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.
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Austin 360 is reporting very exciting hamburger news! According to the report, Hopdoddy Burger Bar will open up in early October and will fill the spot on South Congress vacated by Cissi's Wine Bar which closed down earlier in the year.
The brains behind the Hopdoddy burgers are Moonshine chef and Hopdoddy partner Larry Perdido. Austin 360 says Moonshine's Chuck Smith is also on board, along with Guy Villavaso and Larry Foles, the creators of the Roaring Fork, Eddie V's, and Z'Tejas.
The name mix of beer (hop) and the name given to the Aberdeen Angus cow of Scotland (doddy).
Special burgers might include local cabrito or lamb, Perdido said, every burger using brioche-style buns baked in-house. Prices will start around $5 for a basic burger, he said, going to about $9 or $10 for specialty burgers.
The handmade approach will extend to fries made from Kennebec potatoes, ice cream for shakes, even special ketchup and mustard blends, Perdido said. Fountain sodas will use cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup.
You'll be able to find Hopdoddy at 1400 S. Congress and is on the web here. Click this link to read the full Austin 360 article.
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