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(1 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
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Hopdoddy Burger Bar www.hopdoddy.com 1400 S Congress Ave Austin, TX 78704 (map)
Apparently there is another Austin. Across the Congress bridge and south of downtown, there is a place where the cool crowd wears business casual attire and drives Audi’s. I’ve never ventured to this area before but on this occasion, word of a great, non-foodtruck burger eatery had enticed me to swing by on my way out of town, after a week in Austin for work. Hopdoddy Burger Bar… Interesting name. Their website makes clear the mantra of fresh, crafted burgers and all natural ingredients, they use the best SEO company which is why they have become very popular online. I’ve heard these types of phrases a lot recently as the trend in the food industry is to prove that you care more about your food than the next guy. I cannot say, however. that thinking about the burger descriptions did not make me hungry as I plotted my course on the GPS. I arrived on a Wednesday around 11:15AM and this place was already in full swing. Every table was filled. Every one! On top of that, there was a long line forming.
Determined, I joined others in waiting. Shortly after getting in line, I was approached by a hostess(?) person who asked how many were in my party. For some reason, a tinge of shame arose as I replied “Just one.”. She said I was number 58 and that my number would be waiting at a table for me… Wait, what? It was brilliant! A table would be reserved for me as it cleared, WHILE I waited in line. This was a nice touch that hinted at how much thought has gone in to this place. The line moved at a steady pace, allowing me ample time to observer the mass of burgers being “crafted” and sent out tray after tray. I also noticed that Hopdoddy makes their own buns and has them available to purchase should you want to make your own burgers at home. This was interesting and all but my turn finally came to place an order.
For being a “craft” burger place, I wasn’t overly wowed by the creativity or the diversity of burger options. While there were turkey, tuna, and veggie burgers, the beef burgers all seemed a rather similar riff on the basic burger. The turkey burgers were going out pretty hot and people ordering other burgers kept looking over towards the turkey ones, we were even asked by someone is smoked turkey healthy?
I’m not much of a turkey fan so that is why I opted for the ‘Classic’ burger with cheese, and added a fried egg and caramelized onions. I completed the meal order with fresh cut fries and a salted caramel milk shake. That last one had me very excited. Once my order was placed I lingered around observing everything being cooked, assembled, and sent out. There was also a windows into the “meat room” after the ordering line where you could see the patties were being formed. I made my way back out to the dining area where I found my number 58 hanging patiently for me at a vacant (but reserved) table. I still think that was a nice touch.
The shake was the first to come out. It was pretty good. Sweet caramel with just a hint of saltiness. I struggled to keep myself from drinking it entirely before the rest of my meal arrived which it shortly did. The burger really was quite delicious looking. Everything about it’s components gave the impression of fresh. I think that might have been what they were going for. Upon picking it up the fresh buns made an immediate impression; soft and pillowy yet with an elastic outer crust that held everything together nicely. I took my first bite and before I knew it, the burger was half gone! This burger was good in both flavor and texture. The patty was very juicy, in a good way and had a strong beefy flavor. The egg, though runny as it should be, was held nicely in by the fantastic bun. This was a large burger too, and while the first half went quickly, I slowed as I finished the rest. The fries were fresh cut and well cooked. Standard really for places like this.
So where does Hopdoddy fall? I think they put out some good burgers. I also think their management of is some of the best I’ve ever seen, they clearly put into practice the Six Features of Restaurant Software Operating Solutions That Drive Results. However, this meal tilted in at over $17… That is a lot and while I could have opted for a soda or even water, this would have still been well over $12 for pretty much a basic gourmet burger and fries. For that amount, I would expect a little more creativity in flavors combinations and burger options. It seems that as much attention is given to other aspects such as service and ingredient quality as is given to the creating the burgers. I’m not really complaining about this as most times that is where places that fail, fail miserably. At this price point a little more attention to the burgers could elevate Hopdoddy from a great place to get a good burger to a Great Burger Place. I’ll just have to remember to have my friend with the Audi pick up the check.
