Elevate Your Burger Experiences

I love hamburgers. I love French fries even more. Sometimes, I eat a burger just for the experience of eating the fries.

Burger joints in Austin are aplenty. From the famous to the infamous, the Capitol city seems to have it all. Of course, ACS took its own burger tour last year since these American creations are so darn tasty.

The experience elevated my sense of burger appreciation. Since the tour, I've been able to enjoy many more burgerr joints, including Elevation Burger (9828 Great Hills Trail) near the Arboretum.

This is some place I never thought I'd lend my money or time to because it just didn't sound so appealing.

But being a lover of fries, I'd give this place an A-. They are cooked in olive oil, which gives them a new and exciting flavor. Plus, olive oil is a healthier oil with omega-3 fatty acid.

The burgers, too, are great. Patrons may choose one patty, two, all the way to ten! (Hence, elevation). But vegetarians, fear not. There is also a menu for you to choose between at least two veggie burgers: I believe one was a roasted flavor, and the other regular. You may also choose an appropriately named guilty free option and get one veggie patty and one beef. On my last visit I tried this burger, and have to admit it was a little weird. My philosophy is if I'm going to get a burget, get a (real) burger.

Elevation may not be out of this world, but I always like trying new things and elevating my experiences. I have yet to try the shakes and other menu offerings, but give it a whirl! Who knows, you might elevate your senses to a whole new level. And isn't that what it's all about?

Would You Like a Side of Fries With That?

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.

You Tell Us: What's The Best Burger in Central Texas?

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).

Thanks for your votes and keep 'em coming!

Stromberger Tells Secrets of What Makes a Great Burger

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.

Lots of Jalapenos on His Burger Makes for a Hot Time

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!

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.

Kould Katz's Klose?

One of downtown Austin's best-known eateries could be moving off of Sixth Street. The parent company of Katz's Deli, M&M Katz Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 20, according to the Austin Business Journal.

The ABJ broke the story late Thursday afternoon. Katz's Deli is in danger of being evicted, and owes thousands of dollars in taxes, money to vendors, and back wages to former employees.

Deli owner Marc Katz sold the building at 618 W. Sixth St. to the current landlord in 2006 after a previous bankruptcy filing in 2004. He is leasing the location at a cost of $269,000 a year. However, Katz says he is looking at other locations and hinted to ABJ that he may leave downtown, and reiterated his catch phrase to local media asking about the financial troubles today - "Katz's never kloses!"

A Unique Brazilian Experience on Austin's East Side

check below for a coupon for Austin Citysphere readers!

Food fans with a flair for a taste of festive food won't have to travel far come this weekend.  That's because a South American celebration of sorts will get underway with the grand opening of Rio's Brazilian Cafe (408 North Pleasant Valley Road) from 5-10 p.m Sunday.

"We're a small cafe that serves traditional and contemporary Brazilian food," said owner Ben Googins.

Googins and partner Elias Martins specialize in Brazilian street food.  Googins said he spent several years teaching English in the Samba country and earned a respect for the people and food of that country.

Let your mouth lead the way and eat until your heart's content; just don't count on the beef to bog down the menu, or your arteries for that matter, like that of Fogo de Chao (309 E. 3rd Street) or Estancia Churrascaria (4894 Highway 290 West in Sunset Valley)!  Googins points out Rio's is the only authentic Brazilian restaurant option in town that does not offer all-steak-all-the-time.  And for the frugal:  "Our most expensive dinner is $11," he said.

Googins' restaurant got its start nearly four years ago in a highly unlikely location, the Austin Farmers' Market at 4th and Guadalupe.  Although the business produced homemade bread, sauces and salads to be sold at stores and markets,  it always shared a space with other establishments.  Rio's was even at a 6th Street bar for a time but the relationship didn't last because the bar closed.  "We kind of did the flip side and had our products out there," he said, "but never had our own spot.  Now it's all us."

