Austin’s burger scene is full of delicious options, from classic cheeseburgers to innovative twists on the traditional patty. If you’re a fan of smashed burgers, the type that’s flattened on the griddle for crispy edges and juicy bites, then you’re in luck.
Here’s a guide to the best smashed burgers in Austin, with recommendations ranging from pop-ups to food trucks to brick-and-mortar restaurants. Get ready to satisfy your burger cravings and explore the city’s burger landscape with these must-try spots.
Photo by Courtney Pierce
JewBoy Burgers
The owner seasons their red angus patties with sauteed onion and green chiles, and their Jewish West Texas background presents itself in more conspicuous ways with latkes, queso, and house-made salsas crowning some of the most eclectic burgers in Austin.
Carpenters Hall
Their executive chef, Thomas Malz, creates a toothsome chili-cut grind of Texas beef that’s browned with cold cubes of butter, then steamed under a cloche to melt a cap of smoked cheddar and American cheese.
Bad Larry Burger Club
Widely popular across the state, this brand of crackly, ketchup-oozing “flattened meat sandwiches” is a must-try. Their beefy bacchanal now takes to the road and tours as far away as Marfa.
Photo by Hayden Walker
Huckleberry
They serve black drum and Gulf shrimp matched only by Deen & Peeler premium angus squished between Slow Dough Bread Co. challah buns trucked in daily from Houston.
Photo Credit: @dandeliongatherings
Sour Duck Market
Everything on this burger is hand-forged and highly curated, from the seasonal pickles to the fluffy challah and griddled Peeler Farms wagyu. Even the requisite ketchup, mayo, and mustard in its “secret sauce” is made in-house by Bryce Gilmore’s team of chefs.
Photo courtesy of Songbird
Songbird
Executive Chef Joshua van den Berg’s standout item is undoubtedly the patty melt smash burger. Made with a blend of sirloin, brisket, and short rib, this burger is smashed on the flat top and topped with sweet onion, onion straws, and horseradish. Plus, at Songbird, you can enjoy the added bonus of fryers that are run on beef tallow, adding even more flavor to this already delicious dish.
Photo credit – Hold Out Brewing
Holdout Brewing
They serve a 50/50 burger blend that incorporates pork with local pasture-raised angus, treated like a pork bao, with salted cucumbers, burnt onion bacon jam, and added umami from a fried egg mayo.
Photo Credit – Kinda Tropical Facebook
Kinda Tropical
this chef brings similar sensibilities to the sizzle-and-smash medium, with double patties of all-natural, grass-fed beef saturated in white American cheese. To capture the summer-like vibes of his new digs, he then gives it a tropical touch courtesy of lightly roasted pineapple lazing beneath a blanket of kewpie mayo and red onion.
Photo by Gimme Burger (Facebook page)
Gimme Burger
This little food trailer at Butler Pitch & Putt serves a yellow mustard-heavy burger, elevated with Ranger Cattle wagyu from one of Texas’ premier beef producers.
Photo: Golden Tiger (Facebook)
Golden Tiger
Put Gold Tiger in the OGs category, their smoky interpretation is smeared with a distinctive chipotle Thousand Island.