Big Daddy's, Big Letdown?

The team ventured out to Big Daddy's Burger Bar with high expectations.  The menu promised great variety and an inventive burger experience.  For most in the group, the execution missed the mark.  Here's what people had to say:

Judge #1: ​Looking at the menu I was looking forward to trying this selection in our burger tour.  I ordered the classic bacon cheeseburger and added some hatch green chile for some heat, and had the standard side of wedge fries.  The only thing this meal lacked was flavor. I was suprised, with so many things on a burger how could it be so bland?  Being a New Mexico native, I thought the Hatch green chile would at least save the burger, I was wrong.  The chile was very mild and tasted more like a green bell pepper than the Hatch green chile I know.  Even the fries, which looked heavily seasoned had no palatable flavor.  Think the best thing on the burger was the brioche bun, not saying it was good, just the best thing of the burger. This is definitely a place I won't go back to.

Judge #2: Decent, huge burger (may have subconsciously knocked a point off for being uncomfortably full afterwards...even if that is technically my fault).  Pretty greasy, though again my fault for ordering a bacon cheeseburger + fried egg (only $0.75 more).  Too much lettice.  Ok environment (typical sports + movies + guy stuff) but not sure if they're trying to be a breastaurant.  Did fix our drinks without question when the Dr. Pepper tasted off.  Liked the fries, even though I’m sure they were greasy-bad.  For as much burger as you get a decent value.

Judge #3: Burger was pretty good.  Lots of add-on options and unique burgers to choose from.  Would have preferred crunchy bacon on my bacon-cheeseburger and a little more flavor.  Burger also seemed a touch on the dry side.  Fries were also pretty good - thick cut with a little seasoning (Lowrys?).  Service was attentive and accurate.  ​

​Judge #4: It was OK.  The fried pickles had too much batter but I still found them to be tasty. Onion rings were pretty good.  Burger was huge and I only ate half. I guess I wasn't in a burger mood. Fries were bland, even though I could see the Lowry's on them.  All in all it was a middle of the road experience. Not a place I'd make an effort to go back to but I wouldn't mind if I went there again.


Judge #5: I'd eaten at Big Daddy's once before and hadn't been back since. ​So I was pleasantly surprised to find that the food was better this time around. (To be fair, the item I ordered last time -- tempura burger -- is no longer on the menu.) This time, the burger was a solid experience. The bacon was wonderfully tasty, and the bread had a nice, sweet taste. I loved the fries, too -- nice and crispy.  However, I agree that the appetizers were not up to par. The tempura batter for fried pickles just doesn't work like a standard southern-style fried pickle.  The queso alone was a little bland, but it was decent when we mixed in some salsa and guacamole. And I still find their chili somewhat lacking in overall taste. Good, solid, burger, but middle-of-the-road otherwise.

Judge #6: First and foremost let’s talk burger.  The burger was good.  Great flavor, huge size, tons of offerings and messy just the way I like it.  Any place that lets me put a fried egg on a burger has my admiration.  Now, for what I didn't like.  Pickles.  I am a pickle purest and I just didn't enjoy their lightly pickled cucumbers. Onions.  I got grilled onions and that was a mistake.  The slices of onion were so large, I had a hard time keeping them on the burger.  Moving on, the sides were not good.  The fried pickles were more like pickle flavored hush puppies.  Their fries were like baked potatoes with very little seasoning.  The onion rings were good, but they threw in a few fried peppers which was not appreciated.  Our service was good, but the whole place reminded me of a converted Chile’s.  AS for value, I think they were pretty fair.  The prices seemed in line for the amount of food I ordered.​​  Overall, not a great burger experience.

​Judge #7: Some bites of my burger were really good. Some were way too salty. Salt was very unevenly distributed. Even seemed clumped in places. Strange. The fries grew on me a little, and I liked the shake ok. Atmosphere was ok for me too. Sadly the burger was the worst part.

Judge #8: I had the mushroom burger. Meat was greasy and plain, not much flavor. They might have forgottent he seasonings. Big patty though. the onion rings were greasy and had too much batter. And i don't think the waitress ever refill my tea. me no likey. (value would be 1 if not for the few airline miles I got out of it - United dining rewards)

Average Score: 54.44

Value is the Theme at P. Terry's

The team headed to a true American classic on this trip.  P. Terry's is Austin's most famous "Anti-Fast Food" burger joint.  The team seemed a little divided as always, but the consensus seemed to be that P.Terry's is a good burger for the money.

Comments:

Judge 1:  Burger was great - a greasy spoon classic.  The fries really grew on me by the end of the meal, but the milkshake (strawberry) was very meh.

Judge 2: ​Simple burger, simple menu, inexpensive.  Not the greatest burger in the world but good, definitely a place to stop in and grab a quick bite. Fries were tasty but wish they were crispy.  Staff was friendly and service was quick. 

Judge 3: Pretty good, though not sure I could tell the difference next to a Wendy's burger.  Easy menu, good sides/drink, and great pricing 

Judge 4: Decent burger for a great price, but not a fan of cold cheese.  Fries were pretty good.  Rootbeer shake was delicious.​ 

​Judge 5: The environment reminded me of an old style burger joint similar to A&W. I thought the fries could use improvement. Way to stringy and greasy. Service was very polite and offered great side suggestions. The burger had very fresh ingredients and was super tasty. All things considered, I highly recommend P. Terry's. 

Judge 6: ​overall grade - serviceable+. #burger: a bit smallish, but the double cheeseburger makes the meal substantial enough. but, meh. with a fully loaded burger, there's not a whole lot of flavor, even compared with other "fast-food" burgers. #accessories: the fries weren't spectacular, but get points for curious flavor. can't pinpoint why they compelled me to gobble them all up, but they did. the root beer shake was great but seemed to be the outlier among other flavors. #environment: unique mod-ish architecture / layout but points subtracted for super noisiness on the inside. service was good. #value: great, but other fast-food type burgers are a tad better and more customizable. 

Judge 7: I'd say, "You get what you pay for," but this wasn't even good for a fast food burger.  The burger was tasteless - the meat was grey and the cheese was unmelted processed Cheese Food.  The fries were decent, but not good enough to warrant visiting again.  

Judge 8: Hands down best monetary value so far. Several folks wondered "why is this so cheap?" but we were pleasantly surprised.​ P. Terry's serves the kind of burgers I love -- smallish (because nobody needs to gorge on something when it's great) thin but juicy patty, melty cheese, and a bun that really sops in the juice.  This gets my top burger rating so far. The only reason it didn't get a 10 is that the bacon could have been just a little more crispy. What really brought this score down was the sides. The fries were good -- were real, actual potatoes and tasted like it! -- but they also could have been a little more crispy. And the shakes were entirely disappointing. I ordered a double chocolate and it was unremarkable. So go, spend a little bit of money and get an awesome burger. Just skip the shake. 

Judge 9: This is a GREAT fast food burger, but that qualification hurts it in the overall judging.  This is not the best burger I have enjoyed in this competition.  I really love the flavor and juiciness of the burger.  The bacon however was soggy and limp.  The cheese was cold and unmelted.  The fries are good, but not the best I've ever had.  The lemonade is phenomenal, and the root beer shake is very good as well.  The value here is unbeatable.  You get a fair amount of food for way under $10. 

Judge 10: Exceptional value, exceptional fast food. I had the veggie burger, fries, and took home banana bread. My only complaint would be that the fries were too skinny - too much oil in proportion to potato. Apart from that, this was outstanding fast food at a very reasonable price. As an aside, I think it's kind of nice that despite charging much less, this is the first place providing us with take-home giveaways (stickers) and announcing charity events.  

Judge 11: I like the value. That's the best part. For the money, it's pretty good.

Judge 12: A very good burger for the price.  I ordered the chicken burger as I'd eaten the beef burger before and it was surprisingly juicy.  The swiss cheese was a nice touch, although you can order the burger any way you'd like.  I love the greasy, salty fries, although they aren't everyone's favorite.  The restaurant was also very clean and bright for a fast food joint.  Overall, a good choice if you're on the run. 

Judge 13: I Thought the burger was pretty good but definitely not in the best-in-class category. The menu is simple without a lot of variety, that can be good or bad depending on what you expect. I thought the vanilla milkshake was superb, right up there with ChickFillA's which I think is one of the best.  The french fries were not as crispy as you might like but tasted fresh and home made. 

Judge 14: I had their veggie burger with bacon. The patty wsa beany and mushy. wish they could make it with more texture. the lettuce and tomatoes are fresh. Overall very good.​

Average Score: 69.73

Your Mom's was great last night.

For the second stop on the burger challenge, the gang hit up Your Mom's Burger Bar for some stuffed goodness in May.

Stuffed burgers "Oh" my!  We were giddy with anticipation of this place and were not disappointed.

Comments so far:

Judge 1: Pretty good, burger was a little bit pricey but have to consider it was 1/2 lb., and adding a side of onion rings (good but eat before cold) wasn't much more.  A little quibble was that the toppings seemed to be cut thick (i.e. tomato slice) which on top of a thick stuffed burger made it that much harder to eat. I did notice under "Bling" for 30 cents more it listed mayo, which doesn't seem right to me (though all burgers did come with some kind of condiment/sauce, so this really was just extra).

Judge 2: The burger was "OK", can't say it is very memorable.  Burger was moist, didn't really like the bun.  The fries were flavorful but would have liked them to be more crispy.   Service was good, liked the environment.  

Judge 3: YUM.  The burger was absolutely delicious.  The fries I got were pretty good, but Yong's fried pickles were excellent.  The service was great, the appearance of the place was okay.​

Judge 4: Nice place, didn't even see the cheese stuffed into my burger like others appeared to have. Slightly dry patty. Limp french fries but good taste. Good bling with the Ranch Jalapeno dressing.

Judge 5: The themes on the menu all looked fantastic. and, the "de niro" burger was a travis bickle or jake la motta caliber rendition. #burger: all ingredients were outstanding, especially the marinara and italian sausage - even the bun was great. #accessories: The fries were flavorful and addicting; the fried pickles the best this reviewer has tasted. #environment: a little dumpy, uninspiring but the service kicked butt. #value: solid.

Judge 6: Loved the crazy toppings and the cheese product stuffed into the burger.  The critical burger/bun/toppings ratio was good.  The Irish Nachos were delicious.  Service was wonderful   Burger was a little dry and I felt slightly nauseous the rest of the afternoon, although it could have just been my arteries hardening.  

Judge 7: This burger was pretty good - the stuffing made it extra tasty and the bacon was thick and flavorful. And I got cheddar ch​eese which was the real deal!  On my second visit I got a sampler plate of appetizers and some were definitely better than others.  The best were probably the regular fries and the worst were the sweet potato fries - the caramel sauce was too sweet for fries - maybe would have worked as dessert.  The onion rings were excellent with a light, crispy batter.  The fried pickles were good but not the best I've had (that distinction goes to Junior's).  I'm glad I made a second trip back to try more things, but I don't think this will become my go-to burger place.

Judge 8: Burger was yummy - dripping cheese blood was a nice touch. Fries were meh. Onion rings were better. However, it was hard for me to get over the general unsanitary feel of the place -- floors were slippy/greasy and tables not clean. They do get two extra points for menu creativity, though. I think I had more fun looking at the menu than actually eating.

Judge 9: This was a solid burger.  The availability to customize with crazy toppings is very much appreciated.  I so want to add a fried egg next time.  My only complaint is that the cheese quality was a little too much like cheese wiz.  A little higher quality on the cheese and this would have been a damn tasty burger.​ 

Judge 10: Yummy! Loved the menu, loved the customization options, and the friendly service followed through on the menu's sense of fun.

Judge 11: Only complaint: No milkshake. 

Average Score: 76.17

Burgers + Beer, what could be wrong with that? - Hopdoddy

And so it begins.  This month we kick off the great UX team burger challenge.  The challenge?  To find the best burger in Austin.  This will of course be well documented.  Here are the rules:

You must score all burgers to participate in final evaluation.  

Each burger is scored in 4 key categories:

• Burger (the entire burger you ordered)

• Sides (any other food or drink item you ordered)

• Environment (the building, service, table, etc)

• Value (the overall value for the entire meal you ordered) .  

 The scores are appropriately weighted.  Each score is on a 1-10 scale.  1 is the lowest possible value and 10 is the highest.  The total score is based on 100 points.  All results are final.

First up is the Big Doddy himself, Hopdoddy 

 

Here's what the group had to say about this burger Mecca:

Judge 1: Overpriced - $18 for a burger, fries and shake!  The shake was too sweet (a 5), but the parmesan truffle fries were amazing (a 10!) some of the best fries I've ever had.  The ambiance was nice - modern, clean, "Austiny."  The burger, though, was a let down.  I got the Magic Shroom and just wasn't blown away.  For all the top shelf ingredients it didn't have a ton of flavor.  Just didn't hit spot.

Judge 2: ​Mediocre burger at best.  The burger patty was dry.  Was expecting bold flavors since it was lamb with mediterianian ingrediants, but sadly disappointed.  Think after my initial visit, the place has lost its charm.

Judge 3: While too much burger sounds like an oxymoron, I like a nice ratio of meat/toppings/bun.  This was just too thick that I may as well put it on a plate and eat it like a slice of meatloaf.

Judge 4: Good burger - not perfect, but pretty darn good.  Restaurant flow was silly, but the people were nice - thus the "eh" environment score.  Cost was also silly.​

Judge 5: Unlike many critics, this reviewer found that the establishment excelled in its synergistic gourmet burger experience. #burger: very good and artfully rendered, but perhaps lacking a bit of joie de vivre (or je ne sais quoi? maybe i'm thinking of raison d'être. i digress ...). #accessories: fantasic - the truffle fries had stoopid hops. #environment: props to the interior flow and design; negatives for the outdoor locale in a parking lot on w. anderson. #value: in this reviewer's opinion, a "gourmet" burger experience is different - while not necessarily better - than a "gomer" burger experience - each should be judged subjectively on a different pricing scale. bottom line - with pricier ingredients, a burger's price is going to be higher. overall, very good value for the ingredients / price.​

Judge 6: I ordered the lamb burger, and while it was cooked perfectly medium-rare as requested (something I would expect a burger specialty place to accomodate) the meat to toppings ratio was way off, leading me to pull some of them off halfway through my burger.  While the burger itself was juicy and flavorful, the bun was standard and the "special sauce" tasted a lot like something we have at home from an HEB jar.  Truffle fries were the only exceptional thing I ate.  The burger was very expensive, although the vibe of the place was casual and trendy.  A little loud however.

​Judge 7: My favorite as I come into this test.  We'll see if they get toppled from their perch! The Magic Shroom is my go-to burger even though my dad insists that pesto and goat cheese on a burger "just ain't right". It's rich for sure, but so tasty that you close your eyes to savor it when that first bite hits you.  The bread is light and fluffy and the meat is obviously high quality. The parmesan fries are pretty good but the best part may be the chocolate shake, which they make with some sort of liquor that gives it a hint of cinnamon.  Yum.

Judge 8: ​The burger was good overall, but the texture of the patty was too dense.  The value here is just not there.  I'd be much happier if it were an $10-12 meal instead of a $15-20 meal.

Judge 9: The veggie burger, caramel + sea salt shake, and parmesan frieds + truffle cream were all excellent. The order and seating process did not improve the experience for a large party, and the layout of the restaurant exacerbated this. Probably a non-issue for smaller groups, though :-)

​Judge 10: $20 for a burger, fries and shake? You gotta be kiddin' me.

​Judge 11: As far as taste/value this burger sucks. What I mean by that is that when you spend $20 you would expect to be completely blown away. I was not. I think Hopdoddy tries to be too trendy then expect you to be happy to pay way over premium price.  I personally was not impressed with the cinamon infusion in every one of their shakes. One thing that I thought was a cut above the rest was their fries, very tasty.

Average Score: 66.16