The Tendermaid is always great. This place has been in Austin for almost 90 years. We go every time we are in town.

Best spot in town!!! I met the owner and they're a great team. Best place to get a burger

Cute little place you can eat at the counter or take it to go. Food was good and the shakes were amazing. The server was friendly and so was the chef. All around a good time. read more

This place is phenomenal! The meat has excellent flavor and the menu is not overwhelming. The owner is very pleasant. If you have never eaten here...it's like going back in time to when food was made to put a smile on your face. read more

Pros: Fast service. Super friendly. Convenient location with ample parking. Retro malt shop vibe. Cons: Limited menu. No bathroom. Could be a pro, but could be a con, depending on your perspective: Sit at a shared bar and get to know your neighbors. read more

What a fun experience! The nicest people and solid nostalgic kind of food. The malt, sea salt caramel banana, was OUTSTANDING!! Having never had a loose meat sandwich I took the advice of the friendly staff and was not disappointed. If you find yourself in Austin you should 100% go here for good food and great history along with the nicest family run place! read more

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Take a step back in time at this burger restaurant. The "burgers" served are not formed into a patty. Instead, you'll find loose hamburger meat on a bun with the fixings of your choice. Part of the experience is the potential mess, but don't worry, they give you a spoon for all the crumbles that may fall out. They also serve chips and milkshakes to make the perfect combo meal. You order at the counter inside and then slide down to make room for the next person. There is no room to sit inside. It's a small space, but tables are outside to enjoy your burger on the perfect sunny day. read more

Their malt shakes are delicious! I got the bacon cheeseburger and banana malt shake. Their pricing is based on cash pricing so if you are paying with card, expect to pay 4% more. Their burger is chopped burger, so they serve it with a spoon. They have been around for 85 years! read more

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Can't even tell you how long I've been eating at The Tendermaid . . Like maybe 40 years??? Family loved the burgers as kids and we still all go back if we're anywhere close by! The tendermaid sandwiches are still awesome (think crumbled sloppy joes without sauce). Add your choice of onions, cheese, mustard, ketchup, pickles and anything else you can think of! One big difference. I used to eat 2 or 3, so I ordered two. They are twice the size they used to be! Wowza . . my tummy . . . The tiny building looks exactly the same, but no counter seat sadly. Takeout only. Oh well, I'll still go again. read more

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B B food great service fantastic the absolute best great people and very helpful I'm ninety years old been going there since I was a young boot never had a bad meal read more

I absolutely love this place! Everyone who works there including the owner are some of the nicest people i have ever met. The food is delicious and not overpriced. I had the chili dog and a butterscotch malt. Both were great! They have a nice picnic table area to eat outside when the weather is nice. I will be back here the next time i am in town! read more

I had completed my visit at the SPAM Museum. I asked Dave, a friendly and helpful SPAM-bassador, what recommendations he had for food in downtown Austin. I asked the right person! He has eaten his way around the city and gave me three suggestions. One of them was Tendermaid. He said that I could keep my car parked at the museum and walk over there. It's funny, but I actually saw this restaurant as I was heading over to the SPAM Museum. Google Maps got me to the museum's front entrance. I needed to find parking, so I drove around the block, as it's downtown and many streets are one-way. I had to do a full stop at an intersection and I was staring at Tendermaid. It reminded me of the small burger joints in Winnipeg. They are small, but mighty. Never knock a small burger joint. Anyway, I walked over to Tendermaid. There are two doors. Both work. Coming or going, just use whichever one works best. I was immediately greeted by a nice woman. I hung up my jacket and chose a stool in this cute diner that feels like I'm in the 50's or even earlier. I wouldn't know, as I'm not that old... haha! It was almost as if this woman knew that I like hearing about the history of a food joint and how the loose burger came into play. I loved all of that, including what I could order from the menus. This place is famous for its loose burger. It hasn't changed how it has made it for decades. Instead of a ground beef patty, you get loose ground beef that goes between the bun. It's like a sloppy Joe, but without it being drenched in sloppy sauce. There is an area where the loose ground beef keeps its temperature. This place had malts, shakes, and pop. I went with a black raspberry shake. It is made the way it was done back in the day. Cool! After going through the menu, I ordered a bacon cheeseburger, with jalapeno cheese, relish, and mayo. You can ask for whatever toppings you'd like. My black raspberry shake came out. I get moments where I am so floored by how good something tastes that I want to share how great it is with the world. It would have been odd to have told the man sitting three stools away from me about it. Instead, I told the woman who made it for me. She was delighted and didn't think I was crazy. The black raspberry had so much flavour. It was thick and creamy. It was excellent. My burger came out next. The woman gave it to me carefully wrapped up and said that I'll be needing a spoon. I love having such a different burger experience. I unwrapped by burger and took my first bite. It was awesome! The bacon was chopped into smaller bits, to complement the loose beef. I loved the jalapeno cheese that was in it. It was flavourful. I love relish and mayo in a burger. The bun was soft and perfect. I was elated! And, yes, you do need a spoon to scoop up the ground beef. It wasn't overcooked. It wasn't bland. It was yummy. I had another woman behind the counter ask where I was from. Not in a prying, nosy way. Just in a curious, friendly way. She told me that she loves Toronto and would love to visit again. This place accepts credit cards and cash. I paid with a credit card and I was good. You get mini Tootsie Rolls at the end of your meal. I liked the gesture. I got water in a plastic cup. I took it with me as I left. It was a nice touch. Part of me wanted another milkshake, but I didn't want to fall asleep driving away. It is worth coming here just for the shake alone. I thanked the two women there. They were so nice and friendly. Parking is at the back of the restaurant. There is plenty! You can also get Tendermaid t-shirts and more if you want a physical momento of your time here. I'd come back here again. I had a great lunch. Thanks to Dave back at the SPAM Museum for the recommendation. (24) read more

