Best Refried Beans (San Antonio, Austin, Spring: restaurants, food, location)

[corntortilla]

I'm obsessed with good refried beans at restaurants - not just canned stuff but the actual homemade kind with (probably tons of) lard in it.

There was a place in San Antonio called Teka Molina's that had the best beans, but they closed (although they still have a second location open, but it's owned by different people and isn't the same).

Anyone know of good refried beans in town?

[love roses]

How funny! I have a good friend who is also that way about the beans, and rice too, for that matter. The beans at Serrano's (I hope I am saying the right place) were really good. They are unusual though, because it's a Mexican restuarant that mesquite smokes their meat and they add it to the beans so they are a little different than your average places beans.

[Moonlady]

Jardin Corona on Pond Springs in NW Austin. It's a family owned joint and their beans are better than I've had anywhere else! Their charro beans are awesome, but the refrieds are good too.

[readymade]

I love beans too, so any suggestions on S. Austin would be much appreciated.

[texaslamar]

I grew up in south Texas and have always maintained that any Mexican food restaurant is defined by the beans it serves. Yes, any south Austin suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[readymade]

Oh! I just thought of a place. Churro's (on Oltorf) has fantastic black refried beans.

[achtungpv]

So many joints in Austin avoid lard which is absolutely critical to killer refried beans. That said, Angie's are pretty good among the mediocre masses.

[Zzyzx]

Originally Posted by achtungpv

So many joints in Austin avoid lard which is absolutely critical to killer refried beans.

For the most part I tend to agree, but Mr. Natural has the tastiest refried beans (non-lard) that I've had in Austin. Like candy

[WillysB]

Hey, I don't know where the best beans are found but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn, some time ago...

I've worked in a place with refried beans and have cooked up many of them. We always started with 20 lbs of raw pintos, salt and lots o' lard in a pressure cooker, til done. Then we'd drill the beans. That is, with a common drill and a long attachment with 4 finger like blades on the end just drill baby drill until the beans were smooth. Then refrigerate over nite.

When we'd cook the taco meat, plain ol hamburger, we'd drain to collect the juice and let sit overnite so the fat would rise to the top, solid.

Next day, for serving we'd warm up the beans and to control consistency we'd use that solid fat from the taco meat to thin out the beans. That's where the awesome taste comes from, the hamburger fat.

[corntortilla]

Wow, I guess there's a reason that they can be so good.

I also grew up in South Texas and unless a place has good beans and good corn tortillas (hence the user name), I'm not interested.

I forgot to mention that I think Juan in a Million's beans have come close. I'll have to try the other places, thanks!