A Big Side of Fries Fills Us Up With Lots of Places to Try

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!

Max Parfait Proprietor Perfects His Burgers for All to Eat

Our second stop on the 7 best burgers of central Texas tour takes us to Max Parfait.  This little hamburger shack on wheels makes stops at the Barton Creek Farmers Market on Saturday, and the HOPE Farmers Market on Sunday.

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.

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.