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The loose meat burger was tasteless. The girls behind the counter were all very friendly. But I probably wouldn't go back.

Loved it! Flew in from salt lake and drove straight to Austin for a couple Tendermaid's burgers. Totally worth waking up at 5 am, flying to Minnesota, not eating all day and rolling in for before they close at 4pm. Always delicious, we inhaled them in a couple minutes. The original with cheese or the one with thousand island sauce on it are the best. Get them with the pickles on them and don't forget a fabulous, smooth, best you've ever had chocolate shake! Love these folks may they stay open forever! read more

The Tendermaid - Inside of diner - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Minnesota

Super cute and yummy sandwich shop I knew it was going to be good when there was a line out the door when I pulled up. The shakes are fantastic and so are the sandwiches. I will definitely stop again when I'm in town. They are super quick to so even with the line out the door I was in and out in 10 minutes. read more

A classic! Sadly they are only to go since COVID but same old food. A great spot to stop :)

Way too expensive and not even hot enough. It's a favorite of long time people whom delight in nostalgic rememberance.

We are the people who can't find their butts with both hands AND the GPS, so we spent a little time wandering downtown Austin looking for the Spam Museum. On a side street we shouldn't have been on, we passed a cool, vintage little white building with a red striped awning, which immediately warmed my heart. After we left the museum, we were going to grab a bite and were just looking for a generic fast food when we passed the little building again. I know a sign from the universe when I see one, so I commanded the Anaconda to pull over. You had to park in the back and it looked to small to have inside seating (guess there is some), so I just decided to wait in the car and gave him simple instructions to get me a cheeseburger and a strawberry shake (because hamburger stands that are painted white always have milkshakes). Of course, he never gets an order right, so when he returned to the car, I opened my food warily, wondering what he did wrong this time. Sure enough, as I peeled back the wrapper, I said, "What's this?? This isn't even a chee- " And I stopped. OMG! No, it wasn't a cheeseburger. It was a loose meat sandwich! The legendary cuisine of the Roseanne show that I thought they just made up! It actually exists! I was delighted that we had stumbled across it at a place clearly marked "Tendermaid Hamburgers". And it was mighty tasty, as was the thick, creamy shake. Not what we expected, but it turned out to be one of the food highlights of our road trip. And I didn't even have to yell at the Anaconda. read more

Tendermaid is a nostalgic diner dating back to 1930's Austin. Pros: this place is just so cool. You walk in and feel transported back in time. The loose meat burgers are to be eaten with a spoon (they give you one when you order) and the super thick shakes are made the old fashioned way. The staff is friendly and will engage the entire restaurant in light hearted communal conversations. Cons: only stools around a counter, so obviously no high chairs. Also not the most accessible for people with physical disabilities. No AC and not open on Sundays. Overall, worth the stop through Austin to check this place out. read more

The Tendermaid - Butterscotch shake - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Minnesota

A perfect treat when looking for a quick lunch. The service was great. The atmosphere very nostalgic with the bar stool seating. It seems a bit pricey for what you get and there are no fries, but I will visit again. read more

Loose meat hamburgers and great shakes. No deep fat fried anything. This is a favorite among the locals and those interlopers who get to tag along. Try to beat the record! DON'T come here if your looking for a snobby half pound angus burger with romaine lettuce, etc. and french fries. DO come if you like local cache, good conversation floating across the all counter dinning. You like real hand made milk shakes and malts, and my favorite a chili dog loaded with chili and jalapeno peppers added. Plus the ladies that own the place are very nice and cute to boot. read more