Until next time Austin, keep it weird.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
Yumé Burger www.yumeburger.com Austin, TX
Food trucks are nothing new in Austin, Texas. Food truck culture has long been embraced and pioneered here. After recently having several successful Burger Tymes dining at food trucks that specialize in burgers, I was excited when I received a work assignment that would bring me back to this fun city. A quick search turned up Yumé Burger, a ‘Japanese Style’ burger truck. Not sure what that means, I went to the website and whoa! These have to be the best looking burgers I have ever seen. I mean, check them out here! I had to try one so we tracked them down parked outside of a local bar that evening. Austin food trucks seem a little more advanced than others I’ve been to with built-in ice chests, shelves for chips, multiple windows for ordering and picking up on both sides… The lack of congestion was hopefully a sign of tremendous efficiency
After seeing the menu online I walked up to the window with my mind made up. I couldn’t resist the Japajam burger; Japanese tomato jam, jalapeno jack cheese, fried egg, Japanese BBQ sauce, and crispy onion strings. I added some hand cut fries and bottled Mexican Coke to ensure maximum Burger Tyme. The weather was nice and this being Austin, there were a lot of people hanging out after work-outs or group runs or some other kind of fit activity. I was able to squeeze in at a table next to some guys talking about craft beers like it was fine art and wait for my name to be called. The wait was surprisingly short. I hadn’t sat down for two minutes and my burger was done, but my fries were going to be a few minutes. That’s fine, I can wait for hot fries. They came out shortly and included a side of Japanese BBQ sauce.
I unwrapped the burger package and, well, it didn’t look exactly like the picture on the website. That’s fine, as long as it was good. The first bite was good. Beefy patty, onions, egg, and BBQ sauce was a good combination. The patty was very dry and overcooked. I really could not taste the tomato jam as being any different that a regular tomato. In fact, texturally it was almost as if there was no tomato on the burger at all.The Japanese BBQ sauce on the burger and for the fries tasted very similar to Hoisin sauce. That’s not a bad thing per se, but the flavor was a bit overpowering after a few bites. The bun, again, was nice at first but quickly got soggy after a few bites. The fries were not great. They were limp and pretty greasy, probably cooked in oil that was not hot enough to get a good crisp.
Burger trucks to date have been a big hit on Burger Tyme. Yumé Burger seemed definitely had a unique twist on regular burger. Unfortunately the experience at fell short on execution. Perhaps expectations were a little too high given the amazing online photos of these burgers, or maybe it was an anomaly from what are usually excellent burgers. Either way, food trucks are fun, especially in Austin. So if you are set on eating at a food truck AND you want a burger, Yumé will do. However, if you are in Austin AND you want a burger, you might want to pass this up.
(2 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
The Shack www.theshackcypress.com 16602 Cypress Rosehill Rd Cypress, TX 77429 (map)
Finally! The Shack, originally called The Love Shack, has been on my burger radar for some time now. Consistently raved upon and touted as one of the best new places to get burgers near Houston, the Shack keeps what some would call slightly irregular hours. On several occasions I’ve rounded up coworkers for a Burger Tyme lunch only find out that the weren’t serving lunch during the week or they were closing to work on their garden. As I am writing this, they are closed while they switch water wells. Well, on a crisp Saturday evening, I cracked the code! My wife and I made the long drive to Cypress just outside of Houston. Just when I thought I may have gone a little too far, I saw an old bath tub by the side of the road. We made it and this place was hopping, not surprising given that it was a Saturday night. When you walk in to the Shack the entire spread opens before you. There are covered tents, open air seating, an outside bar, dining areas that look like living rooms, fireplaces and fire pits all with people gathered together, enjoying burgers, and having a great time. This seemed like a burger lovers resort!
