(From November 2011)

Open for 30-odd years, this Deep Ellum institution, with its long brick-walled room and probably original pressed tin ceiling, has piled up the accolades. And after wolfing down chicken-fried chicken strips (absolutely nothing like chicken nuggets) with homemade cream gravy, we understand why that dish is a local favorite. And friends swear that the namesake Angry Dog, a grilled beef kosher dog piled high with chili, cheddar, and grilled onions, is pretty close to heaven. Bar. 

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(From November 2011)

If you’re looking for an authentic small-town good time, this is the spot. Families, old-timers, and hipsters line up at the counter for memorable burgers with hand-cut fries and coconut pie crowned with four inches of meringue. Stroll back to the bowling club and watch bowling pins being reset by hand while you wait for your food. Ritual and good, plain victuals served all day without irony. Beer & wine coolers. 

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(From February 2011)

Unpretentiously housed in a former automotive repair shop is the newest location of this very popular burger joint (honored in 2009 in Texas Monthly’s “50 Greatest Hamburgers”). The specialty burgers are just that; the bacon-in-every-bite burger with chunky blue cheese was pure bliss. Taking a walk on the “fried” side, we chose healthier green beans and a chipotle dipping sauce rather than normal fries and onion rings. “Adult” shakes (we like the one made with chocolate vodka) are fairly innocuous but tasty, and though there are no burgers for kids, grilled cheeses and mini corn dog poppers make up for that. Bar.

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(From July 2011)

Just south of Linn, pull along the side of U.S. 281 and stop in at Frank’s, where Frank Cerda is smoking brisket, ribs, and chicken for both weary travelers and hungry locals. Like any good barbecue joint, this place has got mismatched wood paneling and plenty of sports team memorabilia, and the mesquite-smoked meats are top-notch. We really enjoyed the sausage and tender, falling-off-the-bone chicken. Other diners were rejoicing over the hamburgers. 

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(From January 2011)

If you see a school bus parked on the road billowing smoke from its roof, don't call 911. Pull over and get in line. We thought we had ordered a small amount of grass-fed Angus brisket, but we were over-whelmed with the enormous pile of melt-in-your-mouth meat (attached to generous portions of velvety fat) that arrived. An unusual sauce, with caramelized red onions, only heightened our bliss (note: must like sugar). Contributing too were thick, hand-cut fries (doused with salt and whole peppercorns) and spicy jalapeño sausage. And don’t get us started on the steak burger. Piled on a fluffy, grilled bun, the monster dripped with goodness.

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(From June 2012)

A winding scenic drive, live music on the patio, thousands of bats
emerging at twilight from an old railroad tunnel nearby—could there be a more perfect Hill Country evening? This funky joint is famous for what this magazine dubbed the third-best burger in Texas a few
years ago. And we are here to tell you it still rules, as juicy and plump as ever; be sure to specify a jalapeño cheese bun (makes a big difference). A basket of delicious hand-cut fries feeds the whole table. There are other entrées, including a daily special, but really,
are you gonna pass up that burger? Beer & wine.