Iconic hamburger joint. Been fortunate to have been a satisfied customer since 1966. Tried to call my future wife in Paris from their pay phone in 1969. Fortunately my future brother in law hung up on me. Great memories, great malts, great loose meat steamed quarter pound burgers. 13 or 15 stools with picnic tables in the warm Minnesota months April-November. But don't believe about warm. I'm a Minnesota native who now lives In Arizona. You will be glad you stopped. When you meet Sara the owner you will know where term - Minnesota Nice came from. Enjoy.. read more

This place deserves 10 stars! Amazing Tendermaids, amazing malts, amazing tiny little diner, amazing people!!! Just an all around amazing place! And it's absolutely the most "Austin" thing about Austin! If that makes sense to you, then you can join my club. But I can't really talk about it... The first rule is... Wait, nevermind... I can't talk about it. read more

One of the best burger places in Minnesota!! You need to try it anytime you come to Minnesota! I used to go everyday and I become one of their "regulars" and Sarah was super nice and we talked about a lot of different stuff! read more

The food is amazing and the employees are very kind it's a great place here in town for that home made taste for food. I highly recommend it if you are ever driving through the down and are Hungry. read more

You walk in and you see a classic Americana-style eatery. The only seating in this joint is a large U-shaped counter with swivel stools, which surrounds the service area and the food prep area. The sandwiches and shakes are made right in front of you. The menu here is quite simple. Choose a loose meat burger sandwich and choose the toppings. You can have the choice of adding in a bag of chips (no fries or onion rings here), but you'll really want to opt for a milkshake or a malt. The chocolate milkshake is full of that chocolaty syrup, which makes it a nice accompaniment. Sure they have a few other items on the menu, but let's be serious, you're not really here for that. The burgers here are crumbled ground beef, hence the loose meat burger term, served from a steaming vat in the middle of the restaurant. It can be a bit messy to eat, but you get a spoon to eat all of the stuff that falls out of the sandwich. It's served on soft white Wonder Bread hamburger rolls. This pricing of the items is relatively high, but it might be worth the trip if you happen to be in the area (ie: if you're visiting the Spam museum). It's certainly something a bit different if you've never had this kind of sandwich before. read more

The Tendermaid - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Minnesota

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No matter your age, The Tender Maid is one of those places that makes you want to re-live your childhood. This nostalgic little diner takes you back in time to a simpler era; the sights and sounds of the past come rushing back, inspired by something as simple as a burger and shake. And when I say "burger," I mean steamy loose ground beef scooped generously onto a soft white bun with pickles, onions, and cheese, and enclosed in a paper wrapper that screams, "Open me! Right. Now." There's no possible way to put into words how charming and simple - and TASTY - that sandwich is. You just have to experience it. So get on in to the Tendermaid. Spin around on that stool a few times and share a malt with someone special. You'll think you were 8 years old again. And when you walk out the door (with a handful of complimentary Tootsie Rolls), no matter what the weather, it seems like the sun is shining a little bit brighter. Heck, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I'm pretty sure I know where I'm having lunch tomorrow.... read more

We planned to eat at the Tendermaid after seeing good reviews online and getting recommended to eat there while we were visiting the SPAM museum in Austin. When we arrived it was pretty quiet so we easily settled in at the retro barstool counter seating. We got malts and specialty burgers, deciding to forego the eating challenge they have until having tried the food for ourselves. We are super glad we waited because the loose meat style burgers were not only delicious but pretty big and super filling. The malts were extra thick and tasted amazing. On top of the great food, our server was super nice and very quick with our order as well as more than willing to give us a run through of how the burgers are made when we told her this was our first time there. She said that the restaurant has been there for 80+ years, and it's easy to see why. Austin has a quaint small-town feel with plenty of charm and the Tendermaid fits right in. If you can appreciate the novelty of this retro restaurant and are looking for a killer malt, be sure to stop in. read more

The Tendermaid - The specialty Western Burger with a vanilla malt really hit the spot after a day of driving! - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Minnesota

Good selection of loose meat burgers. Just a word of warning, there is no clean (or sexy) way to eat them. They are messy. If you want, they have an eating challenge. To beat it, however, you have to beat the record of 30 sandwiches. You also have to eat a bag of chips, a malt, and drink 84 oz. of water (because eating 10 pounds worth of sandwiches is apparently manageable, so why not?). The current record time, as of 6/24/2017, is 26 minutes. read more

