Your Mom’s Burger Bar

Understaffed. 30 – 45 minute waits for your food after you order if they are busy.
Highly disorganized. Food arrived staggered. What’s the point of getting together for lunch if you have to eat in shifts.
The food was good. Nice flavors. Quality ingredients. Reasonably sized portions. But, unfortunately, I cannot say it was worth the wait.
My Recommendation: Go during off hours, if you go at all. But, be fair warned, chaos and waiting may ensue.
This is my first Unilocal review ever — I’ve never Unilocaled before because I don’t typically have the time — but I’ve been pretty bored here waiting on my food. I’ve been here an hour and twenty minutes thus far. My first friend received his food (a Buffalo Bill Burger) and finished before his girlfriend has got her grilled cheese sandwich.

It’s a dive joint that I dove into twice… and it is still not that great for me and it’s NOT My Mom’s Burger Bar I know…
I always love little places that are tucked into neighborhoods while showing the culture and atmosphere of the people they serve, Mom’s just does not do it for me.
I know there are lots of great reviews, and that’s cool, but the three times I have come here I have not been overwhelmed or impressed.
(Note: the first time I came they were closed for cleaning or something… that could not be explained through the glass door)
The first time I came, I had the Marie Laveau. The Boudin was not flavorful and it just mushed into the flavors of the beef and did not stand out. The cajun seasoning that they used to «blacken» it with. really wasn’t much.
Was it a good cooked burger? Yes. Did it have tasty appeal. sure, the contrast of buns, tomatoes, lettuce, and sauce stood out. It just was not the flavor I was looking for.
The second time, to afford them another swing at earning a loyal customer, I ordered the «Kojack» since I wanted something different and lighter than a heavy burger on a hot day. (This time I brought some friends to eat with)
I was disappointed. The Gyro meat was very slim, just about 3 – 4 small cut/​shavings. Really? I just paid $ 5.25 for that?
The pita was good, the veggies good (thankfully), but there was NO Cucumber Sauce? Next to the meat that is the essence of a Gyro…
I spoke to the cook and he apologized sincerely that there was none made or available? Huh? I guess they couldn’t make any. and it seems that the order takers at the counter didn’t know to tell patrons about the missing ingredient.
They offered other condiments, but it just seems weird to put ketchup on Gyro meat.
If the meal wasn’t odd enough or lacking in quality, on a great hot day in Austin. there was no carbonation for the soda’s…so, no drinks? I tried the Tea and there was NO TEA EITHER?
I brought this to the attention of the counter person, in due respect he attempted to think quick on his feet, but could not come up with an answer to the «no tea» issue and noted that the carbonation was on the way for the machine.
~Note: they did go across the street and buy some 2 liter sodas for us
~Note: they did give me a coupon receipt for another meal due to the lack of sauce, etc. (doubt I will use it)
Overall, I felt really awkward in the situation where I brought my friends to come eat. And it allowed me to come away with these notes:
— no drinks available. Though there was a sign on the machine, patrons should have been told BEFORE we paid and sweated it out waiting
— all of the tables/​chairs were sticky and not cleaned before or during our visit
— fly’s need to be controlled better in a confined space like here
— air circulation should be better (only one fan was on and directed level across the ceiling) on an outdoor patio where you are trying to eat
— the fryer oil may need to be changed. it seems that our fries were almost burned
I really am not a fan of giving bad reviews, I think my history shows it… but I tried to give Mom’s a few chances and it did not appeal to me at all.
Will I go back? Only if someone insists it in my group…
Will I try something different (if I do go back)? Sure, to give them a chance
Am I going to recommend Mom’s? Not really because of the inconsistencies, cleanliness, and appeal.
Thank you for the food, eclectic location and style … but you are NOT my mom’s burger bar I want to have.

I LOVE this place. If I want a plain jane burger, I head to mighty fine or five guys but if I want a mouth-​gasm?! I come here. I lam in love with the Snoop Dog which is the all american beef hot dog slathered with BBQ sauce and their homemade mac and cheese. IT’S DELICIOUS. I love the Rockefeller too. The husband is partial to the Frita and the Willie Nelson.
Don’t forget to order the fried pickles!!! (They make their own pickles.)

