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A cheeseburger.
A cheeseburger from Buddy’s Burgers.
Buddy’s Burgers

Best Burgers in Austin

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

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A cheeseburger from Buddy’s Burgers.
| Buddy’s Burgers

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 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.

For similar eats, check out the best sandwiches in town.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

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. Takeout 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 dine-in 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 this 51-year-old Austin chain are quick and solid and are paired with great curly fries. Takeout orders can be placed through the drive-thrus, over the phone, or in person; there are indoor dine-in areas.

JewBoy Burgers

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For Mo Pittle’s Allandale Jewish-Tex-Mex food truck-turned-restaurant, the owner 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. Find similar slider iterations at his other offshoots (JewBoy Sliders, JewBoy Cantina). Takeout 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 West Campus 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 the North Campus dive 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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The New Texan Cherrywood restaurant is so good it’s now available daily (as opposed to weekly). It comes with a patty made up of nilgai antelope and aged wagyu topped with asadero cheese, mushrooms, fried and pickled onions, and a black garlic mayonnaise. There are indoor and patio dine-in services.

Bar Toti

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Head to this Blackland bar from next-door sibling Este to get La Smashburgera — with escabeche, white American cheese, griddles ham, and two smash patties plus chipotle mayonnaise. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

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. Takeout 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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The West Austin-ish cafe’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. Find more burgers at next-door sibling spot Hold Out Brewing, with smashed patty iterations. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Delray Cafe

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The Detroit-style food trailer parked at Central East Austin bar Nickel City is slinging classic sliders (don’t let the name mislead you: the sliders aren’t small), plus a double-patty version, and, for those who want more, a three-pack order. Takeout 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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The Blackshear-Prospect Hill New Texan restaurant and butcher shop 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 meatness. Takeout 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 have indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

Odd Duck

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The Zilker neighborhood New Texan restaurant’s stellar dry-aged wagyu burger often changes, but the foundation is always stellar. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Jacoby's Restaurant & Mercantile

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The Govalle Texan restaurant 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. Takeout 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 And Lewis Barbecue

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Barbecue burgers, please. The new-school truck’s L&L Burger 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 on the Austin episode of Somebody Feed Phil. Find it also at the barbecue spot’s full-on restaurant in Garrison Park. Takeout orders can be placed in person; the truck’s host site Cosmic features indoor and outdoor seating; the restaurant has indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

The Little Darlin'

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

Nadia Chaudhury is an editor for Eater Northeast and Eater New York and was the former Eater Austin editor, who often writes about food and pop culture.

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. Takeout 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 dine-in 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 this 51-year-old Austin chain are quick and solid and are paired with great curly fries. Takeout orders can be placed through the drive-thrus, over the phone, or in person; there are indoor dine-in areas.

JewBoy Burgers

For Mo Pittle’s Allandale Jewish-Tex-Mex food truck-turned-restaurant, the owner 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. Find similar slider iterations at his other offshoots (JewBoy Sliders, JewBoy Cantina). Takeout 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 West Campus 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 the North Campus dive 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

The New Texan Cherrywood restaurant is so good it’s now available daily (as opposed to weekly). It comes with a patty made up of nilgai antelope and aged wagyu topped with asadero cheese, mushrooms, fried and pickled onions, and a black garlic mayonnaise. There are indoor and patio dine-in services.

Bar Toti

Head to this Blackland bar from next-door sibling Este to get La Smashburgera — with escabeche, white American cheese, griddles ham, and two smash patties plus chipotle mayonnaise. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

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. Takeout 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

The West Austin-ish cafe’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. Find more burgers at next-door sibling spot Hold Out Brewing, with smashed patty iterations. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Delray Cafe

The Detroit-style food trailer parked at Central East Austin bar Nickel City is slinging classic sliders (don’t let the name mislead you: the sliders aren’t small), plus a double-patty version, and, for those who want more, a three-pack order. Takeout 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

The Blackshear-Prospect Hill New Texan restaurant and butcher shop 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 meatness. Takeout 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 have indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

Related Maps

Odd Duck

The Zilker neighborhood New Texan restaurant’s stellar dry-aged wagyu burger often changes, but the foundation is always stellar. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Jacoby's Restaurant & Mercantile

The Govalle Texan restaurant 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. Takeout 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 And Lewis Barbecue

Barbecue burgers, please. The new-school truck’s L&L Burger 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 on the Austin episode of Somebody Feed Phil. Find it also at the barbecue spot’s full-on restaurant in Garrison Park. Takeout orders can be placed in person; the truck’s host site Cosmic features indoor and outdoor seating; the restaurant has indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

The Little Darlin'

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

Related Maps