Food: Nau's Is Serving Food Again

As a long-time Austin resident, it makes me happy to know that Nau's Enfield Drug is now serving food again.  If you haven't been there before, stop by for their burgers and shakes.  Actually, according to Eater, that's all you can get at this time; however, the expanded menu (including breakfast) will return soon. 

Pro tip: parking isn't easy.  It's likely you'll end up in parking in the neighborhood.  Also, grab any clothes which need extra help from a dry cleaner and throw them in the car.  Anthony's is next door, and in my experience they are great at getting out tough stains from shirts.     

Food: Lil'Doddy

About a year ago I posted about the delicious Buffalo Bill burger one can find at Hopdoddy (and paused to mourn the loss of the Terlingua burger).  I like Hopdoddy, but the two locations most convenient to me are typically packed with long lines at lunch.   Thus, today when I headed out for lunch I left with two questions:

1. Will the line be ridiculous?
2. How different is this place from a regular Hopdoddy? 

And here are your answers:

1. No.  In fact, we were seated immediately and offered table service.  Score and score for a person who does not like lining up for food, let alone long lines. 
2. As Eater Austin described Lil'Doddy, it is a "streamlined" version of the regular restaurant.  Differences I noted were a lack of bison patties and the presence of a drive-through.  The former was not a big deal and the latter seemed cool for people in the area neighborhoods.  You still get a nice selection of burgers and other items (including an ahi tuna burger, which looked great).  Also, there is plenty of beer on tap.

I also found the staff to be accommodating.   The menu offered a version of the Buffalo Bill with a chicken breast.  Normally I would have wanted this, but I have been eating a lot of chicken and turkey products this week.  Also, I woke up thinking about beef burgers.   It turns out, getting me a Buffalo Bill with beef (all natural Angus) was not a problem.  In fact, having a second patty added for good measure was not a problem either (I'm hitting the weights today, so of course I need more protein).  

The upshot is that lunch at Lil'Doddy was delicious and the time provided no problems for us vis a vis crowds.   

Now that I've shared about burgers, at some point I plan to discuss my last couple of trips to Hank's Austin.  That point is probably sometime next week.  Plus, there are a few trivia updates I've been meaning to write.  Stay tuned.

Food: P. Terry's Expanding to Houston

Houston, you're in luck.  Apparently you're getting four new P. Terry's soon. 

I hit P. Terry's about twice per month.   The double cheeseburger (I get mine with onions, special sauce, and a wheat bun) is great, as is the chicken burger.  The latter is different from most fast-food chicken options as it is a patty of ground chicken (as opposed to a grilled/fried chicken breast).  Either option is delicious, as are the freshly cut fries  (salt and potatoes, no crazy seasonings) with a side of special sauce for dipping. 

I once described the P. Terry's burger as "what an In-and-Out burger should aspire to be."  Before you accuse me of anti-Californian burger bias:  I love Fatburger and wish someone would open a location in Austin.  And yes, I like to eat my Fatburger with chili. 

When driving around Texas, Whataburger is (of course) my preferred fast-food burger option.   I think they'd boot me out of the state if I didn't mention that. 

Food: Top Notch

The #5 from Top Notch

I was at ABOR headquarters all morning for a meeting.  As I drove out of the garage I thought, hey, today is a great day for a Top Notch burger.   Thus a slight detour was made.

Everyone I know who likes Top Notch talks about the fried chicken and how amazing it is.  I wouldn't know, as I stick with the #5 chili-cheese burger.  First of all, I love a good chili-cheese burger.  Second, Top Notch's reminds me of the #4 Fiesta Burger from the former Austin institution that was Holiday House (I'm not making this up: they had a live gator at the Barton Springs location back in the 70's).  Unfortunately, the notorious "Meat Lady" non-renewed the lease for the Tarrytown location and the Holiday House chain died shortly thereafter.  Holiday House was not only only a place I frequented in high school, the #4 Fiesta Burger was the first thing I ate when I moved to Austin (30 years ago, as of next week).   I'm digressing a bit, but it was a delicious piece of flame-kissed goodness I still miss.  Accordingly, this illustrates why I enjoy any burger which approximates the Fiesta Burger.  That is what I get at Top Notch and why I have yet to advance to the fried chicken.