Customers will find a casual, laid-back atmosphere, along with a calm and cool staff with "tattoos from head to toe."  That's not surprising for an Austin-based business.  Googins is tickled that Rio is building quite the following.  From he farmers' market crowd, which is mostly an older patronage, to the young folks on the east side, Rio's may be around to stay - in one location.

"It's always been something we've wanted to do.  We've been in Austin just over four years.  Austin's a great place to get started.  The weather's great year round," said Googins.

When you go, Googins recommends the Samba Combo.  Buy one of the salgadinho (savory pastries), then add a soup/salad/or side of Yuca fries or cheese bread, or even another salgadinho - up to three items. Mix and match to create your own meal.  Full lunches and dinners are available.

Googins' journey with Rio's Brazilian Cafe, from catering meals inside borrowed kitchens to offering Brazilian sauces and breads at local markets, has led Rio's to becoming a permanent fixture in Austin's vast food scene. A journey to Brazil may just be a short car ride away.  "We're very passionate about it.  We believe in our brand," said Googins.

It's a small world after all.

What Can Sell Us On Austin CSAs?

We're getting better about filling our cart with fresh fruits and veggies. Ryan likes to include them in his lunches, coming up with interesting new ways to use the produce we bring home. (He even tweets the creative lunches he arranges in four containers every day at @Lunchx4.)

But most of our produce purchases make their way to us via the neighborhood H-E-B. We do visit the downtown farmer's market sometimes, when we're feeling particularly inclined to venture out on the weekends before noon. But with so many local options for getting our fresh fix, we've talked a lot about joining a CSA, or community supported agriculture program.

One of the most popular CSAs I've heard about from several friends who are members is Johnson's Backyard Garden. In fact, I just read aloud the contents of this week's CSA box and it read like summertime poetry. San Marzano Tomatoes. Basil. Garlic. Delicious.

Even with what is undoubtedly an outstanding quality and value, and an opportunity to support our local farming community, for some reason we are still on the fence. So make your pitch in the comments - should we bite the bullet and shell out the cash for a CSA? And if you have a favorite grower in Austin, let us know whose greens reign supreme!

Tell Us Your Favorite Traveling Food Shack!

We are a civilization on the go.  Deadlines, to-do lists, and commitments consume our time.  But in Austin, being a person on the go doesn't have to mean your dining options have to suffer!

Mobile restaurants are the in thing, and we here at The Austin Citysphere would like to know which restaurant shack puts a sizzle on your palate.  Is it Hey Cupcake!?  Is it Gourdough's?  Is it Torchy's Tacos?  Send your pictures, send a few paragraphs explaining your delight, and let us know why we should try it!

In the meantime, click on this link to find a Google Austin Mobile Food Map to browse around some of Austin's food businesses on wheels.  Photo above courtesy Yelp user Vanae T.

Austin Organizations Serve Up Lunch All Summer Long

Breakfast is served.  Lunch is ready.  But now that school's out for summer, meals for thousands of children in central Texas may not make it into mouths of the hungry.

According to the Texas Department of Agriculture, 2.1 million Texas school children rely on school breakfasts and lunches to stay fed.  As classrooms go empty for summertime fun, state leaders hope the stomachs of kids won't be empty.

Summer food nutrition programs are once again picking back up.  The Texas Department of Agriculture, along with the Austin Independent School District, are spreading the word now so that parents know options are available.

Austin ISD officials announced Tuesday its Summer Food Service Program for Children is available to all children in attendance, no matter what their household income is.  Parents do not need to apply for the program.  All children, ages one to 18, are eligible to receive breakfast and lunch free of charge.  To find out locations and times for the food service, click here.
 
The Texas Department of Agriculture is also partnering with resources in each community, like the Capital Area Food Bank.  Last year in Travis County, more than 381,000 meals at 92 sites in Travis County helped keep children fed during the summer.  With help like this, children can focus on having fun instead of wondering about their next meal.

For more information on AISD's program, contact the district's Central Food Service Department Office at 414-0251.  People who are eligible to participate in the program must not be discriminated against because of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, or political belief.

