BLOG #3 - Owen's Burger Mission - Second Four Reviews

Read the inspiration behind my Blog before you start with the reviews... http://limitedgourmet.blogspot.com/2009/11/who-is-limited-palate-gourmet.html

Owen: Dad, did you notice that six people have said that their favorite Austin Burger stand is "I know something better"? What do you think they know that we don't?

Dad: Well, we only listed ten or so restaurants there but we've visited more than that - about twenty, right? Maybe their favorite is one that we didn't list there. Or maybe, their favorite burger is not from a Burger "stand", which was part of our criteria for the project. Or maybe they DO know something better...

Owen: Yeah, if there is a better Burger stand out there, I NEED to know about it! Tell me your favorite everyone!

Owen: So, let's hit the show.

Dad: Absolutely, who's up for this round of reviews?

Owen: Mighty Fine, Ski Shores, P Terrys, and Moonies.


Mighty Fine http://www.mightyfineburgers.com/

Owen: Check out the Crinkle Cut fries - I like to steal everyone else's fries and shove them in my mouth before anyone notices. I love this place - the burgers rock.

Malachi: I was disappointed with the milkshake but we really haven't found very many good shakes on any of these burger missions.

Dad: Using Barry Corbin to voice over the commercials is genius I say, GENIUS. It would be difficult to not have a good time and a good meal at Mighty Fine. The assembly line of staff behind the counter is quite impressive (so says the operations geek), the one-way windows in the restrooms are plain fun and of course the "pimp my hand washer" device is a blast. "Give them something unique to remember you by" was not lost on this group when they designed their concept. How could a kid not love this place? And this is a review written by a kid, right?

Owen: I may be a kid but I am a Global Food Critic. I am known all the way from Pflugerville to Italy.

Dad: Nice shout out to Aunt Lint and Uncle Timmy. Hi guys! We are coming over for hummus as long as you keep all of your sharp utensils in a safe place.

Mom: I don't like Mighty Fine...

Dad: Uh-oh -- Can open, worms everywhere...

Mom: My burger was OK but I bit into some serious gristle. Not my idea of a good meal.

Mighty Fine: 8.4 out of 10


Ski Shores http://www.skishores.com/

Owen: I hate the atmosphere here. PS. I don't like lakes. Burger was good. Fries were not.

Dad: All location and nothing else. While Owen has always had an aversion to standing on a dock, the setting here is just fantastic. That is not based on any effort by Ski Shores but simply its spectacular location. Unfortunately, everything else about Ski Shores is average or worse. Food was OK, service was disinterested, price was inappropriate for the quality, tables and restaurant were dirty, etc. This property could be so much more based solely on the location.

Ski Shores: 6.3 out of 10


Moonies http://www.dining512.com/moonies.html

Owen: I thought the burgers were good (and BIG) and the fries were good too. NO SHAKES!?

Mom: No shakes but snow cones for the kids is a great idea.

Dad: Nice neighborhood place. Burgers were quite good. The stand out here is the bun - fantastic. Service was blah, decor is cheap and silly, and it's a little expensive for the product served.

Moonies: 7.5 out of 10


P Terrys http://www.pterrys.com/

Owen: The best fries ever (well, not including Thrahsers in Ocean City Maryland). I love the burgers. Mom likes this place too as she gets some sort of chicken thingy and says things like "yump,-yump" when she chews.

Mom: The chicken burger really is that good. They also scored the only "10" on our reviews for cleanliness.

Dad: No way around it - great concept and well executed (well except for the turnaround drive-thru fiasco at South Lamar - I guess you work with what you have). Sure, it's much like an In-N-Out Burger but again, the execution is there, the quality is there and they manage to produce an Austin vibe through local philanthropy and such.

Malachi: Looks like I have become the default milkshake commenter on each of these. I guess there are worse things. Shakes looked better than they tasted. I was hoping the strawberry shake would be out of this world but it was quite ordinary.

P Terrys: 8.1 out of 10


Owen: I hope you like our reviews. Next week I will review Hill-Bert's, Casino El Camino, The Frisco, and EZ. Until then, take my advice - Keep a burger with you at all times.