Hat Creek Burger Company

Stopped by here on the way from Bull Creek Park. The playscape is hard to miss from 360, and the promise of being able to play… My kid is automatically «in» to come.
It’s a Sunday and the place seems to be having a large family reunion of sorts on the patio. The wait in line was about 10 mins. But mostly cause it’s crowded. I order a big hat with cheddar and avacado, get the kid a grill cheese and select a beer that is much darker than I expected. Everything on the menu can be ordered a la carte. And the kids prices are fair considering the size of the items.
I would like to note that the «big hat» means you are getting a double burger. It reminds me of Whataburger in a way, cause the mustard over powers. I’m more of a mayo girl. So I’ll remember in the future to order it amended as such. Dig the fries. They are slender and crunchy. I will add that the food comes out flipping fast. They have a good assembly line to keep the food coming out! Overall pretty cool place. great for kids. :)

Love wrapped in lettuce.
Today, my dog passed away. For three years he was the one gleaming ray of buttery sunshine in my otherwise gloomy, malaise-​filled life. I talked to him, and when I talked, I always knew he understood me. His chestnut-​brown eyes always flashed playful curiosity when I’d weep, tilting his head ever-​so-​slightly — as if to show me that my problems could never be insurmountable as long as he was by my side.
After the drunk driver hit him near PK’s Acupuncture & Wellness Center located on the 1000 block of West 11^th Street, I held him in my arms. His failing heart trying desperately to match the beat of my own. I called for help. Nobody came. Cars drove hurriedly by as I waved, clutching him in one arm. Nobody got out. As I felt his strength slowly seep from his body, I looked down at him, into those familiar chestnut eyes. The playful curiosity gone now, replaced by a reluctant acceptance of the inevitable. His paw reached up and softly brushed away a stubborn tear dribbling down my cheek before it, too, weakly fell limp. He was gone.
After the funeral, I stopped at Hat Creek and ordered their turkey burger with grilled onions and jalapenos at no extra charge. I decided to turn a new leaf (pun intended) and get it «skinny» with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun. The lettuce could not have been crispier nor the waitstaff friendlier. I know the grief counseling speaks of taking it «one day at a time,» but I am going to go one step further and say grief can be cured one lettuce-​wrapped turkey burger at a time.
I will return.
RIP Sox.

Great atmosphere; big back deck and playground. Ample parking, although a terrible spot to exit from unless you want to go north on 360.
I was impressed with the service too and the home brewed cherry limeade (which was delicious). They also cold ferment their own sauerkraut which were also great.
That being said, I was a little underwhelmed with the size of the burger, the plain-​ness of the bun (Mrs. Baird’s type) and the putting cold sauerkraut on a hot burger didn’t quite work. I get keeping the kraut raw for probiotic purposes, but it would work better warmed up.
I was also disappointed that the beef was not all natural (hormone/​anti-​biotic free). If it was, they need to do a much better job of promoting that. Personally I would have paid $ 2 – 3 more for a bigger burger with all natural beef on a better bun with warmed kraut.
The sweet potato fries were great. Given the plentiful burger options in Austin, while I was overall satisfied, I’m not 100% sure I’ll return.

It was a little hard to find. They need to put a disclaimer on this place that it used to be where the pink flamingos were. And the place is named after the Hat Creek Cattle Company in «Lonesome Dove.» And who doesn’t like that!
The service was just fine. The atmosphere is fine. It is especially good for kids. The kids can run around in a safe environment while the parents eat.
I had the big hat burger. It was fine. I tried the Hat sauce and the Happy sauce and they didn’t add anything. The fries were very good but it was a lot of scraps, not full fries.
So, on average, everything at Hat Creek was just fine. It was not anything memorable and I don’t think I would make a special effort to go back.
Slightly upturned face.

We decided to try this place after hearing good things and I was craving a burger. The burgers and fries were ok, not great. But the service was fabulous and the kids really enjoyed the playground. My one big complaint is the lack of bathrooms. One bathroom for a location this big and lots of kids? Makes zero sense to me. We may try a different location due to this one being far from the house.

My favorite turkey burger in Austin! Friendly service, great atmosphere indoors and out, love the fries… and the Nanner Puddin’ milkshake completes the experience! My only wish is that my son could eat something here. He has allergies to both eggs and nuts, and nothing seems to be safe for him. Boo.

I have come here a few times for breakfast and have also tried their turkey burger for lunch. I like the fact that the food seems to be pretty fresh as far as the ingredients. I like being able to grab quality healthy food drive thru. This is pretty rare as you usually have to sacrifice quality for convenience. Prices are very reasonable.

