Fran’s Hamburgers

This place has realy great burgers or had? Does anyone know what happed to them, the signs are gone and the windows covered?

I decided to give Fran’s another chance, especially since they are so close to the hospital. The place looked much cleaner and our food tasted much better than the previous few times. The bun still wasn’t toasted very well nor do they use butter anymore but I got over that.
This place simply isn’t the same as it was just 2 years ago. But I’d go back again.

While my burger and fries were pretty good, my experience there was terrible. I pulled up to the drive thru where I found a typed up sign that reads, «Say hello and someone will be with you in a moment.» After saying hello twice and feeling like a complete idiot talking to myself I still decided to walk inside. (Probably should have seen this as a sign it wasn’t going to get better)
It takes a few mins before someone greets me at the counter, all while the employees are arguing with each other in the kitchen. I ask the girl if their drive thru is working and she said no because they are short staffed. Then maybe put up another typed sign? I make my order with this girl who has less than decent customer service skills. I take a seat to wait for my meal and a few minutes go by and she lets me know they just ran out of tomatoes. A burger place runs out of a main ingredient to their burger?! Fine.
If only they fixed up the building that looks like it has never been updated since it opened in the 70s and got some employees with customer service skills this place would have so much more potential.

Terrible service when I came here last. Won’t come back again. The drive thru bell staff had us wait 30 minutes before going inside to pick up our called in order. The food was cold, the order was wrong, and they didn’t even know what I ordered. Such a disappointment. I will be going to Dan’s, Five Guys, or even In and Out but never here again.

RAW FOOD SERVED HERE!!! If you want your food cooked, go somewhere else! Don’t risk food poisoning or severe illness. I took the food back to them and they didn’t even seem surprised. This was a ridiculous health risk and I will NEVER go back. They were supposed to refund the money I spent, but I suspect I may have to reject it through the bank. Terrible service and raw food.

Keep and drive away from this place as fast as you can. Fran must have either rolled or passed away recently, because this place and food both stink.
Why is this place recommended by people who were here years ago? The place is falling apart and so are the employees at the counter. They struggle with simple math and get orders confused after you place them.
This place needs some serious cleaning and updating. Fran, bring your grandchildren and new ideas to this place. Cameron Road deserves better.
My father said the place could be worse. Can you believe that? Even he, who’s 70+, said he’d rather eat at Whataburger.
Fran, get it together or give the place away to somebody else. Stop hurting your name with poor business, lightweight food, and an armpit for a dining room. Really!

Fran’s has always been great. Best place for a Burger — I personally like the Double Meat Cheese burgers. Their breakfast is awesome. My kids always get the breakfast tacos and they are the best.
Wishing many more years for Fran’s

Hongry. Coworker suggested. Gave me the story (Fran’s vs Dan’s) on the way. We get there and there is a line for food (so it must be good). Turns out that the new owner is running the register (apparently for the first time), so it made the goings slow.
Per my CW, there wasn’t the usual things that makes Fran’s Fran’s: burgers sizzling on the grill, that burger smell (think mélange you Dune heads), that makes your mouth water…
Fries were warm and meh.
Burger (got a double) was hot and meh (and not greasy — again, the CW)
Coworker (who grew up on it… what the hell is ‘gimme a baby, sissy style’ again?) was not impressed. Me? Im gonna blame it on the growing pains of new owner/​old establishment dynamic.
Will try it again (just not in a rush to do so).

Came here to take my local manager out for lunch. It has a very old school burger joint look and very much is exactly that. Order a #1 combo cheeseburger fries and drink. They were quick on getting the food out and the burger tasted great. Just the right amount of seasoning and it was properly cooked without drying out the meat. Definitely will be back.

