The Tendermaid

Can't even tell you how long I've been eating at The Tendermaid . . Like maybe 40 years??? Family loved the burgers as kids and we still all go back if we're anywhere close by! The tendermaid sandwiches are still awesome (think crumbled sloppy joes without sauce). Add your choice of onions, cheese, mustard, ketchup, pickles and anything else you can think of! One big difference. I used to eat 2 or 3, so I ordered two. They are twice the size they used to be! Wowza . . my tummy . . . The tiny building looks exactly the same, but no counter seat sadly. Takeout only. Oh well, I'll still go again.

Their malt shakes are delicious! I got the bacon cheeseburger and banana malt shake. Their pricing is based on cash pricing so if you are paying with card, expect to pay 4% more. Their burger is chopped burger, so they serve it with a spoon. They have been around for 85 years!

I absolutely love this place! Everyone who works there including the owner are some of the nicest people i have ever met. The food is delicious and not overpriced. I had the chili dog and a butterscotch malt. Both were great! They have a nice picnic table area to eat outside when the weather is nice. I will be back here the next time i am in town!

The loose meat burger was tasteless. The girls behind the counter were all very friendly. But I probably wouldn't go back.

I had completed my visit at the SPAM Museum. I asked Dave, a friendly and helpful SPAM-bassador, what recommendations he had for food in downtown Austin. I asked the right person! He has eaten his way around the city and gave me three suggestions. One of them was Tendermaid. He said that I could keep my car parked at the museum and walk over there.It's funny, but I actually saw this restaurant as I was heading over to the SPAM Museum. Google Maps got me to the museum's front entrance. I needed to find parking, so I drove around the block, as it's downtown and many streets are one-way. I had to do a full stop at an intersection and I was staring at Tendermaid. It reminded me of the small burger joints in Winnipeg. They are small, but mighty. Never knock a small burger joint.Anyway, I walked over to Tendermaid. There are two doors. Both work. Coming or going, just use whichever one works best.I was immediately greeted by a nice woman. I hung up my jacket and chose a stool in this cute diner that feels like I'm in the 50's or even earlier. I wouldn't know, as I'm not that old... haha!It was almost as if this woman knew that I like hearing about the history of a food joint and how the loose burger came into play. I loved all of that, including what I could order from the menus.This place is famous for its loose burger. It hasn't changed how it has made it for decades. Instead of a ground beef patty, you get loose ground beef that goes between the bun. It's like a sloppy Joe, but without it being drenched in sloppy sauce. There is an area where the loose ground beef keeps its temperature.This place had malts, shakes, and pop. I went with a black raspberry shake. It is made the way it was done back in the day. Cool!After going through the menu, I ordered a bacon cheeseburger, with jalapeno cheese, relish, and mayo. You can ask for whatever toppings you'd like.My black raspberry shake came out. I get moments where I am so floored by how good something tastes that I want to share how great it is with the world. It would have been odd to have told the man sitting three stools away from me about it. Instead, I told the woman who made it for me. She was delighted and didn't think I was crazy. The black raspberry had so much flavour. It was thick and creamy. It was excellent.My burger came out next. The woman gave it to me carefully wrapped up and said that I'll be needing a spoon. I love having such a different burger experience.I unwrapped by burger and took my first bite. It was awesome! The bacon was chopped into smaller bits, to complement the loose beef. I loved the jalapeno cheese that was in it. It was flavourful. I love relish and mayo in a burger. The bun was soft and perfect. I was elated!And, yes, you do need a spoon to scoop up the ground beef. It wasn't overcooked. It wasn't bland. It was yummy.I had another woman behind the counter ask where I was from. Not in a prying, nosy way. Just in a curious, friendly way. She told me that she loves Toronto and would love to visit again.This place accepts credit cards and cash. I paid with a credit card and I was good.You get mini Tootsie Rolls at the end of your meal. I liked the gesture.I got water in a plastic cup. I took it with me as I left. It was a nice touch. Part of me wanted another milkshake, but I didn't want to fall asleep driving away. It is worth coming here just for the shake alone.I thanked the two women there. They were so nice and friendly.Parking is at the back of the restaurant. There is plenty! You can also get Tendermaid t-shirts and more if you want a physical momento of your time here.I'd come back here again. I had a great lunch. Thanks to Dave back at the SPAM Museum for the recommendation.(24)

Super cute and yummy sandwich shop I knew it was going to be good when there was a line out the door when I pulled up. The shakes are fantastic and so are the sandwiches. I will definitely stop again when I'm in town. They are super quick to so even with the line out the door I was in and out in 10 minutes.

A classic! Sadly they are only to go since COVID but same old food. A great spot to stop :)

Loved it! Flew in from salt lake and drove straight to Austin for a couple Tendermaid's burgers. Totally worth waking up at 5 am, flying to Minnesota, not eating all day and rolling in for before they close at 4pm. Always delicious, we inhaled them in a couple minutes. The original with cheese or the one with thousand island sauce on it are the best. Get them with the pickles on them and don't forget a fabulous, smooth, best you've ever had chocolate shake! Love these folks may they stay open forever!

We are the people who can't find their butts with both hands AND the GPS, so we spent a little time wandering downtown Austin looking for the Spam Museum. On a side street we shouldn't have been on, we passed a cool, vintage little white building with a red striped awning, which immediately warmed my heart. After we left the museum, we were going to grab a bite and were just looking for a generic fast food when we passed the little building again. I know a sign from the universe when I see one, so I commanded the Anaconda to pull over. You had to park in the back and it looked to small to have inside seating (guess there is some), so I just decided to wait in the car and gave him simple instructions to get me a cheeseburger and a strawberry shake (because hamburger stands that are painted white always have milkshakes). Of course, he never gets an order right, so when he returned to the car, I opened my food warily, wondering what he did wrong this time.Sure enough, as I peeled back the wrapper, I said, "What's this?? This isn't even a chee- " And I stopped. OMG! No, it wasn't a cheeseburger. It was a loose meat sandwich! The legendary cuisine of the Roseanne show that I thought they just made up! It actually exists! I was delighted that we had stumbled across it at a place clearly marked "Tendermaid Hamburgers". And it was mighty tasty, as was the thick, creamy shake. Not what we expected, but it turned out to be one of the food highlights of our road trip. And I didn't even have to yell at the Anaconda.

Way too expensive and not even hot enough. It's a favorite of long time people whom delight in nostalgic rememberance.