Best burger in town

[NewYorkTexan]

Inspired by the Chronicle article and Memesuze’s post, went to the bar at the roaring fork last night…WOW. Roaring Fork

They have not changed the décor much from the previous restaurant. They added some southwestern fabrics and a few minor changes, but the layout and main dining room of the restaurant remain the unchanged.

We headed straight for the bar to take advantage of the Happy Hour special. Now through the end of the summer they have a $6 menu that offers about 8 different entrée options. The special runs throughout the night, from when the bar opens to it closes, my kind of happy hour. The bar was packed and by the time we left there was a wait for seats.

I went with the burger and it was phenomenal. A 12oz burger that comes adorned with grilled onions, bacon, cheese, chipotle mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato. The burger was a perfect medium, as ordered, with a wonderful charred exterior and a juicy center on a Kaiser roll. One of the best burger I have ever had and only $6 bucks! It came with a healthy side of good but not spectacular fries.

The fish tacos were very good, but the plate looked empty because it came with no sides. The two tacos looked puny compared to the skyscraper of a burger on the table.

The great deal on food offsets the pathetic drinks offering. The do not have any beers on tap and the list of available beers were limited to bud, miller, coors, amstel light, etc. NO SHINER….what the hell are they thinking? The wine list was weak and overpriced. There was a token merlot for $6.50, otherwise everything was $8 -$9 for a glass of mass produced crap.

That left the margaritas. As part of the happy hour special, there is $2 off mixed drinks. For $3.50 you get a watered down margarita.

I will go back to the Roaring Fork frequently to take advantage of the Happy Hour special and then go to another bar for real drinks.

Forgot to mention the beef potato chips at the bar. It is spicy beef jerky that is very, very thin, giving it a crisp texture. I am not normally a jerky fan, but this stuff is addictive.

Edited June 30, 2003 by NewYorkTexan (log)

[foodie52]

Shame it's not BYOB!!

[coolranch]

Thanks for the review...I've been wondering how that happy hour deal is.

[gravelpot]

My wife and I checked out the Roaring Fork last night, and I agree that this is certainly a best-of-class burger. It didn't click in my brain until I was about halfway through it that 12 ounces equals 3/4 pound! So, it's probably the biggest burger in austin, if nothing else. In fact, my only criticism of this burger is that it's too big!

Regarding your comments on the drink offerings, I don't know if they've changed things since you went, but they definitely had Shiner (bottles only), as well as Dos Equis, Bass, and Fat Tire to provide a little beer variety. I don't know why a place like that wouldn't have draught beer, but there you go.

Austin folks should get down there before this deal ends. It seems that they're using the burger as a loss leader, so take advantage of it!

[jscarbor]

I'm Sorry but am I missing something? $6 is a great deal for a burger?

[gravelpot]

$6 for 3/4 lb. of very good meat, cooked *to order* in a real kitchen, with bacon, cheese, and very good vegetables.

And fries.

In a quasi-fancy sit-down restaurant.

Yep, that's a real good deal.

[jscarbor]

I didn't realize it was a nicishy restaurant. All I know is I can get great burgers that same size or close to it cooked to order for under $3 plus a $1.5 for great fries at numerous places in Houston. Of course these are dumpy places.

[NewYorkTexan]

Please share the great burger places in Houston, perhaps even start a new thread.

The roaring Fork is not a fast food restaurant. I have been to more than my fair share of fast food and casual restaurants for burgers and none come close to the Roaring Fork. The size and quality remind me of the burger at the S&W grille in NYC.

The bar in the Roaring Fork, where the happy hour special is offered is one of Austin’s nicer bars, an upscale yet relaxed setting. It is slowly becoming a personal favorite to meet friends after work. It helps that after enjoying a huge burger you can go upstairs to Steven Fs and smoke a cigar on the balcony over looking Congress Ave

[ChzHead]

The special runs throughout the night, from when the bar opens to it closes, my kind of happy hour.

Shouldn't it be called happy hours? What time did you leave? I'll have to pop in there after or before seeing Rosmary's Baby next week at the Paramount!

[hollywood]

Years ago, when I was a student in Austin I consumed 100s of burgers from Holiday House and Moore Burger as well as steaks at G.M. Steak House. Are those spots--mediocre though they may be--still around?

[NewYorkTexan]

Holiday House on Airport is still around. I have only had their bbq and have not tried their hamburgers…yet.

G.M. Steakhouse on Lamar is still alive and kicking, although they are undergoing some kind of transformation. I think after lunch the menu changes to an ethnic menu? Hopefully others can provide additional details. I have only been there for breakfast and they do a very good breakfast.

I have not heard of Moore Burgers.

[hollywood]

Holiday House on Airport is still around.  I have only had their bbq and have not tried their hamburgers…yet.

G.M. Steakhouse on Lamar is still alive and kicking, although they are undergoing some kind of transformation.  I think after lunch the menu changes to an ethnic menu?  Hopefully others can provide additional details.  I have only been there for breakfast and they do a very good breakfast.

I have not heard of Moore Burgers.

Thanks for the update. As I now dimly recall, the best meat I could get on a student budget was at Nighthawk. They seemed impressed that theirs was cornfed.