Every once in a while (ok, maybe a little more often than once in a while) I get a serious craving for a cheeseburger. This week that craving hit hard, so I decided to check out the new kid on the block, Flat Top Burger Shop. I love it when new businesses take over an old building site and repurpose it into something fun and that’s exactly what Flat Top did. They took over an old gas station on Manor Rd, just east of I-35, and remodeled it into a cute burger joint that reminds me of a 1950s drive-in. The booth and picnic bench seating are comfortable and casual and the red-white-and-blue color scheme is all American.
The menu is simple: a burger or cheeseburger that comes in two sizes, with the meat options of original beef or grass-fed beef, chicken or a vegan patty and all the typical burger fixins’. The burger was very tasty, with onions cooked into the meat. The french fries are hand cut with the skins on and one order is enough to share. They also serve onion rings, fresh-squeezed lemonade and, my absolute favorite side dish to a burger – Blue Bell ice cream shakes! I tried the Vanilla and it was sweet, thick and creamy.
I think Flat Top is going to do quite well, especially since it is in good company. Its neighbors include several well established places such as El Chile Cafe, Vivo, East Side Cafe and Hoover’s Cooking. I can picture this place being a great hangout when the weather is nice – with the garage doors raised up, the entire restaurant is open to the outside. I also like that “restaurant row” on Manor Rd now has an option that is very casual and quick – at Flat Top, you just order at the window, so it’s great if you want to grab something to go. Flat Top Burger Shop is a good addition to the Cherrywood neighborhood and has earned its place in the list of great Austin burger joints.
When you get a craving for a burger, what comes to your mind? What’s your favorite burger joint in Austin? Tell me in the comments below.
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