So yes, the detour was worthwhile.  The #5 was delicious as always.  Now,  if Top Notch would just consider getting a live gator...

Not only is the food at Top Notch great, but is it also a fun place for fans of the film Dazed and Confused to visit.  In addition to being at the location of several scenes from the film, one can enjoy an up-close viewing of two paddles from the movie.     

One final bit of Top Notch news:  they are opening another restaurant in Hutto.   No Dazed and Confused connection, but I'm sure the burgers and fried chicken will be tasty.



On the chili-cheese burger note, here are two other restaurants with good options in Austin:

• Waterloo Icehouse
• Shady Grove       

Hopdoddy once had an awesome burger called The Terlingua (topped with chili, cheese, and Fritos) but it seems to have vanished from the menu.  I'm fond of the Buffalo Bill and all, but bring the Terlingua back.  

Food: Bison Burger

The Buffalo Bill, at Hopdoddy

My biggest regret from my recent Colorado trip was my failure to eat any bison meat.   Maybe it's the elevation, but I get a craving for bison (ok, and for elk) when in the mountains.  So, imagine my delight when I discovered that Hopdoddy has a bison burger on the menu.

I hadn't been to Hopdoddy in years.  While the food is great, I did not enjoy the lines I used to encounter at the South Congress location.  Furthermore, when I'm near the Anderson and Burnet intersection I usually opt for lunch at Cover 3.   On Wednesday, though, I was in the area on Floyd Real Estate business and our lunch appointment suggested Hopdoddy.   We arrived at 11:30 to a no line situation.  This made me happy.   Then I noticed my favorite burger (the Terlingua, which was topped with chili, cheese, and Fritos: i.e. a Frito Pie) was off the menu.  The Buffalo Bill made up for this loss.   The bison patty topped with buffalo sauce, "sassy" sauce, and bacon was outstanding.  It reminded me of a burger with bleu cheese and hot sauce which used to me on the menu at Red's Porch.    Thus, if you are craving a great bison burger, swing by Hopdoddy to try out the Buffalo Bill.

It has been a good week for me, burger-wise.  In addition to delicious Buffalo Bill on Wednesday, today I picked up a Top Notch chili-cheese burger on the way home from the Austin Board of Realtors.  I'll note that if you still miss the #4 Fiesta Burger from Holiday House, the #5 at Top Notch will fill its role nicely. 

Dazed and Confused fans will love Top Notch

Food (in Nashville): Rotier's

[photo: front bar area at Rotier's; the grilled cheeseburger]

Last week, I was in Nashville for a conference. Acting on a tip from a friend, the gf and I decided to hit Rotier's on the way out of town.

This was a fantastic decision. If you love Hut's in Austin (or delicious burgers in general), then you will love this place. I arrived with high expectations (owing to rave reviews from my friend), all of of which were met.

Located at 2314 Elliston Place, Rotier's is right by Vanderbilt and Centennial Park. Open since 1945, it's become famous for it's delicious burgers and shakes. I didn't consider anything else on the relative large menu. Instead, I order the recommended "grilled" cheeseburger. And by grilled, I mean grilled and then served on Texas Toast with melted cheese. It was like an already awesome grilled cheese sandwich with a savory medium rare surprise inside. And the dessert shake: excellent, and a perfect consistency. I was smitten with the entire meal and experience.

If you are in Nashville and looking for something tasty, fun, casual, and local, then go to Rotier's.

[Note: I already knew the general vicinity of Rotier's, but Gowalla and it's link to Google maps helped me find the restaurant quickly. Gowalla has been coming in very handy as a travel aid. Generally speaking, Gowalla has become my favorite mobile social networking app for traveling.]

Fun: Freddie's Place

If you're looking for a lazy but entertaining way to spend a few hours this spring, I highly recommend a trip over to Freddie's Place on South 1st. Here you can buy cheap drinks, play washers, and eat an enormous burger served on Texas toast. You can also bring your dog, thus ensuring that he won't defile your home in anger for having left him inside on such a nice afternoon.

Freddie's is pretty cool about hot weather. Various specials kick in when the thermometer breaks 100 degrees, including the every popular 100 cent margarita.

[note: I took the about video on my iPhone while engaged in my first game of washers, ever. Shocking, I know, as I've enjoyed countless hours playing horseshoes and the unfortunately named (bean bag tossing game) cornhole]