The 10 Best Burgers In Austin Right Now: Your Essential 2025 Guide To ATX’s Top Smash Burgers And Gourmet Classics

The Austin burger scene is constantly evolving, blending classic Texas beef tradition with new-school culinary techniques like the viral smashburger trend. As of December 2025, the competition for the title of "Best Burger in ATX" has never been fiercer, with food trucks and gourmet restaurants alike pushing the boundaries of what a great patty can be.

This definitive guide cuts through the noise to bring you the most current and essential list of Austin’s top burger joints, focusing on the spots that have dominated critics' lists and local buzz, including the surprising winner of the latest city-wide Burger Bash. Whether you crave a monstrous, charbroiled beast or a delicate, perfectly seared smash patty, your next favorite bite is on this list.

The 2025 Burger Elite: 10 Must-Try Austin Burger Joints

Austin is a city of distinct burger personalities, from old-school diners serving no-frills classics to high-end eateries crafting gourmet masterpieces. This list highlights the essential stops for any serious burger enthusiast, with a special nod to the newest award winners.

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• JABS Burgers (The 2025 Champion): Known for their perfectly smashed, crispy-edged patties. JABS was the big winner at the 2025 Austin Monthly Burger Bash, taking home both the Judges' Pick and People's Choice Awards. Their success is built on premium, all-natural Creekstone Farms beef and their signature JABS sauce.
• Patty Palace (Smash Burger Royalty): A favorite among locals for a true, no-gimmicks smash burger. Their signature PALACE BURGER features a thin, crusty patty, American cheese, grilled onions, and a soft, slightly chewy potato bun, setting the standard for the modern Austin smashburger.
• Casino El Camino (The Legendary Monster): A downtown institution, this spot is famous for its huge, juicy, 12-ounce charbroiled Angus beef patties. The "Buffalo Burger," smothered in hot wing sauce and blue cheese, is a legendary choice, often cited as one of the best in the nation.
• LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue (The BBQ Fusion): Located in South Austin, this "New School BBQ" spot offers the iconic L&L Burger. It features a smoked beef patty, American cheese, caramelized onions, pickles, and a tangy Barbecue Mayonnaise, perfectly marrying the worlds of BBQ and the classic cheeseburger.
• Clark's Oyster Bar (The Gourmet Splurge): While primarily a seafood restaurant, Clark's is equally famous for its high-end, pan-roasted black Angus hamburger. It’s an incredibly juicy and flavorful experience, featuring Texas-raised beef, melt-in-your-mouth cheese, and Clark's special sauce on a homemade bun.
• JewBoy Burgers (The New Mexican Twist): Blending Jewish and New Mexican flavors, JewBoy offers one of Austin’s most unique burger concepts. Their signature burgers often feature Hatch green chile, which provides a memorable spicy kick that sets them apart from the traditional fare.
• Dirty Martin's Place (The Classic Diner): Operating since 1926, Dirty Martin's (formerly Dirty Martin's Kum-Bak) is an Austin landmark near the UT campus. It serves classic, no-frills, charbroiled hamburgers that taste like pure nostalgia—a must for anyone seeking an authentic, old-school diner experience.
• Pool Burger (The Tiki Escape): Located at a tiki bar, Pool Burger offers a unique, laid-back atmosphere with surprisingly excellent burgers. Their patties are thin, flavorful, and perfect for a casual afternoon or late-night bite, often paired with their famous frozen cocktails.
• Hopdoddy Burger Bar (The Craft Burger Pioneer): A local chain that helped popularize the "craft burger" concept in Austin. Hopdoddy uses all-natural meats and offers creative combinations like the Magic Shroom Burger or the El Diablo, making it a reliable choice for a high-quality, customizable experience.
• Cuantas Hamburguesas (The Simple Perfection): This food truck has gained a massive following for its simple, yet perfect, Mexican-style hamburgers. They focus on quality ingredients and a straightforward approach, proving that sometimes less is truly more in the world of beef and bun.

