Austin Burger News

A Visit to Max Parfait

Finally made it out to the HOPE Farmers Market on Sunday to cash in my Max Parfait LunchDeal coupon.  Overall, tasty burger, cooked well (still pink–see pix below) and good fries.  The bun is homemade and is nicely toasted on the grill (exterior bun grill marks is a major plus).  The burger patty is thick but not huge–I found the burger size to be just right–and is laced with some herbs, as you can see in the cross section picture below.  Had a good flavor.  I’m generally not a fan of mixing stuff into the meat before cooking, but this worked well.  Nothing overpowering in the spices.  The beef is cooked over pecan wood, which is a plus.  I got the cheeseburger (with cheddar, of course), which I recommend, but was a bit taken aback by the $1 surcharge for cheese (seems a tad steep, but I imagine it’s quality cheese).

Fries are called “Belgian Fries”.  Not clear on what makes a fry Belgian (I did find some info at belgianfries.com, of all places, but no way to know if this is authoritative), but these were delicious, had a slightly sweet taste to me, and were seasoned with just the right amount of salt.  They fry them in olive oil.

On the downside, it took a long time to get our food, but it’s a small trailer and of course everything is made to order, so it takes a while.  And the HOPE Farmers Market was not the most inviting environment on a hot August day.  Dusty hot surroundings.  Unkempt Austin Hippies wandering about, Yoga occurring inside one of the unconditioned spaces, incense wafting from another, etc.  There was a pleasant band playing there, which was a plus, but I found the farmers market very run down feeling, and hot, and dusty, and…hot.  Maybe it’s more pleasant during the spring at the height of the produce season.

Oh yeah, also sampled the portabella sandwich, was good.

So, would definitely eat at Max Parfait again.  Would love to see them land in a Brick and Mortar location with some air conditioning!  Currently, you can find the Max Parfait trailer at the Barton Creek Farmers Market on Saturdays, and the HOPE Farmers Market on Sundays.  Check their website for the latest details or follow them on twitter.  Hopefully they can aim that trailer up north during the weekdays.

The Trailer

The Setting (Hot)

The Veggies

The Band (they were good!)

The Menu

The Fries (Delicious)

The Fries (Detail)

The Burger (note bun scrapage from over-grilling)

The Burger (with Cheddar)

The Burger (Cross Section)

The Portabella Sandwich