Black Sheep Lodge-January 24, 2011

I like Black Sheep Lodge. Good Food and drink specials. I wish there were more parking, though. 

I've had the Black Buffalo Burger before, and I have to say that it's pretty good. This trip, however, I decided to go with the standard Black Sheep Burger with cheddar, bacon and jalapeño...for $1 extra...EACH! That's not cool. I think they should have a cheeseburger and/or bacon cheeseburger option that isn't so expensive. That's just ridiculous. 

Anyway, the first couple of bites were a little disappointing. I don't know...just not enough flavor. When I got more to the "meat" of the burger, it got better. Maybe the patty wasn't seasoned evenly? Anyway, pretty good burger overall. Still don't think it's top 50 in Texas, though.  

Cherrywood Coffeehouse-Dec. 9, 2010

I drive by Cherrywood Coffeehouse often, but just kept forgetting to go there for a burger. It had, after all, won a Critic's Pick "Best Affordable Delectable Burger" in The Austin Chronicle's Best of Austin 2010. (tinyurl.com/279ffdp) Well, I finally made it.

My friend Dieter and I headed out there on a Thursday night. The place was actually pretty busy.






I think we both ordered the House Cheeseburger (Two 3.5 ounce fresh, never frozen, all beef patties) with fries. I added Jalapeños and Bacon, of course. I have to say, this was a PRETTY good burger. The bun was soft, the burger was seasoned pretty well. I think it was only salt and pepper, but that was enough. The jalapeños were different than most burger places. Instead of sliced in rings, they were chopped up...and tasteeee. The fries were pretty good, as well. I have nothing bad to say about this burger or this place. I've also eaten breakfast at Cherrywood Coffeehouse and highly recommend this place to everyone. Go there now.

www.cherrywoodcoffeehouse.com

Hopdoddy Burger Bar-November 18, 2010

I'd read a few good things about Hopdoddy, so I met a few buddies down on South Congress to give it a try. First off, it can be a little confusing when you get in there.  We got there a little early and grabbed a table waiting for a fourth. Ordered a couple of drinks for the wait and a couple of the guys left to order at the burger bar in the back of the restaurant. Once back, we went up to order. This is where it can get confusing. While in line, someone asked how many were in our party. We told him we already had a table and he looked a little confused...or maybe miffed. Apparently they can save a table for you while you order. Pretty sweet. Oh, yeah, you can also order your drinks when you order your food.

Anyway, on to the food...I ordered the Classic with Cheddar/Bacon/Jalapeño. Wow, pretty big burger, cheese was nice and melted and the jalapeños were fresh, not the pickled variety. We split some Chili Cheese Fries. NOT your normal Chili Cheese Fries. The fries were pretty amazing alone. They came with a bowl of Chili Cheese "sauce". We weren't sure whether to dip the fries in the sauce or pour it over them. We chose to pour.  Again, weird, but not bad. I'll definitely return to try one of their other burgers.

Black Star CoOp-October 27, 2010

So I've been going to Black Star Co-Op on Wednesdays with some buddies from work. They haven't starting serving their homebrew yet, but their local area beer selection is pretty good. I finally had the opportunity to try their Burger. Not bad, but not great.

Black Star Burger:
Beef, ground fresh in house, lettuce, tomato, sharp cheddar, beer mustard.

I think their burger needs a little seasoning. Although the burger was juicy, it lacked flavor. I even added bacon & jalapeño. The "sharp cheddar" didn't seem very sharp at all.  Since they are still in their "soft opening" phase, I'll give them another chance.

http://www.blackstar.coop

Chris Madrid's in San Antonio-Unofficial visit-December 2009

This was an unofficial road trip by a few of us to check out what MANY consider to be one of the best burgers around. Hell, they call it a "Mecca for burger lovers". My sister, a few cousins and other SA friends showed up, too.

Now, the burger. I wish they would serve these with CHEESE! :-D

I ordered the Macho Porky's Delight-

(Mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, several bacon slices, and mounds of cheddar cheese). Added jalapeños, cut the pickles and tomatoes.