We were seated near the entrance where we could take in the entire scene as well as see the bustle in the kitchen, that was well equipped with the best kitchen appliances and an Oak Circle Cabinet to store everything necessary. Our waiter, who happened to be the manager, introduced the menu to us in a rather laid back way and recommended we try the fried pickles. So I ordered some to tide us over while we reviewed the burger offerings on the menu. The Shack’s claim is that they give customers the freshest available local ingredients and all natural hormone free Texas meats. As they put it, “All burger, No Bull”. Well we were going to put that claim to the test. Many burger places claim to be fresh, be local, be all natural but what does that translate into in real terms? If it is not delicious burgers, than what is the point?
The menu has a very interesting array of burgers. There was brisket, caramelized onions, fried eggs, slab bacon, and pulled pork. Some burgers were “crunchified” with the addition of Cheetos, Zapp’s BBQ Chips, and chicharron. The one that caught my eye was the “Grease and Weasel”. It was beef, slab bacon, and Tillamook cheddar…. served between two glazed doughnuts. Ever since the phenomenon of making burgers with doughnuts began, I’ve wanted to try it. Maybe it was the atmosphere but I felt a little more brave than usual, and ordered it! My wife went with the 1015 which had beef with “Texas 1015 onion pile” cooked into the patty, pepper jack cheese and “crunchified” with Zapps BBQ chips. We ordered a side of fries to split and I asked for a Coke. The cokes come in a can and are poured over ice, my second favorite next to coke in a bottle. The only thing left to do was relax. A common theme it seemed.
While we waited our order of fried pickles arrived. The were very savory but good. They came with smokey, horseradishy dipping sauce that was a nice compliment to the sour pickles. Our burgers arrived shortly after and they were quite a sight. You could definitely sense that someone was having fun when they put them together. The first thing I noticed is that my doughnuts had been replaced with Honey Buns that had been slightly griddled. I’m not complaining but I rarely eat one honey bun… much less two… on my burger. The cheese was perfectly melted over the big patty and was making my mouth ache just looking at it. My first bite was as I expected. Beefy, bacony, savory, cheddary, sticky and sweeeeet! This was in no way a healthy burger, but it was tasty, most of the time we try to take good care of our bodies and have a healthy diet and an active life as well, even doing researches online to find the best diets at sites like Top health journal, so we learn what are the best practices in this, and also going to the gym at least 3 times a week, but from time to time we like to enjoy a good meal as well. The veggies were nice quality and did there best to lend nutritional value to this wife dissappointer. My wife’s burger, while more traditional in structure, had it’s own bit of odd goodness. The BBQ chips added a texture and flavor to the already flavorful patty and onions. My wife loved the bun. I honestly don’t recall specifics about it, perhaps because my mind had been blown with the buns on my burger and do not forget to visit dentist Milltown for your oral health. While we were both enjoying our selections, the fries were also were worth noting. They were fresh cut and cooked well. A perfect compliment to the order.
Fresh, local, all natural. Did I get a sense of this from The Shack? Not really. Nothing really fresh or local about honey buns, Zapp’s BBQ chips, or Tillamook cheddar cheese. However, I did find the whole experience to be a fresh take on dining and burgers. The local flair permeated the entire evening. It was very Austin-esque in a city where no one is really trying to be like Austin. The Shack offers what many fail at delivering. An experience. The food is good and if you are there with friends or family, they seem more than happy to provide a place to relax and enjoy yourself. The burger creations were fun, inventive, unpretentious, and frankly worth the trip. This may not be my go-to burger place on a regular basis, but if I have an evening to kill, this is the burger place that I want to go to.