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Okay... I know this place is a legend. I've read all the other reviews, and so I feel a bit guilty not rating it better, but I need to share my feedback. The novelty of a "loose burger" sounds fun, until the sandwich arrives, and what you actually get is overcooked, unseasoned, dry hamburger meat. Really. It was so dry that it was hard to eat. (Not to mention that most of it fell from the bun, and I had to pick it up with my fingers!) Someone likened it to a sloppy joe without the sauce. I'll add to that. Sloppy joe without the sauce OR flavor. I saw photos of other folks' burgers, and mine was also seriously lacking in the toppings we ordered (cheese, mustard, ketchup, pickles, onions, etc.) The best tasting part of my whole "burger" was the jalapeño! (Great addition). I took a photo half way through. For $4.00 (sandwich only), I hoped for something that lived up to its reputation. The staff was great and the chocolate shake was tasty. read more

The Tendermaid - Dry, flavorless hamburger crumbles with no other toppings I ordered except the jalapeño. Maybe next time will be better??? - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Minnesota

Great food and great owners. Love the atmosphere and the food is amazing!! Nothing bad to say besides I wish they had fries but they've got good chips too read more

Christopher discovered this place as we were heading for the Spam Museum. What a discovery!!! Loose Meat Sandwiches ...... what a perfect concept. It must be, as the place opened in 1938. They must be doing something right!!! We all loved this place. Mom especially liked that the loose meat burger she had was easy to eat. They give you a teaspoon to finish up anything that falls off the bun (no plate, it comes wrapped in paper, not on a plate.) I just loved everything about this place, cute, cozy, and the sandwiches are so yummy. I ordered a root beer float with mine. Before I left, they topped off the root beer without me even asking. Oh yes .... we love this place and will find a way to get back!! This one goes on my life list. read more

Love this place. Must visit or there was no need to visit Minnesota good. When my parents and I used to come down to Austin to visit family, we'd grab a bag of Tender Maid burgers, a couple of shakes, and visit my siblings and grandparents. A little shop with a red and white stripped awning. Step inside and grab a stool at the counter. It's like an old shake/soda fountain shop, no tables or booths. On the walls you can view old pictures of Austin and then the Tender maid challenge. A challenge to those with large iron clad stomach's. Steamed goodness of ground beef. then piled high on a typical no thrills bun. Add cheese, mustard, and ketchup. Tada!! That's all for a mighty tasty sandwich. Forget the bag of chips and order a milkshake. they have the typical flavors but they make the all time favorites stand out. read more

A must stop for lovers of ground beef. Their loose meat style is unique to this region (Iowa, Minnesota, etc), so you have to give it a try. I ordered a classic burger with american cheese, mustard, ketchup, pickles and onions and liked it so much I ordered a second. The vanilla shake I shared with my husband was also perfect. The woman working the counter was also super nice and we talked throughout our meal about the area and other stuff. If you love well made, independent, classic American "drive-in" fare, you'll love Tendermaid! read more

The Tendermaid - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Minnesota

it's all wrong but it's all right......oh the tender "loose meat" sandwich---you make me happy---this is a little tiny shop and I have gone in there to get down with the loose meat which is a sloppy joe without the slop and the flavor is oh-so good. I like mine with pickle and mustard...some call it a maid-rite in the midwest and they have a very unique flavor---like dry mustard perhaps...not sure but they are good and I highly recommend it.... read more

Get off route 90 right now..... This place is what you want and need "Loose meat" burgers with every topping imaginable. Man.... Yelp sent us here and now WE are sending you. read more

First time here. It would have been nice to know that the 'burger' was really a loose-meat sandwich. While it was an ok sandwich I was really wanting an actual hamburger. From the time I ordered to the time I got my sandwich it was less than 3 minutes. They use standard ingredients in the milkshakes which makes for a standard milkshake you can get just about anywhere else. Cool little building. Based on the reviews which led me to choose this place for my lunch I was expecting more. read more

The Tendermaid - Burgers Near Me - Austin, Minnesota

Local ma and pa shop that serves delicious loose meat burgers. The ground beef is moist and seasoned well. It paired well with the onions, pickles, ketchup, and mustard that came standard with the burger. Very simple yet delicious! They also give you a spoon to finish all the crumbles that fall out of your burger. There is ample seating located around the burger making station. The atmosphere is that of a retro hamburger joint, which was a delight because you don't see that often. Their malts are wonderful as well. If you ever find yourself in SPAMTOWN U.S.A. be sure to head this way, you won't be disappointed. read more

This is the old fashioned tender maid! You should have at least one in your life! This is my seven year old sons favorite restaurant! Enjoy!

Looks can be deceiving but the food was excellent. A must if you are looking for something different but tasty.