Good grief man… Why are you still reading reviews? If you’re in Austin and looking for an amazing burger, drop what you’re doing and get to Your Mom’s Burgers.
Bring cash (& BYOB). They don’t take credit cards, but they do have an ATM nearby. If you’re looking for a mobile meal, go to Taco Bell because the Your Mom’s buns barely contain the crazy mess of meat, cheese, and whatever else you ordered.

Yo dawg I heard you like meat so I put a pig in your cow so you could oink while you moo
The guy who brought out our food fully expected to put the James Brown meatsplosion down in front of my male lunch date, and was charmingly confused when I insisted it was mine. Yeah, I know, I’m a CLASSY LADY.

It has been 1 ½ years since I was last at Your Mom’s Burger Bar, and I thought I’d give them another try.
Good news! It isn’t 100 degrees so you aren’t sweating when you eat, but the bad news is that you now freeze while you eat. No heating or cooling, apparently. I need to check my calendar and make sure it is 2012.
Okay, I can handle the environment, but what I can’t handle is the filth. The tables were dirty, the bar on the window by the counter was caked with stuff. The napkin dispensers were covered in dirt, and the area behind the counter was in disarray. When you add to that it took 30 minutes to cook one hamburger when there was only one other customer, well, no thanks.

Whoa, y’all. I mean… for real.
On the hunt for a new place to eat last Friday, I saw Your Mom’s Burger Bar had some pretty raving reviews on Unilocal.«Let’s go there!» I exclaimed.
Fortunately for us, we were the only people in line at that moment so we were able to ask lots of questions like «what’s your best burger» (only to get a smile and small chuckle, because apparently everything is the best). I ordered the John D. Rockefeller and added mushrooms. Holy smokes, was that burger tasty! The patty is juicy and the cheese is melted inside the meat. The veggies were fresh, and the flavors worked so well together. Who would have thought I’d eat artichokes on a burger, but there I was, scarfing it down yet savoring every bite.
My husband did the BYOB (build your own burger) with bacon cooked with the beef, and some other stuff (I was too busy in my own burger to have any idea what he was eating). After I took my first bite and rolled my eyes with satisfaction, he said «ok, it can’t be THAT good» and took a bite of his burger. «Ok, it is.»
We each «mmm’d» and «wow’d» with mouthfuls of burger until they were gone.
The fries are alright — they are thick cut and appear to have been made from a potato being shoved through a machine. Super awesome! But they don’t have any seasoning, or very little. In our opinion, they are just like the fries at Five Guys because they are thick and fresh, but we prefer them to be seasoned.
My favorite burger place has been ousted as «favorite» and a new one has taken over! Can’t wait to go back and try something else!

We stopped by here about three weeks ago as apart of our ‘one day– five stop burger extravaganza’.
I can only be short and sweet.
I took it simple and ordered a half pound Angus Young, Medium Rare with American Cheese.
To me the most important aspects of a burger are the meat and bun. These guys failed me on both accounts. The bun should not only house the burger, but be an intricate part of making it a great meal.
The bun here was too small for the burger, the three cherry tomatoes I got were super tasty, but too few. The lettuce, one big wilted piece that was pulled out from the first bite– how effing annoying is THAT? I love the large julienne of onion though– complimented the hell out of the burger. The burger was a perfect medium (I ordered Medium-​Rare), tasty as hell, but it was due mostly to the over seasoning of the meat and the super greasy aspect of it all. I didn’t have to wear Chapstick for three days. Seriously.
So here’s my beef. No pun intended. The meat was old. Even cooked to medium, the burger was gray inside. Which means what? Atleast a four day old patty. Kinda scary to know they’re either hanging onto meat longer than they should or that there’s some serious temperature abuse going on in that kitchen. The illusion that I actually had tomato on my burger was more than irritating.
I would have given three stars based on the burger itself, if it wasn’t for how absolutely disgusting this establishment was. Seriously disgusting. It’s hard to find the words. Trash on the floors, ants on the burger bar, the tables and silver bar that circles the. well, bar were sticky with food residue.
I’ve actually wanted to go back and have a burger and maybe try their sides. I’ve craved the greasiness like no other… but the filth of that restaurant and the idea (and probably inevitable truth) of their kitchen matching their FOH has me scared s*****ss. No thanks. I’ll pick a less tasty burger for a promise of healthy sanitary habits.

