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.

Member-Owned Brew Pub Opens Its Doors, Pours Up Unique Business Model

The Black Star Co-Op Brew Pub (7020 Easy Wind Drive, Suite 100) is finally open after plenty of sweat, hard work, and determination!

Black Star, as hinted in the name, is a cooperative style - dare I say business - which is based upon community 'partners' in which customers buy in to the business as members to become part owners in the pub.  Basically, the co-operative is owned and run by the people it serves (the members).

With a special focus on local producers, the basic mission and principles of the Black Star Co-op is to foster an environment in which member-owners, as well as the general public, may realize the principles of co-operative ownership, worker self-management, education and community action through the responsible enjoyment great beer and food. 

As the first enterprise of this type, we seek to realize an alternative business model for brewpubs and to help expand the co-operative movement into new and innovative areas — both in Austin and around the world. 

Today, with an anchor position within Central Austin’s Midtown Commons center adjacent to the Crestview Metro station, and a team of architects, graphic designers, and contractors assembled to lead the build-out with overwhelming input and support from members, the “vision” of the Black Star Co-op is well on its way to becoming a reality in Summer 2010. (Black Star Co-Op web site)

The brew pub for all to share happily opened its doors Tuesday as a soft open.  Guest taps right now include 512 and Live Oak, for example, and bar grub is for sale with the kitchen pretty much in full operation.  Driving by Black Star Co-Op, which is located in Midtown Commons at the intersection of Lamar and St. Johns Avenue (along Capital Metro's Crestview MetroRail train stop), you'll be able to spot the brewing tanks sitting tall and proud inside the building.  Unfortunately, there is no beer in them just yet, but we won't have to wait too much longer at all.  (Picture: member-owners, courtesy Black Star web site)

You may notice a big difference when you pay your tab at Black Star.  We talked with a manager who told us customers need not leave a tip.  She said the mindset behind it is that all the workers, who share equal responsibility doing a number of different tasks throughout their shifts, all earn a fair wage and therefore do not need to be tipped.

Interested in joining?  Each membership is $85 with a one-time joining fee of $15.  According to Black Star's membership rules, more than one person in a household can join and incur only one joining fee. 

Pretty cool concept, really cool brew pub (you should see the inside of this place!), and I'm pretty darn sure there is some pretty great beer on the way.  Check Black Star out on the web, call them at 512-452-BEER, or just swing by.  The soft opening hours are 4 p.m. until midnight.  ACS also did an interview with president Steven Yarak back in March at the Rail 'N Ale Beer Social that you should check out!

From what we gathered walking in the doors and talking to a few of the very cool workers, some of the equipment is still being brought in and some matters are still being attended to.

Hopefully by October there will be some fresh Black Star beer pouring steadily from the taps.  In the meantime, though, we will enjoy the guest taps and be thankful for such a great establishment for Austin to enjoy.

I-35 Tops Gridlock Spots in Austin; N. Lamar Makes List

TxDOT has released their list of the 100 most congested roadways in Texas, and it will be no surprise to Austin drivers that I-35 from Hwy 71 all the way to Hwy 183 made the list. Not only was it the most congested roadway segment here in Austin, but it ranked #4 statewide.

But Austin's second-most congested spot isn't even a highway - it's North Lamar between 45th Street and 6th Street. This stretch of road, coming in at #24 on the statewide list, is the most-congested roadway segment that isn't a highway.

According to notes from the report, TxDOT doesn't have any current plans for improving the congestion on North Lamar. However, there is an idea to reconstruct the roadway to add managed lanes, and a hope that urban rail lines like Cap Metro Rail will help to alleviate some of the gridlock.

To view the entire list and read more on how TxDOT arrived at their conclusions, click here.

The 7 + $24 Burger in Central Texas

Mike Sutter/Austin American-Statesman

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.

Austin Chock Full of Weekend Fun

Austin is known for its non-stop events.  Isn't it great?  The to-do lists of fun activities are endless!

This weekend, they won't be stopping for anything, and drivers beware!  Below is a list of several events, details about them, and maps of event locations. 