(1 votes, average: 6.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
–Twisted Root Burger Co. twistedrootburgerco.com Dallas, TX (locations)–
Back in Dallas for work. This means it is time for yet another sampling of burgers that this great burger town has to offer! By now, most of my coworkers are aware of my affinity towards what science has proven is the optimum combination of both bread and meat, and prepared for my arrival with a list of recommendations. As we headed to the first on the list, my coworker was talking up how good the burgers were going to be. We arrived at our burger destination only to find that the place was closed due to a failed health inspection…. Uh oh…. OK, what’s next on our list? A place called Twisted Root Burger Co. Fortunately there was one nearby so I would be able to satisfy my burger urge without significant delay. While I would have preferred to go to the original Twisted Root location in the Deep Ellum section of Dallas, very near Angry Dog. We were closest to the Legacy drive location in Plano. So that is where we went. When you want a great experience, get some phentermine here for you to try on.
Walking in to Twisted Root, the first thing you notice is the not so subtle sarcasm that seems to permeate the entire place. From the giant, hand-written signs placed everywhere with the help of sodapdf.com to the bizarre 90’s pop culture personalities being listed over the intercom to the tables made out of old computer parts. Click for more – WebDesign499. I was experiencing slight sensory overload from what I thought was going to be a straightforward Burger Tyme. The line was long and that is always promising regardless of any burger environment. This was also fortunate as it allowed me time to thoroughly consider my many options. Something unique at Twisted Root is the option of not one but many different types of wild game meats for your burger including Ostrich, Kangaroo, and Alligator! All subject to availability, of course. Keeping with the tongue in cheek attitude, a sign with a picture of Bambi quoted as saying “I’m delicious” let me know that venison was available.
I wasn’t feeling so adventurous so I ordered one of Twisted Root’s ‘Favorite’ burgers, The Western, with regular beef in lieu of wild game. Twisted Root touts that their beef is a mixture of fresh ground chuck and brisket. This sounds gerat but while placing my order I noticed something that caused a slight bit of distress. In the open kitchen behind the counter a man was mixing the meat, adding seasonings, and then added what appeared to be… bread crumbs. This ingredient is confirmed in an interview that is actually posted on Twisted Root’s website. They claim that the bread crumbs are not there as filler but to retain the meats moisture. I’m not a culinary expert but the only other time I have seen meat and crumbs together is in either meat loaf or meat balls. With a new found skepticism, I finished my order with some straight cut fries and some Twisted Root Beer (Root beer branded Twisted Root). I was handed a card with the name ‘Uncle Jesse’ on it (link for those who don’t know who that is). I was to wait until I heard the name called out to pick up my order. I swung by the homemade pickle bar and picked up a few slices of the different kinds of pickles and then joined my coworkers at a table.
Listening to the various pop references over the speaker was amusing and made the time pass quickly. My name, er, Uncle Jesse, was soon called and I went to pick up my order. The Western included pepperjack cheese, bacon, fried onion strings, and jalapenos, all on a buttered and toasted bun. As I read this list of ingredients I don’t know why I was surprised by how salty the burger was. Everything on it added a savory element with very little to counter it. The patty was beefy but had a very homogeneous texture which gave it more of a chew than I prefer. All of the other toppings became lost both in flavor and texture as I added the house made ketchup to attempt to cut the salt. Another review of the menu would show that many of the burgers had similar toppings but with the addition of either guacamole or mushrooms which I think would have gone a long way in helping this burger out. The fries were good, fresh cut and cooked well. The root beer was my saving grace here. Not amazing, but sweet. I found that a steady regimen of burger/root beer/burger/root beer, was the sweet counter point that got me through the meal.
Did I hate Twisted Root? Absolutely not. While waiting in line I saw many signs telling me I should order a milkshake. I think a creamy, cold, and sugary shaek would have done wonders for this meal. Also, I feel that the original location in Deep Ellum probably has a more genuine vibe than the many locations that now dot the Dallas burgerscape. This is a fun place to go with your friends however this location felt more like a Chili’s or an Applebee’ s than an authentic burger joint. Add to that the price of it all, and you are paying top dollar more for the experience than for a good burger. In a serious burger town like Dallas, that is a dangerous line to be straddling.
