Imagine. It’s a balmy Saturday evening and you’re driving south down Burnet Road in North Austin. The sound of old rockabilly music makes its way through the sticky air as you get closer to St. Joseph Boulevard. As you near the source, yes, it’s definitely Jerry Lee Lewis’s “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” and it’s coming from an impossibly preserved early ‘70s burger joint, with a big light-up sign, complete with drive-up ordering.
The parking lot is full of old hot rods: Red Model A, a ‘32 Ford Roadster and a blue T-Bucket with racing stripes. It feels like you’ve somehow slipped between decades and driven right into the past, but really, it’s just Top Notch Hamburgers’ monthly hot rod show.
This deep nostalgic vibe is not limited to Top Notch’s hot rod events, though. This classic, charcoal grill burger joint was established in Austin in 1971 and, aside from the city surrounding it, not a whole lot has changed.
“The No. 1 priority here other than making great food is to try and capture that same culture that it had back in 1971,” Jarett Austin, Top Notch’s general manager, says to MySA. “There haven’t been a lot of changes to the exterior and we’ve kept the dining room almost exactly the same. All of that,” he adds, pointing to some very 70s-looking carved wooden slats atop a brick wall, “all of that is original.”
Lining the walls of Top Notch are old photos from the 70s: Cars, graduating classes, Texas, etc.; there are a set of giant longhorns mounted to one wall; old plates; vintage light up signs; and, of course, right by the register where you can’t miss it, a glass encased shrine to what still makes this place famous today, Dazed and Confused.
Inside the case up front are a couple of original paddles famously used in the filming of the classic ‘70s coming-of-age movie, as well as a license plate embossed with that phrase that Austin — both the manager and everyone who lives in the city of Austin — hears almost daily: “Alright, alright, alright.”
See, Top Notch was the location of the iconic scene in Dazed and Confused where Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey) makes his debut, cruising up in his Chevy Chevelle, and uttering those famous words.
While people may flock to Top Notch from all over the country because of this movie, they come back over and over because of the food — which has also stayed true to its opening-day roots.
“We’ve added and adapted a couple of things here and there, but I would say about 60 to 70% of the menu is exactly the same as it was,” says Austin, adding, “Obviously the prices have changed.”
Today’s menu is a simple mix of burgers, sandwiches and fried things — chicken, shrimp, fish, onion rings, fries. We ordered the grilled chicken breast sandwich combo meal ($13.49) which came with fries and a drink, as well as the classic Number 2 cheeseburger with a side of tots ($12.59), and a couple of chicken tenders and fries off the kids’ menu ($7.59). Everything was good, with the charcoal-grilled burger patty probably being the best. But moreover, everything somehow tasted like the place looks: nostalgic, comforting, simple; just original, old school Austin.