Hat Creek Burger Company — Restaurant in Dallas

Ate lunch here on impulse-- I am a sucker for trying out new places, and I had never heard of Hat Creek. Upon entering, I immediately noticed how crowded it was. Not that many people in line, but tons of kids running all over the place. It was a mildly cold day in December, and there was no heat in the place save what wafted out from the kitchen, so it was definitely less than comfortable. The inside dnimg area was extremely cramped and I had great difficulty squeezing between the few tables and chairs on the way to the restroom, and the scurrying rugrats underfoot only made it more difficult. Outside was comparatively spacious, with dozens of small children running about a more rustic McDonaldsy playground, doing what small children do, and they appeared to be very pleased. When I made it back to the order counter, I found that they had not only burgers and fries, but also the obligatory chicken sandwich as well as paleo bowls. I opted for the Fredericksburger (evidently this is a regional chain sprouting from the.Hill Country area of Texas), a double cheeseburger sporting "spicy sauerkraut" and "Happy Sauce." I got the combo with regular fries (they also have sweet potato fries, tator tots, and . . . something else that I can't recall) and the requisite soft drink. $15 for a smallish burger (nothing special about the non-spicy sauerkraut or the somewhat Glum Sauce.) Fries were OK, a very small portion to be charged the extra $4.89 or so for the combo meal, including the coke. Did not fill me up, and so I decided I would grab a snack later on somewhere else. The big selling points of Hat Creek appeae to be:

1. Their three sauces-- Happy Sauce, Sneezy Sauce, and Grumpy Sauce (sorry, I made up the names of the last two because I could not remember their actual names, but it doesn't really matter because they are all basically the same, a mixture of mayo and ketchup or mayo and mustard with what passes for seasoning or spice according to small children.)
2. The playground. Appro child-to-adult ratio for the entire restaurant was 4-1 to 5-1.
3. They offer wine by the glass (I didn't bother to ask what boxes they came from) and "local craft" beers like Revolver IPA.

Conclusion: a good place for affluent moms to take their broods to after pilates class, where they can let the kids run wild while they decompress from unknown sources of stress amid a wash of...

I am no stranger to Austin-based chains, and actually enjoy a lot of them, including places like Chuy's, Torchy's Tacos, and Hopdoddy Burger Bar. Hat Creek Burger Company fits into this vein easily.

I was greeted by a very modern store with an expansive playground for kids. I could easily bring my son here if we were in the before-time. I was greeted almost immediately and I ordered the Signature Hat, the fried green beans, and the Dirt Worm shake.

The food arrived fairly quickly and I set to work on the green beans first. These hand-battered babies were delightful. They outshined the burger in flavor and the only thing I felt they were missing was a great sauce to go with.

The shake was a blend of vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and Oreo dust. Not offensive but it would have been better if it had been actual chocolate ice cream. The gummy worms were alright, though.

The burger, itself, was alright. The meat was non-frozen beef and tasted okay. It was certainly salted but not seasoned. The spicy sauerkraut was not that dpicy but that was for the better. The Happy Sauce was indistinguisheable in flavor which, I guess kept it or the kraut from overwhelming the patty. This burger was not bad, per se, it just wasnt spectacular like I expected.

Overall, I would definitely bring friends to Hat Creek for their "shareables" but if I'm by myself, I'll chase the beef. If I had to offer any advice it would be to increase the flavor of the food. This is the kind of restaurant I could bring a two-year-old to and that seems to be the dream they chase, but if they want to attract any real attention in the rough market of great hamburger restaurants, the burgers need that extra little "umph".

4/5

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I’ve been to Hat Creek Burger Co. on Walnut Hill 3 different times since a friend told me about it around a month ago and every single trip has been wonderful. The first time I went in I got the Big Hat burger, then the Cobb salad, and today I came in for lunch around 11:30 and got the Bacon Royale, which was suggested by an employee named Alejandro.

I’d like to elaborate on today’s trip, especially. When I came in, it was just Alejandro and the cook. He explained to me that they were a little short staffed and that my food may take a bit longer than usual to come out, which is totally understandable. I told him my lunch is an hour and that I work just down the street, so it was no issue. He then informed me about the app and told me that if I wanted to, I could not only order on there so that the food is ready by the time I arrive, but that I can also get reward points. Needless to say I’ve downloaded the app now as well. I sat down and started playing on my phone expecting a long wait, but I’d barely had time to scroll when Alejandro brought my plate over. He asked if I tried the hat sauce last time (he remembered me from last time, I think). I told him I hadn’t and he told me I should, that’s it’s a specialty. I did and it was really good.

Alejandro has had a great attitude and demeanor every time I’ve come in (he helped me all three times). He’s friendly and funny and from what I’ve observed of his interactions with other customers, he’s very patient as well. This seems to be a great crew and I look forward to coming back again. (I’ve been eyeballing the...