11June2026 I have been married to a Lubbock Native for 27 years now, and for all of this time, I have been hearing about Spanky's, just across from Texas Tech University. She has been hyping up this joint forever and during this trip to her hometown, we ended up there on our first night we were in town. On the outside, it looks like the typical university food joint that could be at any university town across America. It was small with a few tables and booths and had stuff across the walls that yelled TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS so loud that it could be seen from the ISS. Apparently, the owner is a big fan and possibly an Alumna of TTU. We ordered the hand dipped mushrooms and onion rings to go along with our burgers. Little did I know what an experience the two appetizers would be. Lets just say that I have NEVER has such wonderful shrooms and rings ... ever. Thats saying something. The mushrooms are not the typical soft, mushy ones that many places serve out of the Sysco bags ... no, these were easily identifiable as button mushrooms even through the crispiness of the batter. Firm, sliceable and easily skewered by a fork to be dipped in ranch sauce. In short ... they were lip-smackin good. The onion rings, dipped in the same batter, cooked in the same oil and served at the same temperature were just as delectable. They were thick sliced sweet yellows that held their toothiness throughout the frying process. Just the bite into it was yummy, sweet and crispy ... all at the same time. These reminded me of the onion rings I used to get at Tookies down in Seabrook, Tx during the 70's and 80's. For my main, I chose the "Hotter than Hell Burger" with crinkle fries. I like hot and spicy and expected it to actually be hotter than it was. The sliced jalapeño and habanero spread were present and did the job of letting my taste buds know they were doing their job. It just wasn't the knockout I was expecting from a burger place serving university students that would eat really spicy stuff on a dare. Don't get me wrong, that burger was really good, just as my Wife said it would be. That statement is truth, not hype, but hotter than hell, naah. More like hotter than heck. My biggest disappointment was the limited selection of good beer. Light beer, cheap lagers and Mexican standards. Would it hurt to put in an IPA or a Stout? Overall, the staff were wonderful and answered any of the myriad of questions I had about their fare. It was an actual experience for me, especially after all of the hype my Wife told me over the decades. Usually, after a big span of time, places from our youth let us down. Spanky's is NOT a place like that. I will be sure to make it there on the next trip to Lubbock ... even if my Wife isn't with me. Ciao, Darrell read more

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The online menu is out of date. The margaritas was insanely bitter The burger was pretty good This is a classically overrated college haunt. Its ok. Nothing special about it though. Don't go out of your way for it read more

When visiting Texas Tech University you have to stop by Spanky's for a snack. They have great appetizers, burgers and more. The fried cheese, pickles and zucchini all have generous serving sizes. The burgers are tasty and their chicken sandwiches are also good. Great fries as well. The staff is nice and they swing by the tables to check on customers frequently. They have two floors and you can order in either level. They do have limited rest rooms in both floors as well. read more

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Best fried cheese you will ever have and if not, please message me a better spot because I doubt it exists! The fried okra is also incredible; not too much nor too little breading, just right and tasty. The BLT had crispy bacon and a tasty mayo blend. Prices are very reasonable! Parking is ample, which is rare for being next to campus. I visited twice within three days because I was craving the fried cheese and okra again! read more

Spanky's - World Famous Fried Cheese - Sandwiches Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Fantastic good, ambiance, and service! The chicken sandwiches, fried cheese, And onion rings were awesome! We'll be back for sure! read more

Spanky's - Green chili chicken - Sandwiches Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

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The food was so good! I'll definitely come back if I'm ever in the area again! Went in around 9 and ordered our food and it was brought out quickly. Really just good. If I didn't live so far away, I'd probably be there right now lol read more

Spanky's - Cheese sticks! - Sandwiches Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

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Just average food. All of our hamburgers had a hard bun. The fried cheese was great! The kids had chicken and enjoyed it. read more

Spanky's - World Famous Fried Cheese - Sandwiches Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Must stop spot when we are in town. Have to start with fried cheese or fried pickles followed by any burger. Hard to order poorly here. It's well known for a reason! read more

Food was damn good. Onion rings, mozzarella whatever they called them, and burger was a straight forward good burger. They can do over the top stuff if you want. The place gets busy but food rolls out at steady pace and the workers are always going. We will be back when in Lubbock. read more

Very clean and you can't go wrong with anything on menu. Always good and fixed just as ordered. Young man that waited on us was very helpful and nice. read more

A Texas Tech hot spot! Quiet enough to have conversation. The food is unbelievably big, and good! The best fried pickles I've found so far, and I've had my share. It's mostly self service, but they are prompt with the appetizers and clean up quickly. My Buffalo chicken was great, but the burgers are pretty legit top contender. And the fried cheese, (mind blown). Must stop here if you're visiting. Great value. read more

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Stopped for fried cheese, clean and good service. Fried cheese was hot and tasty. Onion rings were crunchy and batter was perfect. Highly recommend! read more

the famous cheese sticks were not worth the hype. it lacks a solid crust cheese was good tho read more

Loved the burger. Need to go back for the fried cheese! Add a few more thoughts to post review. read more

