Steak 'n Shake - Austin, TX

Steak 'n Shake has been a favorite of mine since we used to stop there in Indianapolis when I was a kid. I was very happy to see one in Austin Texas on a recent trip and felt compelled to stop by and see if it still held the magic it did when I was young. I am happy to report it does.

First of all, Steak 'n Shake, sets out to set itself apart from the other burger chains. The signs inside read “Famous for Steakburgers”. I ordered a double Steak 'n Cheese Burger with fries. $3.99. But instead of ordering from a drive up window (which they also have) or at a counter, they actually have table service. And here in Austin, the service was polite and speedy. I also ordered a chocolate milkshake $2.99 and a side of baked beans $1.69.

The food came before I could even finish my notes about the clean restaurant trimmed out in black, red and white. The food serves up on an actual plate, not in a paper box. The burger tasted yummy, with crisp toasted bun, tender flavorful beef from “real cuts of steak”, and fresh and crisp pickle, lettuce, tomato and onion. There was no sauce but Ketchup and mustard were at the table. The skinny shoestring fries were crisp and light, but a little tepid. The beans brimmed with the taste of onion and bacon. The shake towered over the table, a creamy chocolate confection with a mound of whipped cream on top.

The place was cheerful on this Friday night. Families filled the place and bubbly staff kept it hopping. Yes, Steak 'n Shake still has the magic.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3 spatulas
Shake 5 spatulas

Steak N Shake
Bldg E, 9300 S I H 35
Austin, TX 78748-1751
(512) 291-8095
www.steaknshake.com

Slider Bar Cafe - Palo Alto, CA

Slider Bar Café in Palo Alto recently opened on the popular main drag, University Street. There were countless restaurants bustling on a Friday night, including this place. A striking, high ceilinged room welcomes folks to the café. We sat at the bar as all the tables were full. Slider Bar Café has a sophisticated take on the slider concept, also serving several micro brew type beers and mid-level wines. If you sit at the bar, the friendly bar tender will take your order and get your wine, while you watch the soccer game or ESPN on the flat screens behind the counter. If you sit at a table, you have to order at the counter, take a number and have the food brought out later.

Pat and I ordered up three sliders: the Classic American $2.89, a plain Classic American and a Mediterranean $3.69. The price drops for each additional slider you get. For instance, for the American, one slider costs $2.89. Two are $5.29. Three will set you back $7.49 and a dozen are $28. We also ordered baked fries $1.99. They don’t have a fryer.

The order got messed up in the back and took about 15 minutes to come out, but we didn’t really mind. The beer and wine were good, the young lady at the counter charming and the other customers friendly. When the sliders did arrive, the burgers were nicely arranged on the white plate. A little more than 3” in diameter, the little burgers are artfully and carefully constructed. On my American Classic, the yellow bun was squishy and fresh. The Niman Ranch all natural beef patty, was thick and nicely cooked to medium. On top was the melted American cheese. Stuffed underneath the patty were shredded lettuce, tomato, onion and a crisp pickle chip. A little mayo lubed the thing up. The burger was quite enjoyable.

The Mediterranean was a combo of flavors I had not had before on a burger: garlic and ginger spiced lamb was accompanied by Bleu cheese, artichokes, tomatoes, red onions and garlic sauce. But the nicest touch were the sliced black olives, which I don’t usually like.

The baked fries were surprisingly good, served up in a little silver pail. They were thin and light and not the limp soggy things I expected.

Two sliders, baked fries and a beer, I could get used to hanging out at the Slider Bar Café and enjoy it.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5.
Fries 3.5 spatulas

Slider Bar Café
324 University Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94031
650-322-7300
www.sliderbarcafe.com

Jack's Prime Burgers & Shakes - San Mateo, CA

Jack’s Prime Burger’s & Shakes in San Mateo, CA came highly recommended by a fellow burger enthusiast. I wasted no time in getting my self to the clean, modern looking place to give a burger a try. Jack himself greeted me at the door and showed me to a wood-tabled booth. I compliment Jack for not going for the faux chrome-and-white-tile 50’s diner look, but rather a more authentic and classy mid-century vibe in the converted shell of the old hubcap store on El Camino Real.

