We Track Down a Burger Profiled on The Daytripper; Totally Worth the Trip

Around an hour and a half drive southwest of Dallas sits Glen Rose, a sleepy (but growing) small Texas town of roughly three thousand. It’s known for its pristinely preserved dinosaur tracks that are among the highest quality in the world. These tracks, which are found in the Paluxy River that snakes through nearby Dinosaur Valley State Park, date back an estimated 113 million years.

As you’d guess, dinosaurs are beloved here. You’ll see an abundance of them in statue form across yards all over town. And current Detroit Lions head coach (and former Dallas Cowboys tight end) Dan Campbell starred in high school in Glen Rose.
But Glen Rose has a lot more to it than dinosaur tracks and Dan Campbell’s old high school. The food scene is legit here. Grumps Burgers, Riverhouse Grill, WhiskyWoods Steakhouse, Big Cup Eatery and Hammond’s BBQ (to name a few) are all held in high regard around these parts.

Our main reason for making the trek out here, however, was the 60-year-old Loco Coyote Grill. Seen on Chet Garner’s Emmy Award-winning Texas travel series, The Daytripper (you can watch the full Glen Rose episode here), this off-the-beaten-path gem oozes serious character. As we were driving in (Coyote Grill sits in a field in the middle of nowhere), directly behind us were a dozen or so bikers who were heading to Coyote Grill. At least another 20 bikers were already seated when we entered, all donning their trademark leather vests complete with patches and biker club affiliations. It felt like we were extras in a Sons of Anarchy scene.
Our Food & Drink editor also told us in 2019 about Loco Coyote Grill (which reportedly got its name after a pack of coyotes killed and ate all the chickens back when the original property was a chicken farm):

“Go. Do this. Take a road trip on a weekend with mom or whoever. It’s an hour and 25-minute drive from Dallas. You spend that amount of time getting out of the Kroger parking lot.”

She was right, it's worth the drive. The Loco Coyote Grill isn’t a dining experience you’re going to forget anytime soon. Texas legend Willie Nelson has also been known to frequent this locally famous hole-in-the-wall.

Our mission (that we drove 75 miles for) was to conquer the Jack Daniel’s BBQ burger – an absurd behemoth of sliced brisket, fried pickles, onion rings and a juicy three-quarter-pound beef patty. And no, the fried pickles and onion rings do not come on the side. When it was placed on our table, we knew we were in for a battle. Loco Coyote’s Jack Daniel’s burger is daunting; it’s the kind of burger you approach with respect, strategically attacking it (from all angles at times), bit by bit and piece by piece.

This mountain of a burger was as good as advertised — all the different components harmonized in some sort of deranged caloric symphony that would leave any dieter of any kind potentially seeking therapy for the next six months. The brisket was particularly good (Loco Coyote is known for their stellar barbecue, so that’s no surprise). And while we did manage to finish it, it took three of us (which is sad) to polish it off. Does that count as “conquering” it?

Heads up: this burger, with everything that goes into it, is obviously not going to come cheap. It starts at $28, and cheese ($1), bacon ($2) and jalapenos ($1) were extra, so ours totaled $32. But it’s worth noting that this burger can easily feed two.

Loco Coyote’s menu also has po’boys, catfish, tacos and a killer chicken-fried steak. Got the car gassed up yet?

For North Texans, Glen Rose is a superb day trip destination. Come check out the dinosaur tracks and historic downtown Glen Rose, which is as quaint and charming as it gets, and take in a museum (like kid-friendly Dinosaur World or the Creation Evidence Museum of Texas) before sitting down for a stellar small-town lunch. Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, which features 1,800 acres with over a thousand animals (many endangered), is also nearby.

(Editor's note: Absolutely do not miss a tour at the jail built in 1893. It is filled with many ghosts, per our tour guide. Don't worry; if one latches on, they know who to call for an exorcism.)
Loco Coyote Grill, 1795 Co Rd 1004, Glen Rose. Thursday – Friday, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.