Cafe Canela (9070 Research Blvd. Ste 303) replaces the former Geaux Burger, formerly Mooyah Burger. When I learned Mooyah closed, I was devastated! But later, because of ACS's 7 Best Burgers of Central Texas Tour, I learned Cafe Canela is the same place but with a little extra on the menu.
Owner Alvaro Valencia managed Mooyah and Geaux. But this time, he's doing things the way he wants because he owns and manages Cafe Canela. Valencia put Tex Mex options on the menu, so customers aren't limited to just burgers or hot dogs. But we highly recommend getting a burger and loading it up with toppings, which come free!
Some burger joints offer the plain Jane burgers; others do theirs up a little more gourmet style. At Cafe Canela, you'll order a simple burger. You have the option of dressing it up how you like, but it doesn't come to the table overloaded. The burger is juicy and the bun is outstanding. Valencia told us he orders the bread from Sweetish Hill Bakery.
This concludes the ACS burger tour. Which burger joint on our list is your favorite? Tell us what we didn't try that you highly recommend.
Local radio personality Sandy Mcilree of Mix 94.7 fame shared with the world his friend's best Austin burger joint list. It's so impressive, and extensive, that we couldn't ignore it because of 1) our love of burgers and 2) our recent 7 Best Burgers of Central Texas. By the way, the color on the home page may have changed to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but we still have one more burger to wrap up the tour. It will be posted on this site on Sunday, Oct. 10.
Everyone has their own standards for burgers. Throughout the tour on ACS, I have learned that there are the burgers with all the frills, and those that come plain Jane. I know some people prefer to keep it simple, as do I, but I have found that I do like the add-ons quite a bit, too.
Sandy's friend, Brock Purslow (left), obviously has had a couple of burgers in his day. His criteria, according to Sandy's blog, includes mandatory good fries, a simple atmosphere for the burger lover to enjoy, and a good shake (a plus in Purslow's book).
In no particular order (except for the first one), here is the list:
Crown and Anchor: great atmosphere, spectacular fries, cold beer from around the world (mustard only on the burger)
Dirty's: more history and Longhorn tradition than any other joint in town. On anyday you could see Coach Brown, Coach Barnes, Coach Auggie, Ben Crenshaw and even Quinton Tarintino eating here. Go by yourself and sit at the bar. (Mustard and Pickle only on the large cheeseburger for me)
Mike's Pub: simple but excellent. Nice grease on top of bun and coldest beer in town. (put your own fixin's on, mustard and onion for me)
Lee's Almost by the Lake (Spicewood, Tex.): worth the drive to cure a hangover on Saturday (all the way minus lettuce for me)
Diamond Inn (Taylor, Tex.): Same grill from the original Diamond Inn in the 1960's and 1970's. Only serve cheeseburgers Thursday's-Saturday (order just like it comes, don't mess with a good thing)
P. Terry's: easiest menu in town, quick convenient but darn good burgers and shakes. (I get mine without the special sauce)
Shuggies: (closed) great hangout at the South Austin Trailer Park Eatery. Unique bun with the black pepper, large patties and beer battered fries. (mustard and pickle on for me)
Mighty Fine Burgers: only fresh cut crinkle fries in the great state of Texas. I once ate the largest cheeseburger of my life here because I ordered wrong. It was good but quite a challenge I wasn't going to back down from. (yellow and white only for me)
Mooyah Burgers and Fries [editor's note: now Cafe Canela]: new in town but moving up the ranks quick. Great bun and cheese is melted into the meat to give it the real "dive" taste. Fresh cut fries daily with good shakes. (mustard and pickle only for me)
Hut's: best variety in town. Cool place with good shakes. (Chubby Checker for me)
Ski Shores: great place to stop by to refresh those burning ski legs or drive to after you run your dogs at Turkey Creek. (mustard only for me)
Poodies on 71: worth the drive again. Go in the evening and you might catch Willie but you will probably catch some good live music and a good buzz. (mustard, pickle and onion for me)
Billy's on Burnet: great little spot for lunch. Nice thick pattie with some of the nicest people in Austin waiting on you. A Green Bay Packer joint with Beer Brats on Game Day. If you are a Packer fan, which I am, you gotta go on game day. *If ever in Green Bay you must eat at Kroll's, and it has to be Kroll's East not West. (mustard only for me)
Jim's: everyone knows about Jim's. Next time look past the breakfast menu and order the Frontier burger. (I get mine just like it comes minus lettuce of course)
Nau's: old school cheeseburgers with history, enough said. (mustard, pickle and onion only)
Casino El Camino: order like it comes or get out. No substitutions. nice greasy burger to warsh down your col' beer.