Say it ain’t so Mom! Mr. Smidgens and Quinny B. Wanted a great burger and we had not been to your Mom’s in a while.
As your Mom’s greeted us with open arms there was actually a greeter at the door as we came in. They have closed in the kitchen since I last visited. Looks good guys! I gave them a picture to hang up of my Grandfather Joe and the family since we were the only great burger place to ever sit upon that land that Your Mom’s has done such a great job at continuing that rep since they opened. I hope they hung it up somewhere.
They even closed up the patio area and it’s air conditioned. It helps keep most of the flies out. Much better since the last time we went.
Now the reason for my 2 star review. We ordered the fried pickles and they seemed a bit over done. Still tasty. They brought out my Chi Cheng and it was not the tastiest burger I remember. The onions were hardly grilled, the Wasabinger spread was hardly there, and the goat cheese was not even close to stuffing my meat. The fries came out and they looked like the jersey shore kids all dark and tired.
It turns out my first guess with the fried pickles was correct. They needed to change their grease and in a bad way. The way you need to change that shower curtain liner you keep staring at every morning when you are in the shower and you think to yourself… Yikes!
I love your Mom’s burgers and I know they can do better. Will I go back to your Mom’s? Of Course I will. Why you ask? Because she loves me.
H’s and K’s,
Mr. Smidgens

I like to think I’m a strong person. I’d take any burger challenge. And yet, when James Brown was plopped in front of me, I think my heart almost stopped just by looking at it. Don’t worry, it didn’t, and a stuffed stomach later, I conquered that messy beast.
James Brown was an interesting combo. He was stuffed with (bland) pulled pork and a little bit of cheddar. He was overwhelmingly topped with dill relish and BBQ sauce, among other things. The bread was surprisingly one of my favorite parts of the burger other than the tasty beef, but with the drenching from the toppings, it began falling apart mid-​meal, which made the very messy burger even more of a hassle to eat. Your Mom’s burgers are definitely unique, but I found the most important part — the meat — bland. One plus, the fries are heavily seasoned and pretty good.
Most of their seating is outside where it looked like there were screen windows and only a fan circulating the air. Good thing I came during one of Austin’s cool days because a covered patio in the summer is unforgiving. I loved the bright aqua walls and décor, the tree on the patio that they built around and how they name their burgers after famous people, but if I came again, I’ll probably order a burger less overwhelmed by originality.
Last tip: You don’t want to come here if you don’t want to scare your first date with sauce all over your hands and face, if you’re on a diet or if you have to run a 10k the next day.

I finally tried Your Mom’s today with great anticipation. I got the Marie Laveau, the hub had the Willie Nelson, and we shared some fried zucchini. The Marie was not all that I hoped. The beef seemed a little dry, and other than being spicy I didn’t really catch the boudin vibe. The sauce was tangy, but it didn’t really balance well. The zucchini was greasy and good, but nothing amazing.
The Willie, however, was a taste-​gasm of epic proportions. I guess that’s to be expected when you stick cheese in a burger, wrap it in bacon, and fry it. It was insanely tasty.
As previously noted there is not much ambiance, but I enjoyed the laid-​back vibe and friendly barkeep.

Now I do not usually like a thick, meaty burger, but Your Mom’s Burger Bar is delicious. We ordered the Rockefeller and the Patti Labelle. Both were moist, oozing with cheese and delicious. We both preferred the Rockefeller. Didn’t try the fries, so can’t comment on those.
It is kind of a dive. You order at the counter and wait in an enclosed patio. Perfect place to just meet the guys for a casual bite.

