Austin Burger News

Tagged: griddle RSS

• Chris 12:16 pm on April 19, 2012 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cheddar ( 20 ), fresh-cut-fries ( 3 ), griddle, thick-patty ( 4 )   

  In the Buns Update 

  First trip back to In the Buns since they were sold. A few cosmetic changes have been made, all positive in my view. The interior is much more inviting –no more chain link fence around the kitchen area, tables are larger, most of the flower sculptures are gone (I guess they left a few as a nod to the original decor), and there are booths along one wall.  All in all, they have softened the place up a bit.  Much more appealing than before.

  One other difference is that the cheeseburger comes with the cheese on top, instead of embedded in the patty.  I kind of liked the unique embedded cheese method, but the current burger incarnation is still good.

  Burger still generously sized and tasty.

   

  

  In the Buns Cheeseburger & Fresh Cut Fries

   

  

  In the Buns Interior

   

  

  In the Buns Interior

   

   

   

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• Chris 11:44 am on January 3, 2012 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cheddar ( 20 ), fresh-cut-fries ( 3 ), griddle, thin-patty ( 12 )   

  Flippin’ Burgers Visit 

  Saw the sign for this place a few weeks ago, and found out it was open from some positive reviews on Urbanspoon.  The phrase “tater tots are made from scratch” had my interest piqued, not to mention in-house ground beef.

  The place is way up north at 183 and 1431 in Cedar Park.

  Got the combo meal.  The menu lists fresh made-in-house everything pretty much.  Burger was thin patty, griddled; cheddar available and procured.

  The purported Tater Tots® (registered trademark of Ore-Ida, inventors of the Tater Tot®) are tots in name only. They were more like “battered home fries” to me–small chunks of potato with some breading/crust.  So not even close to what I know as the Tater Tot®–cylindrical potato composites, à la Sonic.  So tot-lovers don’t be fooled, I wouldn’t call these tater tots.  They were tasty nonetheless, however I would definitely try the fries next time.

  Dublin Dr. Pepper on tap, as well as Maine Root Cola.

  All in all, a good burger with quality accessories.  It’s a bit far afield for me, so unlikely to visit again soon.  But if it were more convenient, I could see making it a regular stop.  Definitely need to get back and try the fries and onion rings.

   

   

  

  Cheeseburger and "tots"

  

  "Tots" detail -- tasty, but not "tots"!

  

  Edge Detail

  

  Lacking crust, plus Dry Bun Syndrome (but very nicely toasted bun)

   

  

  Salt/pepper burger

  

  Check it out

   

• Chris 1:11 pm on August 26, 2011 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cheddar ( 20 ), fresh-cut-fries ( 3 ), griddle   

  In the Buns Fresh Cut Fries 

  Returned to In the Buns to check out the fresh cut fries.  Burger still delicious (had the cheddar burger again).  Fries much better than the generic frozen curlies I experienced on my first visit (more pix in that post).  They also upgraded the tables–replaced most of the too-small tables that featured the odd fork sculptures with roomier tables sans art.

  

  The New Fries

  So the upshot: french fry upgrade and table upgrade = good experience.  Only cons: somewhat grating music, and I wish the combo price were a dollar or two cheaper (comes to $9 and change as is).  This is by far the best burger I’ve found in the area.

   

   

  
  View Larger Map

   

• Chris 10:47 am on May 3, 2011 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cheddar ( 20 ), griddle, opening ( 8 ), thick-patty ( 4 )   

  In the Buns Burger Joint 

  Read on Chowhound about a new burger place just minutes from my office so had to give it a try.  Overall I was quite impressed with the burger.  It was very juicy and was a good size–6oz–no thin patty here.  Cooked on a griddle, nice crust development.  The cheeseburger has the cheese mixed into the meat instead of sitting on top…not sure about this technique, but at least they offer cheddar and other real cheese (non American) options.  The bun was good–well toasted, held up to the burger but was not overly bready, and was also top-toasted on the griddle, always a nice touch.