Red Robin: typically not a fan of chains but the Royal Red Robin (with a fried egg) is worth going. Great shakes. (like it comes minus lettuce of course)
Mo Willy Golf Course: every muny golf course has a great greasy burger or its not a really muny. This is the best muny cheeseburger in town. They even have watered fairways now. (mustard only for me)
Arkie's: cool little spot on the east side. Sit at the counter get a burger, skip the shake and go right for the homemade pie. (mustard only for me)
The Frisco Shop: (formerley Night Hawk for those true Austinites). Old school burger served wrapped in paper. Its gotta be good because it's messy. (I get mine the way it comes minus lettuce of course)
Purslow also says Gus's Grill would make the list but rumor has it it's closed.
I wonder where Posse East ranks on everyone's list. A picture of the Sheriff Sandwich, which I believe is the signature sandwich there, is to the left. It's actually what I ordered the day I went: Ham, salami, cheddar, mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, red onion & mustard on a wheat bun. Wow! And at $4.90 that can't be beat. Despite the kitchen losing my order, it turned out pretty good, dare I say different! I definitely need to go back and try it again.
How many of these on Purslow's list have you tried? Let us know, and tell us your favorites! Purslow says he's working on a separate, fast food list.
Casino El Camino (517 E. 6th Street / (512) 469-9330) is a bar in the heart of Austin's infamous 6th Street District, but it's also a hot little lunch spot for people who know this part of 6th Street in the daylight rather than bar-hopping hours. I've heard how great Casino's burgers are but wanted to taste for myself.
I loaded up the car with two of my buddies and headed downtown, where parking can be limited but not impossible to find. Just remember to take your quarters. The new pay meters accept coins and credit but no paper money, which for me, sent me back out to the meter after changing in my dollars for quarters. All three of us attempted a different burger or variation of burger.
Adolfo got the Amarillo Burger with roasted serrano chiles, jalapeno jack cheese and cilantro mayo. The burger looked a little pink but according to my friend, the flavor couldn't be beat. In fact, he said it's the best burger he's ever eaten - and that includes a couple of Lubbock burger joints that he says puts several Austin burgers to shame. Check out all that green on there and it's all those chiles. "Now that's one spicy burger," Adolfo said.
Next up, my buddy John got the Chicago Burger with Romaine lettuce, tomato and cheddar cheese. This is one of the more traditional style burgers on the menu, but definitely not one that is lacking. "You don't just get a tantalizing burger here, there's a whole story you may have never heard, it's a family unlike any I've ever seen and a place where the cooks can express however they feel while cooking and reading up on classwork all at the same time making an awesome burger.," John said.
That brings me to the portion of the story where I talk about the people. Our waitress, Ginger Stevens, is very much a party of the Casino family. For the last 16 years, she's been coming to this place. She began working at Casino about a year and a half ago. The other workers are, well, just like family - or at least they treat you that way, at times being downright rude, but it's all just a part of the charm. Stitch, one of the cooks, is studying for his Ph.D and had his notebook opened as he rolled up the thick hamburger patties. When I went to order at the window in the back, I'd asked him what I should get. He told me it was a bad time because he was busy with bookwork. But he did end up offering a suggestion: the Chicago burger (like John) but with the buffalo sauce! It was a perfect suggestion for me since I love spicy dishes and I wanted to get a more traditional burger. Put the two together and that became my Casino experience.
