Best Burger in Town...shhhh don't tell anyone!

I hesitate to do this post because I don't want to blow up their spot and have held off until now but...The Hills Cafe on S.Congress has the BEST burger I have ever had.


Hill's is so unassuming from the outside but it’s all a façade. These people know what they're doing! The inside is very laid back, their booths are named after famous country singers. Also, there is a great back patio with lots of seating and even a tree house!

Their buns are made daily and have almost a sweet taste to them. I'm not a big fan of the sweet over savory but they make it work. The french fries are my favorite, big wedge fries with lots of seasoning on them. YUM!

If you are ever down south and in the mood for a burger, do yourself a favor and go to The Hill's Cafe!

~ A very fat and happy Laura

A little facelift for the pups

So I bought these little guys (Fu dogs) at TJ Maxx last week, but didn't quite want to go with the b/w theme, so I bought some orange spray paint and primer for a little face lift.

In the end I want them to resemble this (Fu dogs from CB2, ~$50,) at only half the cost and a little work.

Fu dogs from CB2

I will post the "after" pictures once it STOPS RAINING! :(

~Rachel

Chronicle's Best of Party

Last night I was excited to be the chosen member of the Texas Freedom Network (TFN) staff to attend the Best of Austin Chronicle Party to accept our award for best Nonprofit, on behalf of the whole staff. I was a very nice event at the new AT&T Conference center on UT's campus. Free food and booze always generates a great turnout.

If you live in Austin and support the issues TFN promotes be sure to grab your ticket to this years Austin Gala! (I wouldn't be a good fundraiser if I didn't plug my own event! )

~Laura

Hipster of the Week!

Location: Beerland, Red River

Sorry for the poor quality of the picture, it was taken with a camera phone at night

This lovely hipster is wearing the ever necessary plaid shirt and a spandex mini skirt. Now personally I don't think anyone, no matter how skinny you are should be sporting one of these but clearly people disagree with me. The best part of this outfit were the royal blue pumps with the sparkle ankle socks, my phone sucks and couldn't capture the awesomeness. I don't really get this style either but I've seen it more than once.

The Renowned...Lustre Pearl

We have arrived... for happy hour that is.

A few friends and I made it to Lustre Pearl, finally, after all the chatter that has been going on around Austin for the past few months.

It was pretty much what I had expected, very "Austiny" (I know, you are probably sick of hearing that, as any new establishment in Austin is described with the same adjective.) Honestly, though it is really "Austiny." Huge backyard w/ plenty of tables and chairs to just chill and relax, ping pong table, taco truck, I mean if that isn't Austin, then what is?! Please tell me, no really, please.

Anyway, the one thing that I'm sure most people would gripe about (besides the neighbors not picking up their dog's poop) is the lack of A/C. The house is wide open (doors, windows, everything) and apparently the only place that has A/C is the bathrooms (thanks Laura, for checking that out!) So the general consensus (my friends and all of Austin) is that Lustre Pearl is rad!

~Rachel

HOT DOGS!

If you know me at all you know I've never met a hot dog I didn't like. When I heard that Starlite was closing I was sad but excited to hear a new restaurant was going in its location called Frank's and the majority of their menu was going to be hot dogs! Yesterday, I finally made it to Frank's and it met and exceeded all my expectations. The menu is basically hot dogs with all different toppings. Anything from cole slaw to chili. They also have a full bar and an extensive beer list. But most notably they have bacon infused Maker's Mark. Who doesn't need a little whiskey at lunch? The atmosphere is super laid back. Clientele ranged anywhere from families with young children to businessmen. They are open additional hours, Thursday through Satruday until 2am, which could be very dangerous for me.



I had the Slaw Dog and LOVED IT! The cole slaw was super horseradishie but good. I also had the waffle fries with buffalo bleu sauce which was amazing also. Don't let the color of the sauce turn you off. Franks has made it into the normal lunch rotation, for sure. If your in the mood for a hot dog you should check out Frank's, they will not disappoint! Brunch hours are being added soon!

~ Laura

CHEESE the way to my heart!

Photo: Michael Kraus

Texas is known for many things and cheese is not one of them. BUT there are a couple that are worth trying. Today, I read a good article about Texas Cheese! ....all of which I have enjoyed during my time in Austin. Read article

I highly suggest you do yourself a favor and have yourself a taste. If you are interested in food at all you should join the Tasting Table daily email list.

~Laura