Burger Bonanza

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.