The fries were crunch and delicious and the burger came juicy. It's hard to get it all in your mouth but somehow, some way, people find it possible and eat these delicious burgers up. Casino was even featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives as a joint where customers dig the heat, employees mix up great burger recipes and the environment reminds you of being at home among family.
Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer
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.
Where do I begin this story? There's the easy, ever popular and eternally funny your mom joke. Yo Mama's so dumb that she tripped over a cordless phone. Or, Yo mama's so old that when she was in school there was no history class!
I could begin this story on the importance of mothers. Scientific studies point to the overwhelming value of a mother's love, hugs and support.
But maybe this story can simply start by saying how freaking awesome Your Mom's Burger Bar (1701 E. Cesar Chavez Ste. B) is! After several weeks of hearing how much I needed to try Your Mom's, the word of mouth advertisement became too much to resist!
"We don't have [the] budget to have a marketing campaign," said owner Ryan Blackmore Thursday when he personally sat down with us to talk mano a mano about burgers. "When we started out, Yelp hit us up and we started with I think five stars, and it just escalated to where we had nothing but five stars and we became number one on Yelp."
Although Your Mom's is a serious burger joint, it did begin with the infamous 'your mom' wise crack when Blackmore asked his wife where she wanted to go eat lunch one day. She said with a grin, "Your mom's." Blackmore just knew it was to be the perfect name for an up and coming restaurant later on when entering the restaurant biz became a reality.
Blackmore, a California native, moved to Austin from South Padre Island seven years ago with his wife, Gina. He worked in several restaurants, where he says he had to conform to a certain style - one that wasn't his own. But now, he gets to have his own creative outlet and does damn well what he pleases. Mashed potatoes and corn stuffed burger? No problem! He just created it. It's not even on the menu yet and already customers are asking for it because of a Thrillist review giving it lots of props and praise. This is all part of Blackmore's plan to offer great food by great people. "We've done no advertisement, it's just word of mouth and just getting great burgers out there," he said.
I had the Willie Nelson - a half pound beef patty wrapped with bacon and stuffed with American cheese, tossed in honey bar-b-q sauce, topped with a fried onion ring on Texas toast. Man, oh man! I know some people are purists and just like their patty without being stuffed, with only your average fixins', but geez Louise the Willie Nelson is fantastic. You can see the cheese sort of escaping when the burger arrives at your table. But the time you bite into the burger, the cheese is gushing and flavor is just singing like a fat lady at the opera inside your mouth. It quite honestly is one of the best hamburgers I've ever eaten. Writing this review is a little painful as I have to recall the burger without having another one of Your Mom's creations right in front of me. Blackmore himself recommended the Willie Nelson when I ordered, despite my initial desire to have a plain and simple burger to test out this place. But good thing he convinced me otherwise.
As for the fries: crisp and delicious! I can't recall the spices on the regular fries, but I'm almost certain there was cinnamon on the sweet potato fries I'd gotten for my little boy. (He loves sweet potato fries, and loved these twice as much!) I previously heard the french fries weren't always up to par. "That was a learning experience and getting the recipe just right," Blackmore said. "We were basically working out kinks and fine tuning them. Now they are tip top and I get compliments about the fries. Fixed!"
Your Mom's has been at its East Cesar Chavez location for about six months. It's a little tricky to find, but it's basically at the corner of Cesar Chavez and Chalmers behind the red and yellow painted Taqueria Las Cazuelas. Before its permanent residence on the east side, Blackmore had a location downtown for about five months. It was inevitable that he'd move to a spot where he could serve up burgers non-stop.