  They offer an array of quality sugar-cane soda options at the fountain–Maine Root sodas, and Dublin Dr. Pepper on tap.

  On the flip side, I thought the fries were pretty much terrible.  They were edible, but were run of the mill frozen curly fries.  Also not a fan of the interior and the tiny tables with the annoying flower sculptures.  The combo price, at $9+ after tax, is a bit steep as well.

  Overall, very good burger.  If they switched to fresh fries made in-house, I’d find it difficult to stay away.

  Check them out on Facebook (they don’t appear to have a dedicated website). Their Yelp entry has quite a few photos.

   

  
  View Larger Map

  

  As delivered--note bun top toasting

  

  Nice crust development! Nice bun toasting as well.

  

  Note cheese oozing out from within

  

  Cross section showing cheddar distribution

  

  Boring fries

  

  Dublin Dr. Pepper on tap!

  

  Tables too small

  

  Not a fan of these table sculptures...seem to be in the way

  

  Order up

  

  They need better signage

  

  

  Blurry cross section...need a new camera

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  • Jim Howard 3:44 pm on August 26, 2011 Permalink | Reply

    I live in Anderson Mill, and had no idea these guys were here! I’ll check them out this weekend, thanks.

• Chris 10:45 am on May 2, 2011 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cheddar ( 20 ), griddle, thin-patty ( 12 )   

  Dan’s Hamburgers–Good 

  Went to Dan’s recently, an Austin institution.  It’s a reliable favorite.  Griddle patty, frozen faux fresh fries.  Very good onion rings.  Nicely toasted buttery bun–they do the Standard White Bun very well.  Cheddar available.  Overall, a solid griddled thin-patty burger.

  

  Order at the counter

  

  Ambiance is a bit lacking

  

  Medium burger and fries

  

  Under the hood

  

  Cross section--typical thin-patty action

  

  Fries ho-hum frozen variety

  

  

  North Lamar location

   

• Chris 1:03 pm on June 7, 2010 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cheddar ( 20 ), griddle, thin-patty ( 12 )   

  Steak ‘n Shake Thumbs Up 

  Yes, another chain, but this place gets props from Respected Burger Heavyweight George Motz of Hamburger America and the venerable burger blog A Hamburger Today, so have been wanting to try it.  So out to Round Rock I went, via the shiny new 45 Tollway.

  First, a little background, gleaned from the above posts and the Steak ‘n Shake website–their beef is fresh, never frozen.  They have been around since 1934, based in Illinois.  They cook the burgers on a griddle using the smash technique, resulting in razor thin patties with some crispiness to the edges.

  I was surprised when I walked in to see that it is a sit-down restaurant with waiters.  Was expecting the typical fast food experience.  Then I was double surprised to see my food served on a real plate.  I mean a real porcelain plate.  Not a paper-lined plastic basket, not a school-cafeteria style bakelitey plate, but an actual breakable plate.  Nice touch.

  I opted for the badly-named “Cheesy Cheddar Steakburger ‘n Fries”.  I had to get some clarification before ordering it because the picture and description on the menu led me to believe that the “cheddar cheese” would be that liquified type of cheese glop, the kind you see at concession stands at sporting events that is spooned out of a hot vat with a ladle.  The waitress explained that they take actual grated cheddar, melt it in a cup, and then add it to the burger.  Thumbs up.

  Burger was quite delicious for what it is.  Cheese was plentiful and cheddary.  Meat-to-bun ratio good.  Fries were ok–frozen thin cut fries.  Good for what they are, but I always prefer fresh cut fries.  They were very similar to the fries at Freddy’s Steakburgers, or should I say that Freddy’s fries are very similar to Steak ‘n Shake’s…I can now see where Freddy’s got its “inspiration”.  They should have also taken the cheddar idea from Steak ‘n Shake (no cheddar to be found at Freddy’s).

