What can I say about Hut’s? It is almost an institution in Austin. It has been around for years, constantly voted as one of the best burger places in the annual Chronicle poll, has a nice, quirky dinerish atmosphere…oh, yeah, and the burgers are pretty good, too. There are 15 or 20 different types of burgers you can order on the menu, plus you can swap out the beef with buffalo, chicken breast, or a veggie burger. (Go ahead, try the buffalo, you know you want to…actually, it’s pretty good, leaner than the beef, with a richer taste)
The place is small, so get there early to avoid the wait. There is baseball and football pennants and other local memorabilia on the wall. You can also get hot dogs, sandwiches, and other things, but why? You go to Hut’s for the burgers (except on Friday, when they have the catfish special). I usually get the Hut’s Favorite (mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, bacon and American cheese), shake, and the fries/onion rings combo. The burgers are semi-thick, probably 1/3 lb, and are a little juicy/greasy, but not too much. Fries and onion rings are cooked well and are crispy.
But…(there’s always a but, and this is where I’m going to get the hate mail) while I think that the burgers are good (and consistently good), and I always enjoy going there, I think that other places in Austin have better burgers, like the previously reviewed Casino El Camino. So if you want a little bit of “classic” Austin, go to Hut’s. You will not be disappointed. However, I hope that I can introduce you to some other places that I think are a little better…
Overall score: 7 out of 10
