BOM #5: Dan’s Hamburgers UYE

Maybe it’s self-​indulgent to do a review for an event I helped set up. Maybe I’m the first Unilocaler to write a self-​indulgent review. But when a dozen or so Unilocalers and their spawn brave a cold and drizzly Saturday, it’s always… enchanting.
We’ve driven by Dan’s on Manchaca a buncha times, usually on our way out of town or to my mother-in-law’s place. The N. Lamar location (which was actually Dan’s fourth location) is the one we frequent. I really only noticed the Manchaca location after the renovations (which at first looked more like demolition) began. When the final product was unveiled, I thought they had really done a good job at running with the classic diner theme. So, it seemed perfect for our little Burger of the Month (BOM) club to try out.
I communicated mainly with Katie Congdon, the daughter of Dan, to give them a heads-​up. They don’t necessarily do reservations, which I didn’t really expect from a fast-​food joint. But she said the Manager of the Day John would take could care of us. Which he did. We quickly were able to acquire the real estate we needed, in a side where the kids could wander a bit without causing too much of a disturbance.
And the food was just what we wanted. My burger with jalapenos was tasty and juicy. Could have used more/​hotter jalapenos though, and I’m usually a wimp for the hot stuff. Rookie move, I ordered regular and not curly fries. But they were still pretty tasty. I wish other places had fries that good. And, trying to watch my girly figure, I skipped the cream gravy to dip them in. Regrettably…
4 solid stars for great food with great Unilocalers.
+1 star because my wife’s sans-​bun burger seemed more worth it than the tinier and pricier offering from Top Notch. So kudos for that. I wouldn’t ding Dan’s for not having a gluten-​free bun any more than I would for them using American cheese.
–1 star for «Magic the Gathering» talk, the weather, and lack of Beth D.
–1 star for a couple of us having to scramble for parking, and one giving up completely without parking. I guess it would have been better to have it at 1:30.
+1 star for Angie L.‘s hat, and for the resurrection of the BOM!
Thanks for being gracious hosts, Katie and John.
More BOMs to come (send me your suggestions if you’d like).
4.00 stars

It was a cold, gloomy, and rainy day. The weather was heartless as I made the trip from the north side of town to this strange world called south austin!
Parking wasnt the easiest. For a Saturday mid day the place was packed. Every parking spot was full so I rebelled and parked at the business next door with the chance my car could be towed. Thats living on the edge for ya! I got in, said hi to everyone and went to place my order. For a double cheeseburger with jalapenos, curly fries and a vanilla shake, my tab was 10 bucks, pretty good! I rarely get to eat at Dan’s so this was a good remembrance how much I do like Dan’s. Its just tough when a P. Terrys is super close to me :)
Yes, a few of us nerded out a little. Okay, we nerded out alot for a long time talking about board games and Magic and other video games. It was awesome talking to everyone! I too also wanted bling bling shoes that lighted up. It would’ve matched perfectly with my star wars hat.

Dan’s is one of my favorite burgers in town. For a fast food style burger, you can’t go wrong with Dan’s. So naturally, I was super stoked when Joe C. approached me about a rebirth of the BOM Club at Dan’s new South location.
I made the trek South of the river and enjoyed my usual small double with cheese and grilled onions. It was delicious as always, and I was happy to find that the new location of Dan’s is pretty much the same as the North location that I frequent.
We had a nice group of folks show up to enjoy the greasy Dan’s goodness. It was nice to chat with some folks I haven’t seen awhile. Thanks to those that showed up and help to make the BOM Club a fun event! We’ll see you at the next one :)

So glad Dan’s got represented! I have been a long time fan of Dan’s for like say 1000 years! For the longest time it was a regular stop on my way to work for breakfast. It had been awhile since I’d had a burger at Dan’s, so when I saw this UYE, I got stoked!
It was my first visit at this new location, and, I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed the company of the Unilocalers that took time out to show up. Yeah the weather was crappy and the parking was almost non-​existant (you can park at surrounding businesses), but, NOTHING will keep me from Dan’s! I’d shank a mo’ fo’ to eat at Dan’s. Just sayin’. This UYE has set the burger bar pretty damn high this year. I can’t wait to see where next months location will be at. Great job Chris and Joe! UYE’s RULE!!!
**Large cheeseburger with SLICED onion and a side of onion rings from Dan’s makes PhilRex one happy man!!** :) :) :)
**I got to do something with Alpha and Beta and never learned the ways of Magic?**
**I want shoes with bling bling and lights**
**I FULLY understood everything that was discussed by «The Nerds”** NAWT! :)