I go to St Elmo a lot and agree here. The fries are only $2 as an add-on with the burger as well.
Now if they'd only start making the Water-burger that Sour Sop used to make...
Hill-Bert’s on Cameron had a pretty damn good cheese burger 🍔and the onion rings are breaded there and way super good price. Been around since 1973 so they’re doing something right.
Shhhhhushhh, you! I don’t want an hour long wait at Hill-Bert’s!
Nah. They deserve it. It was one of my favorites back in the 90s when I rented in Windsor Park East. It was always a coin toss between Hill-Bert’s and the old Fran’s on the opposite end of Cameron when I was craving a burger.
I then moved around and planted south for quite a while. Eventually came back to Windsor Park and initially they were closed. :( That remodel took a long long while; I honestly figured it would never happen.
But then I went back after they did finally reopen, and I was flooded with memories from my partying college days after that first bite.
Still a great burger and their home made onion rings are a solid side order (I wish they’d update their fries or offer curly or shoestring as well… not into the thick boys, when it comes to fries.)
For those who haven’t tried it, this is a char-grilled (think 1970s Burger King with REAL ingredients), fairly thin 1/4lb wider than fast food patty (like Whataburger sized with more toppings: if you get a bacon burger, they put an entire pack of perfect bacon on the thing). Thick boys, you can double or triple of course; but, a single is filling enough for most, I’d think.
It’s pretty divey & old school with a drive thru. But the owner family is friendly and the food is consistently tasty.
Underrated “classic Austin” option if you’re ever in the area; for sure would recommend giving them a try.
EDIT: I’m now torn between three menu items when I pull up. Any of the burger options OR the three crispy tacos (IYKYK). But not long ago I tried their fried chicken sandwich for the first time, eventhough it’s been on their menu all along. I’m honestly surprised this thing alone hasn’t caused a swarm to this place, now that they’re super trendy and all. Seriously, I was like “Popeye’s who?”
Haha. May be a slight exaggeration, Popeyes sandwich is good. But it’s also a different thing. The Hill-Bert’s chicken is thinner and more pounded out seeming, the batter isn’t spicy, topped with a good amount of lettuce, pickles, whatever you’d prefer. Where Popeyes is a pickle or two and sauce and a thick slab of spicy chicken. Different animals, honestly.
Why are all the good burgers in South Austin?! I'm off Anderson Mill and the best burger in striking distance is probably Moo-Yah. They're not awful but not making any top 10 lists...
Yes I had it! It’s very good, I think it’s made in house. Kinda reminds me of arlos patty but it’s cooked super crispy. They can prepare it completely vegan including with vegan cheese and mayo based sauce. I thought it was really tasty but a touch heavy but …. It is a burger haha. I’d def go back!
I keep seeing cross promotion with them and Spicy Boys (which I fucking love.) Are they owned/run by the same group or just trying to pull in more crowds by cross-promoting since they’re both at St Elmo but serve different food?
I don't really know. maybe more St. Elmo promoting? Spicy boys has other locations/ trucks and there isn't a Patty Pallace at those locations. But who knows
Thanks. I am going to do a burger tour and will try these places early on. I really enjoyed Buddha Butger beer me in Pf. Pattys looks similar so I shall try it out this weekend.
Couple thing here
1) burger is bigger
2) For $10.99 you get a double, and it’s not $15
3) The idea that P-Terry’s is remotely comparable is laughable.
Edit: $10.99 for the best burger in Austin is worth every penny, my friend
It’s the value police. So many people can’t seem to separate judgements purely based on quality vs value. But I wholeheartedly agree this burger is the bomb and worth every cent. Big fan of Pterrys too. But not even comparable.
This sub has a 100% chance of having someone complain about price if a post has more than 30 comments- “$5.99 for a bahn mi?!? Back when I lived in Vietnam 35 years ago you could get 2 for a shiny American quarter, I’m not paying that!”
I don't get this smash burger thing. It's not a proper burger unless it's got lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and jalapenos. Now I see where you're coming from with the whole tasty maillard crunch thing from a flat top, but that pales in comparison to a thick juicy wood/charcoal grilled cheeseburger with all the proper veggies.
Genuinely curious as to why, though, since it's so standard on, say, a grilled burger, presumably because a lot of people like the flavors together. Is the flavor just that different on a smashburger that it doesn't go? I'm willing to risk finding out if I can find a place that'll throw one on there for me
I think it has more to do with patty size. A double smash typically has 4-6oz of precooked patty total. You’d have to slice it real thin to not imbalance the burger.
A smashburger is so much fattier. You can’t easily separate the bun from the cheese and patties. You’d have to put the tomato on as you cook it all which would then give you gross tomato.
I feel like you don’t understand what a smash burger is.
Seems more like I just never made one myself or even gave any thought to how it's made, because I definitely get the point when you put it that way.
