taste capitol of texas
Oh austin- you never fail me.
So yes, this is long overdue but I can’t skip it- so here goes…
T and I decided to go to Austin for new year’s this year (collective gasp at how behind this is). The friends we went to stay with decided rather than fight the crowds and do a big to do for dinner, we’d stop in a little joint they’d been wanting to try. The story goes that usually the lines were out the door, but since it was a night that is usually dominated by reservations at fine dining establishments we expected we’d be able to get right in.
They were right.
The place is on south congress, which in recent years has grown on me. I’ll pretend it has nothing to do with the fact that I enjoy just kicking back now instead of putting on my party shoes, but I would just be pretending. The space is pretty Spartan, open air, concrete floors, wood and metals abound. You open the door and the smell of their buns hit you like a freight train. Warm, delish, fresh baked breads. You just can’t beat that smell. Or rather you can’t until the next culinary delight. You order from the counter where they assign you a number, you go to a table that has been assigned to you and a waitress appears who takes care of you the rest of the way. The bar is fully stocked – I had a backyard martini with cucumber vodka, it was so crisp and refreshing I want one now that it’s getting warm outside more than you can imagine.
The burger ordering experience was itself a challenge, the toppings all seem really high quality- feta, roasted red peppers, etc. It was hard to not say ‘just everything please’. T and I went back and forth on some options and the burger that won, in a game time decision was actually the turkey burger AKA. The ‘Continental Club’. (ASIDE: For those that are true burger hounds, this may not actually cross the line into true ‘burger’ territory and thus might not should be on my list. No matter, A. it IS Austin, so I find a turkey burger to be indicative of the location and B. even if I would agree with you normally, please reserve judgment until after the burger has been consumed.)
My tablemates burgers arrived fairly quickly- their lamb burgers and beef burgers being cooked to remain slightly pink inside. The table fell quiet as everyone got down to the business of eating. Finally mine arrived.
First the bun- I have to say it’s the equivalent of an ‘everything’ bagel. A big fluffy wheat bun, with various seeds and nuts baked right in. My favorite was the sunflower seeds, they added just the right punch. Then on to the true guts of this thing: The turkey patty was thick and juicy, don’t ask me how they managed this as turkey tends to dry out as it cooks but this one was perfect. It was cooked completely through but it seemed to have lost none of its flavorful juices. The meat was seasoned in such a way to let the taste of the turkey shine through but still provide enough kick to keep it from being bland. The fresh veggies (tomato and Arugula) added a brightness while the provolone and Apple smoked bacon provided a richness that might otherwise have been lacking. The final touch, a basil pesto dressing was the perfect accompaniment to this blend of flavors.
Their fries were another discovery, the outsides almost perfectly crunchy with a tender middle- I almost hated to try some of their specialty ketchups. I say almost, because I did try them but I’ll admit most of these fries went sans sauce.
I’ve gotta admit, I hate that up to this point the best burger I’ve had has not only been of turkey but been in Austin! But try as I might to find something bad to say about this place, I just couldn’t. Well, ok, maybe the parking should be easier – and I can’t imagine how hard it is to get in on a normal night, there’s not an excessive amount of seating so I can easily see long waits. But if at the end of all that hassle is something this good and it’s consistently this good (I will definitely be back to find out) then perhaps it’s all worth it.
Stars: 4.999999
Hopdaddys
1400 South Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 243-7505
So yes, this is long overdue but I can’t skip it- so here goes…
T and I decided to go to Austin for new year’s this year (collective gasp at how behind this is). The friends we went to stay with decided rather than fight the crowds and do a big to do for dinner, we’d stop in a little joint they’d been wanting to try. The story goes that usually the lines were out the door, but since it was a night that is usually dominated by reservations at fine dining establishments we expected we’d be able to get right in.
They were right.
The place is on south congress, which in recent years has grown on me. I’ll pretend it has nothing to do with the fact that I enjoy just kicking back now instead of putting on my party shoes, but I would just be pretending. The space is pretty Spartan, open air, concrete floors, wood and metals abound. You open the door and the smell of their buns hit you like a freight train. Warm, delish, fresh baked breads. You just can’t beat that smell. Or rather you can’t until the next culinary delight. You order from the counter where they assign you a number, you go to a table that has been assigned to you and a waitress appears who takes care of you the rest of the way. The bar is fully stocked – I had a backyard martini with cucumber vodka, it was so crisp and refreshing I want one now that it’s getting warm outside more than you can imagine.
The burger ordering experience was itself a challenge, the toppings all seem really high quality- feta, roasted red peppers, etc. It was hard to not say ‘just everything please’. T and I went back and forth on some options and the burger that won, in a game time decision was actually the turkey burger AKA. The ‘Continental Club’. (ASIDE: For those that are true burger hounds, this may not actually cross the line into true ‘burger’ territory and thus might not should be on my list. No matter, A. it IS Austin, so I find a turkey burger to be indicative of the location and B. even if I would agree with you normally, please reserve judgment until after the burger has been consumed.)My tablemates burgers arrived fairly quickly- their lamb burgers and beef burgers being cooked to remain slightly pink inside. The table fell quiet as everyone got down to the business of eating. Finally mine arrived.
First the bun- I have to say it’s the equivalent of an ‘everything’ bagel. A big fluffy wheat bun, with various seeds and nuts baked right in. My favorite was the sunflower seeds, they added just the right punch. Then on to the true guts of this thing: The turkey patty was thick and juicy, don’t ask me how they managed this as turkey tends to dry out as it cooks but this one was perfect. It was cooked completely through but it seemed to have lost none of its flavorful juices. The meat was seasoned in such a way to let the taste of the turkey shine through but still provide enough kick to keep it from being bland. The fresh veggies (tomato and Arugula) added a brightness while the provolone and Apple smoked bacon provided a richness that might otherwise have been lacking. The final touch, a basil pesto dressing was the perfect accompaniment to this blend of flavors.
Their fries were another discovery, the outsides almost perfectly crunchy with a tender middle- I almost hated to try some of their specialty ketchups. I say almost, because I did try them but I’ll admit most of these fries went sans sauce.
I’ve gotta admit, I hate that up to this point the best burger I’ve had has not only been of turkey but been in Austin! But try as I might to find something bad to say about this place, I just couldn’t. Well, ok, maybe the parking should be easier – and I can’t imagine how hard it is to get in on a normal night, there’s not an excessive amount of seating so I can easily see long waits. But if at the end of all that hassle is something this good and it’s consistently this good (I will definitely be back to find out) then perhaps it’s all worth it.
Stars: 4.999999
Hopdaddys
1400 South Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 243-7505