Why are there so many reviews saying that this place isn’t any different than your standard burger joints? There are other places where you can get a burger stuffed with/​covered in egg, chorizo, cheese, and peppers?
I work right around the corner from Your Mom’s, and I put off going for weeks because I kept reading that it’s a standard burger, WTF. No. These are Armageddons of tasty cholesterol, fat, and starch. A violent, carnivorous diet-​breaker, if you will. That said, if you’ve got room in your calorie dance card for a massive burger, I recommend this place. So many options for veggies, cheeses, and various toppings that are uncommon in Austin. Plus, the bread and fries are really good — the sweet potato fries will make your arteries shrivel up with just one glance, good as they are they would make a better dessert.
You’ve been warned.

Alright — Your Mom’s is back on track, and I’m back on their Burger Bandwagon. Your Mom may not be perfect, but they made up for it.
My last experience at Mom’s several weeks ago was quite disenchanting, I was not pleased by any means. After reading my review they reached out to me and apologized, and offered to replace our orders should we decide to come back.
It’s a Saturday night, I’m starving and craving red meat, and I’m thinking a Frida Kahlo would hit the spot. We drive over to Your Mom’s to cash in our chips. We dealt with the other manager and explained our credit, and he welcomed us w/​opened arms. It was very seemless and simple, he apologized even though he knew nothing of our issue.
They ran outta fried wontons (darn!) but no worries, I got the burger w/​the egg on it while my friend got the Willie Nelson — — which is my next choice for sure. We also got the fries w/​cheese and bacon and sour cream on them — — they came out first and they were awesome. So damn good, I highly recommend!
Here comes our burgers and they were just as advertised: big and juicy, full of flavor, just like we expect from Mom’s. I loved mine, however, my friend’s Willie Nelson looked so damn good on that Texas Toast I nearly ordered another one to go. The service was on the spot, we sat at the bar and watched some TV, and the food was as good as my first visit to Your Mom’s — — excellent.
Back on Your Mom’s Burger Train — — she’s won me over (again).

I’m really torn up about having to post this review, given my penchant for for almost exclusively frequenting locally owned joints, but sometimes, something happens that is so unforgivably heinous, that it transcends loyalty, allegiances, leanings, and tendencies.
That being said, I dedicate this review to my friend and coworker, Mark G. Your Mom’s Burger Bar was next up in the rotation for our ongoing «Burger Exploration Series» at the office, and though I loathe all things downtown, I was excited at the prospect of trying out an, as yet, undiscovered locally owned dining establishment.
The experience started benignly enough, with all of us lounging comfortably in the semi outdoors dining area, waiting for our orders to be taken. After sitting down I was filled with dread to learn that I was the last to order, as last time this happened, I got my burger a full 30 minutes after everyone else was finished. Ironically, I was the first person to receive my order, and it just gets worse from there.
The waitress was a train wreck. She took down everyone’s orders, but apparently forgot to map them to tables or individuals, as she would come out periodically and ask «who had such and such order?» Our group was so big, that there were several similar orders, and out of 20 some odd people, I was the only one that received their order correctly, and I am fairly certain that’s because my order was not taken by our waitress. Things got so bad that at one point, the waitress got into an argument with one of our party about whether or not his order was correct. Really??? The aging waitress who has to remember 25 orders is going to argue with the guy that only had to remember the one thing he ordered, against the backdrop of ALL the other incorrect orders in our party. You’ve got to freaking kidding me.
The burger was a good idea (cheese in the middle) but the execution was poor, the cheese was the lowest quality American cheese food product substitute, and every bite was accompanied by a cheesy, greasy money shot of government cheese into the facial hair. The taste was ok, but being conditioned to wince every time I took a bite became tiresome. The fries were soggy and waxy, which was yet another disappointment.
The crazy thing is that the person that ordered last (me) got his order first and by the time I was done, had socialized for a bit and left, the guy that ordered first still had not received his order. Upon leaving, we were confronted with a business card holder on the counter that held the business cards of our waitress who is also a realtor, presumably for the sole purpose of pimping her vacation property in Port Aransas. At this point the whole experience had deteriorated into what felt like a failed skit on low budget comedy show.
Our compatriot, Mark was the most adversely affected by the chaos as he had held court well into the wee hours the prior evening, and had neglected to take in breakfast. His irritation level was nearing critical mass, and we worried that it might come to blows with the waitress. When we left, we all got to observe one of the most marvelously awkward moments in dining history, where the owner, confronted with Mark’s crushing disapproval, awkwardly asked if he worked evenings. This was as confusing as it was frustrating for Mark, and we all wondered if the guy was going to offer to take Mark out on a date.
One of the guys that ordered a veggie burger commented on how this was the best veggie burger he’d ever had, and upon inspection we determined that it was not a veggie burger at all, but rather a traditional bovine burger. This did not stop the waitress from insisting that he had ordered and consumed 2 veggie burgers. Finally, having suffered the slings and arrows of crushing disappointment, confusion, and insult, we managed to make our way to where I had parked my vehicle in their unbelievably poorly organized parking lot.
As I was backing out of my space, the owner came running out in a fashion befitting the slow motion crescendo of an overdone romantic film, clutching a grease soaked back filled with a final to-​go token of the owner’s love and remorse for Mark’s disappointment. Mark quietly accepted the bag from the back seat and we drove off into the sunset. The cherry on top of the entire experience, is that even though the free burger was run out to the car by the owner himself, it was still wrong.
To «Your Mom’s Burger Bar» I can only say, «You shipment of Fail has arrived.» I fully acknowledge that this review was heavy handed and over the top, but the experience was exceptionally bad. I truly hope that this local joint gets it’s act together so that I can review it again at some point in the future with some hope of it being slightly more positive.

