Top Notch

TLDR: Appropriate name, give it a try.Good food with that old burger joint atmosphere going on. It has a bit of grime and stuffiness that you would expect. Staff is friendly, but service can be a little slow, so be prepared for that. I've seen other reviews comment on how long food takes to get out. They may have had other orders going on, but we really couldn't tell. The vibes are nice and the food was hot so we were ok with it. There's plenty of seating and I haven't seen Top Notch get crowded yet.The vegetarian options are limited, but they do exist. I enjoyed my veggie burger enough that I'd come back. I'm told the standard cheeseburger is delicious too. This isn't a place that I'd personally drive out of my way for, but it is a solid burger joint if you happen to be in the area.

As a long-time fan of 1950s-style drive-in burger joints, I got very interested in checking this place out when several fellow drive-in fans suggested that I might appreciate the taste of their food. I decided to pay them a visit recently, and I'm sorry to say I'm not ready to drink their Kool-Aid :-(To sum it all up, Top Notch seems like nothing more than a glorified Checkers. Here's why:1) The burger i ordered (and had such high hopes for) was barely AOK; probably no higher than a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10.2) My burger was priced like something I might have ordered in a fancy restaurant with white-linen table cloths, not the non-exceptional fast-food that it is.3) To add insult to injury, my sub-par food took almost 20 minutes to arrive after I'd ordered it...To be fair, while their burgers aren't anything to write home about, their onion rings are excellent. They're obviously fresh, well-battered, and fried to a perfect golden-brown. That said, the price tag is more like what you'd expect for a caviar appetizer than a fast-food side-order.My visit to Top Notch was a total disappointment - it's one and done for me.

Best onion rings in town. They are freshly made by hand. So is the fried chicken. The burgers are charbroiled which is difficult to find in Austin unless you go to bk. I'm going to have to try the shake next time.

Top Notch Burger: A Solid, Classic Burger with Fresh IngredientsTop Notch Burger delivers on a simple, old-fashioned burger experience and proudly advertises their charcoal grilling. While the burger itself had a nice balance of juicy meat, melted cheese, and fresh veggies, it lacked the bold charcoal flavor I expected.A standout detail was the addition of shredded lettuce and tomato, which worked well with the other ingredients, adding a fresh, satisfying texture to each bite. The bun was toasted, though it could have used a bit more crunch to enhance the overall experience.The fries were decent but needed a bit more salt to bring out their flavor--good, but nothing particularly memorable. The onion rings, which I spotted at another table, looked promising, and I'll definitely have to come back to try their other signature item: fried chicken.Overall, Top Notch serves up a straightforward, nostalgic burger with fresh ingredients. If you're after a classic, no-frills meal, it's worth a stop--just don't expect a strong charcoal taste despite the advertising.

Still one of the best in Austin, Top Notch is just an excellent local staple off Burnet. It's unpretentious, simple and does that incredibly well. And best of all, it's never changed. Flame broiled burgers, good fries, shakes and drinks. They have a bunch of other offerings (fried chicken, shrimp, hotdogs even) but I've never stayed from their classic cheeseburger. It's so simple yet perfect in that aspect, with a proper flame broiled taste. It's got a ton of character, and the only modification I've made in 10+ years of coming here now is to always order a side of special sauce for the fries (protip). Despite Austin's ever changing landscape Top Notch has stayed true to it's roots and it's a place I associate with comfort. Always recommended.

It's in the NAME!! Everything about this place from the customer service to the food (what you'd expect from a classic carhop charcoal grilled burger spot and the fried chicken reminds me of church's but home cooked instead of frozen) and the atmosphere is literally TOP NOTCH. It was clean, I love that they preserved all the retro appearance, and I didn't know it was featured in the movie Dazed and Confused. This place is a must when in Austin and the staff had great conversation about the history of the restaurant. ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!

Onion rings! Gotta try them! That said, burgers have always been fresh and juicy; corn dogs are hot and crispy. The malts are the best in town. The classic cars the kid's meals are served in are a lot of fun.During peak times, seating can be a challenge, but you can always go outside. For these reasons and what I mention below, I still patronize Top Notch when I'm in the area.

Dazed and confused is what happens after eating here. Why? Because the food is so freaking good it gives you a real farout feeling.So fun getting to eat old school carhop-style.Fast service.Some of the best burgers and onion rings you'll ever have are right here

I got the chili burger to go so I'm not able to comment about the atmosphere and dining experience. The burger was around eight dollars and for eight dollars. I just expected a little more. There wasn't a lot of chili, the meat patty was rather thin and quite unseasoned. And it just didn't feel like there was a lot of substance so the filling to bread ratio was off. Maybe the chili burger wasn't the one to get but it was definitely lacking.

I mean, this place is an Austin institution. I love supporting local, so when we had a craving for fried chicken we thought "why not". As far as fast food fried chicken goes, it's not bad. Checks all the boxes for a crispy, crunchy craving. Affordable, fast, easy parking, convenient location, comfy booths to wait in, friendly staff...all in all it hit the spot in the moment.