"I Want 'em Real Thick and Juicy": Austinist Celebrates National Burger Month

It seems everything and everyone is getting their own national month these days. This month alone, Barbecue; Bikes; Eggs; Hamburgers; Physical Fitness & Sports; and Salsa all get their time to shine. Nothing the overrated food item eggs need more than their own damn month, after already single-handedly trying to take down the taco industrial complex. But we digress.

As all of these categories own a special place in Austinist's heart, we will be doing one post celebrating each of our favorites in these categories. Today we pay honor to the beefy, greasy goodness that is the hamburger. What follows is our list of best burgers in town. Sure, we had to leave out a couple of local favorites, but when you are making an All-Star team, good doesn’t cut it. Sorry, Fran and Dan. We still love you.

Casino el Camino: Best burger in town. Thick, juicy, well-seasoned. Tastes like your momma used to make ‘em, if your mom was a tatted-up rocker with a Ms. Pac Man machine and endless supply of booze in her kitchen. OK, so maybe they taste more like your cool uncle used to make ‘em.
Burger Tex: Not too small and not too big, with fresh ingredients and a damn fine bulgoki burger that you gotta try if you haven't already.
Hill’s Café/The Tavern: Succulent patty, buttery square bun, chipotle mayonnaise if you dare.
Roaring Fork: Big-as-your-head burgers. Sure the price may be steep and you have to wade through a sea of lawyers to get to your table, but that’s a damn fine piece of meat.
P. Terry's: Quick, quality angus burgers on the cheap with a yummy ‘special sauce.’ A small caveat, P. Terry's makes it on the strength of their double-double. The single does not hold up as well. And, yes, their fries, when eaten straight out of the frier, are the best in town, but that conversation is for another list. But, no bacon offered? Psh!
Sandy's: Winner of the best deal category (Thursdays & Saturdays – Hamburger, fries and a drink for $2.99).

Honorable Mention: Café at the Four Seasons, Jackalope’s black & blue burger, The Alamo Drafthouse’s spicy bleu burger, veggie burger @ Hut’s, Fran’s, Dan’s, Shady Grove’s green chile burger, Culver’s (best chain), Dirty’s, and Shoal Creek Saloon

OK, Austin, where do you get your burger fix?

*Image © unsureshot on Flickr*

Contact the author of this article or email tips@austinist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By matthewodam in Food on May 3, 2006 1:50 PM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

Z

Hyde Park Bar and Grill, anyone?

endless nameless

Ok, I sampled Austin Land & Cattle yesterday, and you were right, they do make a succulent 1/2 pound burger. I had the one with egg and tabasco, my date had the southwest. We both left happy and gorged on beef, and for only $21 total including drinks. Nice happy hour find.

jscro

Here's another for Mike's pub, little hole in the wall, but fantastic burgers.

Freddie's Places? What is the appeal of that place to people, to me it's like a Fraternity and a Jimmy Buffet song collided. Their menu is very uninspiring too, it reads like an order list for a Cisco food service truck. Maybe I'm just being a hater, only been there once.

anon

Some of y'all got to get out more.

b

the "top pick" at top notch.

b

the "top pick" at top notch.

endless nameless

Freddie's Place seconded - best burgers in town and nice atmosphere to boot. The burgers are humongous, restuarant style burgers, and they make 7 specialties. The bleu cheese dream is dreamy.

ultra8201

Not too specific but mexican restaurants that serve burgers are always good. Might have something to do with the all the other things they cook on the same grill. Gives them extra flavor.

Stephen

The burgers at Austin Land & Cattle on 12th and Lamar fly under the radar but are at least equal to Casino's. I've been going here for years and just ordering off the burger/bar menu. They're about 8 bucks for a burger, but go during happy hours (5-7) and they're half price. Try the Southwest burger with poblano, swiss or cheddar, and a chipotle cream sauce. Unbelievable. Waterloo, Hut's and PTerry's burgers are punchlines next to ALC.