We went back and I tried the Rockefeller this time. It had some kind of tomato pesto and spinach and parmesan on it. Pretty tasty. I do think the burger was a bit overcooked, however. BF had the Don Ho (chicken sandwich), which he said was ok. He said the chicken was a bit dry. We also tricked the Mackin Cheese, which was a very small portion, but very, very good. Supremely and interestingly cheesy. I do hope to try the Mack Brown’s Balls (deep fried Mackin Cheese) someday. And more kinds of burgers.
Once again, I was scalded by cheese. I’m not sure how to avoid this squirting cheese problem. Again, it’s an acceptable risk. But I’d like to find a way around it.
I reiterate my opinion that the thing to go for is the BURGERS. The fries are ok, and the Mac and Cheese is quite good. But go for the burgers, or don’t bother.

My son had a pet ball python for several years and I never knew until now know how he felt after eating one of those big, fat mice. I had Mack Brown’s Balls, Elvis’s Pickles and a fat juicy John D. Rockefeller last week.
Mack’s Balls were crazy good. A wonton filled with mac ‘n cheese then deep fried. Hot and crunchy, Elvis’s pickles were coated in a spicy crust and served with a tasty dipping sauce. And last but not least, I ate half of my Rockefeller, which was the size of a typical hamburger. This hefty burger stuffed with pepper jack cheese topped off with artichokes, spinach, parmesan cheese, tomato and good fellas sauce on a toasted bun. I added avocado and jalapenos making it about 3″ thick. It was literally the size of a baby’s head.
Because this was our first visit, we received a free serving of freshly made french fries seasoned with salt, pepper and a hint of cumin. No liquor license yet so BYOB. Sadly, I could not give Your Mom’s 5 stars due to the fly infestation. Developing countries have less flies than this burger bar.

