Top Notch Restaurant Reviews

In March 2023, we enjoyed our maiden voyage to Top Notch in Hutto, they’re newly added location. We’ve loved Top Notch for many years so we were so excited to see them branch out to our area. My favorite item is the Too Pick burger with onion rings! The ambiance of the original location was captured perfectly in their new establishment. So much fun! Also, love the Hutto Co-op where the restaurant is located. Fun place for family. We need more of those!

It's fast food, plain and simple. It's a decent burger--hand-made, charbroiled, decently sized--but it's classic American fast food, just not served by a chain. At least that we can feel good about.

Don't tell my doctor but - I am on a burger binge and on a quest to try all the local to-go burgers. There is no way this list is complete without a trip to Top Notch. The burger is inexpensive and good, it's hard to beat charbroiling for adding flavor to meat. The place is a local landmark, an old drive-in burger joint, they host antique car groups and other local events. The burger was good (#4), the fries are meh but the rings were pretty good. I would rather eat here than a chain on principle along but also because it's a better burger.

when ever we go to Austin to visit, we always make a stop at the Top Notch, ever since my first visit back in 1999 we have had Top Notch burgers several times while we are there

Delicious food in a fun historic establishment. Stopped by here for lunch with 2 families while on Spring Break. Service was friendly and fast, and the food was very tasty.

A Burnet Road fixture since I was a kid, Top Notch Hamburgers screams "Old School". Char Broiled Burgers, Fried Chicken, shrimp. THis place will delight you with tasty food, chill atmosphere, and special events like movie night or hot rod night. And the fact that it was the restaurant/ drive in used in the movie "Dazed and Confused" only adds to the legend surrounding this north Austin landmark. Truly one of my favorite places to go in Austin.

Burgers had great charbroiled flavor. I don't understand why any restaurant uses a sesame-seed-LESS bun, but this restaurant does. So that was the weak link in my book. We had both regular and sweet potato fries. They were great....both perfect CRISPY shoe string style. FABULOUS shakes. Real car hop service (and dining room option) make it fun as well. Definitely will go back to this Austin landmark. Saw some fabulous looking items coming out of their kitchen.

Grilled Chicken sandwich with cheddar is the best. Very filling with some onion rings on the side. They should open one down south.

The food is great and I always love the history of this place. I could die for their tater tots. I do think prices are a bit high BECAUSE of the history but I'm willing to pay that for a good burger every now and then.

The chicken and French fries were not fresh. Seemed as if standing a while. Onion rings better First time that I tried

We visited this place based off a recommendation off Austin Eater. It's similar to a sonic , but their burgers are charbroiled. They cook it on a flame and you can see them cook it when you walk in. I thought the burgers was very good. My husband and 7 year old enjoyed it as well. The place does look dated, but we throughly enjoyed the food.

It's hard to be the best at anything in a food cultured city like Austin, but Top Notch delivers. They use charcoal and it makes a huge difference. The vintage store front only adds to the taste. I think these burgers are easily the best in town, plus they have amazing fried chicken if you want to switch it up.

They have the best burgers ever I get the number 2it is a cheeseburger and i get it with bacon on it and it is so good but they have other stuff to and this like a hamburger joint

My daughter and I had a great meal there. Their fried okra is really good. Service is friendly and timely. The restaurant is clean and homey. It was a great stop on our trip.

The Top Notch Restaurant is a long time Austin favorite. I go for the fried chicken and their excellent side dishes. The location screams that it has been a hit for decades. This very informal.

I have been going to Top Notch for over 30 years. It was owned by the original family up to just a few years ago, but the new owners did not change a thing on the menu. The fried chicken is the best. You can eat inside, or go for the oldies feel and just order from the hop. Cant say enough about the place. Came from Minnesota this past week and was on of the first places i went.

I had heard about top notch for a years and finally went and was pleasantly surprised as the burgers were good and very reasonably priced. My date and I had a burger, fries, Okra all under $20. The fried okra was fantastic! Better than most places. Thnaks Top Notch - you're top notch!

