The Best Burgers In Austin

There are a handful of spots in Austin making smoked burgers, but our favorite comes from LeRoy and Lewis. Maybe it’s the brisket patty that’s thick and peppery with a juicy interior. Maybe it’s the springy potato roll, or the chopped grilled onions that add a little sweetness to each bite. And if you feel intimidated by the line at this popular barbecue joint, don't be—you can skip the line if you're just getting burgers and sandwiches.

There’s nothing fancy about the burgers at Crown & Anchor, but something about these perfectly seasoned patties and toasted white buns put them among our favorites in town. They come in most of the classic variations—bacon, jalapeño, and mushroom swiss—with a pile of fries that always arrive perfectly crispy. Our go-to here is usually the mushroom swiss, but there’s no bad move. They also put a different brewery (or region) from their tap list on sale, knocking the price down to less than $5 a pint so you can grab a cheap beer to complete the meal.

The burger at Frazier’s is basically a McDonald’s cheeseburger that went to culinary school. Think smashed patties and steamed potato buns, plus all the usual fixings. It’s small enough that you can probably put down a couple, though we’d advise you save some room for a side of frizzle fries—basically the lovechild of a curly fry and a potato wedge. And at around $5 a burger, it’s hard not to find yourself wishing you were at Frazier’s instead of the drive-thru. 

Patty Palace makes our favorite smashburger in town. It also wins the award for “Thinnest Patty That Might Get Mistaken For An Ancient Piece Of Papyrus.” These patties are almost paper-thin with a dark crust that looks like it’s bordering on burnt but without the accompanying bitterness. It’s well-seasoned, the bun is toasted nicely, and there’s just enough special sauce to prevent those thin patties from feeling too dry.

All of the burgers here share the same basic format—a massive ¾-pound patty with toppings inspired by various cities across the country. So whether you find yourself taking down a Buffalo burger covered in spicy wing sauce and blue cheese, or a Pitts burger that’s topped with Guinness and sherry sautéed mushrooms, the thing to remember is that the beef is the main attraction. The patty is incredibly thick, with a char-grilled crust and a pink center—basically the arch-nemesis of the smashburger.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan of putting greens or you don’t know the difference between a 9-iron and a tennis racket, Gimme Burger is all the reason you need to head to Butler Pitch & Putt off of Riverside Drive. Located in the food/drink/hangout area, the food truck’s menu is simple—burgers, hot dogs, french fries, and fried okra. The burger here is massive, with a juicy double wagyu patty that’s been smashed hard for edge-to-edge crispiness, a couple slices of american cheese, and lots of mustard. The heaping pile of fried okra you can get on the side makes for an excellent accompaniment.

The menu at Dirty Martin’s is simple—burgers, patty melts, onion rings, and milkshakes. Sometimes, simple is better. This is one of those times. Keep it classic with a Kumbak Burger (the original option here, with or without cheese), or go with our personal favorite, the D.H. special—basically a double patty melt on Texas toast. Whatever you do, save some room for a milkshake at the end for the full experience. 

Bar Toti’s smashburguesa is served as a double and topped with griddled ham, american cheese, chipotle mayo, and escabeche relish. There’s a great balance of textures, as well as a bit of much-needed, punchy acidity from the relish. It’s on the pricey end for a smashburger, but it’s at a tapas bar from the people behind Este (and right next door), so that shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.

The specialty at this New Orleans-style spot Uptown Sports is po’boys, but you should come here for the burger. It’s served about as classic as it gets: double patty, double cheese, mayo, dijon, and a healthy amount of pickles, all on a sesame seed bun. It’s a little greasy, but not in a way that will leave you knocked out for the rest of the afternoon. Well, unless you finish the small mountain of fries it’s served with.

You might know Top Notch as the backdrop to Matthew McConaughey’s quotable “alright, alright, alright” in Dazed and Confused, or you might just know it as the charcoal-broiled burger joint that’s been on Burnet Road since the early ‘70s. Grab a double, add a side of onion rings, and get comfy in the dining room full of old movie memorabilia. The prices may have gone up a bit in the past 50 years, but the burger still feels the same. 

The shoestring fries at Clark’s are incredibly divisive—they’re thin, nearly impossible to eat, and it makes it feel like your burger is resting against a prickly haystack. But there’s very little debate about the quality of the burger itself. It’s incredibly thick—with a pan-roasted crust and a soft, warm center—and comes topped with a delightfully tangy gribiche sauce and gruyere cheese. It’s expensive for the size, but it’s worth ordering at least once in your life. Or just show up during Happy Hour on a weekday and grab one for half price. 

The burgers at Delray Cafe behind Nickel City—technically considered “sliders”—feature mustard, onions, and pickles on a steamed bun with a thin patty. They’re simple, delicious, and just small enough that you can probably down a couple before you even finish your first frosty pint of Coors Banquet. We like the double slider with cheese here, but sometimes we throw all rules out the window and go with the looseburger—a chopped-up burger patty served in a hot dog bun and covered in chili. We’re not sure if that’s technically a burger still, but who really cares?

In a city overrun by smashburgers, this is one of the more interesting options. Lao’d Bar uses pork patties topped with cheese, bacon, rice-fermented pickles, and a jeow bong aioli that gives the burger a nice hint of tanginess. It's not nearly as heavy as those ingredients make it sound, though. Add on an order of the fried chicken wings tossed in caramel fish sauce.

It’s not entirely surprising that a burger from a butcher shop/restaurant is great. But the burger at Dai Due exceeds even the beefiest expectations. It’s a mountainous, show-stopping affair, with two grilled patties made from dry-aged wagyu beef that’s ground with Dai Due’s bacon, dill pickles, and local cheddar cheese, all on a housemade sesame seed bun.

When you want a cartoonishly large burger topped with, say, fried beer cheese or soft-shell crab, Odd Duck is the move. Anytime their menu changes, so do the ingredients on this monstrosity—one of many reasons the South Austin restaurant remains a favorite of ours. Whatever graces the burger will be a rich and surprising volcano of flavor. Plus, the sheer height makes it a great choice for anyone looking to sculpt their jawline. 

Hold Out's burger is made up of pretty simple ingredients—shredded lettuce, French’s mustard, american cheese—but the execution is what sets this apart from whatever burgers your friend is making on the grill in their backyard. Two super-thin patties (because you should be getting the double) manage to defy physics by being juicy and crispy at the same time, and a layer of comeback sauce adds a nice bit of tanginess.

We’ve said some great things about the loaded fries and the fried chicken sandwich at Golden Tiger, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that they put just as much time and effort into their burger. It comes as a double by default—our preferred arrangement for a smashburger—with shredded lettuce, pickles, red onions, american cheese, and a dousing of special sauce over a couple of thin smashed patties. Everything works great together, and you can enjoy it all with an excellent cocktail from the bar at Whisler’s.