Edit since original review: I went back and they’ve fixed almost all the problems detailed below.
Last time I went the burger was delicious and I was only upset because they ran out of «mac-​brown balls.»
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
The burgers are good, but that’s where you can draw the line.
The first thing that hit me was that something was soapy in my soda. I don’t know if it was the cups, the ice, or the spigot. Switching to a to-​go cup made things a little better but hours later, I still have that strange flavor in my throat. That was completely inexcusable but that was just the beginning.
Burgers arrived and looked and smelled great! Everything was hot and fresh so I went to sample a french fry and to my dismay, the fries were overcooked to the point that you weren’t sure that a potato was ever part of its origin. It’s a tragedy what happened to these fries and they weren’t even seasoned well to boot.
The store itself was curio in less than savory part of East Cesar Chavez. Seating inside is limited to only a few seats. They have a few long benches outside and with fans, the heat wasn’t too bad, but the flies were unbearable. We had to move inside because we kept getting attacked by no less than 10 flies. I don’t know if it’s the fact that you’re eating next to the dumpster or if the whole place is a dumpster.
The burgers themselves, however, were the /​only/​thing good about Mom’s. Out of the three that we sampled, they were all very tasty and well put together. A little on the greasy side but one of our team was looking for a greasy gut-​bomb and mom’s delivered to her. Our third committee member thought that the burgers had «too much going on» and to be honest, they kind of did.
The flavor profiles were bursting with a muddle of disorganized notes that, while producing a tasty chord, didn’t lead to a well resolved digestive chorus.
Overall, I wouldn’t be back inside of 6mos to a year while they figure things out or just close down.
I was excited to go based on all the reviews but was definitely underwhelmed. Too many things were wrong in my opinion to be an anomaly.
We all agreed that we wouldn’t be back inside of 6 months. As a restaurant, they really need to get their act together.

It looks like the new IT place is Your Mom’s Burger Bar for Unilocalers, after reading most of the reviews I decided I need to zip over and try it, I am always looking for the greatest burger ever.
Driving down to 1^st Street, whoops I meant E. Cesar Chavez I found this location behind a Mexican restaurant. While Mom’s is colored in bright blue in red, the Mexican restaurant was in bright yellow.
Since I was arriving around 2pm and not the rush hour I was able to find parking in their lot which is very small. This fits right in line with Mom’s because it is small as well. I walked in and quickly saw I needed to order at the window, the young man who took my order was nice and helped me decide on what I wanted. I ordered the Normal Jean with white bread (they do have wheat as well) which comes with American cheese and lettuce and tomato, onion and I added mayo and a fried egg. They were out of tomato but that was OK.
As I waited for my order I sat at a small table on the patio, actually there were only 5 tables and only one was available and it was full of previous users left over items, I cleared myself a space and waited. I think we were supposed to police ourselves and take our baskets to the trash can and shelf area; well that is what I did when I finished.
My order came and the burger looked great, the fries were darker brown and wiggly not crispy. But I loved the fries (and you know I hate almost everyone’s fries), so I like wiggly fries. Now the burger, it was great, one of the better burgers I have had in a long time. It was cooked correctly and I loved it. As stated in other reviews the wait for the burger seems a little long but it was worth it. Oh yes, since it was my first time my ½ order of fries were free. Yip pea ka yah cowboy!
What did I notice while I was there? Their order window was continually full and all the tables and 6 or 7 bar seats inside were full as well. There were many very pretty ladies there with their boyfriends or girlfriends; since they were so pretty I guess they were Unilocalers coming to give Mom’s a try as well.
Oh, don’t forget they have liter bottles of Mexican coke.
Would I go back? I can’t wait to go back. I am craving one now!

The word stuff can be used in so many ways… and in this instance, in the best way. As in, stuffed meat. Your Mom’s stuffed burgers are in a word: HUGE.
I ordered the buffalo bill — a tasty concoction of blue cheese, jalapenos, buffalo sauce, ranch? and some perfect (free) fries. The BF had the Willie Nelson, a burger smothered in bbq sauce, cheese, onions and some love.
The folks behind the counter are incredibly nice — just so happy to be churning out some of the best burgers in A-​town. I love the BYOB action and the wireless (though that needs some help… reset that router boys). The place had some neighborhood kids hanging out with their parents and you know, I love the idea that they’re going to have memories of a great burger like Mr. Smidgen’s does of Joes.
In a word, fun and funky and little. Go have a burger and an ice cold beer. This is life in Austin.