Monday, November 10, 2008

Hut's

Hut's is an Austin institution, a place that requires a pilgrimage to if you want to say you live in Austin. Founded in 1939 as Sammy's, they had dancing elephants on the wall, waffle fries, a drive in and apparently no pennants on the walls. But FriedEd has to admit, he has never been a big fan of Hut's burgers. But what he does like is the cozy atmosphere. It is a place that feels like it could be on the set of Happy Days and it just invites friends to sit back and share stories for hours.

On this night the Odyssey set a new record as we were joined by two other people, a first for the Odyssey shattering the previous record of 1 guest. And these guests were not just any guests, they were rock stars with a real actual band celebrating their one week anniversary of rocking the Hole In the Wall (mmm, bar blog........). Their was RadRod and the Frank the Salvo. RadRod demonstrated an important rule: When ordering a burger with a sunny side egg on it, it is important to remember this when you take your first bite to avoid a great deal of confusion. RadRod guest writes below and he can tell you all about it.

As to the burger, FriedEd went with Hut's Favorite which includes lettuce, tomato, mayo, cheese, and bacon. This was a tough call as Hut's has 20 burger choices, some of them quite creative, but the HF is the most popular one and since FriedEd dreams one day of being popular, he always goes with the popular thing. Hut's patties are juicy but a little on the watery side. For such an old place, I have always felt that Hut's should have a little more taste to their burgers. Their fries are thick cut and tasty but I recommend using the salt on them liberally.
Hut's really makes a statement with their Onion Rings that run about the size of a doughnut. If you like eating big chunks of onion then these are for you. Despite the low grade I give Hut's burgers, I will always go back there as it just feels like a good old high school hangout.

Burger: 80
Fries: 82
Atmosphere: 90

BurgerMatt

As mentioned above we had the honor of having two rock stars embark on the Odyssey. The bass guitar player and the lead singer of Romance Fantasy, (they are playing in Houston December 6th at Fitzgerald's, I know shameless plug.) The historical and famous Hut's burger did not disappoint on the hype as one of the best burger joints in Austin. The atmosphere was was second to none, filled with nostalgia from the multiple pictures of Austin's history on the wall to the Bison's head that is older then some of our readers. Multiple burger choices add to lore of this renowned spot, with a number of best burger restaurant awards on the walls.

As I ordered one of the suggested burgers that came with mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato. and pickles, does it get anymore classic , I was really exited to get a true sense of Hut's. While the burger was good it did lack the extra star power that I was looking for. The hype was high and the restaurant stood up to the challenge, however the burger was not quite there. Lacking in flavor this burger was ok and I would go back to try some of the other many burgers they have to offer, but they still cannot reach the bar set by Jack's. The fries were nice steak fries with skin still on but lacked flavor as well and needed seasoning.

A major plus was beer available at the bar and a knowledgeable staff that really made the experience very enjoyable. I have to say I am torn with my burger and the experience. We stayed and hung out an extra hour after dinner not wanting to leave the place. I am reserving the right to come back and try one of the burgers with jalapenos on them.

Burger: 82

Fries: 79 add salt and they move to 80

Guest Rock Star: Rod Pardey

The search for the perfect burger is somewhat of a quixotic quest. Humbly, I have accepted Matt and Ed's invitation to critique one of Austin's most enduring landmarks.

Emeril Lagasse appeared on Good Morning America to lavish praise upon this Austin institution, and the readership of the Austin Chronicle have for the most part agreed. But to these eyes, Hut's is a rather mixed bag. Has hype once again played a dirty trick upon our judgement? Nevertheless, Hut's is on point in more ways than it is not. Their ingredients (buns included!) are very fresh, and the enthusiasm of their service is uncommon for a restaurant with prices this low. The atmosphere seems a perfect cross between American Graffiti and a dusty town straight out of The Last Picture Show - but, alas, minus the prom queen. That is to say, Hut's may have over-performed in surveys and internet prattle partly because of what it represents, or tries to represent: An America that once was.

Final note:
Next week the Odyssey goes to a famous landmark, for those of you who are into movies you might know this place from one of the most influential movies of our times which lead to launching the career's of so many famous actors. An Austin landmark and one that is sure to get more people to come out, we have six people already on the list, this should be the best one yet.
I will give you a hint, I've been Dazed and Confused for so long.

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