For any of you who know me (or have read my burger reviews), I am always on that quest to find the perfect burger.
I tend to march to my own drummer as to where to try these, as I am frequently less than wowed by the hype of places that people are raving about and standing in line for. No one should have to stand in long lines for good food. That is what reservations are for.
While working on a blog post about one of my favorite Pizza's, I tripped over a burger recommendation in an article about Cover 3. After further google research, I discovered they were also number 12 on the Texas Monthly 50 Best Burgers in Texas list from 2009. While I have not "religiously" sampled all of their recommendations, I have sampled burgers from 3 of the 8 establishments they have listed in Austin and was only blown away by one of them.
2 observations:
1) Texas Monthly needs to seriously do a more current version of that list, as it is "so 2009."
2) It cannot hurt to try the other 5 places on the list to see if they are on to something.
I was heading back from meeting friends at a Doghouse Drinkery Dog Park (dogs in tow) and was Jonesing for a good burger. Since I had to venture past the exit to Cover 3 to get home, I decided make it 4 of 8 places and called in a to-go order. While ordering, I repeatedly asked that it be Med Rare (more on the rare side) and that they sub out the ciabatta bun for a Whole Wheat option but asked them to toast the bun.
If you want to know how I rate a good burger, check out my review of Luke's Inside Out where I list the "Top Ten signs of a really good burger, according to moi." (http://www.yelp.com/biz/lukes-inside-out-austin#hrid:VsflPzQt0ggfBa1ryT9_2Q)
I walked in to an environment that was dimly lit for dining but loudly blaring sports on multiple flat screens throughout the joint. It was kind of like sports invaded a downtown feel dinner house. The bartender was friendly, rang my order and asked if I wanted a drink. 10 minutes later, I left with my food in tow. Plastic Bag Side note : they do send it in a handled plastic bag that is likely reusable as it was more than 4 mils.
Once home, I put my burger with Parmesan fries on a plate, sliced it in half, photographed it for Yelp, and began to bite into it.
The half pound of beef was ground fresh and had good seasoning. It was slightly charred on the outside, giving it a slight smokiness, but juicy on the inside. They failed to make it Med Rare, there was not a hint of pink in sight :(note to self... next time ask for rare). The bun was slightly soggy on the bottom (could have been the ride home steaming in a plastic box) but it held up. The cheddar and bacon (which will run you an extra $0.50 and $0.75) added a nice compliment. Cheddar was sharp and bacon as thick and perfectly crispy. It was served with a nice portion of ripe tomato slices, just the right amount of thinly sliced red onion, and shredded ice berg lettuce. (minus points for the iceberg shreds). It was tasty and too much food. There was 1/3 left for later.
The Parmesan fries were thin, perfectly seasoned, not soggy or crisp... just right and totally devoured.
It was a good burger and delightful twist on the Parmesan fries. They lose points for over cooking, shredded iceberg lettuce and a soggy bun. It was not on the top of my list, but there is only room for one at the top. It is a solid delicious burger and I see why Texas Monthly selected it.
In order to give them a fair shake, I need to order and eat it in the restaurant, so I am eating it as it is served instead of after 10 minutes in a car.
It is a solid good burger that beats out many of the places in Austin. I would recommend them as a good burger and add them to your list to try, if you have not yet ventured there.
BTW - If you are a fan of burgers from that trendy place that starts with an H.. Cover 3 is a sister restaurant to that chain. Difference, less expensive, no lines and a REAL no-nonsense burger that stands on its own merits without drowning it with sauces and toppings. read more