  So, thumbs up to Steak ‘n Shake.  Just wish they had a location closer to central Austin.  There’s one down south and one in Round Rock.

  

  As delivered...real plate!

  

  Cheesy Cheddar Burger

  

  Fries OK

  

  Cheesy Cheddar Cross Section

  

  Ahhhhh

  

  Their Famous Slogan

  

  Round Rock Location

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  • sean 10:09 am on August 30, 2010 Permalink | Reply

    Their burgers are frozen and thawed for use. Wendy’s is the “fresh, never frozen” boaster.

• Chris 8:56 am on May 7, 2010 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cheddar ( 20 ), griddle, thin-patty ( 12 )   

  Culver’s 

  Made it out to Culver’s on Braker/Kramer for the first time in a few years.  Used to go fairly often when my office was closer.  Decided to check up on them.  Still the same–good quality fast food burger, weak fries, no Coke, Pepsi.

  Culver’s is a chain based in Wisconsin, with two Austin locations.  Their claim to fame is the “ButterBurger”, which appears to be a regional burger style from the midwest.  Sollys Grill in Milwaukee seems to have invented it, and unlike at Culver’s, butter plays a very prominent role in their burger.  Photos of Solly’s butter burger show the burger practically floating in a pool of butter.  I found no evidence of butter on my Culver’s burger, so I guess they are paying homage in name only.  But they do boast fresh, never frozen beef, and burgers are cooked to order.  Plus they have cheddar, which is a rarity at QSRs.

  The burger reminds me quite a bit of Freddy’s, another chain that has recently entered the Austin market.  Both offer pretty thin/smashed patties, with the default offering a double patty burger.  Freddy’s does not have cheddar though.

  Overall, a quality fast food burger.  Pluses: cheddar (did I mention that already?), roomy booths (room for six), table delivery, clean environs.

  Minuses: weak fries, no Coke, Pepsi.  And still a fast food burger.

  But I’m a fan.

  Further details and reviews found at auslunch.com.

  

  Cheddar!

  

  Cheddar (but wish it were a bit more melted)!

  

  Edge Detail — a Bit of Crisping

  

  Under the Hood — Weak Tomato

  

  Cross Section — Bottom Veggie Placement

  

  Zzzzzz

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  • Paula 10:41 am on May 7, 2010 Permalink | Reply

    Tip from a Wisconsin girl: order the root beer at Culver’s, they make their own.

    • Chris 11:32 am on May 7, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Now that’s some good info there. Thanks for the tip Paula!

      • Frayton 9:13 pm on July 5, 2010 Permalink | Reply

        I go there for the fried cod. Best fried fish I’ve found in a fast-food place. Fries are, as you noted, kind of middle of the road, but at least they’re the crinkle cut. I go to the one out on Wm Cannon and Brodie and walk up to the convenience store for a Coke and sneak it in (the Midwestern-accented lady manager winked at me and said I could do this, she’s used to it apparently).

        • Chris 9:31 pm on July 5, 2010 Permalink | Reply

          I’ve also had the fried cod a few times and it is good. Nice tip on the Coke Sneak. Thank god for Dr. Pepper is all I can say.

  • Andre 2:13 pm on November 16, 2010 Permalink | Reply

    Next time, skip the fries and get a side of cheese curds with your combo instead. They’re essentially bite-sized mozzarella sticks and worth every second you’re losing from your life for eating them.

• Chris 9:00 am on March 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: griddle   

  A Visit to Mighty Fine 

  Hit Mighty Fine in the horribly designed Arbor Walk shopping center for lunch Friday.  Surprisingly the Mighty Fine line was quite manageable (not true of the line to exit the shopping center).  Burger was good as usual.  Nothing transcendent, but a good solid fresh griddled burger, albeit a touch dry.  Fries good but not as good as P. Terry’s.  Too thin here, not enough potato meat on the fry.  Like many other newer burger joints in town, Mighty Fine touts fresh beef, fresh cut fries, etc.  So a decent burger experience.