Spanky's - a sign you should eat at Spanky's! - Sandwiches Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

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I never be in spanky's but I heard the food is good and I don't wanna get spanked and keep up the good work Spanky

I love the cheese sticks. I'm so confused how anyone in that kitchen would send out fries that were absolutely cold for me and my grandson. Even the hamburger patty didn't seem fresh it wasn't exactly hot. Sad because this was my first time bringing my grandson here. Probably last. For a little more than the $52.05 we paid for 2 burgers, one order cheese sticks fries and drinks we can go to Texas Roadhouse and at least it will be hot. Very very disappear that much money. EDIT; Spoke to the manager after I wrote this and expressed my disappointment. He said oh sorry, never offered anything. I told him he should be embarrassed. As I expected it didn't faze him. I'll make sure to tell everyone about this. read more

I really wanted to like it. Seems like the food is an after thought. The cheese sticks were very cold, the batter was wrinkled up. Wasn't fresh. The chicken sandwich was ok, nothing special. The Monte Cristo was really over fried. Too greasy and crunchy on the ends. I threw most of it away. Fries had no flavor and were cold. This was our first and last time here. read more

Spanky's - Chicken sandwich - Sandwiches Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

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Multiple ppl told me to come try this place while I was in town so I decided to come. I ordered the fried cheese by request and then I got the Texas Philly per the cashiers recommendation. The fried cheese was really good. I only got the three count instead of the six but wish I would've got the six count. (Big back activity) but they were really good. A lil greasy but like In a good way. They were a good size as well. I liked the coating on them and dipped in that ranch was heaven sent! The Texas Philly is huge. It was really good and seasoned well. I wish it had like a lil more cheese on it but the flavor was good and the bread was soft! Plenty peppers and onions which I love. I think this was place was pretty decent but kinda sad they didn't have chicken wings. Their burgers looked very promising though. When I'm back in Lbk I think I'll try the bacon Swiss burger. Service was good and fast! The ambiance was nice, they had the tech game going and everybody was in high spirits until tech started losing. read more

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Great burger joint, been going here for decades. Fried cheese are the main thing I get but also the he man burger, monte cristo are good. I wouldn't recommend the chicken as is usually old or dried (please read this and fix that). Stick with the beef and apps. Navigating the place is a pain in the butt, so try to figure it out once you walk in, cause "to go" orders are at a different spot. Nice location next to TTU. read more

Great burger, must stop by if you're a burger person, will not be disappointed! Isn't need anything else, but was told they have some great cheese! read more

I think that this is definitely a good burger place but i would also say that it is overpriced due to the hype of it being right next to TTU campus. Food is very good just doesnt match the price point of a burger joint. read more

The food here is good, I can certainly see why people like the fried cheese but I'm not a fan of quite that much cheese. Breading on them was good. Chicken sandwich was good and the cheesesteak was alright but again I could see some people raving over it. For me it's not my favorite, but I can see what people love about it and based on service and recognizing the quality of food they serve it deserves a 4. My next trip in I plan to try a burger and fried pickles read more

Spanky's - Cheesesteak. - Sandwiches Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

We were referred to this spot by a former student at TT for its famous fried cheese. The prices were reasonable, the restaurant was clean, & staff were friendly. We ordered at the counter and got our food quickly. I tasted hamburger(ade, chicken strips, fries, cheese sticks, & philly cheesesteak. The food was mostly hovering around average w/ a sober palate, but I'm thinking all of the grease might be more appreciated after some beers. Being across the street from Tech, I'm sure it's a cool place to hangout with friends(the upstairs especially) & grab a bite. read more

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Service was pretty ok nothing to write home about. Food was lacking, their cheese sticks could be crispier and seasoned? They lacked any semblance of seasoning and that would be fine if they were using a more flavorful cheese in the sticks. Onion rings were crispy but undercooked. We ordered a chicken sandwich and a burger both were fine, chicken was crispy and good portion, and the burger was meh. Fries 10/10 and ranch 10/10. Overall could be better read more

Cheese and fried mushrooms -absolutely amazing! Burgers are to die for. Solid all around.

My first visit to Spanky's was over 30 years ago. I have been a long time fan and always take my kids and order the delicious Spanky's fried cheese. It is a family favorite so much so that I figured out how to make them at home, but we still choose to stop when we are in Lubbock, which is not very often because of how far away we live. However, I do believe this last visit will be our last. The quality and size of your fried cheese was more than disappointing. I used to brag about how amazing and large they were. They are now half the size of what used to be served. Not only that, the prices have skyrocketed beyond any other normal restaurant. Local friends just shake their heads and agree it's not as good. The disappointment was disheartening and therefore, I can only give one star. read more

Try the fried cheese... But keep in mind. Each piece is a lot of cheese. So if there's four of you... Just get the three piece and you'll be fine. The hamburgers were really good... It's a fun place. Although I did have to explain to my daughters, what the "he-man woman haters club" was... It's from the little rascals. They thought it was some kind of a chauvinist thing. They're young... I don't think they know what the little rascals are. read more