This is an old fashioned drive in restaurant. They have some sitting inside too, but I used the drive in option. The flame broiled burgers are really good. They have lots of options. I got a traditional cheese burger and sweet potato fries. You could see them cooking on the inside from the drive in spots. Saturday night visit and even though it was pretty full the wait was not long.

Top Notch is known throughout for its tasty fried chicken and charbroiled burgers. But I always come back for their hand breaded onion rings and their addicting fried pies! This is a no-brainer if you want comfort food, friendly service and that diner or drive-in concept in Austin!

Probably the best classic burger in Austin. It is nothing fancy or out of the ordinary, but just a good old traditional hamburger. The onion rings put it over the top. Enjoy dine in, drive in or sit outside at the picnic tables … I’ve never had a bad burger here. If you want pretentiousness, go somewhere else … if you want old school Austin, pull in and enjoy a good burger … don’t forget the onion rings.

This restaurant was featured in the movie "Dazed ad Confused". A classic curb-service joint with excellent food and service. Bar none the BEST fried chicken in Austin! Don't be drawn into the new places - go for the original classic!

Sometimes a good, old-fashioned burger hits the spot. You'll find that here, and the onion rings are out of this world! Can't beat the price, either. Forget the the burger chains and enjoy this local mainstay.

We visited for lunch and had the cheeseburger (#2). I had fries. He had frings (fries & onion rings). Burgers were thin and delicious, in the style of a good old-fashioned diner. Fries were skinny and crispy, but nothing special. The onion rings were better, and fried to perfection. You can inside, where you order at the counter & they call your name for pickup, or you can park at menu boards outside and order/eat Sonic style. I recommend enjoying the retro vibe inside. Next time, we'll be trying the fried chicken and fried pies.

...Anthony had it all wrong with his disdain, the food at Top Notch is fantastic! The burgers tasted fresh and the fries were nice and crisp. The service was fantastic too..I walked in fan-girling with tears in my eyes and the ladies at the register took it in stride. They were kind and gracious, they and the guys in the back appeared to like their jobs which is refreshing now days. Yeah, the Dazed and Confused connection is probably a big draw...but the food and the service should be too! (It would be cool to see the drive up lanes fully functioning)

Their burgers taste so good with the flame-broiled flavor, and they aren't too small, either. And I love their onion rings with the crunchy batter. The paneled walls are really dated, but I guess that's atmosphere. Love the paper convertible car cut-out with the kids meals and the photo booth, too.

This place is fantastic! One of the last best drive in food places Ive been too! Cheap eats that are delicious brought right out to your car. Not to mention it's a nice piece of history for the area as this location was used in the film Dazed and Confused as a hangout spot. I am a huge fan so wanted to come pay tribute, but the smells got me and the food was fantastic! Worth a stop for a movie buff or foodie fan.

Their rings, fries, pies and chicken are all good too. Memorabilia from Dazed & Confused on display inside. Austin as you remember it, or if not, come make those memories. It's not quite a time warp, but you'll think you're a few decades (at least) back.

My daughter took me there upon arrival in Austin - got the grilled chicken sandwich and it didn't disappoint - prices cheap and reasonable, food excellent - old school place, don't pass it up!

Classic drive in, serving classic food right out of the 50's. I had a simple hamburger and it was huge, with a party right off the bbq.

I've been eating here most of my life. The longhorn burger is an excellent burger. Also, one of the few spots in town, or used to be, to offer decent sweet tea. Fried chicken is decent, too.

First time in. Went for lunch. Place was packed, all seats taken. You can go inside or order from your car. Small menu but thats a good thing. Cheeseburgers were excellent. Fries good, onion rings outstanding. Fair to cheap pricing. I'll be back!

Tasty flame broiled burgers in an old school atmosphere. Drive in restaurant. Great french fries as well

If you are a Route 66 enthusiast or your just old enough to remember drive in restaurants with car hops this is a must do. To my surprise the food was actually pretty good and I have refused to eat fast food for years. This restaurant opened in 1971the outside of the building and the sign have been well maintained. Note for movie buffs this Top Notch was featured in the movie Dazed and Confused.