  Urban Planning Fail
  There is a major flaw in the layout of this shopping center.  The last few times I have been, the line of cars waiting to exit is crazy.  It took us maybe 15 minutes to get out.  There are two exits at the far ends of the center, and when the place gets a bit crowded, the exits clog up and a line of cars forms at both exits.  It’s ridiculous, and is enough of a deterrent for me to avoid Arbor Walk at all costs.  Will have to try the newer Mighty Fine in Round Rock next time.

  

  Kuntry Interior

  

  The Beef Room

  

  Jr. Burger

  

  A tad dry, plus Dry Bun Syndrome

  

  Sub-Patty Vegetable Placement

  

  Fresh cut fries

   

• Chris 11:19 am on February 16, 2010 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: griddle, thin-patty ( 12 )   

  Finally Tried P. Terry’s 

  Finally made it to P. Terry’s.  Now that they have the location north of the river, it’s somewhat convenient.  P. Terry’s, to their credit, was one of the first (if not the first) local joints to go au naturel with the fresh hormone-free, antibiotic-free etc. beef.  Nowadays that’s the norm it seems for new burger places (see TerraBurger, Hat Creek, Elevation).  Everyone is touting their grass-fed french fries and other Earth-friendly ingreendients (I just made that up).

  So, made my way into the retro-stylish building on Lamar.  Here’s the upshot:

  Pros: cheap cheap cheap!  Combo meal comes in under $5.  Fries are GREAT.

  Cons: burger ho hum and dry.  No cheddar.

  Patties look quite juicy sizzling on the griddle, but by the time they arrive at the table they somehow lose all that luster (they also seem to be impregnated with birdseed–see photo below).  Mine was dry.  Fairly close to the harsh description given by one poster on Chowhound–”gray, flavorless hockey pucks,” although I thought the burger did evidence some decent flavor.  But overall it was pretty much a ho hum burger.

  Loved the fries–fresh cut, crispy, well-cooked.  Very tasty.

  Lastly, what’s up with their food pix online?  The burger photo on their website looks like they are trying to emulate the generic corporate mass-produced fast food burger look, with the airbrushed bun and the perfectly stacked components.  Frankly, it looks awful.

  So, overall I was not impressed with the P. Terry’s burger, but would definitely stop in again for fries if in the vicinity.

  http://www.pterrys.com/
  3303 North Lamar Blvd.

  

  No exterior bun toasting

  

  Uh oh, Dry Bun Syndrome. Parched patty fissure forming.

  

  Cross section--note squished bun and dry patty, as well as inverted veggie placement

  

  No crust to speak of, but lots of speckles

  

  Patty surface detail. Looks like birdseed. Not sure what is up here. Must be some secret seasoning (their website states that they "inspect and season each patty in our store").

  

  Loved the fries

  

  Funky fresh interior

  

  Funky fresh exterior

  

  Cool sign

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  • Aaron 4:15 pm on February 16, 2010 Permalink | Reply

    I agree that they can be too dry, add some cheese and it helps. Their shakes are quite yummy with their fries as well!

  • chascates 11:04 pm on February 22, 2010 Permalink | Reply

    I think their chilcken sandwich is better than their burger. And go at a peak time to make sure you get good fries rather than matchstick overcooked ones.

• Chris 4:12 pm on January 12, 2010 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cheddar ( 20 ), griddle   

  Moonie’s on Anderson Mill & 183 

  Stopped in for lunch at the new Moonie’s location today.  They have only been open six days.  The place was busy, almost all the tables were full.  No problems with service though.  Looks like they have it down.  Order at the counter, they bring you the food.  It’s a large restaurant (seems larger than their Cedar Park location).  Nice space on the corner of the strip mall, so lots of windows.