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Dinner time and I am not familiar with Lubbock at all. I was searching Yelp and most of the restaurants I saw and was interested in were closed Sunday and Mondays. My boss mentioned Spankys and that the Fried Cheese was great. I decided to go with his suggestion. I am very glad I did. There was plenty of parking, easy to find location. I entered and order was taken at the counter. Burgers, chicken sandwiches and all sorts of fried goodies. I like zucchini but went with the cheese on boss man's recommendation. It comes in 3 or 6, but after eating I almost wish it came in 1 or 2 cause they were huge. The breading was light but crispy, lots of cheesy goodness. I only finished 1.5 but that's because I chowed down on my burger first. The burger was juicy, topped with lettuce, tomato mayo, onion and diced green chilis. I couldn't put it down once I started. The fries were crispy, just slightly over done which is awesome. I didn't even get to finish them. I have to say I was defeated, didn't finish what I ordered from sheer fullness. I sent my wife a message immediately after saying if we ever are in Lubbock together I'm bringing her here. The burger was as good if not better than my favs back home, fries on point and the fried cheese was best I've ever had. I don't usually eat cheese sticks because most places they are blah. If you are in the area, this is a must try! read more

Spanky's - Green Chile & Swiss Burger - Sandwiches Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

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Service: First time here and the service was good. The restaurant is clean. Food: The food was great. We had the famous fried cheese, hamburgers, fries and onion rings. Ambiance: Average noise it's a burger joint across from Texas Tech. read more

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Absolutely delicious We had watched a YouTube video of Spank's and decided we had to go see if it was good as the video. We found out real quick the video did not do it justice. The staff is super nice and helpful and the food is out of this world. We ordered (way too much food) the He-man woman hater, fried mushrooms and, of course, the fried cheese. Everything was cooked to perfection and delicious. We will definitely be back next time we are in town. read more

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As a Lubbock native this is an automatic 5. In my opinion either the first or second best burger place in town. The staff is accommodating, the food is amazing, and no where else can match the atmosphere. They know how to make you feel right at home and never fail to leave me satisfied. read more

Spanky's leave you full and speechless . Club sandwich, MonteCristal sandwiches and onion rings are awesome. read more

Pretty expensive off the bat 2.50 extra for fries alone most of it is 10 dollars for 1 meal so a family of 4 has to spend 50 to 60 dollars for lunch but other than that this was pretty tasty the kids menu is pretty bunz. read more

This is a really fun little restaurant right by campus. Several people told us we needed to try it while we were in town. It had great food and extremely nice staff. The man at the counter suggested we try the fried cheese so we did. It was amazing. The cheese sticks were huge and obviously hand battered. The cheese was melted and yummy. I highly recommend the cheese sticks. My hamburger was huge and really juicy. We all really enjoyed our meals. read more

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Still one of the best burgers in town, and at a decent price. Fries are a cheap add-on, appreciate saving some money if saving on calories. Only complaint is the bun is way bigger than the patty, too much. read more

Great food and theme. I love the little rascals. My parents are dreaming about the burgers lol

The food was alright but kinda pricey for a burger joint. The ambience is nice and the service is super quick. I had the cheese sticks, a bacon burger and soda (no fries) and it was $30. read more

A local college tradition Spanky's has been around since 1982. Sadly our 1st visit here last night was pretty disappointing overall. Can't think of a good reason to go back beyond buying a t-shirt to prove I survived. The one saving grace was the staff. Very cool and helpful at the registers. Servers were nice and welcoming. I appreciated good advice with menu. However the rest of it was mediocre to sad. The food was fair. Traditional burger and fries. Order were behind 35min so the famous fried cheese was good but the green Chile burger was barely warm. Obviously a back up on the fryer while the food was under heat lamps too long. I don't expect an old college dive to be fancy but when it is not busy ~50% capacity I expect the tables to be promptly bused around us. Lots of standing around while we have to pick through dirty tables and and booths with old food on the floor. The bathrooms were old and beat as is their character, but does it have to be dirty? This place reminded me a lot of an old house with a long time owner who can no longer see what is wrong with it. A bit of love and new attention could really make it a campus gem like Eskimo Joe's in Stillwater, OK or The Chimes in Baton Rouge, LA. read more

Spanky's - a wooden floor in a restaurant - Sandwiches Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

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The Fried Cheese - hands down the best! Also ordered their onion rings and those were also very good. Can't wait to come back. read more

Spanky's - Onion Rings - Sandwiches Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

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Was kinda skeptical at first... some of the reviews had me worried what we were walking into Upon entering you will pick upstairs or downstairs... we chose upstairs.... The room is covered in previous customers signatures and coloring pages... it works really well... they encourage you to leave your own mark .. we left our names and a few coloring pages. When we ordered the staff was very friendly giving up some tips... The food I had the he man woman hater burger.... This thing is huge... and delicious... also had fried cheese these were giant as well.. and we loved them... definitely won't go hungry here We will definitely be back read more

Spanky's - He He - man Woman Hater - Sandwiches Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

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