With so many burger joints out there, there's got to be a copycat. But Blackmore said the copycat he believes copied him is someone everyone knows - the Food Network's Guy Fieri! "I started my stuffing process a little over a year and a half ago. My wife and I were researching some things and noticed that Guy Fieri had started stuffing his burger with chorizo. But I had my chorizo stuffed burger first! When we first thought of it we researched online and couldn't find anyone stuffing burgers with chorizo," Blackmore said.
If there's ever any doubt, just ask the man himself who lays claim to this delicious mouth-watering method. "Oh man, now Guy Fieri's got it, now he's going to coin it and it's going to be his. But make the record straight, I used chorizo first," said Blackmore with a laugh. The only bad thing to say about this excellent burger joint is that who knows what the new generation of your mom jokes will be like with a place like this around. They'll turn the old favorites to compliments. But that might not be half bad. Whose mother deserves to be put down?
You can give Your Mom's a call at 512-474-MOMS. Blackmore also offers catering, which kind of makes me want to throw a party just to have it catered by Your Mom's. Go check them out and then post your own comment below. We definitely want to hear what you have to say. 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.
CBS News reporter Bill Geist found the best burger in the world? So what in the world is the secret? It just might be the building where the burger is cooked is quite special.
(Updated) The Horny Toad restaurant in Cranfills Gap, Texas is one heck of a place to grab a burger. The suggestion rolled into the Austin Citysphere on Facebook, when we announced our 7 Best Burgers of Central Texas tour. After all, if Horny Toad's burger was voted the best hamburger worth driving 50 miles for by Ride Texas Magazine, then the two and a half hours (100+ miles in the rain!) it took us to get there would make the burger extra awesome.
Aside from the burger being great, the people are even better. Dusty and Misty Glass, the proprietors, opened up the Horny Toad when the town went wet. Their original partners are no longer in business with them. That's when Misty's mom and dad, Sandi and Owen Carlson, joined the venture. Now it's completely a family affair! "I think in a lot of ways our family has grown because we have met so many just amazing people," Sandi said.
Misty says if you've never been to the Horny Toad, get the burger. On your subsequent visits, get the quesadilla. You'll also find the Danwich on the menu, and the Bitchwitch. Wonder what the difference is? You'll have to watch the video, or take a drive to Cranfills Gap to find out for yourself!
Owen wouldn't reveal his secret burger recipe. He told us, "We've worked over the years at trying to get our seasoning down right. We have a certain season that we put on it and a certain recipe and it gets all mixed together. It seems to be working very well."
We whole-heartedly agree! The burger=fantastic. The quesadilla=awesome! Biting into the burger, you'll taste the nicely buttered bun. The meat is cooked to perfection. You won't find yourself wondering what would make this burger juicier. It comes juicy. We like to try the burgers "house" style, meaning the burger that people come for. Nothing fancy, nothing with too much extra stuff. Horny Toad has that down home style burger. It's perfect for such a down home, family restaurant. Plus, the salsa that comes with the quesadilla is homemade and for the spice lover in you (or the one in your life), you need to get this.
Enjoy the video and your trip to the Horny Toad. You won't regret it.
Under new Federal Trade Commission guidelines, which require bloggers to disclose information regarding potential conflicts for items reviewed in their blogs, the writer of the Austin Citysphere received lunch free of charge from the Horny Toad.
Our Side of Fries continues with some burger happenings from across our great city. I'm starting to wonder why Austin is known for music when in all honesty, it should be known for hamburgers.
A frugal Google search (Googling never costs a penny!) pulls up a delicious list of possibilities for your burger wants - er - needs - er - cravings!
So many burger places have been coming into the Austin Citysphere lately via recommendations and word of mouth suggestions, I almost forgot about some staples! For example, Hut's Hamburgers is always delicious. The problem with Hut's is you have to decide just how mess you want to get. The internet search on Urbanspoon revealed a few places I've been and many I have not been. On the have-tried list: Mighty Fine, Hut's, Five Guys, P Terry's and Phil's Ice House. Although I've tried the Screaming Goat, I have not had the hamburger. Do they even have hamburgers? I've only had the chips and salsa and the tacos. Good stuff, though.