  Burger and fries were about how I remember them from my first visit to their Cedar Park location almost two years ago.  Bun is sweet.  Patty is 6oz., griddled.  Cheddar available.  Fries are crispy-coated frozen-ish fries.  Bun top-toasted.  Overall, burger was OK, but very dry unfortunately.  Bottom bun suffered from Dry Bun Syndrome, which did not help.  Fries are good for what they are.  Onion rings looked good but I did not try any (pricey at $2.99).

  So overall, a decent but not great burger in a pleasant atmosphere.  A nice option at least to have up here in North 183 Land.

  Moonie’s Burger House
  13450 Resarch Blvd (183 & Anderson Mill)

  

  As delivered to the table

  

  Under the hood--note very nice bun toasting

  

  Top-Toasting Detail--a nice touch

  

  Cross Section...too dry!

  

  Too dry, too round, weak crust

  

  Pleasant digs

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  • Hamburglar 3:03 pm on January 13, 2010 Permalink | Reply

    Looks a little sparse on the mayo. Do you feel obligated to leave a tip since they bring the burger out to you?

    • Chris 3:16 pm on January 13, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      No tipping required. Mayo level is a tad sparse, especially considering the overcooked patty, and bottom bun suffering from Dry Bun Syndrome did not help there.

  • Marty 7:38 pm on January 16, 2010 Permalink | Reply

    I concur with the mayo portioning. A little on the light side so the burger was a little dry but then I added ketchup, which I always love on a burger and it moistened it right up. I would have gone and asked for a little mayo but the line was too long. My only real drawback is the single register. The place was packed at lunch on a Saturday and they really could have used another at least for the rush. Although the line was long, it did move pretty well but they lost a lot of potential customers because they saw the line and went elsewhere. But the order to table time was quite reasonable.

  • Christina 3:00 pm on January 25, 2010 Permalink | Reply

    I went to the new location friday night and the place was packed. They did seem to fix some of the issues with wait time. They had 1 person writing orders and another ringing them. The line moved quickly and the food came out in less than 10 minutes. That was nice to see. As usual I thought the food was terrific. I also enjoy cheddar so I ate the bacon/ cheddar burger which was too much for me The taste was exceptional and i do love their fries. I had the burger, fries and a huge drink all for $7. I felt no obligation to tip. I would agree the atmosphere in the new one is very cozy !

  • Debora 10:09 am on February 25, 2010 Permalink | Reply

    I like the atmosphere and the singing trio on Wednesdays is unique. Management needs to do something about the long line during peak hours by adding a second register. There should also be a To-Go pick up line for orders that were called in ahead of time. The line is definitely the biggest issue and I’ve been there twice in peak hours and seen several potential customers leave due to the long wait in line.

  • Keli 1:16 pm on March 10, 2010 Permalink | Reply

    I guess I am the only one that found the fries to be not so tasty.

  • Laura 11:17 am on June 12, 2010 Permalink | Reply

    Wow, I disagree….my entire family loves Moonies. One of the better burgers in Austin.

  • Cindy 10:23 am on October 13, 2010 Permalink | Reply

    I was a huge Moonies fan…then the Moon Pies disappeared! And the onion rings went to the wide side, not the nice 1/4 inch thick ones they had been serving…so I had to toss the entire order as they were much too wide. I love the Western Burger and the bun has a great flavor…but please bring back the original onion rings and MOON Pies…its is MOONies after all!!

  • Kathryn 8:20 pm on December 20, 2010 Permalink | Reply

    Yeah, Chris, I was less than impressed. Coke stations were flat and needed carbonation. Sweet tea wasn’t fresh. The burger was cooked somewhat on the rare side and the fries were greasy, greasy, greasy — made my stomach curl. Just not used to eating that much grease on a whole. Had the chili cheese burger and the chili cheese was cold and the onions were miniscule, if existant that the menu stated that it had.

    Only went there to meetup with my daughter and granddaughter. It’s not something that I would go to because I love to eat there. It’s okay. The environment inside has potential for a happening place to be, but they have to really get their act together on the cooking mode.