Taco Shack 5K and Kids Triathalon

Motorists traveling in the area of Shoalwood Avenue and Ramsey Park should expect delays between 4 a.m. and 12 noon Saturday, June 5 for the Taco Shack 5K and Kids Triathalon.  Full road closures will take place along the event route starting at 44th St. and traveling south on Rosedale Ave. and Burnet Rd., west along 40th Street, north along Sinclair and Shoalwood avenues to 49th Street, then loop back to Shoalwood Ave. via Woodview Ave.

Officers will be on hand to guide the flow of traffic across intersections and ease delays.  For those traveling in the area, alternate routes are recommended including north and south along Lamar Blvd. and Mopac, and east and west along 38th Street and North Loop Blvd.

For a complete list of street closures, click here.  For a map of street closures, click here.

Pride 5K and The Austin Gay and Lesbian Parade

The Pride 5K will take place Saturday, June 5 between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and road closures will take place along the same route as the parade Saturday evening between 7:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.

Full road closures will take place during these times along S. 1st Street from Riverside to Cesar Chavez, and W. 4th from Congress Ave. to Colorado Street.  The closure on W. 4th Street will take place from 6 p.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday.

Partial closures will also be in place along the event route, which travels from S. 1st Street to Cesar Chavez, north on Congress Ave., west on 4th Street, and south on Guadalupe Street.  Officers will be on hand to guide the flow of traffic and ease delays. For those traveling in the area, alternate routes are recommended including north and south along San Jacinto Blvd. and Lamar Blvd., and east and west along Barton Springs Road and 6th Street.

Shuttles will operate from several locations around town and cost $2 per passenger. For a complete list of transportation options including shuttle services, taxi services and parking garages, please visit the Austin Pride website.  For a complete list of street closures, click here.  For a map of street closures, click here.

Night of the Bat

The Night of the Bat celebration will take place Sunday, June 6 and travelers should be aware of a full road closure along Ann Richards Bridge (Congress Avenue) from Cesar Chavez St. to Barton Springs Rd., from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

To avoid delays for travelers in the area, alternate routes are recommended including north and south along 1st Street and Lamar Blvd. Parking will be available in the City Hall Garage at 2nd Street and Lavaca.

For a complete list of street closures, click here.  For a map of street closures, visit this page.

Whip Yourself if you Haven't Tried the Whip In

Is it a convenience store?  Is it a restaurant?  Is it a liquor store?  Yes!

Just whip in to the Whip In and satisfy any number of desires, from a pack of gum to a bowl of Indian food or a six pack of good, quality beer or wine.

Friday evening, the family and I headed directly there after our daytime obligations had been fulfilled.  We were looking to fulfill our bellies and hopefully get a little entertainment value at the same time.

A quick order returned a quick response time.  The bowls and our glasses of tea, which are refillable by self-service, landed on our table with authentic aromas and a cozy, warm family atmosphere that can only be provided by this south Austin treasure.  The tables in the cafe are arranged close to each other, and there aren't that many.  The room is intimate and charming, separated by a tall partition to close it off from the beer and wine side of things.

Friday, the group Ragavatar, created by world music performer, composer & recording artist Rick Henderson, took the stage.  Henderson's web site says the Ragavatar is "a constantly evolving venue for a variety of musicians from diverse cultural and stylistic backgrounds."  This evening, Henderson was joined by a guest, as he played the sarode, a 25 string fretless lute.  It's one of the most popular instruments of  north Indian classical music, according to Ragavatar's web site.

Perhaps the best part of the dinner, aside from looking at my beautiful family and feeding the little tyke, was the people watching opportunities.  I'm especially talking about an elderly Indian woman, whose son played percussion on the small, make-shift stage.  She seemed entrenched with the music as she closed her eyes, lowered her head, and nodded from side to side at intervals which really spoke volumes about the journey she was on.  I can only imagine how the music moved memories of her heritage and days as a little girl.

The food was great; we shared the butter bourbon chicken and potatoes and the vegetarian selection chana dal.  Plus, we spent half what we shelled out the first time we visited Whip In.  The reason: we didn't drink any beer this time around.  Then, for an after dinner excursion, just pack up your belongings and head on over to the convenience store side to peruse the beer selection.

If you haven't had the chance to whip in to the Whip In just yet, you need to try it soon.  Personally, it has all I ever could ask for - Indian food, beer, a comfortable place to sit and a place to park (a hidden lot is around back if the front is full).  If you're an Austinite, you know how hard parking is to come by.

ACS gives Whip In: 4 out of 5 spheres!