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A huge burger on a plate.
A decadent burger from Odd Duck.
Odd Duck

20 Iconic Burgers in Austin

Charcoal-grilled classics, new-wave sensations, plenty of cheeseburgers, and everything in between

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A decadent burger from Odd Duck.
| Odd Duck

Austin's burgers might not ever be as closely associated with the city as tacos or barbecue, but there are still plenty of options both old and new to celebrate, available in the city right now.

With that in mind, here is Eater’s guide to the city’s essential burgers. There are beloved upscale cheeseburgers from Salt & Time, the cheesy meaty dry-aged wagyu cheeseburgers from Dai Due, fast-casual takes from P. Terry’s and Dan’s Hamburgers, brisket-based ones from LeRoy & Lewis, vegetarian options, and much more.

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Top Notch

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A trip to Top Notch, opened by Ray and Frances Stanish in 1971, is a trip back in time when burgers were still charcoal-grilled. It might look familiar as the joint from Dazed And Confused. Orders can be placed online for pickups, in-person, or over the phone for to-go orders through its carhop; there are indoor dine-in services.

Buddy's Burger

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The North Austin fast-casual drive-thru spot serves up excellent smash burgers based on recipes from co-owners twins Zain Fidai and Isha Fidai, and cousin Saad Fidai. The result is Angus beef patties layered with lettuce, tomatoes, and a house sauce on a potato bun. There are also spicy and cheese variations. Takeout orders can be placed through the drive-thru or online. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

Two cheeseburgers in a stack next to a plastic glass of orange liquid.
Burgers from Buddy’s Burger.
Buddy’s Burger

Dan's Hamburgers

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The burgers at the 50-year-old local chain Dan's are quick and solid and are paired with great curly fries. To-go orders can be placed through the drive-thrus, over the phone, or in person. The locations have indoor dine-in services.

JewBoy Burgers

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For his Allandale Jewish-Tex-Mex food truck-turned-restaurant, owner Mo Pittle draws on his El Paso upbringing for the unkosher menu, resulting in beef patties (onions are grilled onto the patties), plus additions such as hatch green chiles, grilled pastrami, and, yes, latkes. To-go orders can be placed in person or online; the restaurant offers indoor and outdoor dine-in service.

Hopfields

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For a burger slathered in camembert cheese and mustard, look no further than the French gastropub’s lunch and dinner Pascal burger. There’s also a solid veggie burger made with a black bean patty. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services available.

Crown & Anchor Pub

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The cheeseburger at Crown & Anchor is a reader favorite, and who can disagree? There is real greatness in burger simplicity. Takeout orders can be placed in person. There are indoor and patio dine-in areas.

Posse East

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Another very simple yet great burger, the campus-area bar’s cheeseburger is perfection, especially paired with a beer. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Dai Due

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Previously only available on Tuesdays, Dai Due’s cheeseburger is thankfully now available daily. It comes with two dry-aged wagyu patties topped with cheese, pickles, and tangy sauce. There are indoor and patio dine-in services.

A double-cheeseburger with melty yellow cheese and pickle slices.
Dai Due’s wagyu cheeseburger.
Dai Due

Pool Burger

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The West Austin burger spot offers a variety of burgers, including the juicy Blue Hawaiian which comes with a thick griddled pineapple slice. Pickup orders can be placed online. there are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

A burger in a paper wrap and fries in a tray on a blue picnic table.
Double burger from Pool Burger.
Chad Wadsworth

Better Half Coffee & Cocktails

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Better Half’s cheeseburger is a solid, simple one: a high-quality beef patty layered with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, Dijonnaise, and, yes, cheese. There are chicken and veggie versions too. It’s available for pickups placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services. Find more burgers at next-door sibling spot Hold Out Brewing, with smashed patty iterations.

Delray Cafe

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The Detroit-style food trailer parked at favorite bar Nickel City is slinging those classic sliders (don’t let the name mislead you: the sliders aren’t small) are available, plus a double-patty version, and for those who want more, a three-pack order. Pickup orders can be online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Casino El Camino

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Huge messy burgers in an unfussy space? That’s where the downtown bar comes into play. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

Salt & Time

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Salt & Time's Butcher's Burger is an essential: a massive hunk of house-ground beef sourced from leftover steak trimmings of the day, plus beef-fat fries. Add the house-made bacon for maximum meat. Pickup orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

P. Terry's

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No discussion of Austin burgers is complete without touching on this beloved home-grown chain. With numerous locations around town and in Texas, Austinites have easy access to an affordable and quality fast-food burger. Takeout orders are available through all drive-thrus and respective online stores. All locations feature indoor and outdoor dining areas.

Sandy's Hamburgers

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Sandy's is a Barton Springs Road icon, serving no-frills burgers and great frozen custard made with a hearty helping of nostalgia. Orders can be placed in-person for to-go orders, and it only accepts cash.

Odd Duck

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The New Texan restaurant’s stellar dry-aged wagyu burger often changes its accompaniments, which are currently blue beer cheese, pork birria jam, and cabbage slaw. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Jacoby's Restaurant & Mercantile

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Jacoby’s sources its meats straight from the family ranch in Melvin, so the burger is very fresh. It comes with a half-pound of beef, topped with cheese and optional bacon, avocado, mushrooms, or a fried egg. To-go orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Frazier's Long & Low

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The Riverside bar offers a good bar burger south of the river. The Little (OG) burger comes with a smashed grilled beef patty plus the works. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Leroy & Lewis

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Barbecue burgers, please. The new-school truck makes use of smoked brisket in its patty, topped with melty sliced cheese, grilled onions, pickles, and sauce all on a toasted potato bun. It was also featured recently on the Austin episode of Somebody Feed Phil. To-go orders can be placed in person. Host site Cosmic features indoor and outdoor seating.

