Recently, Texas Monthly had a cover article about The 50 Best Burgers in Texas. As great an article as it was (and completely drool inducing), they failed to mention either of my favorite burger places in Austin. Hut’s Hambers and Phil’s Icehouse.

Hut’s is a little dive on Sixth Street a couple of miles west of the stretch of bars and shops that made Sixth Street a famous hangout for college students, singles and tourists. It’s not far from the Whole Foods world headquarters, but don’t expect any mansy-pansy organic veggie burger … Okay, it is Austin. They do serve a decent veggie burger and a wonderful veggie sandwich. That kind of blows my premise though. I love their Fat’s Domino Burger, which is crusted in Cajun seasoning and topped with grated cheddar and jalapenos. Yum.  If spicy’s not your thing, they’ve got nineteen other burgers and one of them is sure to tempt you.

Phil’s Ice House is a completely different kind of restaurant. Unlike Hut’s, it’s a relative newcomer. I didn’t know that until I started to write this blog, which I think is a testament to how seamless it fits into the neighborhood. It’s owned by the folks who own Amy’s Ice Cream (the best ice cream in town–hands down. Possible the world). So there’s an Amy’s right next door as well as a funky playscape for the kids. All those goodies aside, their burger is just dang yummy (I love the 78704 Burger. It’s the spicy one. Do you sense a theme?) And their sweet potato fries are just to die for.

Sadly, most of you will probably never make it out to Austin to try a burger at either of these places. But that’s the beauty of a great burger. There’s probably one somewhere near you. Nearly every town in America has a local burger joint that serves up a delicious hunk of beef (or veggies sculpted into a pattie). So tell me about your favorite burger place or just your favorite burger, if you’re into making your own.