Burger Bonanza

Photo by John Anderson

Mighty Fine

Mighty Fine has run with the concept of "high quality" hamburgers, quickly opening three locations in the Austin area, all of them in suburban areas chock-full of families with children. The combination of children (who typically love burgers) and moms (who have become more vigilant about food purity in recent years) has been a winning one for Mighty Fine: Parents have responded enthusiastically to having a better-quality (albeit costlier) option. Willingness to pay for a better burger isn't limited to parents, however; Mighty Fine is doing a phenomenal working-adult lunch business, too.

Mighty Fine's motto is "Quality Is Every­thing," and it is taken very seriously. Hamburger meat is ground in-house daily from all-natural, vegetarian-fed, antibiotic- and hormone-free chuck. Crinkle-cut fries are cut from fresh potatoes and fried in trans-fat-free peanut oil. Mighty Fine's milkshakes are sublime creations made with premium Blue Bell ice cream, and fresh lemonade is taken a step further by the addition of real strawberries. The burgers are big and hold together nicely without undue smashing and slipping. Excellent quality bacon and jalapeños can be added for a small charge.

Speed is one of Mighty Fine's long suits; the menu is short and the ordering process streamlined, resulting in nearly instant order-filling. If you're willing to wait a little longer, you can have your burger cooked to order, and I recommend this; the one imperfection I noted was that my patty had clearly been cooked some time prior to my arrival, and it was rather dry. Also, the limited menu has one glaring oversight: no veggie burger or other vegetarian option. – K.T.