My have-not-tried list (on this particular list): Casino El Camino, Galaxy Cafe (same story, I've been there but did not have the burger.... or did I? Is that revealing in and of itself?), and Pecan Street Station.
Now, I have many on the must try list. Your Mom's is high on the list. I've heard great things about it and I must admit, right now it's causing some frustration. So, it has to be great when I go because there's this big buildup.
I've driven by Downtown Hamburgers a lot and still haven't been! It's been a Readers' Choice winner several times, and the burger trailer has garnered these fine reviews:
Simply the best Trailer burgers in Texas. If you are looking for propane-cooking at its best, quickly head down to Down Town Burgers. - Bubba, Texas Trailer Assoc
No better place to impress your guests. Down Town Burgers is clearly an exceptional experience in trailer dining. The intimate lighting is outstanding as well. Delectable! - Brian Dunne, Trailer Times
Now, who doesn't want a supremely cooked propane patty? While at Max Parfait, I got a recommendation to go to Black Sheep. A buddy told me Casino El Camino is the bomb. But expect a wait and if you ask where your food is, you get pushed to the back of the order list. Texas Roadhouse in Bastrop served up a great burger, as did Moonies Burger House. Of the chain houses, I do like Five Guys but I am not a Mighty Fine fan. Their burgers aren't mighty (kind of puny, if you ask me) and I'm fine with eating it, but it's not my first choice. I do like Cafe Canela a whole heck of a lot (as previously mentioned) in north Austin off Burnet and 183.
Next up on the big 7 Best Burgers of central Texas tour is Horny Toad in Cranfills Gap. Stay tuned for that, and keep the suggestions rolling in!
Because we can't be everywhere, and review every burger there is in central Texas - however much we'd like to try - ACS is offering a few side notes on some great burger places. We're calling it Side of Fries.
For today's Side, we'd like to let you in on a little secret at River City Grille in Marble Falls. The folks in this small folksy community can cook up a good burger. And it comes at a pretty decent value. Recently, I stopped by to taste the green chili burger. The menu specifically pointed out how "spicy" the burger is. Perfect! Just what I like!
When the burger arrived, I found the burger smothered with green chilies atop the thick patty. Props for presentation, River City. The top bun came tilted, too, like how a gentleman tips his top hat to a lady. That just shows how many green chilies are on the burger, and that you'd better ask for more napkins right away. You just know this is going to be a messy one.
As impressive as the burger looks, the only disappointing element is the absence of the advertised spice! All those green chilies for naught. I thought I ordered something hot! Still, for $7.99, the burger came at a pretty good price. The taste still had kick to it, and with a side of mayo you can choose how you'd like to dress it up.
Oh, and speaking of a Side of Fries, the steak fries that came with this burger - fantastic.
MP's proprietor, Zarghun Dean, showed us the ins and outs of his food trailer, which features a pretty nice wood burning grill inside. Dean says it's commercial grade, and he likes to use pecan for flavor. Admittedly, the pecan burning in Dean's truck brings me back to spending the fall season in Missouri. It smells so awesome, and as people walk around the market the aroma seems to draws customers in.
"The big challenge for us was just figuring out where we're going to be set up, getting the word out because when you're mobile, you don't have that location where people are driving by every day and seeing you," Dean said. "Our big challenges were after we got started."
The burgers are tasty, although maybe priced a little high. Dean says the reason for that is because he uses quality ingredients and produce that comes straight from the farmers market where he's located.
One of ACS's reviewers, Adolfo Ibarra, noted the burger seemed a little small. "I wish it was bigger," he said. "I kind of scarfed it down in four bites. But it was good!"
