Austin

(From August 2009) If, like us, you have a deep and abiding love of both buffalo wings and hamburgers and have often wondered if together they would not produce something greater than the sum of their parts, this is the burger for you. The tangy vinegar-and-Tabasco sauce is hot but not overpowering, and the richness of the blue cheese is complemented by the thick tomato slices and a delicate spring mix of arugula and spinach. We know that sounds a little sissified, but balance is provided by the sports bar’s pool table, dart boards, waitresses in short shorts, and abundant flat-screen TVs tuned to ESPN.

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(From August 2009) Sometimes you want a burger that’s just a little bit different, and the Korean owners of this humble restaurant cook up a delicious twist. The tender beef has been audaciously marinated in soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil, but what really makes it unique is that it’s thinly sliced rather than ground. Sure, there might be some grumpy purists out there who insist that ground meat is a constitutive part of hamburgers. To these scrooges we say, your loss is our (weight) gain. The bulgogi sauce is a hot, coral-colored blend featuring roasted garlic and onions. At the fixin’s bar, you dress the shaved meat yourself with fresh tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and homemade condiments.

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(From August 2009) During any given lunch hour, more than half the customers are having burgers, despite a menu with first-rate crab cakes and fried oysters. That’s what happens when you have a monster hit. This simple, flawless burger is like an expertly composed three-minute pop song: There are no wrong notes. The hand-pressed patty is six ounces of plump and succulent Niman beef from Colorado, cooked to order. The sweetness of the bun plays treble against the meaty bass line, and the toppings all contribute excellent backup. The lettuce is Boston, the onion is Bermuda, the cheese is very good cheddar, and the tomatoes are ripe. Elegant, uncomplicated, addictive.

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(From August 2009) Can this really be a sports bar? The joint’s too classy, and so’s the burger. Half a pound of freshly ground beef cooked to rosy perfection rests regally on a square ciabatta bun. The bread is toasted, and if you lean in close, you can sniff the buttery aroma. The cheese is good Longhorn cheddar, and the bacon is just about as supreme a sliver of pig as we’ve ever encountered. Shredded lettuce and slices of ripe red tomato and purple Bermuda onion round out the plate. The fries—delicate potato shoestrings dusted with Parmesan and chives—underscore the better-than-it-has- to-be philosophy here.

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(From August 2009) This sleek new fast-food franchise—which boasts sanitizing “hand Jacuzzis” in the dining area—looks too squeaky-clean and corporate to produce a good burger. Luckily, it serves up chow that has the heart and soul of a greasy spoon. The mouthwatering made-to-order half-pounder is hand-formed from all-natural beef that’s ground in-house daily. The hand-squeezed lemonade has just the right balance of sweet and sour, and the crinkle-cut fries, which are dusted with sea salt, are homemade.

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(From August 2009) Undoubtedly some people will resist ordering a boring burger from a menu that boasts twelve kinds of oysters flown in daily from all over creation, but, well, those people are fools. This extra-juicy patty comes covered with white cheddar and perched on a toasted, house-made bun. The meat is so well seasoned you’ll scavenge the little beef nubbins that fall on your plate. If there’s a drawback to this burger, it is that it’s petite (6.5 ounces), which seems downright cruel when you’re licking the plate. Crispy potato slivers powdered in chopped garlic, shallot, parsley, sea salt, and black pepper will ruin you for all other fries.

November 7th, 2009 at 8:39am
Charlie says:
My wife and I had an amazing meal here last night. Utterly memorable. A dozen Malpeque oysters, champagne, the raw salmon, squash soup, brussel sprouts, finished off with chocolate sticky toffee pudding. If you are looking for a special place for a beautiful meal, this is the place!

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(From August 2009) Nestled among a grove of live oaks overlooking Quarry Lake, this sleek addition to the North Austin restaurant scene has a more contemporary feel than its Western-themed downtown sibling. Taking advantage of an evening breeze, we sat on the patio and noshed on fresh-made guacamole and sipped a cold huckleberry margarita to get in the proper end-of-the-day mood. For dinner, we chose the deconstructed mahimahi fish taco, which was as beautiful as it was delicious. Our side dish, green chile mac and cheese, sounded great but was a little too greasy. Bar.

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