Red Line Burgers: Is the Comeback Kid Poised for a Return?

By Diego Garcia III | Editor of The Brownsville Beacon

If a Texan is anything, he's opinionated. Sit him down and he'll give you his opinion on anything and everything from politics, to sports, and everything in between. 

If you ask a Texan what his favorite hamburger is, you'll inevitably get to the classic argument about Whataburger being the best hamburger in the state. Sooner or later, you'll even get a California transplant who will bring up In-n-Out Burger. 

Whataburger isn't bad. I don't think it's the rock the Texas hamburger cathedral is built on, but it isn't a bad hamburger. Personally, I wish they'd bring back the A1 Thick and Hearty burger — a point I never fail to make when I am on Facebook and I see a Whataburger ad pop up in my news feed.

I have some breaking news for you. In case you didn't know it, your phone listens to your conversation and mines your data. The other day I was messaging a friend about a US Cavalry Stetson hat, then that afternoon I had an ad for cowboy hats by Stetson in my news feed. I don't know why, but the other day I had an advertisement pop up in my news feed that made my ears perk up.

An ad for Red Line Burgers popped up in my news feed. I was curious if this was a real ad for the original Red Line Burgers from the 80's.

I know Whataburger gets all the press and is famous for its origins as a small burger shack that opened in Corpus Christi in 1950. But Whataburger isn't the only Corpus burger chain to hit it big in the Lone Star State. The decade of the 1980's were halcyon days spent roaming around Downtown Brownsville, playing with my Matchbox cars, Transformers, and G.I. Joe's, and hanging out with my grandfather.

My grandfather was no stranger to eating out — he enjoyed a good meal just as much as I do. In the mid 80's, some uniquely shaped burger spots popped up around town. One popped up on Boca Chica close to where the old drive-in was, another popped up near the intersection of International Boulevard and East Tyler streets, and another was built across 802 from the Sunrise Mall. They were called Red Line Burgers, presumably because of the red line you'd follow that would lead you from the driveway through one of the signature double drive thru windows.

One of the old Red Line Burgers in Brownsville converted to a taqueria on International Boulevard

The burgers were delicious. Just thinking of them triggers an almost Pavlovian response in my mouth as I think of the burgers topped with their signature red onions and their seasoned fries. 

Eventually, the Red Line Burgers names would be replaced by Rally's. Eventually, Rally's would close their restaurants and leave town. The restaurants would be replaced by others here in town. The Boca Chica location would be torn down, the location in front of the Sunrise Mall would be turned into a Mama Rosita's Burgers before being renovated and repurposed into a Krispy Kreme Donuts that would also close, and the International location still survives today as a taqueria. 

Rally's would eventually merge with another burger restaurant called Checkers. Today, if you want to get a Checkers burger, you'll have to drive six hours to the Houston area.

But if you long for one of those original Red Line Burgers, you won't have to spend all day in your car to get to one. According to social media, the original Red Line Burgers is open once again. The original owners decided to reopen one of their signature restaurants in the Corpus Christi area (I know, it is still far away, but at least you don't have to drive to Houston). According to their Facebook page, they are open in Portland, Texas. Their page states, "The original Red Line Burgers is back! We're still family owned and operated since 1986. Currently, we're located only in Portland, Texas, but we will be expanding to Corpus Christi and more cities soon!"

The original Red Line Burgers is open for business

Their page also contains a brief history. The page reads:

Red Line Burgers was born in 1986 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Soon after, we had over 50 locations all throughout the state, from Brownsville to Dallas, from Laredo to Houston, from San Antonio to College Station. We’re looking forward to expanding and returning to all these wonderful cities very soon. It’s 2020 and we are still family owned, Texas operated and proud of it. We use only fresh ingredients, and 100% USDA grade beef in our burgers. We believe that good food is everything. We hope you enjoy the food, it’s made with love, deep in the heart of Texas. 

There is often times some confusion about Red Line Burgers because in 2018, a food truck using the name "Red Line Burgers" began operating in the Corpus Christi area. The husband and wife team says the husband's father was a "part-owner" of three of the original Corpus locations, and that connection to the past is what led Josette and Damon Perez to register the name "Red Line Burgers."

However, if you visit the Red Line Burgers webpage (I'll post a link to the page in the article below), they have a link to some frequently asked questions. One of the questions asked says, "Why do I see other locations using the Red Line name?" They answer, "Imitation is the best form of flattery, but we have ZERO affiliation with any location not listed on our website. We are NOT affiliated with the food truck in Corpus Christi. We have no idea why anyone would use our family legacy for their own benefit."

It is apparent from their website, there is only one original Red Line Burgers currently operating, and it is the location in Rockport. If you find yourself near the Corpus Christi area, and it isn't a Sunday, I'd suggest making a detour to Rockport for a quick nostalgic step back in time, when life was simpler, and Red Line Burgers was still around town.

To the owners of Red Line Burgers, come on down to Brownsville. We miss you. I don't see myself leaving Brownsville any time soon, but I am optimistic about their future plans for expansion. Will I see a Red Line Burgers in Brownsville once again? Only time will tell, but until then, I can only hope they decide to come back to the Rio Grande Valley.

Como dice el dicho, se vale soñar.

If you're in Rockport, stop by Red Line Burgers. They can be found at 4383 FM 2986. 

Their website: https://redlineburgers.com/