No city has mastered the great American hamburger like Austin, Texas. From classic burgers to culinary adventures, there are patties for every taste preference. And whether you want a boujee burger topped with exotic ingredients or you’re searching for the highest-quality beef in the capital, this roundup will have you reaching for your car keys.
You’ll find angus burgers, wagyu burgers, chicken burgers, veggie burgers, and burgers topped with every type of cheese — from beer cheese to vegan cheese. If you’re already feeling hungry, grab a bib because this line up of the best burgers in Austin will have you drooling into your keyboard. You’ve been warned.
The Best Burger in Austin for Every Kind of Eater
Here they are: a dozen of the best burgers in the city. While many of the restaurants featured serve some of the overall best burgers in Austin, here you’ll find details on the one menu item that stands out above the rest. A word of advice, just don’t try eating them all in one day.
1. Salt & Time Butcher’s Burger
http://www.saltandtime.com/
1912 E. 7th St.
This East Austin spot is a butcher shop first and a restaurant second, so you know they take their meat seriously. They’re focused on local and sustainable food. The meat they sell at their butcher shop and use in their restaurant comes from Texas ranchers who practice humane and sustainable animal husbandry.
Their Butcher’s Burger is prepared in-house with fresh ground beef made from daily trimmings from the butcher shop’s high-quality steak. The Butcher’s Burger is served simply with mayo and pickles on a brioche bun.
Salt & Time’s meat is so good that this classic burger preparation is all you need. But you can also turn the Butcher’s Burger into a cheeseburger by adding cheddar or Swiss cheese, and you can top it with bacon — also prepared in-house at their butcher shop — or a fried egg.
2. Hopdoddy Burger Bar Goodnight/Good Cause Burger
https://www.hopdoddy.com/
1400 S. Congress Ave., STE 190A
Hopdoddy’s flagship location is on South Congress, but with six locations in Austin, this local chain is never too far away.
There are 15 burger options (and counting!) on the Hopdoddy menu, so when you walk in to this burger joint, the decision fatigue is real. But the Goodnight/Good Cause Burger is one seriously good burger that you can feel good about ordering. Everytime you buy this burger, $1 is donated to a local charity, so you should feel free to eat the Goodnight/Good Cause again and again and again.
This burger is perfect for anyone who prefers their patty with all the fixings. It’s made with angus beef, and topped with Tillamook Cheddar, caramelized onions, jalapeños, lettuce, and tomato. It also features two kinds of sauce: Hopdoddy’s signature Sassy Sauce and a caffeinated BBQ sauce so you can skip the afternoon pick-me-up.
3. Arlo‘s Curbside Vegan Bac’N Cheezeburger
https://arloscurbside.com/
900 Red River at Cheer Up Charlie’s
Who said burgers have to have meat? Okay, so lots of people have actually said that, but with these vegan burgers, you won’t know anything is missing.
Arlo’s is a food truck with a 100% plant-based menu, featuring burgers and tacos. They make soy-free, gluten-free veggie burgers, meaning their plant-based patties don’t rely on the same filler ingredients used in many other vegan burgers.
To really experience vegan dining at its finest, try Arlo’s Bac’N Cheezeburger. It’s topped with so much not-meat and not-cheese, you won’t believe it’s plant based. It features house-made seitan bac’n, melted cheeze, ketchup, mustard, mayo, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, and onions.
You can find Arlo’s food trucks at three locations: Cheer Up Charlie’s in Central East Austin, The Grackle in East Austin, and Spider House in West Campus.
4. Dan’s Hamburgers Double Meat & Single Cheeseburger
844 Airport Blvd.
http://www.dans-hamburgers.com/
If you’re looking for a high-quality, fast food burger, Dan’s is a great option. This burger joint has been operating in Austin since 1973, making it a local institution. They have three locations in Austin and one in Buda.
Their burger menu is simple with classic burgers, cheeseburgers, and double meat burgers. All Dan’s hamburgers come with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and mustard. And you can make this burger your own by adding extra cheese, bacon, or jalapeños.
The Double Meat & Single Cheeseburger offers double the fun. But if you’re ordering it for lunch, beware of the itis. This substantial burger will leave you feeling full and ready for an afternoon nap.
5. Fixe Southern House Fixe Burger
https://fixesouthernhouse.com/
500 W. 5th St.
If you prefer fancy food to fast food, Fixe Southern House brings flavor and atmosphere to your burger fix. It’s the kind of place where you’ll want to eat your burger with your pinkies up.
This upscale Austin restaurant offers the Fixe Burger on their happy hour and brunch menus. This burger features American cheese, pickles, onions, Fixe special sauce, and a side of salt and pepper french fries. You’ll feel super classy as you wash your burger down with a plum and pomegranate mimosa.
6. Jewboy Burgers Yenta Burger
http://www.jewboyburgers.com/
5000 Burnet
In spite of the name, don’t expect your burger to be served on a challah bun. This food truck is all about the potatoes.