The Rise of the Smash Burger and New Entrants

The biggest story in the Austin burger landscape in 2025 is the undisputed dominance of the smash burger. This style, characterized by a thin patty that is literally "smashed" onto a hot griddle to create a Maillard reaction crust, has become the new gold standard for many local foodies. The intense, caramelized flavor and crispy edges are what fans crave.

The success of JABS Burgers and Patty Palace exemplifies this trend. These spots focus on the technique, using high-quality ground beef and simple toppings to let the flavor of the beef and the crust shine. The movement is a clear shift away from the thick, medium-rare steakhouse-style burger that dominated menus a decade ago.

Beyond the smash specialists, the city’s culinary diversity continues to produce exciting new entrants and unique concepts. For instance, the pop-up "Not a Damn Chance Burger," a collaboration between a pro skateboarder and a celebrated chef, offers a high-pedigree, limited-run burger that keeps the scene fresh and competitive. Meanwhile, places like Odd Duck continue to offer non-traditional, seasonal burgers that challenge the definition of a classic handheld.

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Topical Authority: Understanding Austin’s Burger Ecosystem

To truly appreciate the best burgers in Austin, you have to understand the different sub-genres and the local entities that define them. The city’s burger scene is a microcosm of its food culture: diverse, high-quality, and fiercely local. The topical authority of this list rests on recognizing these distinct categories.

The BBQ-Infused Burger

In Texas, barbecue is king, and it was only a matter of time before it merged with the burger. LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, a trailblazer in the "New School BBQ" movement, uses its smoking expertise to create a patty with a depth of flavor that a standard grill can't achieve. Other spots, like Moreno BBQ, have also found success by incorporating their smoked meats or unique BBQ sauces into their burger offerings, giving the traditional cheeseburger a distinctly Central Texas twist.

The Old-School Institutions

No modern list is complete without honoring the classics. Dirty Martin's Place and Casino El Camino represent the historical pillars of the Austin burger scene. Dirty Martin's offers comfort and tradition, while Casino El Camino is the go-to for a massive, late-night, bar-style burger that has been praised by national food critics like Guy Fieri. These institutions provide a necessary contrast to the newer, trendier joints.

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Gourmet and High-End Options

Austin’s fine dining scene often hides a surprisingly excellent burger. Clark's Oyster Bar is the prime example, where the simplicity of a perfectly sourced and prepared patty is elevated by its context and quality ingredients, such as Texas-raised beef and a house-made bun. Similarly, the Loro Burger, a collaboration between two James Beard Award winners, brings smokehouse techniques to a gourmet level, proving that a burger can be a sophisticated culinary event.

Vegan and Veggie Burger Alternatives

While beef dominates, Austin is also known for its plant-based options. Many of the top burger spots now offer high-quality veggie burger alternatives that go beyond the standard frozen patty. This inclusion is crucial for a complete picture of the ATX burger scene, catering to all dietary preferences while maintaining a focus on quality and flavor.

Ultimately, the "best burger in Austin" is a title that changes hands frequently, reflecting the city’s dynamic culinary landscape. Whether you are seeking the award-winning smash of JABS, the massive classic from Casino El Camino, or the smoky sophistication of a LeRoy and Lewis patty, Austin offers a world-class burger for every craving.

Relevant Entities and LSI Keywords:

• Smashburger
• Gourmet Burgers
• East Austin
• South Congress
• Zilker
• Creekstone Farms Beef
• Hatch Green Chile
• Barbecue Mayonnaise
• Charbroiled Angus Beef
• Potato Bun
• Food Truck Burgers
• Austin Monthly Burger Bash
• New School BBQ
• JewBoy Burgers
• Hopdoddy
• Pool Burger
• Loro
• Odd Duck
• Cuantas Hamburguesas
• Not a Damn Chance Burger
• Classic Cheeseburger
• ATX Food Scene