Austin's burger scene is a good example of the city's food habits: a mix of old-school institutions, barbecue crossover, and a serious smash burger obsession. Whether you want a burger as a meal or as a side to a drink, there's a spot for it across East Austin, South Congress and the downtown core.
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For a burger with a view, Pool Burger sits at 2315 Lake Austin Blvd in a 1968 Airstream trailer and tiki bar perched above Deep Eddy Pool and below the Cabaret. It griddles all-natural, hormone- and antibiotic-free wagyu beef on homemade buns, with the Pool Cheeseburger — a quarter pound of wagyu with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo and mustard — as the standard. Tiki drinks and soft serve round it out, and happy hour runs Monday to Friday from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. Casino El Camino, at 517 E 6th St, is the other long-standing name on the list. A neighborhood bar since 1994, it's known for its garden patio and burgers that have landed on Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives" and picked up local Best Burger awards over the years. The Amarillo is the one to know: three-quarters of a pound of Angus beef with roasted serrano chiles, jalapeño jack cheese, cilantro mayonnaise and a ciabatta roll.
If you're downtown, Bill's Oyster at 205 W. 3rd St. in the 2nd Street District is a cocktail bar and seafood restaurant that doubles as a burger spot, with a $10 smash burger made from a double patty of brisket and short rib topped with special sauce and American cheese. A few blocks over, Clark's Oyster Bar at 1200 W 6th St. has been around since 2012 and serves a pan-roasted black Angus burger with Gruyere and shoestring fries. For something more specific, JewBoy Burgers at 5111 Airport Blvd blends US/Mexico border culture with a Reform Jewish upbringing, using fresh, never-frozen 80/20 Angus beef and skipping the tomato entirely. The JewBoy Burger is a third-pound smash patty with double cheese, grilled onions, lettuce and pickles, and the Yenta comes with a latke on top.
A couple of the more inventive options lean on other Austin strengths. Leroy & Lewis Barbecue, now at its first brick-and-mortar on Emerald Forest Dr., does a smoked akaushi brisket patty with a black pepper crust that often sells out on weekends. Sour Duck Market, at 1814 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, puts wagyu beef from Peeler Farms on a homemade challah bun with American cheese, pimento cheese and a pickle for $14. Spread & Co. at 2406 Manor Rd serves a double smash burger on brioche with raclette cheese and mustard pickles, and LORO, in the Domain and South Lamar, does a $12.95 smash burger with yuzu, thousand island sauce and roasted onions on Martin buns. Buddha Burger, with locations in Metric and Pflugerville, leans into the semi-smash style, with the State of Brado — a double cheeseburger between two fried cheese sandwiches — as its most famous version.
Beyond those, the city's smash burger list runs long, with Patty Palace, Gimme Burger, Thunder Chief, Golden Tiger and Mission Burger Co. among the others. If you're just browsing, names like Josephine House, Launderette, Odd Duck and Dai Due also keep burgers on the menu.
Published Date
22 September 2026