Jewboy Burgers are served on soft and yummy potato rolls. They’re made with fresh-ground, USDA-prime beef patties. And the Yenta is topped with the latke of your choice. Who needs french fries when you can get your potatoes directly on your patty, right?
The creative flavor combos at this food truck make it a guaranteed winner when you’re looking for the best burger in Austin.
7. Eureka! Fresno Fig Burger
https://eurekarestaurantgroup.com/
200 E 6th Street
If you want to eat your burger with a side of craft beer in a rustic gastropub setting, head on over to Eureka!
For a sweet and heat flavor combo, try their Fresno Fig Burger. It’s made with fig marmalade, melted goat cheese, bacon, tomato, red onion, arugula, and spicy porter mustard. With the sweetness of the marmalade, the tanginess of the goat cheese, the saltiness of the bacon, and the spiciness of the mustard, this burger offers the most balanced flavor combination in this roundup.
8. Top Notch Hamburgers Chili Burger
http://www.topnotchaustin.com/
7525 Burnet Rd.
This place is a staple when it comes to Austin burgers. Like Dan’s Hamburgers, Top Notch was founded in the 1970s, and it offers the same old-school feel. So if you want your burger to be accompanied by a timewarp back to a simpler Austin, check out this fast food burger joint.
Their beef burgers are charcoal broiled, offering that flavor you usually only get after spending thirty minutes shielding your grill starter from the wind.
If you’re not afraid to get a little messy, the Chili Burger is a top notch (pun intended!) representation of a classic. It’s topped with chili, cheese, and onions. And when it comes to sides, the onion rings at this place are legendary. Complete your old-fashioned diner experience with a strawberry milkshake.
Top Notch also offers hotdogs, fried chicken, BLTs, and other American favorites.
9. Odd Duck Wagyu Burger
https://oddduckaustin.com/
1201 S Lamar Blvd
Odd Duck helped put the Austin food scene on the map, and you can find out why with their burgers. This upscale Austin restaurant, sources their ingredients from local farmers. And they have a wood-fired grill in their kitchen that lends an irresistible flavor to their grilled patties.
Odd Duck offers burgers on their brunch and lunch menus. Both options will make your mouth water, but the Wagyu Burger is only available on their lunch menu. It’s topped with green chili pork jam, tostadas, green tomato relish, and beer cheese.
The gourmet ingredients, paired with the interesting flavor combinations make the Wagyu Burger hard to beat when you’re looking for the best burger in Austin.
10. Pool Burger Blue Hawaiian Burger
https://www.poolburger.com/
2315 Lake Austin Blvd.
If you want your burger to come with a side of tropical paradise, Pool Burger is located around the corner from Deep Eddy pool. After you cool off with a swim, this tiki bar brings the heat with their hamburgers — not that heat is ever in short supply in Austin.
Stick with the tropical theme by trying their Blue Hawaiian Burger. It features a quarter-pound patty, griddled pineapple, bacon, crumbled blue cheese, and thousand island dressing.
Head over between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to catch their happy hour. A Mai Tai is just what you’ll need to bring the tropical theme home.
11. P. Terry‘s Burger Stand Chicken Burger
https://pterrys.com/
404 S Lamar Blvd
Another high-quality, fast food burger joint with multiple locations around the city, P. Terry’s offers black angus beef burgers, chicken burgers, and veggie burgers.
P. Terry’s prepares their chicken burger patties fresh every day. The patties are made from all-natural ground chicken breast and seasoned with a signature spice blend.
The white meat chicken makes this burger perfect for anyone who’s trying to avoid trans fats like those found in beef fat. The burger is topped with swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and all-natural mayo.
12. Casino El Camino L.A. Burger
http://www.casinoelcamino.net/
517 E 6th St.
For the culinary adventurers out there, Casino El Camino’s hamburgers are not afraid of flavor. The restaurant makes their angus beef patties in house then tops them with everything from Guiness and sherry sautéed mushrooms to serrano chilis to baconnaise.
Their L.A. Burger features sprouts, romaine lettuce, and spinach with a lemon vinaigrette, plus tomato, avocado, and a smoked-shallot aioli. This three-quarter pound burger give you the gourmet burger fix you’re looking for.
And Casino El Camino has an equally impressive menu of hot dogs.
Fill Up on the Best Burgers in Austin
By now, your stomach must be grumbling. So choose the place that sounds like it has your personal best burger in Austin, and dig in. There’s no need to limit yourself to just one. Gather your friends, throw the gauntlet down, and see who can try all 12 first.
After you’ve filled up on burgers, you’ll have the strength you need to explore the best of the rest of what Austin has to offer. Check out some of the best things to do in Austin, or if you’re short on cash from the burger investment you just made, try some of the fun, free things Austin has to offer. Either way, there’s never a dull moment in Austin, Texas.
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