Swift Attic, Congress Avenue
Swift Attic, Congress Avenue is a retro-chic eatery that serves innovative cuisine in a delightful historic space. The restaurant has a nightclub-esque atmosphere with a large, boisterous bar in the front area. However, Swift Attic’s Bowling Alley Burger is like none you’ve had at a nightclub, or a bowling alley for that matter. The burger is made from coarse-ground beef and topped with melted fontina cheese, caramelized onions, Calabrian peppers, oxtail, pork belly, and more.
The restaurant is known around town for its indulgent “Big Ass Burger” night on Mondays. The options for burger components include everything under the sun, such as crab cakes, mashed potatoes, hash brown buns, and even chocolate donuts.
315 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701, Phone: 512-482-8842
Dai Due Butcher Shop & Supper Club, East Austin
Dai Due Butcher Shop & Supper Club, East Austin is a farm-to-table restaurant that focuses on local ingredients in a rustic space. The restaurant has built their concept around the idea of using ingredients that are present in and around Austin. They are committed to supporting local farmers and ranchers and buying only the most fairly and sustainably produced ingredients. Their lunchtime burger is a delicious wild boar patty topped with a peppery pimento cheese, tomato, jalapeños, and their own Doppleganger Sauce. The drool-worthy sandwich is stuffed inside a sesame seed roll. In addition to the restaurant, Dai Due has a classic, old-fashioned butcher shop that sells a selection of local meat cuts, all hand-cut by the butchers on site.
2406 Manor Road, Austin, TX 78722, Phone: 512-524-0688
Crown & Anchor Pub, Hyde Park
Crown & Anchor Pub, Hyde Park is a campus-area bar and grill near the University of Texas that has been serving burgers and beer since 1987. This Austin mainstay is frequented by many college students, especially during the school year. The bar offers pool tables, darts, and a fantastic dog-friendly patio. The burgers are cooked to perfection on a flat-top grill that gives them a perfect flavor and just the right amount of crispiness on the edges. They come with a fairly standard selection of toppings and they don’t skimp as they load up the burgers. Burger choices range from a classic hamburger to a triple cheeseburger and a build-your-own option.
2911 San Jacinto Blvd., Austin, TX 78705, Phone: 512-322-9168
Dan’s Hamburgers, Midtown
Dan’s Hamburgers on Lamar Boulevard in Austin’s Midtown is one of several burger joints operated by Dan Junk, who is known to locals as “Austin’s Hamburger King.” The famed burger maestro has made himself locally famous by his commitment to tasty, fresh food and friendly customer service. The award-winning restaurant chain has been in business for more than 40 years. Dan’s offers several burger options and extremely quick service. In fact, every single burger at the restaurant takes a mere 8 minutes to make and serve from the time it is ordered. In addition to tasty burgers and sides, Dan’s also features a fantastic Southern-style breakfast.
5602 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78751, Phone: 512-459-3239
Dirty Martin’s Place, West Campus
The burger at Dirty Martin’s Place, West Campus is something of a college student tradition for students at the University of Texas and Austinites in general. The burger recipe is the same one that they have been serving since 1926. The iconic restaurant offers a burger experience that comes straight from the past. Guests can sit at the counter on a swiveling stool as their burgers are prepared by short-order cooks before their eyes. Side options include delicious, razor-thin fried pickles, onion rings, and french fries. However, the menu hasn’t totally remained the same over the past 90+ years. Today, Dirty’s even serves veggie burgers, which may have been unimaginable when the meat-centric diner opened in the 1920s.
2808 Guadalupe Street, Austin, TX 78705, Phone: 512-477-3173
Salt & Time, East Seventh
Salt & Time, East Seventh is a rustic eatery located in a butcher shop. The menu consists of farm-to-table American food with a menu that is heavily focused on meat. The burger that landed them on this list is known as The Butcher Burger. Just as it sounds, the burger consists of a huge slab of locally raised beef that is ground on site. The burger is cooked to medium rare and then topped with pickles and mayonnaise and tucked inside a brioche roll. The burger comes with a side of fries that are fried in beef fat. For even more meat, guests can add the restaurant’s house-made bacon or spreadable pork salami. The Butcher Burger is only available at dinnertime.
1912 E. 7th Street, Austin, TX 78702, Phone: 512-524-1383
True Food Kitchen, Seaholm District
True Food Kitchen, Seaholm District is a trendy restaurant that is focused on healthy yet delicious food. The restaurant offers a highly seasonal menu that changes with the seasons, depending on local produce availability. Their dining area features an open kitchen where diners can truly feel as if they are a part of the process. The restaurant has something to offer nearly everyone with any kind of food sensitivity or special dietary concern. They offer several gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan offerings as well as a wide range of naturally organic foods. Their grass-fed burger is piled high with umami mushrooms, caramelized onions, arugula, roasted beet, parmesan cheese, and mayo and served in a flaxseed bun.