The Little Darlin'

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The perfect outdoor bar in far south Austin also serves up a perfect cheeseburger, especially with its red-eye mayonnaise. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Top Notch

A trip to Top Notch, opened by Ray and Frances Stanish in 1971, is a trip back in time when burgers were still charcoal-grilled. It might look familiar as the joint from Dazed And Confused. Orders can be placed online for pickups, in-person, or over the phone for to-go orders through its carhop; there are indoor dine-in services.

Buddy's Burger

The North Austin fast-casual drive-thru spot serves up excellent smash burgers based on recipes from co-owners twins Zain Fidai and Isha Fidai, and cousin Saad Fidai. The result is Angus beef patties layered with lettuce, tomatoes, and a house sauce on a potato bun. There are also spicy and cheese variations. Takeout orders can be placed through the drive-thru or online. There are indoor and outdoor dining areas.

Two cheeseburgers in a stack next to a plastic glass of orange liquid.
Burgers from Buddy’s Burger.
Buddy’s Burger

Dan's Hamburgers

The burgers at the 50-year-old local chain Dan's are quick and solid and are paired with great curly fries. To-go orders can be placed through the drive-thrus, over the phone, or in person. The locations have indoor dine-in services.

JewBoy Burgers

For his Allandale Jewish-Tex-Mex food truck-turned-restaurant, owner Mo Pittle draws on his El Paso upbringing for the unkosher menu, resulting in beef patties (onions are grilled onto the patties), plus additions such as hatch green chiles, grilled pastrami, and, yes, latkes. To-go orders can be placed in person or online; the restaurant offers indoor and outdoor dine-in service.

Hopfields

For a burger slathered in camembert cheese and mustard, look no further than the French gastropub’s lunch and dinner Pascal burger. There’s also a solid veggie burger made with a black bean patty. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services available.

Crown & Anchor Pub

The cheeseburger at Crown & Anchor is a reader favorite, and who can disagree? There is real greatness in burger simplicity. Takeout orders can be placed in person. There are indoor and patio dine-in areas.

Posse East

Another very simple yet great burger, the campus-area bar’s cheeseburger is perfection, especially paired with a beer. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Dai Due

Previously only available on Tuesdays, Dai Due’s cheeseburger is thankfully now available daily. It comes with two dry-aged wagyu patties topped with cheese, pickles, and tangy sauce. There are indoor and patio dine-in services.

A double-cheeseburger with melty yellow cheese and pickle slices.
Dai Due’s wagyu cheeseburger.
Dai Due

Pool Burger

The West Austin burger spot offers a variety of burgers, including the juicy Blue Hawaiian which comes with a thick griddled pineapple slice. Pickup orders can be placed online. there are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

A burger in a paper wrap and fries in a tray on a blue picnic table.
Double burger from Pool Burger.
Chad Wadsworth

Better Half Coffee & Cocktails

Better Half’s cheeseburger is a solid, simple one: a high-quality beef patty layered with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, Dijonnaise, and, yes, cheese. There are chicken and veggie versions too. It’s available for pickups placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services. Find more burgers at next-door sibling spot Hold Out Brewing, with smashed patty iterations.

Delray Cafe

The Detroit-style food trailer parked at favorite bar Nickel City is slinging those classic sliders (don’t let the name mislead you: the sliders aren’t small) are available, plus a double-patty version, and for those who want more, a three-pack order. Pickup orders can be online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Casino El Camino

Huge messy burgers in an unfussy space? That’s where the downtown bar comes into play. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

Salt & Time

Salt & Time's Butcher's Burger is an essential: a massive hunk of house-ground beef sourced from leftover steak trimmings of the day, plus beef-fat fries. Add the house-made bacon for maximum meat. Pickup orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

P. Terry's

No discussion of Austin burgers is complete without touching on this beloved home-grown chain. With numerous locations around town and in Texas, Austinites have easy access to an affordable and quality fast-food burger. Takeout orders are available through all drive-thrus and respective online stores. All locations feature indoor and outdoor dining areas.

Sandy's Hamburgers

Sandy's is a Barton Springs Road icon, serving no-frills burgers and great frozen custard made with a hearty helping of nostalgia. Orders can be placed in-person for to-go orders, and it only accepts cash.

Related Maps

Odd Duck

The New Texan restaurant’s stellar dry-aged wagyu burger often changes its accompaniments, which are currently blue beer cheese, pork birria jam, and cabbage slaw. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Jacoby's Restaurant & Mercantile

Jacoby’s sources its meats straight from the family ranch in Melvin, so the burger is very fresh. It comes with a half-pound of beef, topped with cheese and optional bacon, avocado, mushrooms, or a fried egg. To-go orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Frazier's Long & Low

The Riverside bar offers a good bar burger south of the river. The Little (OG) burger comes with a smashed grilled beef patty plus the works. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Leroy & Lewis

Barbecue burgers, please. The new-school truck makes use of smoked brisket in its patty, topped with melty sliced cheese, grilled onions, pickles, and sauce all on a toasted potato bun. It was also featured recently on the Austin episode of Somebody Feed Phil. To-go orders can be placed in person. Host site Cosmic features indoor and outdoor seating.

The Little Darlin'

The perfect outdoor bar in far south Austin also serves up a perfect cheeseburger, especially with its red-eye mayonnaise. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Related Maps