Players Scores Big With Generations of Hungry Hamburger Customers

Walk into Players (300 West MLK) on the UT campus in central Austin and you'll likely by greeted by one of these gentlemen, Daniel and his uncle, Carlos Oliveira.  Carlos and partner Eddie Hempe started Players nearly 30 years ago and obviously has a winning recipe for great hamburgers, excellent customer service, affordable food and easy access to a wide variety of people.  The Longhorns graduates know how to cater to their audience.  You may spot the Longhorns head football coach Mack Brown or any number of sports team members eating a Players burger, maybe a politician or two, workers from neighboring businesses, and of course plenty of college students.  The name comes from the arcade games in the dining room, the number of sports team members who love to eat there, and the large flat screen TV you can always be sure to catch a game on!

I first walked into Players several years ago because someone I worked with recommended I go there immediately.  I did and yes, it's one great burger.  I've been in to dine many other times, so when I walked in Thursday with the intention of reviewing Players, I ordered a burger I normally don't get - the jalapeno cheese burger.

What you'll notice eating the burger right off the bat is that it's juicy and is loaded down with the fixings.  But what you'll notice after getting all the way through it is it stays enjoyable and juicy the entire time!  Some burgers will start off great, juicy, and full of flavor but gets less juicy and flavorful the closer to the end you get.  That's a big difference!

Daniel and Carlos say the secret ingredients to their success include fresh products, made to order burgers and patties cooked over an open flame.  Carlos says he also doesn't salt the fries, but rather leaves them plain so the customer can decide how salty to make it.

The affordable price is worth mentioning again.  Customers rarely can find a meal under $10 for lunch these days.  My jalapeno burger, along with a half order of french fries and a soda, cost me $7 flat.  For comparison, last week at Your Mom's Burger Bar, I paid a little over $14 for a hamburger, soda, an order of regular fries for me and an order of sweet potato fries for the little guy.  Carlos told me he knows workers nearby and college students can't afford to pay $10 or more for a hamburger.  He keeps his prices low and the burgers tasting great.  That, along with his winning combination of tasty food and being a truly local business in Austin, means you can't go wrong with Players.

Give Players a call at (512) 478-9299 and drop by to get a burger.  This is one Austin staple you can't afford to pass up.  You can listen to the podcast with Carlos and Daniel by clicking the play button above, and scroll through the pictures on the slide show below.

Under new Federal Trade Commission guidelines, which require bloggers to disclose information regarding potential conflicts for items reviewed in their blogs, the Austin Citysphere was not compensated for this story.