222 West Avenue, Austin, TX 78701, Phone: 512-777-2430
More ideas: Richardson, Texas
Yard Bar, Allandale
Yard Bar, Allandale is a unique restaurant that serves up delicious burgers, hushpuppies, salads, cheese plates, and more in a fun environment. The Yard Burger consists of a beef, chicken, or veggie patty topped with American cheese, iceberg lettuce, onion, tomato, and their special picnic sauce. The burger is served with a choice of house-made potato chips, potato salad, or a green salad on the side. The restaurant features a staffed off-leash dog park with agility equipment and a full bar. Day, monthly, and annual passes to the dog park are available. The bar offers local craft beer and a high-quality selection of spirits.
6700 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78757, Phone: 512-900-3773
Casino El Camino, Sixth Street
Casino El Camino, Sixth Street is a no-frills bar and grill that serves a selection of massive burgers. The burgers, which have appeared on the Food Network, are made from a 3/4 pound of Angus beef, ground fresh on site each day. One highlight of the menu is the Amarillo Burger. This Tex-Mex style sandwich is topped with jalapeño jack cheese, roasted serrano peppers, and mayo. The burger is best accompanied with an order of green chili cheese fries. The bar has an interesting and iconic atmosphere, including dim lighting, top-notch bartenders, cult films on the TVs, punk-rock decor, a juke box, and more.
517 E. 6th Street, Austin, TX 78701, Phone: 512-469-9330
Burgers in Austin, Texas: Cow Bells, East Riverside
Cow Bells, East Riverside is a food trailer located in a small food truck court. The yellow food truck serves creatively named burgers stacked high with toppings. Burger options include the Archetype, which is their version of a classic hamburger, as well as the Spare Tire, which is a double cheeseburger, and the Blue Flame, topped with blue cheese and jalapeños. In addition to their unique beef burgers, Cow Bells also offers turkey and veggie burgers. They have a selection of side items, including fried pickles, sweet potato fries, mini corn dogs and Japanese-style onion rings. Wash it all down with a soda, bottled water, or a root beer float.
1620 E. Riverside Drive, Austin, TX 78741, Phone: 512-662-4114
Eureka!, Downtown
Eureka!, Downtown is an all-American, from-scratch burger bar that specializes in gourmet burgers, craft beer, and small-batch whiskey. Burger options include The Original Eureka!, which is topped with smoked Gouda, traditional burger toppings, and a special sauce. They offer several more innovative burger options as well, such as the Fresno Fig Burger, which is topped with goat cheese and a fig marmalade, the Bone Marrow burger, and a veggie burger made from beets and kidney beans. The restaurant is located in a historic space and features a rustic and woodsy decor. They have an upbeat and convivial atmosphere with handpicked house music, weekly events, televised sporting events, and more.
200 E. 6th Street, Austin, TX 78701, Phone: 512-735-1144
Mighty Fine Burgers, Sunset Valley
Mighty Fine Burgers, Sunset Valley is an Austin-born burger chain that specializes in ultra-fresh burgers. The casual eatery displays their freshness proudly with boxes of Idaho potatoes stacked around their dining room and an open kitchen in many locations, where diners can look in and see their burger patty being formed. The menu is fairly simple and offers a choice of a classic half-pound hamburger as well as a lighter quarter-pound version. The burgers come with several complimentary toppings and optional premium toppings, such as avocado and bacon, that cost a bit extra. Guests can also opt for a gluten-free bun. Mighty Fine Burgers has five locations in Austin.
5601 Brodie Lane, Suite 1300, Sunset Valley, TX 78745, Phone: 512-735-2800
P. Terry’s Burger Stand, Zilker
P. Terry’s Burger Stand, Zilker is a longtime resident on the Austin restaurant scene. The chain originated in Austin and has expanded to 14 locations around town, and is still growing. Even though P. Terry’s is a quick-serve chain restaurant, they don’t skimp on quality. The restaurant serves burgers made from 100% natural, vegetarian-fed Black Angus beef and has high standards for both flavor and quality. In addition to the beef burgers, the restaurant offers all-natural, antibiotic-free chicken burgers and delicious veggie burgers. All of their burgers are served on a bun made at Mrs. Bairds. Many of their vegetables come from local farmers and are all prepped fresh each day. The burgers can be accompanied by all-natural french fries, shakes made from real milk, and their delicious cookies.
404 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78704, Phone: 512-473-2217
Top Notch Hamburgers, Crestview
Top Notch Hamburgers, Crestview has been an Austin mainstay since 1971. The restaurant had its 15 minutes of fame when it appeared on the big screen in the Richard Linklater film, Dazed and Confused. The restaurant serves burgers and onion rings in a vintage environment. This old-school drive-in with curbside service is known for having a distinct, smoky flavor in their burgers. The menu is fairly straightforward and includes chicken, shrimp, a few sides and, of course, the bestseller, a classic cheeseburger. The burger comes with lettuce, pickles, tomato, onions, and mayonnaise. For those looking for a special treat, Top Notch recommends the “Longhorn Special,” which has two meat patties and a special sauce.
7525 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78757, Phone: 512-452-2181
Conclusion
Local fast food restaurants such as P. Terry’s offer up affordable and delicious options for locals and visitors to get their burger fix. A few more unique restaurants and bars, such as Casino El Camino, offer both a tasty burger and a memorable atmosphere. A couple of food trucks with exceptional burgers have even made the list. There are many restaurants serving burgers in Austin, TX - here are some of the top choices.
