The Original Owl Bar & Cafe • 1986

When disguised Manhattan Project scientists asked for more than bar snacks between shifts at the nearby Trinity Site, Frank Chavez installed a grill and created the Owl Burger in 1948—a green chile cheeseburger made from an unchanged recipe that still draws pilgrims to this roadside bar in tiny San Antonio. The 25-foot mahogany bar, salvaged from Conrad Hilton's first rooming house, anchors a dim room where dollar bills blanket the walls and atomic history lingers in every booth.