Stephen

The burgers at Austin Land & Cattle on 12th and Lamar fly under the radar but are at least equal to Casino's. I've been going here for years and just ordering off the burger/bar menu. They're about 8 bucks for a burger, but go during happy hours (5-7) and they're half price. Try the Southwest burger with poblano, swiss or cheddar, and a chipotle cream sauce. Unbelievable. Waterloo and PTerry's burgers are punchlines next to ALC.

Butter Woman

Best all-around: Casino. Period.

Best tradition: Ski Shores.

Best place to send everyone else: Hut's (They'll THINK they're eating the best burger in town and the line at Casino will not expand)

texasinafrica

How could you leave out the Top Notch?!? Best burgers in town by far, and cheap to boot. There's a reason there's a long line every Saturday.

Aaron

Am I the only C&A fan?! A great burger and I love their fries, especially when they're extra crispy. Casino still tops the list but I am now dreaming about a little basket of sliders...

soldado23

what about freddie's place?

anon

1. Casino (but damn, stop telling people already, it takes long enough

2. Ski Shores - can you say Scooter burger

3. Mike's Pub - greasy and a parking garge, what more can you ask for?

4. Patrick Terry's - all the organic loving all natural, no freezer or hotlamp people go here

5. Waterloo - its Waterloo

caleaelena

Ski Shores. Ski Shores. Ski Shores. The Scooter burger is proof that there is a God. Great fries, okra, catfish and shrimp, too.

SplendaRob

Yeah, Reido got booted in the midst of my training to get on his white board. Reido's is a top 3 burger. I'm waiting for that comeback.

loy

Anyone have an update on Reido's whereabouts? Is he ever going to come back? His sliders would have dominated this list.

Declan McManus

45 minutes is a short amount of time. Try going to Casino during SXSW. You'll wait close to 2 hours. And it's worth every goddamned minute, particularly when Orestes is grilling them.

And, the charred meat is good for you. Ignore those studies about it giving you ass/colon cancer. It tastes great.

Abbenormal

Now I know this is Austin sacrelig, but I have never had a good burger at Casino el Camino. The couple times I've tried them they took 45 minutes to get and were BURNT, like a 1/2 inch layer of char to bite through before you got to anything resembling meat. Thumbs down Casino.

I prefer a messy Hut's burger.

Declan McManus

Casino's burgers are definitely tops in town. Jackalope's blackened casear burger is good, but not great.

I enjoy Huts and P Terrys too.

The best way is to buy buffalo meat at Whole Foods or Central Market and cook the burger yourself on a charcoal grill. Not gas, charcoal. And then sit your ass next to the pool, with a cooler filled with beer, and watch the boobies while eating.

dm

Three Cheers for Casino! The buffalo burger rules. That being said, these days I am almost as likely to grab a chipolte bacon cheesburger from Jackalope.

fogelsong

Anyone else miss The Filling Station that was on Barton Springs?

slight

The Roaring Fork's burger is awesome and definitely a big 'un, though I can handle it no problem. So I don't know why that I'm not the fan of Casino's like everybody else. I just had one 2 Sundays ago (trying it again for the first time since the 90s) and still felt like I was digesting it on Tuesday.

I dig the Burger Tex, the Jackalope and Hut's. Need to pop into the P. Terry's b/c I hear good things.

SplendaRob

I was unimpressed with the P. Terry's burger but will second that they have damn tasty fries. My overall fry preference lies with Casino, though. Odam, it sounds like you and I both come from the "throwing buffalo sauce and blue cheese on a burger makes it better" school of thought. Jackalope and Hut's both have 2 for 1 burgers on Wednesday so I'd put those up there in your Best Deal category.

michaelfavia

P. Terry's also has the best french fries in austin in this humble eaters opinion. Cut there in house, taste very potatoey and are cooked to perfection. Just do yourself a favor and eat them there or in the car on the way. "Flacid" is no way to describe your french fry and that's what you'll get if you let it steam itself for that long drive home..