To Be Frank, It's Delicious

Frankly, this place has been on my radar for quite some time.  I would suspect my mouth's been watering for months upon months.  Yes, I wanted the perfect occasion and time to visit Frank, Austin's premier gourmet hot dog joint.  This isn't just your average hot dog stand, you know.

Frank is located at 4th and Colorado in beautiful downtown Austin, Texas.  You'll know exactly where it is by the huge name written across the historic but updated structure the restaurant is located within.  And, from our experience, you'll also pass by it half a dozen times before finding a place to park.  But don't worry, the franks are worth it.

We entered and was surprised to see how busy the place was at 2 o'clock in the afternoon!  The hostess said there'd be a 20 minute wait.  We sat down on this old blue booth seat situated just past the bar, up against the wall.  I went for a quick diaper change - of our son, that is - during the wait.  For families, and especially fathers, there is not a changing table in the very nice and clean bathroom.  But no worries.  We made do by tucking ourselves away in a stall with a louvered door and plopped ourselves down on the toilet.  I made do with changing the tyke upright, and it actually worked well.

Skip all that, and we're back to the blue booth seat, but the wife was already seated at a table!  Hey, not bad considering how crazy it was in there at the time.  I opened my menu and became overwhelmed.  Despite studying the menu online quite a few times before coming, I still found myself confused for my upcoming order.

The waiter, however, helped me narrow my selection.  In fact, he encouraged me to get TWO dogs instead of just one.  After all, why limit myself to just one.  This seemed like a time to go all out and be creative with my hot dog daring self.  I ended up with a Chicago Dog (poppy seed bun, 100% Vienna beef, pickle, tomato, onion, day-glo relish, sport peppers, celery salt, mustard)  and the Beer Soaked Brat (Hudson’s local brat, kraut, spicy deli mustard).  The wife had a plane dog and dressed up with relish and caramelized onions.

Can I just say - wow.  I believe my exact words after biting into my Chicago dog was, "I don't think I've ever had a hot dog this good."  The beer brat, well, it was good.  But my favorite was clearly the Chicago dog.  The flavors really blended well together and provided just the right amount of spicy, and I love spicy.

We didn't have any beer, but I had a diet coke and the wife had a tea.  Plus, we got an order of waffle fries with a spicy dry rub sprinkled across them.  They came with a small cup of ranch dressing, which we could have used more of, but the dry rub was good on its own too.

All in all, great dining experience.  I've never paid that much for hot dogs before (and the prices aren't even that bad!) but they were darn good and well worth it.  I highly recommend Frank for any occasion, but especially a hot, shiny day.  You can cool off with a cold one and kiss your cares away with a wiener or two!

I previously said I waited for the perfect opportunity to come in, but the best time to hop on in is when it's least expected, and when you're with the ones you love.

ACS gives Frank: 4 out of 5 spheres!

Oysters: Vegan's Best Friend?

Next time you're at your favorite oyster bar, give yourself a pat on the back - you're probably eating one of the most sustainable foods in the world. In fact, Slate writer Christopher Cox suggests that even the strictest of vegans could include oysters in their diet without compromising their ethics.

Oysters, according to Cox, are farmed on a large scale - about 95 percent of all oysters consumed are farm-raised. Not only that, but some nonprofits are cultivating oysters to improve water quality. Cox points out that since so many oysters are farmed, the overfishing problem is nearly eliminated. Oysters require no cleared land, no fertilizer, and no feed - they eat plankton.

In fact, Cox writes, oysters may even have less impact on the environment than plants. On agricultural farms, bees are sometimes trucked in for pollinating plants, and many farms still use pesticides. And in contrast with other bivalves like clams and mussels, even wild oysters can be harvested without disrupting the life around them because they aren't dredged from the bottom of the sea. According to Cox, oysters lack a central nervous system and are unlikely to experience pain. They also don't move or respond to injury.

So whether you slurp oysters at a dive bar or an upscale restaurant like Perla's, you're enjoying ethical eating on the half-shell.

Find out where to get oysters in Austin!