Man Bites Dog @ Burnet

It was explained to me that Man Bites Dog started out as a roadside business on wheels and now has two stores in Austin, one at 3005 South Lamar and one on North Burnet. 

The name alone makes you want to try this place out.  Purveyor of the gourmet hot dog, Man Bites Dog attempts to make a dining experience out of a mainstay in most American refrigerators for the past 60 years. 

And they do. 

This is not a regular dog with a mustard bead and a relish splash dressed in a dried out bun that you choked down in cubscout camp.  The meat is good sausage, the buns are bakery made, and the garnishes are blended to perfection for each menu item.  These dogs are all about balance and taste.

Menu items include choices for "Big Dogs", "Slim Dogs", sides, and a kids menu.  The dogs are of interest.  The menu is replete with catchy names and interesting flavor concepts like, "Abe Froman", "Reuben", "Buffalo Hottie", "Banh Mi Dog", "A Dog Named Sue" and - well you get the idea.  Let's look at some pictures.  

Tater tots and Fries are crispy and light.  Among others, the dogs above include the "Abe Froman" and the "Chile Cheese Dog". 

Did I mention they serve beer?  Including some Austin-made beers?  The beer selection is choice and is an unexpected plus, which emphasizes the Austin-spun roots of this business .  Unfortunately, sampling beer at lunch is not a smart maneuver for yours truly, but I see a Friday night stop for gourmet dogs and beer in my future. 

Man Bites Dog appears to have mastered the art of the simple.  The big hot dog with tater tots or Fries and a drink, for a bit under $10.  Have a beer with that Dog?  Sure.  The store at Burnet is clean, friendly, and simply appointed with seating space for about 30 patrons.  We found the service to be fast and friendly.  Take your friends, take your kids, take your significant other, but don't take it too seriously, this place is made for the fun of eating a great hot dog. 

 

Link to Man Bites Dog 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