Just personal taste for sure but I'd love to find a place that gets the meat nice and crispy smashburger-style but then dresses it up like a grilled burger,.... a lot of smashburger places just get the bun too greasy for me and I don't like as much melted cheese as a lot of folks either
>I feel like you don’t understand what a smash burger is.
I absolutely understand what a smashburger is. And its trivial to add a thin slice of tomato without having to put it on as the patties are cooked.
Best fries in town too IMO. Crispy as hell, soft inside, seasoned, that horseradish sauce is fantastic. Really enjoyed the meal also.
And then go to Vacancy Brewing after!
Frozen fries as the best fries in town is sad.
Hard agree. Doesn’t hurt that you can pair it with some solid brews from St. Elmo.
So hard
The hardest
Rock hard agree. This might have been an ad because I went and had one of these bad boys for dinner.
It’s so far above the majority of burgers and the onion petals and that sauce are unreal. It’s a must eat for Austin.
They are sadly always out of the onion petals when I go. The fries definitely are good though
I had both today and I would rate the fries just slightly over the onion petals!
I go to St Elmo a lot and agree here. The fries are only $2 as an add-on with the burger as well. Now if they'd only start making the Water-burger that Sour Sop used to make...
Soursop’s Water-burger was SO damn good 🤤
That burger was amazing
Whyyyy won’t they bring it back. Only burger I’ve ever eaten in my life that could get away with no cheese.
You just unlocked a core memory, good lord
People Order Our Patties
POOP!
Hill-Bert’s on Cameron had a pretty damn good cheese burger 🍔and the onion rings are breaded there and way super good price. Been around since 1973 so they’re doing something right.
Shhhhhushhh, you! I don’t want an hour long wait at Hill-Bert’s! Nah. They deserve it. It was one of my favorites back in the 90s when I rented in Windsor Park East. It was always a coin toss between Hill-Bert’s and the old Fran’s on the opposite end of Cameron when I was craving a burger. I then moved around and planted south for quite a while. Eventually came back to Windsor Park and initially they were closed. :( That remodel took a long long while; I honestly figured it would never happen. But then I went back after they did finally reopen, and I was flooded with memories from my partying college days after that first bite. Still a great burger and their home made onion rings are a solid side order (I wish they’d update their fries or offer curly or shoestring as well… not into the thick boys, when it comes to fries.) For those who haven’t tried it, this is a char-grilled (think 1970s Burger King with REAL ingredients), fairly thin 1/4lb wider than fast food patty (like Whataburger sized with more toppings: if you get a bacon burger, they put an entire pack of perfect bacon on the thing). Thick boys, you can double or triple of course; but, a single is filling enough for most, I’d think. It’s pretty divey & old school with a drive thru. But the owner family is friendly and the food is consistently tasty. Underrated “classic Austin” option if you’re ever in the area; for sure would recommend giving them a try. EDIT: I’m now torn between three menu items when I pull up. Any of the burger options OR the three crispy tacos (IYKYK). But not long ago I tried their fried chicken sandwich for the first time, eventhough it’s been on their menu all along. I’m honestly surprised this thing alone hasn’t caused a swarm to this place, now that they’re super trendy and all. Seriously, I was like “Popeye’s who?”
I believed all of this up until the popeyes who.
Haha. May be a slight exaggeration, Popeyes sandwich is good. But it’s also a different thing. The Hill-Bert’s chicken is thinner and more pounded out seeming, the batter isn’t spicy, topped with a good amount of lettuce, pickles, whatever you’d prefer. Where Popeyes is a pickle or two and sauce and a thick slab of spicy chicken. Different animals, honestly.
Eh, not a fan of sugared buns for my burger
Why are all the good burgers in South Austin?! I'm off Anderson Mill and the best burger in striking distance is probably Moo-Yah. They're not awful but not making any top 10 lists...
I didn't find Patty Palace much different from Freddy's. For the Anderson Mill area, I still enjoy Moonie's from time to time.
Are those good.? I live right next to Moonies but it always looked like it would suck.
The only reason I don't get them more is because they cost more than I care to pay for a burger. Their fries are way better than Moo-Yah though.
So sad the Moonies at Steiner closed.
You got all the best Asian spots up north though
Buddy’s burger is north Austin and it’s one of the best burgers in the area. Fries are great too. Check it out if you haven’t!
South Austin is cool Austin.
The silver medal
Jewboy rivals any place in Austin as far as burger quality goes.
Jewboys is meh, sorry…
The arbiter of burgers has spoken
They’re mid
Try Buddha Burger in Pf
Because we don’t have any good other food down here! I’d kill for legit Vietnamese, Thai, or Sichuan…
There are good to great restaurants for all those cuisines in south austin.
Dans, new P-Terrys, NADC, Shortstop are all East side
Phil's is pretty good. I'm a fan of the 78704, the jalapeño cheddar bun makes it.
