6 Best Burgers
The ever-evolving, classic comfort food that East Austin has perfected
Words by Deven Wilson Photo by Ashley Haguewood
Our savory national dish shines on menus all over the Eastside. Ranging from new classics to burgers that dare to question if meat was ever needed between buns to be a good burger in the first place, there’s a patty for every palate to salivate over.
Jacoby’s Restaurant & Mercantile
Perched above the banks of the Colorado River, Jacoby’s Restaurant honors the American tradition of a well-cooked burger while elevating it to a new standard. Whether it’s the farm-to-table excellence from their family-raised beef or the golden fries, making a trip to the glamorously rustic outpost to score $5 off the burger during happy hour feels more like a heist than a happy hour deal.
jacobysaustin.com | 3235 E Cesar Chavez St
Salt + Time
Enter an unassuming minimalist butcher shop and leave through their refined butcher-to-table restaurant. Inside, sitting next to drool-worthy beef fat fries, a 1/2 pound slab of beef on a brioche bun rests as the paleo paragon of this concept of blending fine dining with the neighborhood staple of a butcher shop. Each bite brings time to a halt, as the flavor-packed juicy patty dances with the crispy fries on the tongue.
saltandtime.com | 1912 E 7th St.
Cherrywood Coffeehouse
More of a home than a house, Cherrywood’s legacy as the Eastside’s tried and true cafe comes through in their old-school style burgers and comforting food. Housing a Brady bunch of burgers, choosing between the beloved Wife Burger, Veggie, or The Big Mick is a real pickle. Luckily, that just means there are several reasons to come back for more. And that’s just one of the reasons East Austin found a sense of home at Cherrywood.
cherrywoodcoffeehouse.com | 1400 E 38th 1/2 St.
Hank’s
Anchoring a strip mall inside Windsor Park, there’s nothing suburban about this all-day cafe. This bright beacon of coastal cuisine, soaking in the sun through their oversized windows, serves up knockout burgers. Fatal blows from the sharp cheddar on the cheeseburger and veggies that punches above its weight will take your breath away. Add $5 off all burgers (including veggie burgers) during their everyday happy hour, and it makes for a KO deal.
hanksaustin.com | 5811 Berkman Dr.
Dai Due
How does a chef walk away with this year’s winner of the James Beard Book Award? By turning Dry-Aged Wagyu into a double patty burger with ground-up bacon, Stryk cheddar cheese, and served alongside beef fat fries, that’s how. There is nothing ordinary about this carefully crafted burger combination from this unassuming upscale butcher shop on Manor Road.
daidue.com | 2406 Manor Rd.
Paperboy
Paperboy’s grown up, and they have quite the view. When most burger joints force their patties to never see beyond the light of the drive-thru window, Paperboy’s stunning rooftop offers a chance to take a bite into a savory burger with a bird’s-eye view of the Eastside. Savor each bite of the crisped-to-perfection potato wedges while filling your comfort cravings and also soaking up the impeccable atmosphere.
paperboyaustin.com | 1203 E 11th St.
Nom Burger
Meat lovers beware. This vegan burger bites back. A pandemic baby turned rising foodie star, Nom Burger slings various meatless burgers at the plant-based oasis of Vegan Nom. There’s a breakfast burger, a traditional veggie burger, and two guilt-free, cheesy, smashed patty burgers convincing vegans and omnivores alike, one bite at a time, that plant-based patties are simply scrumptious.
eatnomburgers.com | 2324 E Cesar Chavez St.
