Going Back: Hat Creek @ Burnet Ln

It was not the plan to eat at Hat Creek last week. The idea was to have some chicken and waffles which were craved by one of us. It was a desperate drive to get to Lucky J’s that was inspired during the weekend after he saw one of those TV shows. We got there a little past noon to discover that even though the OPEN sign was lit. The place was closed. We twitted Lucky J’s during the week and apparently they were out for a short period of time that coincided with us getting there. After such a disappointment, we return back via Burner and we saw the big hat smiling at us. Our chicken waffle friend had never eaten on Hat Creek so it was the perfect opportunity to go back.

We ordered a combination of small and big hat combos. I added to mine their jalapeno and grilled onions which I believe is an incredible feature on their menu. As previously, the hamburger and fries were delicious. They were as we remembered and their value is fantastic.

However, this time there was a small but noticeable change on the service which at the end affected the final TAVS. Last time, we have our order delivered to our table. We thought it was a nice gesture that placed Hat Creek above the rest. Unfortunately, this time we just got called and we had to pick up our tray. Well, this time Hat Creek was just fair with the service.

I tried to see if they could recover from this and had an opportunity to go beyond. So, I went to ask for a scoop of strawberry ice cream. They carry Blue Bell ice cream for the shakes so they had it. I didn’t want a whole shake even on their small size. Therefore, a scoop was the perfect size. I know it was not on their menu so this was really a test. How much they would be able to accommodate a customer request? Well, they couldn’t for two reasons. The first was that they didn’t have a cup to put the scoop which I offered to them to give it to me on a small cup used for water. The second was that they had to charge the full price of a small shake for me to get the scoop. It was a little disappointed even though they were honest and kind with my request.

For these reasons, Hat Creek has drop on their TAVS score from an incredible 4.0 to a 3.8 knocking them out of the minimum score to qualify for the Top ALR Choice Award. We’ll probably go back since we love their combos and overall value.

Link to Hat Creek Co. web site

hopdoddy Burger Bar @ Anderson & Burnet

hopdoddy is one of those places on the Austin area benefiting of a current hype. They offer gourmet burgers with many different options that drive long waiting lines for lunch. We arrived before noon and were lucky enough to have a very short line before we got to order our lunch. In fact, we were just trying to figure out the process to order when we were already ordering. I have to say that there is more than one burger that I would like to try from the menu. Their burger options have many intriguing combinations that sound very good and invite you to try.

The ordering process was very easy and straight forward and we got assigned our table. They have an interesting hybrid model in between a fast food restaurant where you order at the cashiers and a waitress later assist you with refills or anything else after this first order. The environment of the restaurant is spacious and very pleasant to the eye. They have a modern metro-style décor with good color combinations and furniture. It may not be an Austinite weird type place but it is definitively unique and well done.

Our food arrived after a short wait and we proceed to eat. I ordered the “Llano Poblano” Burger which I food very tasty and I liked a lot. The poblano pepper is definitively a Mexican chile that has a lot of flavor with a little spice and it is a better option than the pimiento pepper. The meat was definitively of a high quality and it had a very good size. Unfortunately, the fries were just Ok. They were not as crisp as I prefer to have them and they were just an add-on that doesn’t stand for the extra cost that you have to add to your lunch. They are not included with the burger so it is an extra $2.25 that rockets your lunch well above $10 after you add a drink. My friends ordered “Primetime” and “Magic Shroom” which they also like them a lot.

By the time we were eating our food, the line outside was long and they had to control it to make sure we were not crowded inside. This was appreciated since many places don’t think on controlling their number of people inside the building making it sometimes just uncomfortable to eat when it is packed. In summary, this is another place with great burgers on the area. They have unique combinations that may one day drive me back to try a different one. However, for lunch this is an expensive proposition that doesn’t correspond to the overall value when you add fries and a drink.

Link to hopdoddy Web Site

Top Notch @ Burnet

Is it a drive-in, or a dine-in?   Yes.

Top Notch Burgers on Burnet Rd. has been an Austin tradition since 1971. Cars park around and under a covered, multi-lane speaker system area where you may order off of the order board via the intercom and sit in your car, or dine inside in a cramped dining area.  I have heard many a story about the delicious burgers produced at this establishment, and remember eating there 4 or 5 years ago and being pleased with the outcome.

Not so today. 

While Top Notch is a successful contributor to the “Keep Austin Weird” mantra as far as setting and decor, it did not contribute today in the flavor and quality category, as it was closer to “Bottom Notch”.