I took my family here last Saturday night and purchased $ 21 worth the food. I gave the drive-​thru worker my card and he handed my an iPad to sign my signature — I signed and handed it back. We then waited nearly 30 minutes for the food. When the food arrived, it was decent at best — not worth the wait.
A week later, my credit card bill came in and lo and behold, Fran’s charged my $ 41. I asked the credit card company about the charge and apparently Fran’s added a $ 20 tip to my order. We have the gentleman working the drive-​thru to thank for that. There wasn’t even an option given to me for a tip on their iPad app, which means that he entered the $ 20 tip in before he handed me the iPad to sign.
The credit card company agreed to reverse the $ 20 tip. I called the owner of the store, Craig Gatewood, and he said that he wouldn’t do anything for us. He claimed to have fired the person in the drive-​thru but refused to refund us, comp us a free mail, apologize, anything.
There used to be 4 Fran’s Hamburgers around town. Now there’s only one and it’s easy to see why. Avoid this place at all costs.

In my opinion, the place is a dump and probably should have been remodeled years ago. However, the burgers are still as good as they’ve always been.

One of the best burgers I have had in Austin. Doesn’t matter if I am eating there or picking up and going home. I always leave a satisfied customer. I’ve eaten the breakfast here as well. I was pleased with both. I would definitely recommend giving this place a try!

What the hell happened to this place. Even though the food is good the service the last 5 weeks has been Horendous. Bad Bad Service and the girls working there dont seem to care. I was a 12 year veteran of this once great establishment but no more. As the manager told me today. You should go some where else. The choice is yours. Sadly you have lost me… Ill miss you Frans Hamburgers…

I am sitting in Fran’s really angry with what used to be my favorite place. I would eat breakfast here almost weekly since 2003. When family would come to town, this was our Saturday and Sunday spot. It seems since the SoCo location closed, they have completely given up.
It frustrates me that the place with the best waffles and biscuits and meats probably won’t make it.
I’m here on a Friday morning at 10:00 am for breakfast with about 6 other tables in the restaurant — hardly busy for a staff of about 8 people including the kitchen. I take a seat at one of the many dirty tables. I’m there for at least 10 minutes before I had to flag a waitress down speeding off to do who knows what. Finally got my order in. Finally got a cup of coffee. Then my table got wiped down. The waitress brings my order and they only had ONE egg out of two on the plate. Before I could say anything, she was gone. Did not check anything. When I flag her down to ask her, she at first seemed puzzled. A look like, «it comes with two?» on her face.
I glance around 30 minutes later and people’s tables that left as I arrived are still stacked with dirty dishes. Plus the ones that were dirty before I got there are still dirty. Wtf?! I’ve worked in restaurants and this is not good.
It would be fine if it was the first time. I used to live right near Fran’s and eat there a lot. Since moving to NW Austin, it’s rare I get there, but I make the trip for the waffles and migas. The last five times over the past year I’ve been here has been horrible service.
Once, we ended up making a game of how long it will take the waitress to check on us to bring us a check. It was almost 35 minutes sitting quietly because we really had nothing else to do that day. I was served migas with no ranchero sauce and was told that it does not come with sauce when I know it does. I get Migas there every single time.
I sat so long once for a waitress to check back that I called in my togo order from my table in the restaurant because it astonishing how long it took to get back to me. They thought it was hilarious at the register but it was to make a point that no one got. «Weren’t you at my table?» «Yes and I figured it’d be faster to call in my order since you haven’t been back to my table in 15 minutes»
It feel like the night of the living dead waiting tables in there. Or one of those outreach programs, but it got revered and there is only one real capable person in the place. Still looking for that person.
Seriously. No one works like they give a shit in there anymore and it’s apparent. They look slow and zoned out. I will miss this place for what it used to be.

Picture it:
You’re at Highball on South Lamar. It’s 9pm. You head to your car. You look up Fran’s on your phone and see that they’re open until 10. You’ve wanted to hit this place up all week, but you had a billion other things going on. You’re hungry as hell because you haven’t eaten all day. You’ve got only 30 miles left in your current tank of gas.
So you drive all the way across town to Fran’s. You get there about 9:20.
The doors are unlocked. You go in. You see two customers eating.
Some guy comes out from the kitchen and tells you they’re closed.
«Aren’t you open until 10?»
«Yeah, normally,» he explains, «but no customers were coming in so we closed at 9.»
You again look at the two customers eating, but you leave without saying anything else, because what’s the point?
***********
The point is you suck, Fran. I’ll be eating your ex-husband’s burgers from now on.