I went because my favorite movie of all time was filmed there, but I strayed because the food was actually really great!

Best old fashioned hamburger joint in Austin, by far. Try everything, it’s all very good. I have been coming here since 1974. New owner made some changes but trying to keep it retro and doing great !

Tried the burger on yesterday after being absent for many years. The fried chicken is better. It you want good old fashioned food, then this is the place to go. The crowd age range will vary because everyone loves this place. This a great Texas restaurant.

I drive by this place all the time and finally decided to check it out. It's been around since 1971. They often have classic car events. The food is what you'd expect from an old school no frills burger place. It's good but nothing real unique or special. I will have to try the onion rings next time though as I heard they're really good. Not much has changed at this place since the '70s so it's like stepping back in time. The ambiance is half of the reason to go here.

I once worked near here so I've eaten here dozens of times. This a fairly ordinary burger joint, although, they do have a good burger. What sets this place apart from others is that they still have carhop service available at their drive up and the local film industry significance. For those not familiar, Matthew McConaughey shot scenes here for one of his first movies: Dazed and Confused... now a cult classic. This bumped up my normal rating for a place like this from 3.5 to 5 stars. This visit, I enjoyed a double-cheese burger and a strawberry shake. If you'd like to step into the past and enjoy a buger, shake, and fries/ring this is the place.

We came just to take pictures and decided to eat. I’m glad we did! The food was good, prices were reasonable, and staff was friendly.

Found Top Notch completely by accident after 14 hours of flying and being awake for over 24. The entire family was flagging and badly in need of rescue when we saw the Top Notch sign on the horizon. OMG it was exactly what the Dr ordered. Amazing burgers and fresh tater tots revived everyone and was the perfect introduction to American hamburgers for my son who's never had one before. He's hooked and now wants to live in Austin so he can only eat here. Just go there. You won't regret it.

I didn't pay for it and got there after everyone so I cannot attest to price or friendliness of staff. I do know that the regular cheeseburger that I ate was beyond amazing. The chicken tenders that the others had looked really good as well. Parking was difficult in a large truck but not a big deal.

While I have lived in Austin over 20 years I’m embarrassed to admit that we just started visiting Top Notch within the past year. It is truly an institution! It is well-known as a filming location for the famous movie “Dazed and Confused,” but you may not realize the food is great and the service is very friendly and accommodating. Their current burger special the “Zocalo” is delicious with chipotle mayo, pepper jack cheese and pickled jalapeños. Try it with grilled chicken instead of beef for a change of pace. Keep in mind this is an ultra-casual counter-service dive but it is clean and has a lot of historical character aside from the great food. They actually grill all the burger patties over real wood charcoal. Nice, right?

After hearing from several trusted hamburger loving friends that this place was on point and an ATX staple, I decided to try it out one Saturday afternoon when passing it on Burnet. To my dismay, I found this place to be a glorified Sonic. I literally just ordered a plain cheeseburger and tots, and that somehow came out to almost $9??! And we are talking from a joint that has carhop service... I appreciate the kitsch and nostalgia this place is peddling, but the burger was "meh" at best and the tots (which are one of my favorite things in life, when done well) were very underwhelming. It also took almost 10mins for me to get my food. Needless to say, I am adding this one to the ever-growing list of overhyped and overpriced places in Austin to avoid. I'm not sure where the cult following here developed, but I will gladly take Sonic's tots and a better burger both in taste and price from PTerrys or In N Out any day of the week!

My husband who grew up in Austin took us here this past weekend. It was a favorite of his growing up. We just stopped for shakes and fries since we ate with family prior but they were delicious. The place is really cute. Fast friendly service and lots of cute photo ops. He said we have to go back to try their burgers.

Great evening at the Top Notch! As a big fan of the movie Dazed and Confused, I had to stop by on my visit to Austin. It did not disappoint - the atmosphere is great, with great music playing. If you're looking for someplace fancy, this isn't it. Down home simple 70s decor and nostalgia, with great food to boot. The burger was great, as was the fried chicken. I stayed around until after sunset to see it with the lights on, which was fun. The staff was super friendly and nice as well!