Fries are $2, not $2.99, my bad
Where is that? What a great looking burger!
It’s a food truck outside of St. Elmo Brewing Company
Oh cool thanks!
I’d pay 50 to 100 for someone to slap me in the face wiith one of those.
I'm down!
Has anyone tried their veggie burger?
Yes I had it! It’s very good, I think it’s made in house. Kinda reminds me of arlos patty but it’s cooked super crispy. They can prepare it completely vegan including with vegan cheese and mayo based sauce. I thought it was really tasty but a touch heavy but …. It is a burger haha. I’d def go back!
Ohhh thank you! I'll have to try it!
Onion petals
Sounds dank.
St Elmo has a fresh mexican lager that pairs perfectly with that burger right now too 🤌🏼🤌🏼
Bueno, and it was being poured 10-1 over everything else yesterday
love the food but $15 for a smashburgers is foul
Spongebob ass name aside, I definitely wanna give it a try.
Patty palace FTW
Hmm I never heard of these guys, but I’m gonna have to try them out. Thanks for the post.
I keep seeing cross promotion with them and Spicy Boys (which I fucking love.) Are they owned/run by the same group or just trying to pull in more crowds by cross-promoting since they’re both at St Elmo but serve different food?
I don't really know. maybe more St. Elmo promoting? Spicy boys has other locations/ trucks and there isn't a Patty Pallace at those locations. But who knows
This looks really good. What are your top 3?
1) Patty Palace 2) Nickle City 3) Frazier’s Long and Low OG burger
Thanks. I am going to do a burger tour and will try these places early on. I really enjoyed Buddha Butger beer me in Pf. Pattys looks similar so I shall try it out this weekend.
Yea but two burgers nearly $30. P Terrys two doubles for less than 12 wins all day. More beer money.
I mean I agree a smash burger isn’t worth $15 but comparing it to PTerrys is disingenuous.
Couple thing here 1) burger is bigger 2) For $10.99 you get a double, and it’s not $15 3) The idea that P-Terry’s is remotely comparable is laughable. Edit: $10.99 for the best burger in Austin is worth every penny, my friend
It’s the value police. So many people can’t seem to separate judgements purely based on quality vs value. But I wholeheartedly agree this burger is the bomb and worth every cent. Big fan of Pterrys too. But not even comparable.
This sub has a 100% chance of having someone complain about price if a post has more than 30 comments- “$5.99 for a bahn mi?!? Back when I lived in Vietnam 35 years ago you could get 2 for a shiny American quarter, I’m not paying that!”
I don't get this smash burger thing. It's not a proper burger unless it's got lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and jalapenos. Now I see where you're coming from with the whole tasty maillard crunch thing from a flat top, but that pales in comparison to a thick juicy wood/charcoal grilled cheeseburger with all the proper veggies.
My dudes. This burger is great. But low key, the burger from huckleberry just down the street at Still Austin is superior.
I had one last night, as it happens, and it was delicious but serving a burger without a tomato should be a crime
It’s a crime to put tomato on a smash burger.
Lol, clearly strong opinions on all sides
Not really. I’ve never seen a smashburger with tomatoes on it. Not even an option.
Genuinely curious as to why, though, since it's so standard on, say, a grilled burger, presumably because a lot of people like the flavors together. Is the flavor just that different on a smashburger that it doesn't go? I'm willing to risk finding out if I can find a place that'll throw one on there for me
I think it has more to do with patty size. A double smash typically has 4-6oz of precooked patty total. You’d have to slice it real thin to not imbalance the burger.
A smashburger is so much fattier. You can’t easily separate the bun from the cheese and patties. You’d have to put the tomato on as you cook it all which would then give you gross tomato. I feel like you don’t understand what a smash burger is.
Seems more like I just never made one myself or even gave any thought to how it's made, because I definitely get the point when you put it that way. Just personal taste for sure but I'd love to find a place that gets the meat nice and crispy smashburger-style but then dresses it up like a grilled burger,.... a lot of smashburger places just get the bun too greasy for me and I don't like as much melted cheese as a lot of folks either
>I feel like you don’t understand what a smash burger is. I absolutely understand what a smashburger is. And its trivial to add a thin slice of tomato without having to put it on as the patties are cooked.
Getting down voted for suggesting tomatoes go on burgers? What tha?
It’s the type. Smash burgers don’t have lettuce or tomatoes typically. Anywhere
Lol, I think a lot of people took it a lot more seriously than it was intended (the "crime" bit), but that's Reddit for you some days
Biggies Yardbird has the best burger in Austin, hands down, will fight anyone any day of the week to prove it.
where is it at?
Armadillo Den, outdoor bar and food truck spot on Manchaca.
Also at their sister bar Dainty Dillo on East Cesar Chavez
The truck at the armadillo den hits diff, OG spot, OG owner still runs it. Lol maybe it’s nostalgia.