Top Notch--Info & Reviews
7525 Burnet Rd
Austin TX 78757
452-2181
- Service: Counter, curb
- Cuisine: Hamburgers, Fried Chicken, Hot Dogs
- Cash only
- Coke or Pepsi: Coke!
Overall Rating:
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)
Dazed and confused!!
Reviewer: Richard DeGrace
Review Date: 01/29/2011 01:25AM
Rating: +3/+3(Great)
This place in in the dazed and confused movie! It's got to be good!
Great Chicken, Good all else
Reviewer: RinceWind
Review Date: 10/05/2010 04:45PM
Rating: +2/+3(Goooood)
First I wanted to point out that the Notch is now open 7 days a week! That's right, you can now satisfy your cravings on Sunday! Yea!
I really like their fried chicken. Some of the best in town. I had the burgers and chicken fried steak, and they are passable. The CFS is OK, for a pre-frozen patty, but really great when you are a little short on time. They overstuff the little salad bowl that comes with it, so it really needs another packet of dressing.
Oh, yea, they now have "sweet" tea. No more tying up the drink line loading sugar into my cup before filling it.
Great burgers
Reviewer: Tori
Review Date: 09/13/2010 09:33PM
Rating: +3/+3(Great)
Nothing is better than a charcoal-grilled burger, fresh onion rings, and a fried pie! There is a reason this place has been around nearly 40 years.
lovey zee chicken
Reviewer: wina
Review Date: 04/24/2010 03:38AM
Rating: +3/+3(Great)
yes, really a "3". I love their fried chicken.... hot, tender, juicy.... hard toss up between burger, chicken, burger. Good place to satsify what ail's ya.
Best Burgers in Austin !
Reviewer: Marie Sanchez
Review Date: 11/10/2008 10:19PM
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
Review Date: 08/03/2008 12:20AM
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
Review Date: 04/02/2007 10:04PM
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
http://www.hooliganyouthreviews.blogspot.com
Review Date: 02/22/2007 10:50PM
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
Review Date: 10/17/2006 05:54PM
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
Review Date: 10/02/2006 05:16AM
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
Review Date: 05/24/2006 09:35PM
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
http://www.myspace.com/perdurabo93
Review Date: 04/12/2006 10:03PM
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
http://mdahmus.thebaba.com/blog/
Review Date: 09/15/2005 11:04PM
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
Review Date: 09/02/2005 04:18PM
Rating: +3/+3(Great)
One of the original burger joints in north austin. They also have good fried chicken and onion rings.
Cash only.
Same great Chicken and Burgers!
Reviewer: Melanie McNeary
http://www.austinish.com
Review Date: 03/12/2012 03:09AM
Rating: +3/+3(Great)
Don't pass this place up! Sometimes old-fashioned is a good thing, and such is the case at Top-Notch. Consistently good, no frills food. Try the fried chicken!