The burgers tastes like they were made with thin, frozen, flavorless patties, that, while having a tolerable char-grilled flavor, that seemed to be the only thing going on with a poorly to no-seasoned low-quality pre-frozen beef patty.  The buns were also very forgetful.  The chili on my chili burger also tasted like canned chili, tasted like Hormel Chili to me!!  Come on Top Notch, what has happened to you???

The fries were of decent flavor, but could have used a little more crispiness.  The tea was weak and not very flavorful.

Top Notch- you are far from living up to your name!!  This place was a waste of time- there are SO many better options in the area for burgers.  These burgers were not as good as the majority of the big chain burger places.

Link to Top Notch Web Site

Hat Creek Burger Co. @ Burnet

Even though, Hat Creek Burger Company is setup as a fast-food restaurant, it has several differentiators that make it rise above a normal burger chain. A board at the entrance gives a summary of the history of the business which started on a trailer somewhere at West 6th street in 2008. It has a clean, simple and neat appearance with an Ausnitn ambiance on the background that harmonizes with the expected Austinite flavor on that area at Burnet.

The first item that makes Hat Creek different from other similar places is the simplicity of the menu. They have beef, turkey or vegetarian burgers either Little Hat (single) or Big Hat (double). The praise themselves to serve Premium Gold Black Angus beef ALL NATURAL (no antibiotics and no hormones). During this visit, the group ordered as part of this "R&D duty” either Little Hat or Big Hat cheeseburgers combos. The difference is a 3.2oz extra patties added to the Big Hat option.

It was surprisingly pleasant to discover one of the best features that this place offers, which is free jalapenos and/or grilled onions that can be added to your burger. Just think about, how many times have you find a place that offers free jalapenos that can be added to your burger? Normally every other place will look to get $0.35 or even $0.50 extra for adding some to your order. This is a great plus that we commended and appreciate from Hat Creek.

The next surprise was the fries. There was no difference on the Little Hat versus the Big Hat orders. The amount of fries was the same. The amount of great, fresh and crispy fries that we got was plentiful and generous. They had just the perfect thickness, which was no too thick that tasted like bake potatoes or too thin that is just grease. In fact, the combos had an incredible price and value; in fact, my Little Hat Combo came right at my target of $6.00-$7.00 range for lunch.

We noticed that the dessert options were down to only shakes and malts. This was a little surprise because ice cream is not offered in scoops as an option so a "neutralizer" was missing. We'll be asking for some ice cream on a future visit to see if they are willing to stretch and offer a variation from the menu. After all, the Blue Bell ice cream is there at the freezer.

In summary, the burger was very good. It included the veggies that you should expect on a good burger plus the FREE jalapenos and FREE grilled onions that I requested on mine. The fries were excellent with a perfect crispiness which was above most of other places. Regarding the soft soda offerings and selections, they had my favorite one, Diet Dr. Pepper. It was a complete round that had a perfect size, flavor, selection and price.

Good job Hat Creek! You are definitively on the road to become one of our top selections and recommendations. We'll pay a visit later to see if the consistency and quality is there.

Link to Hat Creek Web Site

Phil's Ice House @ Burnet

We ate lunch on June 29 at Phil's Ice House. We decided on this place after stopping at Amy's Ice Cream few days before. They actually share the same location and they are side by side. We got there at 11:20am which was a perfect arrival because 20 minutes later the place was busy.

Each of us ordered a different hamburger which all of them were excellent. I personally liked the fresh bun and sweet potatoes fries. Jim went for the double meat size which had plenty beef for him. On the other hand, Orlando went for a single meat (very strange for him!) but with Jalapeno bun.

I think the soda selection was fair even though they were missing my favorite Diet Dr Pepper. The place was clean with a definitive Austin decor around the walls. By the time we were eating our food, the place was full with a lot of families and children. The fact that Amy's is right there with a playground makes this a perfect place for kids.

One of the main point that we'll review on all our outings is the availability of good ice cream which we refer as "neutralizer". After all, any good food can be properly settle with a good scoop of ice cream. In this case, we can safely say that Phil's Icehouse has perhaps the best neutralizer available by having Amy's Ice Cream right there.

Also, we have to give special recognition to the fact that the access to the place and getting out of it, it is very convenient. There is a traffic light right on the corner which allows to take Burnet without hassle to return back to work.

In summary, the food for a weekday lunch coming from the office and having a limited time was excellent. Cost was above my cheap budget of $6 but below Jim's budget of $12. Special mention to the fresh bun and sweet potatoes fries. The availability of neutralizer was superb. The Austinite ambiance was also excellent. 
 

Link to Phil's Ice House Web Site