Best turkey burgers in town, period. The seasoning on the patty is what makes it. I prefer a single, but if you are craving more meat you can always order a double. The chicken flashers are also excellent! I don’t want to call them nuggets because they are recognizably all white meat chicken breasts, not heavily breaded, but very well seasoned. (Recommend trying their ‘happy sauce’ with both – it’s their own blend of 3 mustards which makes the perfect Dijon). I love the sour tang of their cherry limeade, but my BF swears by their milkshakes. I haven’t had one thing off the menu I did not enjoy.
Impeccably clean inside, though the building is small, and there’s at least one large screen tv if you want to catch the game while there. Parking can be a little bit tight on weekends or weekday lunch hours, but they also have a drive-​thru! Good stuff, will definitely continue to go back

Our disappointment began in the parking lot.
Driving a truck is getting harder to do these days with the tiny spaces and lack of maneuverability.
Walking in we were expecting a real restaurant, what it is a loud kiddie burger barn.
25 minutes after ordering, enduring screaming, running kids, and wondering out loud how long does it take, we were presented with two burgers, a regular and a sweet potato fry.
While it was edible, we see no reason to return.
If you have children that like to run wildly with no concern for others then this is the place for you.

Tonight was me and my fiancé’s first time at Hat Creek and we were so impressed!!! Our cashier Marquis (not sure of spelling, please forgive me!) was SO nice and helpful. We told him it was our first time and after welcoming us, he walked us through the whole menu and gave us a sample of all of their delicious beers, which are provided by the brewery in the same parking lot.
Our food arrived quickly and was all delicious! The burgers and fries were just as we’d ordered and hot, too! My fiancé got a milkshake also, which he raved about.
The tables were all super clean, the playground looked well cared for and clean as well. The other patrons in the restaurant were kind and their children well behaved.
All in all, a really great experience! Can’t wait to come for their Thurs happy hour!
Marquis (again, I wish I’d asked for the spelling of his name) was such a wonderful host and made us feel welcome and was clearly proud of his restaurant. Really a bright spot in our experience.

Amazing customer service, amazing local brews from Strange Land and the burgers are the best we’ve ever had. My fiancé is a die hard born and raised in CA «In & Out Burger» fanatic, he has officially admitted to Hat Creek being better than In & Out Burger… Never thought I’d hear the day… Everything we’ve tried has been great.

i wish Unilocal would allow us to give ½ stars because this spot deserves at least a 3.5. And if you figure in price and ambiance — i would give it a solid 4. I just don’t get that excited by fast food burgers but this is one of the better places in Austin for just that. The porch is a great spot to hang out with co-​workers and the food comes pretty quickly.

Amazing! We were in town and tried it for the first time upon request of family who lives in the area. We tried the turkey burger, chicken sandwich and chicken flashers for the kids and then the following day pancakes and eggs/​bacon and dammmn it was good! We went there a total of three times on a two night stay. It was on the pricier side for fast food but the quality was top notch as was the customer service. Will definitely return when in the area again!

Customer service is a little to be desired.
My partner dropped his debit card in between the counter and cooler and we were told that they could move the cooler and grab the card. We left our name and number with I assume the manager. He said we would get a call in a little while that day.
After about three hours I called up there to see if there was any progress and was told that no they haven’t even tried and they more then likely would not get to it.
THEN DONT TELL CUSTOMERS THAT YOU WOULD TRY!!!
I will never return to the place again.
Ps YOUR FRIES ARE AWFUL!

Phenomenal! For burgers they are The best! Great food! Great service! Best kickback atmosphere for family’s! Big play area! Love this place and can’t believe I waited so long to come! We most definitely be back!!! Ohhh and they do skinny style burgers!

Lunch time with coworkers and one mentioned this place. Went and on the way in heard someone in the drive thru ordering sweet potato fries. They get 5 stars for that alone. I’m a petite lady but I should have gotten 2 burger patties since the Little Burger was good — but a mite little too little. Taste was excellent though, so great job Hat Creek. Waitstaff/​cashiers were friendly and attentive even with a lunch crowd. Outside patio was not too cold due to the powerful heaters, so that was a nice touch.
Only star taken away is for the restroom situation. Was a little on the unkempt side and the fact that the door opens full on frontal to the toilet (no blocking views if you happen to forget to lock the door — hello sweet cheeks!) was a little disconcerting.
I’ll visit again though — wins over my typical P. Terry burger run by a long shot.

