Top Notch Hamburgers
| Address: | 7525 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX 78757, USA |
| Phone: | +1 512-452-2181 |
| Site: | topnotchaustin.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
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Xavier Moreno, AAS
I had a craving for a delicious burger after watching Man VS Food! I remembered eating at a place with super delicious burgers. I just couldnt remember the name of the place. I thought I spotted the place as I saw the sign "Top Notch Burgers". I thought to myself, even if I have the wrong place, it must be good, judging by the sign. Entering the restaurant I noticed a strange smell. Its not a bad smell per-say; just kind of a strange smell. The service is ok. Not bad at all. Our order was done in a timely manner. No problem there. I looked over the food and noticed the side of fries was kinnda small. I had ordered a large order of fries. Apparently, the small tray of fries was the large size. Yikes! Thats no good. Portions were small. The Burger I ordered, the Longhorn, was yet another disappointment. When I first looked at the small burger, I thought I saw only one patty, when the menu clearly said it was two patties. Upon closer inspection, I did find the second patty. Sadly they were so thin, that I swear I was staring at only one patty. I do admit, the smokey-grilled smell of the burger was delicious and almost made me happy. It was but a mere tease as the the burger lacked flavor. Im sad to say that the only part I did enjoy, was the delicious tomato slice. Tomato was pretty good. When I go to a burger joint, I expect one of two things; either they have a very large burger, or they have damn delicious burger. Now if it has both together, damn! I will set up camp there! This place had none. Thats why I stick to Whataburger. The taste is good and the portion is as large as you order it! Good combination there, and cant go wrong.
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Kelly Donaldson
If you are missing the good old days of Holiday House, head for Top Notch. Their hickory BBQ sauce is very similar to Holiday Houses Flame sauce and I would swear that they season their hamburger meat the same. I had read somewhere else that Top Notch had burgers that would definitely remind you of Holiday House and I was skeptical, to say the least. That, combined with us living in the 45 meant it was a long time before we were up on Burnet. My husband is a sucker for good fried chicken and rumor had it that Top Notch made excellent fried chicken, so I talked him into eating there (he is understandably picky about where he eats thanks to a lifetime of Crohns Disease). We were both in luck! I could have cried because the burger I got (single patty, hickory sauce, cheese and chopped onions) was so good! It might not have been exactly the same as Holiday House, but the taste was what I remembered. The fried chicken was fantastic - and bonus - it didnt cause my husband any unusual problems! There are a few Austin restaurants that can take me back to when I was a kid with just one bite. Top Notch is now one of them, even though we didnt go there when I was a kid.
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Andy Bui
Top Notch does exactly what it says on the tin: hamburgers. And theyre pretty good! The burgers are charcoal grilled, as advertised, and come with a variety of configurations and sides. The nostalgic atmosphere harkening back to the 50s is also quaint and charming, lending itself to its local mythology as one of Austins original businesses. Alongside its burgers, Top Notch also offers fried chicken, which is also prepared in the kitchen, and a series of dinner meals that are essentially combo plates. Some favorite names include the 1971 Weight Watcher Special (featuring 2 broiled beef patties) and a Fried Fish Dinner. I recommend the cheeseburger with a side of sweet potato fries and onion rings, maybe fried okra if you feel like it. The only reason I dont give 5 stars is that its a little pricey for what you get; the size of the burger is roughly the same as a Short Stop burger. I would say that the premium you pay is for the atmosphere and the idea of supporting a local, beloved business.
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Sean Loyless
Most people would go straight for the hamburgers, but I would recommend skipping it and going for the fried chicken instead. I have never had better fried chicken anywhere in my life! Crispy, flavorful skin, juicy meat, and not over spiced. This is what KFC used to be in the 80s. This is what Popeyes used to be before they were bought out by Churchs and went to hell. This is what every other fried chicken place strives to be and fails miserably. I actually got the hamburger which was decent, but I was extremely jealous of the 3-piece fried chicken meal my fiancee got. I talked her into sharing a drumstick, and then spent the entire time eating my hamburger in remorse of my poor ordering decision. Next time we go back Im getting a 12 piece and snacking on it for days. Oh yeah, and if you havent already figured out this place was prominently featured in Richard Linklaters film, Dazed and Confused. Theres a reason the place is still here among the bazillion other burger joints in Austin.
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Khalil Rico
I tried going to this spot about 7 or 8 years ago when I worked in the area. They didnt take cards as a form of payment. Fast forward to 2017 and I finally got a chance to try it out. I was highly disappointed after hearing for years how great this place was. The guy working the register was almost robotic but friendly (every customer got the same routine from him). Food came out fairly quickly. I ordered the number 4 and it seemed pretty small for a 7 buck burger. The fries were stale, hard and cold, plus no attempt to season them. The burger wasnt very flavorful despite the "special sauce" but I ate it since I skipped lunch. I sent the fries back when I was in the way out and was offered an apple pie which I declined (only reason I rated 2 stars). This was by far the worst burger experience in Austin Ive ever had. I have no clue how Top Notch has such a good reputation. Id never give it a 2nd chance and regret not driving a few extra miles to go to Wallys.
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Leila Rahil
After hearing from several trusted hamburger loving friends that this place was on point and an ATX staple, I decided to try it out one Saturday afternoon when passing it on Burnet. To my dismay, I found this place to be a glorified Sonic. I literally just ordered a cheeseburger and tots, and that somehow came out to almost $9??! And we are talking from a joint that has carhop service... I appreciate the kitsch and nostalgia this place is peddling, but the burger was "meh" at best and the tots (which are one of my favorite things in life, when done well) were very underwhelming. It also took almost 10mins for me to get my food. Needless to say, I am adding this one to the ever-growing list of overhyped and overpriced places in Austin to avoid. Im not sure where the cult following here developed, but I will gladly take Sonics tots and a better burger both in taste and price from PTerrys or In N Out any day of the week!
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Kurt Kaiser
Absolute perfection. Greasy heavy fattening food that doesnt pretend to be anything else. And it shouldnt. My boyfriend, vegetarian, loves their veggie burgers. I believe they fry them, darn good. Top Notch does American food right. Usually, I order their fried chicken dinner with onion rings and tater tots, get their onion rings, youre welcome. Honestly, I could eat that meal several times a day for the rest of my life -- which wouldnt be long. But, it would almost be worth the morbid obesity and eventual heart failure. Although, since they now serve beer, my liver might fail before my heart got the chance. It would be a fun race to the finish. My friend told me the dining room decor hasnt changed a bit since her first visit fifteen years ago. It is a bit thrift store and a lot Texas. The staff was friendly and the food came out fast. Ill be going again... and again... and again.
