Billy's is making a name for itself!

The neighborhood beer and burger joint will never die as long as Billy's is around. From their great food selection to their cool dive-bar feel Billy's should be on any list of great Austin burger joints.  It wowed many in our group.

Here's what the group had to say:

Judge #1 - This reviewer’s journey began with the Mushroom Swiss Burger (MSB) and will be rated from top down.  Try and keep up.

BUN: The bun was good but not great. I appreciated the fact that it consisted of non-hippie white bread. There was, however, some sort of grainy substance on top that this reviewer could not identify at the time of the review.  If I were to wager a guess, I would speculate cornmeal. The bun would have gotten much higher marks if it had been toasted (as any god fearing American knows a bun should be).

TOPPINGS: I found pleasantly sautéed mushrooms, in a goodly amount, directly underneath the politically incorrect bun.  They were obviously not fresh mushrooms (from a jar or can, not rotten or anything gross), but they were grilled and they were pleasantly chewy. The Swiss cheese was tasty and melted-y enough, but there could have been more of it.  If the cheese is not gushing over your fingers with the first bite, then there’s not enough.  The ketchup came from an industrial pump and I appreciated the fact that I was not constrained by bottle shaker madness or the paltry amount usually offered on the side. As for the rest of the toppings, I had none.  Cause vegetables on a burger are just gross. Duh. 

PATTY:  I ordered the beef 1/4 lb. patty.  It was clearly made of beef and my pocket scale weighed it at 1.24376 lbs., so while not exact, it was close enough for government work.  It could have been seasoned a little more, but it was cooked to “well”, which everyone knows is the recommended state to cook hamburger meat lest you not catch burger cooties. Overall, I rate this burger experience a  7.  If I had added bacon and avocado like the voices told me to, the score would have been 7.75 or possibly an 8.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Environment score is high because I'm pretty sure the bartenderess/waitress had a crush on me.  It happens a lot.

EDITOR'S OTHER NOTE: The okra was standard fried okra, and you should eat it because it's high in calcium, people. The peach cobbler-y thing was good and I sweet talked the bar wench into some free ice cream on top.

Judge #2 - My evaluation of Billy's may be a little bias since I have been here several times and is one of my favorite burger places in Austin.  I ordered the Uptown Burger which is on their specialty board and not on the menu.  Burger comes with Bleu Cheese, Avocados, and Bacon Marmalade - all with make for a delicious burger.   Billy's has always been consistent in their food and I will continue to recommend this place, something I rarely do in general unless I really like a place. 

​Judge #3 - Pretty good, though had odd bits here and there (wasn't even on Burnet).  I ordered the Cobra Burger which came with jalapenos, but they were strips rather than rings, and really had no kick (though the bacon was good).  Didn't have the fried pickels but they too were spears rather than typical round chips.  Fries were good (though had to eat the burger first to get to them), had an onion ring and they were good.  Not wild about the order the burger with the bartender, wiggle into the booth, wiggle out to get your burger.  Took a point off for the horrible location/traffic/parking situation (and that was some mid-life crisis guy who blocked off the parking with his Porsche).

Judge #4 - I took Larry's advice and got the Uptown Burger, and thought it was excellent. Super moist and delicious. Great bun. All this and I don't even really like bleu cheese. I enjoyed all the sides, but prefer pickle chips over their spears. Billy's beans are really good, although a strange side for a burger. The prices are a bit high. The burger was worth it, but I guess for a dive bar atmosphere I expect a cheaper burger. That being said, I would totally go back.

Judge #5 - Burger was delicious! Bacon was done just right and the bun was slightly sweet, soft, and substantial.  Sides were outstanding - best so far. Environment was unique and welcoming.​

Judge #6 - Billy's was a welcomed surprise to the burger challenge.  This lesser known burger joint has a LOT going for it, and I put it right up there with the well-known burger joints in town.  The burger itself was very good.  Great flavor, nice variety and put together with care.  The sides we had were all good.  Nothing wrong with any of them.  The prices were a little high for what I ordered, so the overall value took a hit from me.  I would gladly go back for a beer and burger soon.​

​Judge #7 - Pros: Loved the atmosphere (and appreciated the chance to reconnect briefly with Galaga :-). Loved the veggie ends burger! The patty was not mealy or crumbly and had excellent flavor; the bun and accompanying ingredients were great. Tried the fried okra, fried cheese, and onion rings, and was happy with all. 

Extra feedback: Ordered an Uptown to go for my husband, and it was beautifully packaged to avoid soggy buns and wilted add-ons - and he loved it. He is now a bacon marmalade fan :-)

Cons: didn't really care for the order, sit down, get up, sit down. If it were crowded, that could be a real pain. Still, the people were great within that context. The price seemed reasonable but took a hit for "value" because of the reduced service. 

Judge #8 - ​I had "The Hoss" burger (1/3 lbs), thinking it would be a meal that would put me in a post-thanksgiving feeling.. but that didn't happen, the burger was not as big as i thought it was going to be but it was delicious. I was also expecting this burger to be messy but my hands never got dirty. 

Judge #9 - I had a chicken burger, my opinion is invalid.

It was good though.​

Judge #10 - I had the uptown burger recently and thought it was one of the best I've had. I like their beans as a side. I know beans aren't a typical burger side, but they are tasty.

Average Score: 77.27