Sandy’s Hamburgers

603 Barton Springs Rd., 478-6322
Daily, 10am-10:30pm

Sandy’s is an old-school burger stand, and it epitomizes everything that makes burger stands popular: The burgers are good, it’s convenient, it’s fun, and it’s cheap. A corn dog is still only $1.29; a hot dog with chili, cheese, and onions is only $2.04; sundaes are $1.89; frozen-custard cones (vanilla, chocolate, or swirl) are $1.29; shakes (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, Oreo, butterscotch, or pineapple) are $2.37; and on Thursdays and Saturdays, the burger, fries, and drink combo is a mere $3.39. The burgers are big, with a nice grilled bun and plenty of lettuce and tomato; the fries are crispy; and on top of it all, you get change back from your $5 bill – a hard combination to beat.

Opened in 1946 by Andy and Julia Harris and named after their young daughter, Sandy’s has beguiled the Barton Springs crowd for generations. Many are the Austinites who never “do Zilker” without hitting Sandy’s drive-through, and why not? In the words of one regular customer: “It’s superaffordable, locally owned, and so much better than McDonald’s.”

This article appears in September 12 • 2008.

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Kate Thornberry worked in renowned Austin restaurants for 30 years while pursuing a reasonably successful career in music. She began contributing to the Chronicle in 1988 and became a regular contributor to the food section in 2006.