The bun didn't hold up, and I used a ton of napkins, but that was OK. While we were eating probably another 15 people came in to the place, every one Indian or Indian-American. Made me want to get up, walk outside, and see if we were still in the U.S. Very strange.

Use to be no white people was a sign of good ethnic food

Not anymore - America’s palate is improving rapidly.

Mike

I think this joint appeals mainly to recent Indian Americans. Basically people who grew up in India in last 20 years when burgers came into India.

This replicated the burgers sold by McDonald and burger king ect in India.

I have never had a burger in India - there is way too much stuff to eat. But people love burger and Americanized Indian fast food.

Mike

Was at Costco the other day. Stopped for a hot dog and fries. Went and sat down in the seated area. It was packed. I was the only white guy there. the demographic in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada has definately changed.

Just saying.

Kind regards,

Carpediem

I'm white + I have grown up with a taste for Mexican food. So I have never had a problem going down to the barrio to eat. It helps when you speak the lingo. I imagine that experience was odd for Canada but down here we have all been Tejanos for so long that Anglos + mexs blend well.

O.K. I think I can assume that this will apply to other restaurants + coffee shops as well. Many years ago when I worked for another guy we would stop in at the coffee shop in the morning on our way to work. The crew boss(who thought he was a real ladies man) made that ancient comment to the waitress when he sipped his coffee. " My oh my that's sweet; what did you do, stick your finger in it?" She shot right back, "Sure did, then I stirred your coffee." She got great tips, but not from him. He was so pissed that when we went to get in the trucks to go to the job he said "You couldn't satisfy that G.D. bitch if you had a 14" dick + a 300 lb. nigger setting on your ass!" He was eloquent that way.

An acquired taste in my case, good Mexican food is not hard to get here, just have to sort out the imitations.

I am frequently the only white guy in a place, my business friends with me, the only black or asian...

Around here we have restaurants called Fish N' Tails Oyster Bar. Good casual seafood and beer. Predominately Hispanic / Latino clientele. Oysters are half price when the Cowboys are playing.

I grew up in New Mexico as a minority. Learned what it felt like. It got better when you got into high school and college. Grew to appreciate that differences were usually just skin deep.

India was the most intriguing environment to me. Muslims and Hindus could work very well together on a rig, yet the less educated segments of the population were willing to commit atrocities and then the other side would reciprocate. It was almost like a game.

My ex was Mexican.
Her gramma would say” let’s go get burritos, I know a place”
We drove way down into East LA.
As a 6’4” blond white boy when I got out it was like a scene from a movie......everyone stops talking on the street and stares. Guys stand up and turn and stare with arms crossed.

Get to the other side of the car and help this 80 year old 5’ tall Mexican lady out of the car and she hangs on my arm. As we walk slowly in this tiny place.

That changes EVERYTHING......somebody holds the door. The owners run up and greet her. Known her forever

I don’t understand a freakin word. But she introduces me and there are handshakes and welcoming.

Please sit here......no menus needed. AMAZING meal.

Dark by the time we left. Getting to car was the opposite of getting out. New folks and all.

There was a respect for someone showing respect.

Her freakin family wouldn’t take her. She’d ask and they never had time.

She asked me and I said sure. First time not knowing where it was. I probably wouldn’t have gone.

Became a regular trip for her. I’d wear about the same clothes and it became okay that I was there.

A good strange meal.

Amen.

The same in Las Cruces, New Mexico. You got a Sopapilla Compuesto the size of a family-style pizza, and a Coke, for $0.75. You ate in her living room that had been converted into a dining room; maybe four tables.

A half door separated her "restaurant" from her kitchen and bedroom. Steady traffic as you ate, of people from the surrounding barrio coming in to fill pots and pans with her food for take-home. The name was El Ranchito as I recall. I am sure she is gone and her little "restaurant" as well. She meant a lot to her neighborhood and to us college gringos. Where else were you going to get a meal and change, for a dollar.

That brings back some memories. When I was at S.U. a friend + I went down to the bario to get a late-night meal at RamGros (Ramiez Grocery). We were regulars so everything was cool. There were a bunch of local pachucos hanging out as usual but so what. Then some frat boys came in, doing some slumming I suppose. Well you know the drill, one Mex. says "Hey man that's my table" another says hey man that's my pinball machine, etc. They got the hell out of there fast. As the old saying goes, "If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen."