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Austin lunch restaurant reviews & photos
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Top Notch--Info & Reviews
7525 Burnet Rd
Austin TX 78757
512-452-21
- Service: Counter, curb
- Cuisine: Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Fried Chicken
- Cash only
- Coke or Pepsi: Coke!
Overall Rating: +2.5/+3
About Top Notch
Austin original, opened in 1961. Little has changed since then, thankfully. Features flame-kissed burgers, fried chicken, hand-breaded onion rings, and a friendly family atmosphere.
Top Notch has inspired a couple of artists to create Notch-inspired works. This one is entitled "Top Notch," by Jennifer Balkan, and features a modified Top Notch (the big burger has been transported from the sign to atop the restaurant) mostly as a backdrop to a violin-wielding urchin who seems to be the focus of the painting.
This one, also entitled "Top Notch," by George Boutwell, is a more straightforward tribute to the restaurant, attempting to capture what it might have looked like in its early days. Once again, the famous sign has been modified--moved to the middle of the parking lot and shrunk quite a bit to accomdate the composition. It can be yours for $12.50 as of this writing.
Elsewhere Online
Staff Reviews (Your Reviews Below)
Greatness
Reviewer: Chris
Original Review Date: 08/17/2005
Rating: +3/+3(Great)
Ahhh, good old Top Notch. It has survived Progress. It seems to have retained all of its charm, which is what puts it up to 3 stars in this reviewer's opinion. That plus the tasty flame kissed burger--a thin patty with a bit of a charcoal flavor. I recommend adding cheddar cheese (a rarity at fast food joints). The onion rings are also very good--made from scratch.
They have full curb service, like Sonic, as well as plenty of seating inside. I would recommend eating in the restaurant to get the complete experience.
Top Notch is just a cool place, from the awesome sign out front (reproduced on t-shirts available at the restaurant) to the friendly family staff to the good burgers. Their fried chicken is supposed to be good also, but I probably won't ever be able to pass up the cheddar cheeseburger.
Your Reviews (add a review)
Best Burgers in Austin !
Reviewer: Marie Sanchez 209.184.178.1
Review Date: 11/10/2008 04:19PM
Rating: +3/+3(Great)
I have been a Top Notch customers for 30 years and it is a family owned restaurant with the best food in Austin. I highly recommend Top Notch to anyone
that craves a real hamburger with charbroiled taste or fried chicken that no other restaurant can duplicate. Humm good ! :-)
Holds true to it's name
Reviewer: Chase 72.219.33.79
Review Date: 08/02/2008 07:20PM
Rating: +3/+3(Great)
Absolutely one of the best hamburgers I have ever eaten anywhere! I live in Baton Rouge and travel to Austin to visit my brother. The first time we tried to go to Top Notch there was no place to park so we could not go. However, this last time we lucked out. Aside from great burgers, the onion rings were fantastic! The only downfall was the wait but it was well worth it! Blows any chain burger joint out of the water!
Hickory Burger Craving
Reviewer: amysuehere 208.190.178.35
Review Date: 04/02/2007 05:04PM
Rating: +2/+3(Goooood)
When I'm craving it, there's no one else that makes it - charcoal grilled, finely diced onions and that hickory sauce.
Never tried the chicken. Guess I need to.
What fried chicken tastes like in Heaven.
Reviewer: Joshua 70.246.90.53
http://www.hooliganyouthreviews.blogspot.com
Review Date: 02/22/2007 04:50PM
Rating: +3/+3(Great)
Just thinking about Top Notch makes me craves their fried chicken and onion rings.
I eat their fried chicken like a man possessed.
Yet another reason why I can't move away from Austin.
wonderful
Reviewer: Kathy 207.200.44.194
Review Date: 10/17/2006 12:54PM
Rating: +3/+3(Great)
We have eaten here for about 30 years. Always great food. Chicken is better than any 'chicken' place. We have passed on the tradition of Top Notch burgers to our children.
Sooo Good!!
Reviewer: Thea 207.69.139.151
Review Date: 10/02/2006 12:16AM
Rating: +3/+3(Great)
This place was so great! The burgers are were amazing with that char grilled flavor. I loved the atmosphere and the fact that it has a great old time feeling. I didn't eat at the drive up, but I will definitely be back the experience it. I hope they never change a thing about it.
Good burgers, but inconsistent
Reviewer: Jason 168.39.76.209
Review Date: 05/24/2006 04:35PM
Rating: +2/+3(Goooood)
The first time I ate here, the burgers were waaay too greasy, and it was not a good experience. However, on a follow-up visit, the burgers were nice and juicy, just about what a good burger should be. So, overall, not a bad place.
The Legend
Reviewer: Robert Parker 161.114.32.112
http://www.myspace.com/perdurabo93
Review Date: 04/12/2006 05:03PM
Rating: +3/+3(Great)
I'm a native Austinite and have been eating at Top Notch since the mid-70s. Some things never change, and thats generally for a reason. Excellent burgers and fried chicken as well.
OK
Reviewer: M1EK 216.188.230.49
http://mdahmus.thebaba.com/blog/
Review Date: 09/15/2005 06:04PM
Rating: +1/+3(Not bad)
I think a lot of people rate this place too high on nostalgia alone - on the bang-for-buck ratio, it was pretty low. The burger was good, but very small for the price; the fries were meh.
Great old-school burgers
Reviewer: anonymous 192.35.232.241
Review Date: 09/02/2005 11:18AM
Rating: +3/+3(Great)
One of the original burger joints in north austin. They also have good fried chicken and onion rings.
Cash only.