P TERRY'S -- I don't get it! (Austin, Italy: food, park)

[OpenD]

P. Terry's lists Patrick Terry as founder/owner. They have 8 locations, all in Austin.

Mighty Fine's website says "Created by Ken Schiller and Brian Nolen," who also created Rudy's BBQ.

K&N Management operates 4 Rudy's in Austin, of the 31 total in 5 states, and the 4 Mighty Fine locations, all in Austin.

[tazbigdog]

Originally Posted by Tralfaz

The Fuddruckers on S. Lamar / Sunset Valley is gone

One on 1-35 north of Round Rock

[austinnerd]

Originally Posted by tazbigdog

One on 1-35 north of Round Rock

As of a few months ago, the one on 620 is still open (in Lakeline). Fudd's is great, make your burger the way you want it and they'll also do medium rare (though the cooks idea of medium rare varies significantly). I would always order the 1/2 lb since the patty was thick enough that a reasonably done medium rare can be quite tasty. The 1/3 pound was way more hit and miss. Too bad to see so many of them go by the wayside.

One interesting burger observation (for me anyway). Once at Fudd's the cook blew it and just cooked up my patty well done. At that point the burger tasted not much different than even burgers from some of the mid-tier folks mentioned. Ditto tasting a Mighty Fine that was cooked well (I always order Medium). I can see how many folks don't "get" places like Mighty Fine and Fudd's if you get your patties cooked up all the way.

BTW, I've been to Hopdoddies twice now, and they have a good burger, but I wouldn't consider it necessarily "great". I'm not into fancy/weird toppings though. It reminded me a bit of Red Robin burgers.

One should try a Kobie beef burger, when cooked right (i.e. Medium Rare) and with very minimal toppings, it is quite heavenly, if you're into such things. Few places cook it right though, as it tends to be a novelty menu item. Sigh.

[FueledByBlueBell]

1. It is local
2. It is clean (idea developed after watching Fast Food Nation)
3. It is fresh
4. It is simple (not too big and has a nice flat patty)
5. They use quality ingredients

I think it is perfect.

[Tralfaz]

If P.Terry's went with these fries, they'd be perfect (though I reckon you could leave the skins on and just feed 'em into a 1/2" fry cutter):

The One and Only Truly Belgian Fries Recipe | Epicurious.com

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by austinnerd

One should try a Kobie beef burger, when cooked right (i.e. Medium Rare) and with very minimal toppings, it is quite heavenly, if you're into such things. Few places cook it right though, as it tends to be a novelty menu item. Sigh.

It tends to be a novelty item because there is really no such thing in the US. What gets called Kobe beef here isn't real Kobe beef. Real Kobe beef hardly ever leaves Japan, and a quarter pounder of real Kobe beef might cost $200. But a hamburger made from Kobe would be a waste, because much of what is special about Kobe beef is its buttery texture, which grinding destroys. It's far better as sushi.

Some restaurants serve American beef from the breed of cattle called it Kobe, but it's not. Even the online vendors who claim to sell Kobe beef are lying, but enforcement is lax.

[austinnerd]

Originally Posted by OpenD

It tends to be a novelty item because there is really no such thing in the US. What gets called Kobe beef here isn't real Kobe beef. Real Kobe beef hardly ever leaves Japan, and a quarter pounder of real Kobe beef might cost $200. But a hamburger made from Kobe would be a waste, because much of what is special about Kobe beef is its buttery texture, which grinding destroys. It's far better as sushi.

Some restaurants serve American beef from the breed of cattle called it Kobe, but it's not. Even the online vendors who claim to sell Kobe beef are lying, but enforcement is lax.

Yes, all but two of the Kobe burgers I've had was from American "Kobe". That said, one of the two true Kobe burgers I've had was absolutely outstanding. Your right in that it loses that fat induced smoothness (bordering on too fatty) but it still has a wonderful flavor and a very unique mouth feel. The other true Kobe burger was alas overcooked and very underwhelming. The American "Kobe" burgers have been good (again, when prepped well), but not nearly as good as the real Kobe was. For a while (and maybe still) there was a Central Texas source for American "Kobe" cows, don't know if they're still around though. My gripe is that even the "real" stuff tends to get treated as purely a novelty vs being respected for what it is (esp considering the cost).

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by austinnerd

Yes, all but two of the Kobe burgers I've had was from American "Kobe".

We're still not on the same page. Saying "American Kobe" is like saying "Wisconsin Parmigiana Reggiano." It's a meaningless phrase, because there is no such thing. Each of those is a food product only made in one region of the world, subject to tight regulations. Think of it as a trademark that is linked to geography. The noted cheese, for example is internationally protected by the denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) used in Italy. Japan has similar rules about "Kobe."

I apologize that I confused the issue because of an error I made in my last comment. I said:

"Some restaurants serve American beef from the breed of cattle called it Kobe, but it's not."

When what I meant to say was:

"Some restaurants serve American beef from the breed of cattle called Wagyu, and label it Kobe, but it's not."

Unfortunately this lie is currently institutionalized in the US, despite legal challenges, even though the Wagyu-Black Angus cross being raised in the US is obviously not even the same breed as what is raised in Japan. So while it may be really good, and I don't doubt that it is, I just think of "American Kobe" as a variation of Black Angus.

If you want to know more, this is informative:

In the United States, Japanese Wagyu cattle were bred with Angus cattle. This crossbreed has been named American Style Kobe Beef. Designed to mimic the diet that Japanese cattle were receiving, Wagyu cattle in the United States are fed a mixture of corn, alfalfa, barley and wheat straw.

In Colorado, Wagyu beef is being marketed by a ranch near Basalt, Colorado, and by a ranch near Rush, Colorado. In Montana, Wagyu beef is being raised and marketed by a ranch near Belgrade, Montana. Wagyu were first competitively exhibited at the National Western Stock Show in 2012.

Wagyu - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[hoffdano]

It is possible to buy purebred Wagyu in the US, ast least according to the Wikipedia. In Japan there are multiple breeds of Waghu cattle. If you go to a steak restaurant in Tokyo they often have two grades of beef above Kobe. Akaushi is one of them.

Some of the burgers sold as Kobe in the US are still very special. Eat one at The Burger Bar in Las Vegas (run by Herbert Keller) and it is terrific.

On the topic of P. Terrys - I like them. There is nothing super special about them, but I know they are fresh, local, and inexpensive. I like them better than typical fast food, but they are not in the league of Hop Doddy or Fuddruckers. I don't think anyone claims otherwise. I'd rather eat a burger from P. Terrys than Wendys.

[Reggieray]

You forgot #6. It's a bad copy of In N Out. Actually that should be number one. Idea developed after watching fast food nation???? Haha. That's great, more like developed after visiting California.

Originally Posted by FueledByBlueBell

1. It is local
2. It is clean (idea developed after watching Fast Food Nation)
3. It is fresh
4. It is simple (not too big and has a nice flat patty)
5. They use quality ingredients

I think it is perfect.