I look at the previous reviews and I’m not sure people understand how amazing Hat Creek really is. I see a bunch of 3 stars and a smattering of 4. I really don’t know what that’s about. This is one of the best hamburger joints in Austin. Yeah, I went there.
I put this in my go-to’s in it’s class. Tier 1 is solely occupied by Hoppdoddy’s (I doubt anyone can fault me on this. Anyone.). Tier 2 is occupied by Hat Creek, P Terry’s, Five Guys, Wholly Cow (great find, by the way), Shake Shack, local bars, and In-​n-​Out. Tier 3 is junk stuff like McDonalds, Burger King, etc. you get the idea.
For Tier 2 burgers, Hat Creek is leaps and bounds above everyone else. The closest I can recall would be Wholly Cow but even then, Hat Creek is above them.
Let’s start with the burger. Extremely well crafted, well proportioned and filling. I always go with the Big Hat whenever possible, always with pickles. The pickles are pickled in-​house and done pro-​biotically. One of the best I’ve ever tasted; I usually will spring for a separate pickle during the visit. (That being said, I will say that the pickles are for sale at Whole Foods, but I don’t recommend buying a batch yet. They’re vastly different and the texture is off. And mushy. :shudder:) Meat is perfectly balanced with the rest of the sandwich and I never have found myself wondering where the burger went. This part is the most important! I like to taste the flavors that are there, balancing each other out, I don’t want dressing to drown out the lettuce or, heaven forbid, the burger. This I find is the most egregious sin that many Tier 2 burgers commit.
Fries are awesome. I find them in-​between shoestring and regular fries, and just overall downright delicious. Crisp with substance, I can eat these all day with a milkshake…
Speaking of milkshakes, they have a varying menu of milkshakes with sizes all the way to kiddy which satisfies my very small sweet tooth very easily. I recommend trying a few with your burger. Drinks served also include beer, soda, and juice (i think.). Recently they did away with their Cherry Limeade which I was kind of disappointed in, but their milkshakes helped with that.
The rest of the menu is equally delicious, but at risk of writing too long of an entry (which this is currently at risk of becoming), I only wanted to write what I normally get. Other really good recommendations would be the Chicken Flashers and Patty Melt. Great choices.
Downsides (because everyone has them):
–parking. IT’S ALWAYS CROWDED. But this is often true of many good eateries in Austin.
-…nothing else that I can think of.
And let me top it with the mindset of Hat Creek. Any company that gives it’s left overs to those in need at the end of the day, gets at least some consideration from me.
TL; DR: Yes, I rank this above Shake Shack. I’m too busy eating a Big Hat Burger with fries and a milkshake to hear, much less address, your objections.

Visiting for the first time in many months and was pleased to see many improvements on their menu and layout. The burger still remains delicious and their absolute staple. I went at an off peak time and got the low down on all sorts of changes.
Cherry limeade is on tap and not in one of those loose lidded dispensers of the past –still unlimited refills. Sweet and regular tea as well, plus a variety of suggested milkshakes. They now have a TINY sized 9 oz shake, which is perfect for those younger kids who earned a shake, but could never finish a 12 oz one anyway. We ordered the s’mores shake. Delicious.
It is a popular place to get the kids out playing in a fenced in area. The patio is the bulk of the seating and new, lacquered picnic tables make it easy to clean and prevent chairs from knocking over when crowded. Downside to that change is limited places to put a high chair, and this place is frequently filled with young kids, so I suspect the aisles can get crowded at times with high chairs bookending every picnic table. They also have enclosed the patio with large clear windows –not sure if this is just for winter, or a long term approach, but it works right now as a great noise break from 360.
Service was excellent. Food was great. Four stars instead of five because it is more pricey than I would like, parking is difficult when crowded, and two toilet stalls and their location for the volume of customers it supports –especially young kids who have to go urgently and take a while in their «process» –can create a real bottle neck in their otherwise well run operation.
Happy to see their emphasis on the local community and presence at all sorts of kids sporting events too.

This is good, although pricey, for a drive-​thru burger. My meal (double burger, fries, and a drink) cost me $ 10.80. I love that they also offer tacos, salads, and other non-​burger fare. The man that took my order was honestly one of the nicest drive-​thru employees I’ve ever had the pleasure of interacting with. My meal didn’t taste like a typical fast food burger (which is a good thing!). I’d recommend Hat Creek if you are in the area.

Hat Creek Burger is hard to find as it’s tucked away into a forested corner. There is a drive through for those taking away, they have a large covered patio with three large flat screen TV’s, and a tree shaded large kids play ground. The interior of this space is cheerfully decorate in bright red and wood, and was extremely clean for a fast food spot. The staff were incredibly friendly, the lady at the cash register was super helpful (nicest fast food staff member ever!). Later in the evening she even came out to let us know the kitchen was closing to see if we wanted to order anything else.
The menu is simplistic. They even have some wine and beer selections. I was curious about the chicken flashers — they can’t call them chicken nuggets because they actually use real chicken. Plus, extra bonus they are gluten free! They make everything to order, not heat lamps, and use very fresh ingredients. They even change up the lettuce for the salad several times a day to ensure it’s never limp –impressive. I ordered the spinach + strawberry salad w/​chicken flashers (highly recommended by the staff), and my friends ordered a hamburger and chicken burger (choice of white or wheat bun). We shared a mixed order of fries = regular fries with sweet potato fries. Interesting note, they brine their own pickles — which were quite tasty.
The style of hamburgers here are thin patties. So if you like big juicy meat patties, you most likely won’t be happy here. Also, the fries are the thin crispy kind, which I like, and found tasty, not too oily. My friends thought the hamburger and chicken burger were OK, but the winner of the night was my salad and the chicken flashers. I don’t usually like spinach salad, but I loved this one. I never thought I would find such a fresh crisp spinach salad at a place like this. They even slice the strawberries up fresh when ordered. The chicken flashers were moist and yummy all white chicken meat. I will definitely be coming back for more of these. All of this was enjoyed outside with the twinkling lights in the trees in their outside patio. I just wish they staid open later than 9:30pm! I will be returning with my furry friends next time as they are allowed outside.