A diminutive young lady with a British accent, like Jack’s, quickly took my order of Jack’s Prime Classic Cheeseburger ($9.00 with bacon added). It also comes with shoestring fries. The fries are normally $2.50 on their own, but there are a whole host of other sides offered including onion rings, sweet potato fries, fried pickles (all $3.95 each) or Irish Nacho Fries ($4.50). My server nicely offered to make my fries a half and half with onion rings. Perusing the menu, I am intrigued to go back and order the Ultimate Bacon Burger with maple bacon mayo and bacon in the burger.

The burger was delivered to my table in less than ten minutes on an impressive plate with fries, onion rings and fixings, which included pickle strips placed artfully in an X, lettuce, tomato slices and onion. The crisp and tasty bacon sat on top of melted American cheese. The bun was puffy white with an X cut in the top. The patty itself is made from 1/3 pound of Meyer Ranch natural Angus Beef. It is not ground on site, but brought to the store and cooked fresh. I found the burger to be cooked perfect medium, juicy and flavorful. The Thousand-island inspired sauce was updated with what I think was a little dill for a nice twist. Among lots of new burger places lately, this the best new burger on the Peninsula since the Counter opened in Palo Alto.

The onion rings were beer battered and crisp with sweet onion in the middle. The first were a little too thick for what I would call shoestring – more about the size of MacDonald’s fries. They were hot and fine, but not as outstanding as the burger.

I will definitely be returning to Jack’s. I liked the vibe as much as the burger.

Burger 4.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3 Spatulas
Onion Rings 3.5 spatulas

Jack’s Prime Burger’s & Shakes
3723 S. El Camino Real
San Mateo, CA 94403
650-638-1479
www.jacksprime.com

Burger Bar - Macy's San Francisco, CA

The Burger Bar recently opened to much fanfare in San Francisco. One Friday afternoon I took the crowded elevator to the sixth floor of Macy’s on Union Square. I almost couldn’t get off with the crowd waiting to get in the restaurant. I went in and noticed no one sitting at the tables, but the hostess quoting a half hour wait for a table. So I sat at the bar without waiting. There was lots to look at with a full compliment of booze behind the bar and memorabilia for sale.

After perusing the menu I chose the basic Black Angus Beef Burger ($9.75). I added Swiss cheese (75 cents), Bacon ($1.15) and got it on the sesame bun. The choices of buns (6), cheeses (8) and other toppings were endless. They even offer a half lobster ($12). I also ordered buttermilk onion rings ($3.55).

The burger arrived very quickly and I dug right in. The burger patty was thick and pink and perfectly cooked. It was especially light and airy and had not been over-packed like so many often are. The bacon was crisp and all the topping, lettuce onion and tomato were fresh and crisp. The sesame bun was toasted and firm, but fresh. I must say t is one of the better burgers I have tasted this year.

The onion rings were also fabulous. Crisp batter covered sweet and juicy onions.

Next time, I think I will go for one of the many combo burgers, maybe the Rossini with Kobe beef, sautéed foie gras and truffles for $60. But more likely, I will try the Country Natural made with sustainable beef for $10.50.

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Onion Rings 5 spatulas

Burger Bar
6th Floor of Macy’s
251 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-296-4271
www.burgerbarlv.com

Oasis Double Cheeseburger always good.

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Hegen Burger, Oakland, CA

Hegenburger

Double Hegenburger $5.45
Fries $1.25
Onion Rings $1.75
Ranch Dressing $.55

Near the entrance to the Oakland Airport you can drive right past this place. In a somewhat seedy strip, the place is immaculate on the inside. Everything is made of old laminate and wood paneling, but is spotless. Classical music plays on the overhead speakers. 

The burger is served neatly wrapped at your table in a neat little red and white basket. The burger patties come with your standard lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles. Mayo is the loan condiment but you can add mustard or ketchup at your table. 

The burger was very good. Just the right balance of fresh tasting beef and American cheese. It was hard to get my mouth around the stack. Fries were thin, hot but nothing special. I liked the onion rings a little better. Small, battered, thin, crips and hot. 

I really liked this comfortable old shoe of a place. 

Burger 3.5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 2.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 3 spatulas

Hegenburger
280 Hegenberger Rd.
Oakland, CA 94622
510-569-9115