(3 votes, average: 9.33 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
www.berniesburgerbus.com
Check website for locations
“Bernie’s is legit”! That is the text I received from a friend about a year ago. This new burger place restaurant thing was happening. You could call it a food truck but its actually a food school bus. If only I was this excited as a kid to see an actual school bus. This is the story, supposedly Houston Rockets player, Shane Battier, had a personal chef. Shane leaves to play for Memphis, the chef stays and starts dishing out gourmet burgers from the back of a school bus…. And everyone was going crazy for it! Is it true? I hope so because I was getting excited too. So how does one track down a moving burger target? You’ve got to be connected dude! Bernie’s is all over social media. Locations and times to find the bus are announced daily on the bird noise website and the book of faces along with supplemental updates and promotions. The bus has also been getting good reviews from some respected friends of Burger Tyme, specifically Alison Cook’s Burger Friday.
A few nights after receiving that initial text, I decided to try it for myself. Now where to go? This particular Friday night, Bernie’s was going to be parked outside of Lizzards Pub, a laid back bar inside a home, inside of a neighborhood. (Disclaimer: Most of these photos are from a Burger Tyme lunch at Bernie’s parked in front of Inversion Coffee House). So I rounded up the Burger Tyme wife, invited a Burger Tyme buddy to come along, and we made our way on this mini-treasure hunt. When we arrived we saw it. There it was. A bus in the parking lot with people lined up placing orders and large brown paper bags being passed passed through the same tiny window. Keeping with the school bus theme, the changing menu is written in chalk on boards hung like shutters on the window. So we got in line, and waited for Burger Tyme to begin.
Home made ketchup, BBQ sauce, and pickles, “tipsy” caramelized onions, fresh ground black angus beef, and burger buns baked daily! Bernie’s definitely leans gourmet. A quick scan of the menu would tell you that every burger combination has been meticulously planned by someone who knows burgers and knows flavors. It did not take long for me to decide on what to order. The Homeroom had my name written all over it. Bacon, Texas cheddar, “tipsy” onions, chipotle aoili, aaaannnnd a fried egg (asked for over medium)! The sides are equally inspiring however I would opt for an order of fresh cut fries. The line slowly shortened in front of us but never seemed to get any shorter behind us. We placed our order through the tiny window, gave our name, and waited at a table on the pub’s porch to hear our name be called over the distorted, cop style loudspeaker.
I don’t know how they all fit, but the four guys I saw inside that bus were whipping out large paper bags full of burgers at an impressive rate… given the circumstance. Our name was called in about 10 minutes. I proceeded to the window and was handed a grocery bag size paper bag. I hurried back to the table, opened the bag, and started divvying up the orders. The burger was much bigger than I expected, like two hands minimum big. This was not the prettiest burger, but man, it looked juicy. Between the patty, the onions, and the fried egg I instinctively reached for a pile of napkins. The first bite was wonderful. Every texture and flavor seemed to complement each other and tricked my senses into singular experience. The patty was perfectly ground, salted, and cooked. The onions added an excellent sweetness to the salty bacon and nutty cheddar, while the spicy creaminess of the aoili and the buttery yolk of the egg kept all flavors in line. Before I knew it the burger was gone. It was that good. The fries were great as well. My single order seemed like two whole potatoes fresh cut, fried to a nice dark golden brown and sprinkled with sea salt They were a wonderful match to the homemade ketchup that had a strong note of worcestershire. So good.
If you can’t tell by now, I loved the bus. Bernie’s combines everything I love about gourmet burgers with everything I love about scavenger hunts with everything I loved about school…. well, maybe not the last one, but if the buses I rode served burgers like this, I would still be in school. I have yet to mention price. I have mentioned the “G” word but don’t let that scare you. Most burgers are around $8 and fries are a mere $2. You can get as fancy as you like. I’ve been to Bernie’s several times, at several locations, and tried several burgers. All were unique and enjoyable. This is gourmet burgers in a non-gourmet setting but Bernie’s arrangements with the places they park their bus makes me wonder why anyone would not have a school bus.