Food 4 stars
Service 3 stars
Building 2 stars
I’ve eaten here on a number of occasions, both breakfast and lunch. For breakfasts they do a very good one. Basic eggs, bacon, biscuits & gravy. As far as the cheese burgers I think they are great. If you grew up in Rural Texas you will love them. They taste like the cheeseburgers served at local cafés all over the state. I’ve not tried the chicken fry yet; but plan too.
Service is usually friendly but a little to laid back. I really don’t understand why the have table service for breakfast but not lunch.
The building does not bother me as much as some reviews; but it really could use some repairs. The inch crack running up the wall does not give a good impression. It does make one think if that’s how they think of the infrastructure, then they may be just as lax on maintenance and cleaning in the kitchen and back areas.

Fran’s Hamburgers — DELICIOUS! I have always loved Fran’s.well back in the day it was Dan’s… but aside from the sign out front, nothing has changed. The burgers are made to order and my tummy is always happy.
I usually get the classic no. 1 – Cheesburger, small fries, and a drink (a little over $ 8.00). It’s just one of those places I have loved since I was a kid and am so happy it’s still there.
I’ve seen people get pretty impatient with the staff, which I’ve always had pretty good service so I’m not sure what that’s all about. You want burger in a minute then go to McDonalds. You want to a fancy ahi tuna burger with truffle fries then go to Hop Doddy’s. BUT if you want a great classic burger experience then go to Fran’s.
So why the 4 stars… well like some of the best classic eaterys in Austin– the cleaning standards could stand for some improvement. Because it can get busy, I understand the tables not being wiped down right away. Most of the time you’ll see the cashiers having to leave the register to go bus a table, which can’t always be done when you have a line of hungry folks. And the soda area can become a bit sticky.
Like I said before I’ve been visiting Fran’s since I was a kid and will continue to do so.

Just got back from there picking up breakfast for myself and a co worker. Food is always good. Service today sucked! Been awhile since Ive been to this location but I remember the hay day when it was not like that. I call in the order on my drive there. First I walk in and stand at the counter, only one in line for more than 3 minutes before someone finally thought to help me. Then another lady walks in (again, 3 min after I’ve been standing there) and she gets helped BEFORE me! That alone just sucks. Am I invisible?
Then I finally get my food, about 7 min after arriving and then go to pay with my CC. The lady looks at me and asks me if I had cash instead. Umm… No, hence why I gave you a CC. So after an additional 3 min or so, for her to figure out how to use the machine, I got my receipt a full 10+ min from when I walked in, while only one in line at the time, and left.
Get to work and there is no silver ware. Thank god I asked for butter and syrup or that would have made for some pretty bland pancakes.
2 stars for the food. –3 stars for service. Service like that can sink a place. Frans? ehh. not again any time soon.

Ah-​MAZE-​ing breakfast!!! Fran’s and Kerbey Lane are my top breakfast joints… if I have to eat breakfast, that is. I always get the #3: eggs over easy, with sausage, and biscuits & gravy. Then, I get a side of grits to top off the cardiac magnificentness.
It may sound gross, but you should try this: halve the biscuits, place the two eggs over top, cut up the sausage and scoop it over top the eggs/​biscuits, and then pour the gravy over all of it. — I never like mixing my food up, but the simultaneous taste of their slap-yo-mama-they’re-so-good biscuits, runny egg yolks, sausage and gravy is beyond words. You may hear the voices of angels singing in the distance.

The answer to your question is Dan’s.
The problems:
Dirty restaurant.
Stacked veg on my burger. Why, WHY can’t you spread the tomatoes and pickles out nicely? If you’re not gonna do that then just leave ‘em on the side and serve it open-​faced so I can arrange each bite to have the proper, perfect flavor combination instead of this dog pile of maters, pickle and onion dead in the center.
Bun got soggy immediately
Paper thin beef patty
Worst fries I’ve ever had — soggy, fully saturated with oil, unsalted
The slight burn from the jalapeño was the best part of this burger.