Below is an article I wrote for the neighborhood newsletter that they recently published. They changed the title to "Of Burgers and Burgertecture" for some reason. Enjoy!
We are, dear neighborfolk, amidst a burger renaissance, the
likes of which haven’t been seen since the golden age of burger shacks some
seventy years ago. And Burnet Road is partaking in the largess with several new
spots as well as a few reworked stalwarts. With the burger wars heating up, the
patty-slingers are attempting to differentiate themselves not only with their sides
but with their buildings as well.
The beginning of the burger is a topic of sizzling debate,
but most agree that the modern era of the burger, and fast food in general,
started with White Castle in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas. Krystal imported the slider
concept to the south in 1932. However, the boom of burger culture hit its apex in
the 40s and 50s with the creation of Fatburger (1947), McDonalds (1948), In-N-Out
Burger (1948), Whataburger (1950), Jack in the Box (1951), and Burger King (1953).
Coming later were Sonic (1959), Hardee’s (1960), and Wendy’s (1969).
The late 40s and early 50s burger boom reflected post-war
euphoria and a young back-from-the-war generation leaning eagerly toward the
future. Architecture similarly responded with the sudden popularity of what
would later be called Mid-Century Modern. Retail reacted with a space-age Jetsons
form of Modernism called “Googie”, named after the exuberance of John Lautner’s
Googie Coffee Shop built in Los Angeles in 1949. Burger shops similarly wrapped
their griddles with Googie to attract attention—and hopefully sales.
The local burger renaissance seems to have started to sizzle
in 2005 with P. Terry’s first shop in south Austin. Architecturally, P. Terry’s
was inspired by Mack Eplen’s Drivateria in Abilene and its Googie architecture.
P. Terry’s ninth shop, a mega-Googie masterpiece by the Michael Hsu House of
Architecture (also a denizen of Burnet Road), recently opened up at 8515
Burnet. As P. Terry’s success rises, the Googie-ness of their buildings grow
(yet the Fast Food Nation-friendly burgers
and fries remain delicious).
Open since 2006, Phil's Icehouse, named after a founder and ably
occupying a former filling station repurposed by Michael Hsu, slings up a number
of locally-named burgers, including “The Allandale”, a cheeseburger with cheddar,
onions,
sliced tomato, lettuce, pickles, mayo, and mustard on a toasted sourdough
bun. The warmly bricked garage bays provide ample space for ordering and inside
seating while the gas pump canopy outside provides respite from the sun while
watching the wee ones ride cows.
Started in 2008, the Hat Creek Burger Company (a name
inspired by Lonesome Dove) transitioned
from trailer to brick-and-mortar by moving into the old Arby’s building at 5400
Burnet. While I was sad to see that enormous Arby cowboy hat sign fade into the
sunset (western Googie?), the recent remodel is amazing. Reach Architects sliced
the end of the barn-like building like a loaf of bread, setting the “heel” back
from the main loaf, creating not only a playscape and outdoor patio but a screen
against the hot Texan sun. All in all Hat Creek is a great contemporary place
to eat an avocado-topped turkey burgers with a side of fried pickles.
Hopdoddy Burger Bar (a fusion of “hop” from beer crafting
and “doddy” from what the Scots in Aberdeen call their native moo-ers) started
in 2010 and opened their second shop at 2438 West Anderson Lane. Hopdoddy
slings deliciously messy gourmet burgers in a sleek and chic (yet toasted-bun
warm) Modern shell. Levy Architects won an award from the Austin Chapter of the
American Institute of Architects for the reuse and redesign of the site (anybody
remember the dreadful strip that housed Souper Salad?).
Hill-Berts, an Austin institution since 1973, wasn’t allowed
to renew its lease in the gettin'-hipped-up Centennial Shopping Center at 7301
Burnet. The Food Network-featured Twisted Root Burger Company, started in the Deep
Ellums of Dallas in 2005, will take its place after a remodel, completing a
restaurant trifecta at the Center that includes Teriyaki Madness and Tacodeli
(apparently only “T” restaurants are allowed in the revamped Center…). Twisted
Root, a name inspired by a cranky hand-cranked French fry cutter, pitches
gourmet burgers (including vegan and game) as well as adult shakes (Hear ye!
Hear ye! Shakes with liquor!!!). Michael Hsu, the aforementioned master of
repurposing and restaurant design, has hipified the tired 1980s architecture of
the Center, but one of the owners of Twisted Root, Jason Boso, is taking the
lead on reworking the old Hill-Berts building.
Are you really a burger joint if your butterfly roof yelps "FRIED CHICKEN"?
Speaking of local oldtimers (and one that hasn’t been run
off), Top Notch Hamburgers at 7525 Burnet started in 1970 and still sports its
Googiesque street sign and Mid-Century Modern butterfly roof over the drive-in.
Featured in Richard Linklater’s “Dazed and Confused”, Top Notch nearly closed twice
after the original proprietors died before being saved by the owners of Galaxy
Café. Despite the Galaxians adding Sunday hours and accepting credit cards, the
place is oldskool through and through and still serves its straight-ahead delicious
aburgers and chicken.
There are, of course, other burger joints in the
neighborhood (Billy’s, Waterloo Icehouse, Big Daddy’s Burgers and Bar, Elevation
Burger, Short Stop, Jack in the Box, Whataburger); however, none of these sport
burgertecture that is particularly inspiring. Sonic continues to vaguely employ
1950s Googie in its stores, and the McDonalds at 7950 Burnet remodeled several
years ago back into its early Googie roots.
Architecture doesn’t make a burger taste better, but as P.
Terry’s notes: “…we think [our architecture] makes for a better dining
experience.” I wholewheatbunheartedly agree. So the next time you head out for
a burger, just say no to the fries, sit down, and look around. Have a side of
architecture instead. Fewer calories (and hopefully no heartburn!).