Needless to say, I'd love to go back there again. It's not the BEST burger I've had, but DAMN! LOOK AT THE CHEESE!!!

chrismadrids.com

Billy's on Burnet-multiple visits in September

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite places for lunch. I've had 2 different burgers there on several occasions. The "Ends" Burger and
The "Cobra" Burger.

This is The Cobra Burger. It's not "on the menu", but on a "life preserver chalkboard" to the right of the bar near the water and tea. If you don't pay attention, you might miss it.

I ordered the 1/3 lb. version. It comes with cheddar, bacon and grilled jalapeños. Pretty much the standard order when trying new places...well, except for the "grilled" part.

Anyway, this burger is AWESOME! Juicy, cheddary, spicy. The bread is soft and tasty. Fries have a little seasoning on them that is tasty as well. You can sub a few other items, but I haven't done that yet.

The other burger I've had (and will again) is The "Ends" Burger. Their description:  "Named for our favorite Austin punk rock band, this one’s served with fire sauce, bleu cheese, and attitude."  It actually may be better than The Cobra. I'm just sayin'. This burger comes pretty close to Casino El Camino's Buffalo Burger. A little smaller and not quite as HOT!!!!  Don't get me wrong, it's HOT, just not AS hot. I really can't wait to go there again. My arteries may have something to say about that.

www.billysonburnet.com

Pour House Pub on Burnet-August 25, 2010

Wow! Pretty tasty burger.

Pour House Burger- 1/2 lb. Angus ground chuck, with all the fixins'. Of course I added cheddar, bacon & jalapeños.

They LOADED the burger with jalapeños. They were hot, but not too hot.

The FRIES, on the other hand, were HOT!!!! Just out of the fryer.

2 of the 3 burgers we ordered came out first and I had to wait. The waitress apologized and said the kitchen was pretty small. Also, I ordered regular waffle fries, but got seasoned waffle fries instead. Though they were tasty, I would have preferred just plain waffle fries.

I've been back and it's still good.

Jackalope on 6th-July 28, 2010

FINALLY made it to Jackalope. I've been wanting to go there for years since I've heard good things.

Wednesday night is 2-1 Burgers, so I decided to have 2. I shared, so don't worry.

1. Chipotle Bacon Cheeseburger-Smoked Peppers

, chopped bacon, cheddar cheese, smoked pepper mayo.

2. Black & Blue Cheeseburger-Blackened burger, blue cheese, blue cheese dressing, lettuce, tomato, pickle, red onion. I forgot to add the buffalo sauce(on request).

They were both good, the B&B was a little "rarer" than I would have liked and the blue cheese dressing was a little weird. They should have just added more BLUE CHEESE.

The Chipotle burger was much better. Cooked perfectly and the smokiness of the chipotle peppers was a nice change.

The fries came out a little cold. I would also suggest ordering at the bar and not by the pizza ovens where the "Order Here" sign is. A LOT quicker.

Here's more of the gang.   

Abel's on the Lake-June 23, 2010

This was a last minute deal, so only Kara, Andrew & I showed. Decent burger, but the waiter should know a little more about the menu.

I ordered the SAN JACINTO BURGER. According to the menu: "1/2 lb. fresh ground beef patty on one of our signature buns with jack cheddar cheese and topped with bacon, jack cheddar cheese and pickled jalapeños."

I guess they're really proud of their jack cheddar cheese since they mention it TWICE!

Well, they forgot the bacon on mine. I told the waiter I believed it should have bacon and he said something like...I'm pretty sure it doesn't, but I'll check. He came back with a plate of bacon and said, "You were right." Hmmm. Whaddya know?

April-Hut's Hamburgers

Now I know why I didn't remember this before...because it's Hut's. I still can't figure out why they win The Chronicle's Best Burger. They just aren't. I've been there several times and have never had a burger that I thought was anything but average at best. The only reason I go there is because OTHERS want to go. I try to avoid Hut's as much as possible.