Monday, August 24th, 2009, 12:09 pm
Hill says:
First, our group arrived at about 4:30ish on a Saturday afternoon. It wasn’t quiet crowded yet. The place is extremely small, crowded, loud, dirty, and very hot. It only got hotter as it started filling up with customers. We kept getting bumped and brushed up against our entire meal. I am not too sure that this place could comply with any type of fire or health codes. It is not in the city limits but someone might want to check on this for safety reasons. When we first arrived, we had to help ourselves to a drink from the cooler. It took a while to finally get a waitress that we had to flag down. As a matter of fact, we were on our second drink before we were able to flag down the waitress to place our order. It was a good think we had already helped ourselves to a drink from the cooler or we would have been dehydrated at this point. By this time, it was swarming with customers. We were extremely hungry and hot. By the time our food got there, we were starving but the one thing I have to compliment them on is it was a fantastic burger. It is a little on the expensive side but well worth the money but not the rude, slow, and unbearably hot conditions. We continued to help ourselves to the cooler and managed to flag down our waitress yet again to place a milkshake order. Once we placed the shake order, a few of us stayed at the table and sent one up to try to get in line to take care of the tab. She never brought us our tab so it took a really long time to wait through the line to pay the tab. Meanwhile, this really rude lady kept emerging intro the dining room inquiring across the restaurant rather loudly about what we are waiting on. Our party informed her a several times that we were still waiting on our milkshakes that we had already paid for and had not received. After this occurred several times, the "rude lady" emerged one final time and standing in front of the entire dining room shouts out "hey" and starts flailing her arms and shouts out, "we need the table, ya’ll gotta move, ya’ll can wait outside for your milk shakes" Now, it was August, it was hot in the restaurant but it was a 102 degrees outside:( I couldn’t believe my ears. The rude lady I was told was the "owner". We were kicked out after they had our money and she didn’t even have the decency to come to our table and address us in a polite manner. It wasn’t our fault that the service was slow. Instead of her "yelling" at her staff, she felt obligated to yell at her customers. Way to go Alamo Springs! I would have understood it a little better if she would have at least walked over to our table and addressed us on a personal level and said something a little more politely like" I am sorry for the slow service but we are really short staffed today and I am really sorry that it has taken so long for ya’ll to get served". "We are really busy right now, would ya’ll mind terribly if I could find another area for ya’ll to wait for your milkshakes so I can seat some of the other customers? Instead, our party was embarrassed in front of the entire restaurant that made us look like we had done something wrong. In our party was one of the owners of a very large family owned successful Texas restaurant chain and they were absolutely appalled . Way to go Alamo Springs, that was really good for your business! We were recommended to this place by a really good friend. I am sure it might have been a great place before it made the magazine but obviously it has gone down hill. He is a very wealthy local resident so I can not wait to give him the feedback on our "dining experience". Way to go Alamo Springs! As far as the milkshake that was $4.25 each, it was melted and not worth $1.25 when we got it. It took 2 hours from the time we entered until the time we left. I probably would only consider take out for the burger but absolutely would not waste my time, energy, or money for another "dining experience" at Alamo Springs Cafe!

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(From December 2010) Formerly a spot for Cuban food, this small, square room has become a densely populated, noisy place with the feel of a neighborhood tavern. Burgers are the focal point here, with just a few salads and appetizers on the menu. We ordered a quarter-pounder and a side of fresh-cut sweet potato fries, which filled us up to a button-busting point. Our young companion gobbled up a corny dog, which also came with sweet potato fries and, best of all, a free ice cream cone. For dessert, there are adult shakes and build-your-own sundaes. Bar.

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(From June 2011)

Burger lovers here make tracks for gourmet creations featuring pa-paya, beets, fried duck eggs—even a Shipley doughnut. We went mainstream with our burgers, choosing a bacon-guacamole-cheddar-and-arugula and a mushroom-Swiss-and-dijonnaise, both so juicy the yummy buns got pretty soggy. Crispy fries sprinkled with coarse salt were exceptional, and our teen diner went berserk for the old-school soda fountain with Dublin Dr Pepper and NuGrape. But what’s with the Soup Nazi guy at the front? Seriously. BYOB.

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(From March 2011) Burger artistry is the objective here—the Yodelin’ Toad, with savory sautéed mushrooms and velvety Swiss cheese, and the Greek burger, with roasted garlic, black olives, and feta cheese, are two of our favorites. All burgers come with your choice of bun (we like the jalapeño version) and side dish (we think the onion rings beat the fries and tater tots). The cherry pie is homemade and served plain or à la mode.

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(From March 2011) This popular North Texas chain now has an outpost in the heart of South Texas. A must-try is La Monumental, but make sure you’ve brought your appetite. This burger lives up to its name, with two grilled beef patties, lots of gooey cheese, ham, a crispy tostada, refried beans, lettuce, onion, tomato, and avocado served with spicy mayonnaise and topped with a jalapeño (there’s is a “junior” version, if you’re feeling wimpy). And like any good burger joint Burguesa offers fountain drinks (made in-house with pure cane syrup) and creamy milkshakes (charmingly topped with a small doughnut).

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