The cheeseburger with jalapenos we ordered (toppings are extra) did seem a little small at first, but I'd have to say it's deceptive. Once you get going on the burger, it's larger than it looks. The flavor is pretty big, too. Ibarra liked how the burger came nice and "juicy."
The atmosphere is also nice. A picnic table is just outside of the trailer, and there is another 20 feet away. Dean has camping chairs set up outside of his trailer for customers to sit and relax while they enjoy their burger. Asked where the name Max Parfait comes from, "Max Parfait is from an old Duke Ellington song," said Dean.
"One of his band mates, Max Roach, he dedicated the song, it's called The Little Max and at the end he calls it Parfait. So it was a perfect reference to his band mate." Listen closely to the video and you'll be able to hear the jazz number that became the namesake for Dean's little hamburger place that could.
"Music's a part of what we do here," said Dean. "I love that old era jazz. It's a CD I absolutely love. One day I was listening to it and I looked on the cover and saw what the name was. I said 'man that would be a cool name for a burger joint.'"
Dean is happy regulations against food trailers haven't gone to the extreme yet in Austin. City council members have been looking at regulations that would limit how and where operators could legally set up their business. Having a food trailer, Dean said, has allowed him to start his business.
"Food carts right now, food trucks and food trailers, are the one kind of relatively easy food business to get off the ground here in Austin," said Dean. "If you want to do a restaurant, it takes you a year, year and a half to get through all the bureaucratic hurdles. But doing a food truck is relatively easy, even though they're trying to make it a little tougher for us."
Check out the Max Parfait Twitter page to see where you can find Dean next, and you might even find an internet coupon to make your burger a little bit more affordable. (Photo above from Austin Burger News)
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.
The pie graph above shows two dozen responses for favorite burger places in and around Austin, plus a few many miles away from the capitol city. Each response denotes one vote, unless the pie piece is bigger. In the responses from above, P Terry's, Five Guys, Player's, Dan's and Moonies received two votes. As we get further responses, the graph will be updated (although not automatically).
How fun would it be to review burgers? Chris Stromberger does just that for his site, Austin Burger News. Stromberger let us in on some of his secrets, including his Burger Statement, where he only likes a certain kind of cheese on his burger (and if that option isn't available, just forget it!) He also doesn't like bacon!
ACS got the chance to talk to Stromberger in this special audio podcast as our 7 best burgers of central Texas series rolls on. And stay tuned for our next stop at Max Parfait, which will be posted Sunday. Also stay tuned Sept. 12 for a special video podcast on Horny Toad in Cranfills Gap. You won't want to miss it.
The 7 Best Burgers of central Texas tour is here! For our first stop, we decided to hit up an Austin favorite, Phil's Ice House, 5620 Burnet Road (next to Amy's Ice Cream).
The recommendation came from some creative people - actually, they work in a creative services department - and who would know better than a bunch of creative minds where to eat a good burger? Walking in, the first impression for a person who's never been to Phil's before, is that it's pretty small in the ordering area. But we soon found out, Phil's is big on taste.
The order board is big and bold, so it's easy to read. The 78704 is by far the best-selling burger, according to manager Abi Orchard. So, that's what I got. The bun was the best - not homemade - but tasty nonetheless! The '04, as it's called, comes with a little spice (jalapenos) and made the juicy burger even better. The burgers are also reasonably priced.
The best part about Phil's, aside from the french fries (you can get them regular style, sweet potato style, or a mix of both) is the people. Orchard and her crew work hard to satisfy every customer. And it seems to be working. Every customer we talked to was very satisfied, and many are regulars.
Another unique part of Phil's is the reason why this place exists. Watch the video on our first stop and find out why Phil's Ice House is so special. Then go try a burger for yourself!
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.
David Ruiz loves it hot. His burger. So when he goes to Pourhouse Pub on Burnet Road, he wants jalapenos, and plenty of them. Here it is: the Bacon-Cheddar-Jalapeño Burger. Ruiz describes the experience this way: "Pretty good burger. Didn't even go outside. Just sat, drank beer, ate burger. LOTS of jalapeños."
Well done, David! We can't wait to taste that burger and those waffle fries. The bun looks homemade, too.
It has also come to the Austin Citysphere's attention that Ruiz is an avid burger lover, making his way across the Capitol City to try out the best burgers around.
Recently, he stopped by Your Mom's Burger - one of the places we've thought about going to on our 7 Best Burgers of Central Texas tour.
Ruiz says about two of the burgers:
The first burger I had was the Buffalo Bill. This burger is stuffed with Blue Cheese & Jalapeños, wrapped in bacon, tossed in Buffalo wing sauce and has all the fixins. GREAT Burger!
2nd visit-Frida Kahlo Stuffed with Jack Cheese & Chorizo, topped with a fried egg, avocado, chipotle lime spread and fixins. Good, but could have used more chorizo.
Check out Don't Talk About Burger Club here. But, we can't promise we aren't going to talk about them! Check back for more from David and his burger-sploration. We've got some catching up to do!
Just a note - we won't be reviewing the cheeseburger at Jeffrey's unless someone wants to subsidize the cost for us.
Mike Sutter, the Austin American-Statesman's food critic, reviewed the Jeffrey's Burger ($20) with the addition of seared bacon (add $3) and Texas Redneck Cheddar (add $3) with foie gras on top (add $8).
Shoot, just the bacon is the cost of a pretty big burger at some other places!
To see if this over-the-top cheeseburger is worth $34, head over to Sutter's review. Meanwhile, check in with us here at the Austin Citysphere for some great reviews of 7 favorite burgers here in Central Texas.
As we here at The Austin Citysphere begin the mission to find the best burger in central Texas, we stopped at an old favorite. Old is, well, relative. Cafe Canela, formerly Geaux Burger, formerly Mooyah Burger, is a fantastic burger place in north Austin. We learned today Cafe Canela is managed and owned by Alvaro Valencia, who used to manage (but not own) Geaux and Mooyah Burger. Valencia has kept up the "old" style burger that kept us coming back for more. Thankfully, the burger is still around. Following Mooyah's closure, we were devastated! Only this time with Cafe Canela, he's added burritos and fajitas as well for a Mexican flair.
It's only fitting the journey begins here as we talk to Beatriz Tavera, an employee who told us quite frankly, she avoids eating at home so she can eat when she gets to work. That's a compliment from a cashier who says her past places of employment weren't always up to par with the food, and she'd bring her own lunch to work!
On a related note, ACS received word from a good friend, Carol Pfeiffer, who recommended the Horny Toad in Cranfills Gap as one of the best burgers around! Their title is apparently verified because they were nominated by Ride Texas magazine for the honor! Looks like ACS has a little road trip ahead... boy, it's gonna be tough eating so many delicious burgers for this contest.
If you have a burger suggestion, send it byclicking here.
What do Five Guys, Moonies, Jackalope, and (Bastrop's) Roadhouse all have in common? They're all places I've eaten a great, scratch that, an amazing burger. Granted, Five Guys is a national chain and the rest are local. That's why I want to set out to find the best burger in central Texas.
And I need you to be the guide!
Let me know which places you love to eat a great burger. Is it Your Mom's, or one of my personal favorite's Cafe Canela, formerly Geaux Burger, formerly Mooyah? Whatever it is, I need to know!
Over the next seven weeks, The Austin Citysphere turns into The Austin Burgersphere! Reviews from other customers are greatly appreciated, and you can send them to me here.
ACS is a multi-platform web blog in Austin. Here, we celebrate the people and stories of a well-rounded city. ACS welcomes content creation by its readers and hopes to be a place where virtual community members can take part in open, intelligent dialogue.
