F’nAround Reviews: NADC Burger Sometimes “Just a Burger” Is Exactly What You Need
F’nAround Reviews: NADC Burger Sometimes “Just a Burger” Is Exactly What You Need
There are restaurants with ten-page menus.
Then there are restaurants that look you dead in the eye and basically say,
“Nope. We make burgers.”
That’s exactly what NADC Burger does.
NADC stands for Not A Damn Chance, a collaboration between professional skateboarder Neen Williamsand Michelin-starred chef Phillip Frankland Lee. Their philosophy is simple: don’t try to be everything to everyone. Make one thing exceptionally well.
And honestly…
It works.
The Story
A while back we were taking my mother out, honestly I don’t even remember where we had been before, but she said she was in the mood for a burger.
So we ended up at NADC Burger.
We sat down.
She looked at the menu.
Then looked at us.
Then looked back at the menu.
“Are you kidding me? This is it?”
No appetizers.
No wraps.
No salads.
No chicken sandwiches.
No fifty different burger combinations.
Just burgers.
Fries.
Cookies.
That’s about it.
I explained that it’s kind of like Raising Cane’s philosophy: if you’re going to build your entire business around doing one thing, make sure you do that one thing really, really well.
She wasn’t convinced.
At least not yet.
Then the Food Arrived
The burgers hit the table.
She took one bite.
“This is good.”
Another bite.
“This is really good.”
A few more bites later, the complaints about the menu had completely disappeared.
Because when the food is this good, suddenly you don’t care that there weren’t twenty-five other options.
The double 100% Wagyu cheeseburger is simple but incredibly well executed. American cheese melts perfectly over the patties, the secret sauce ties everything together, the onions, pickles, and slightly tamed jalapeños add just enough crunch and acidity, and everything balances instead of competing.
The fries deserve a mention too.
Cooked in 100% beef tallow and served with their chipotle peppered ketchup, they’re exactly the kind of fries you hope show up next to a gourmet burger.
Sometimes Less Really Is More
One of the hardest things for restaurants to do is resist adding more and more items.
NADC Burger goes the opposite direction.
The menu is intentionally tiny because they aren’t trying to become your favorite burger place, wing place, chicken place, and dessert place all at once.
They’re trying to become your favorite burger.
That’s a much harder goal.
And after eating here, you understand why they keep the menu so small.
F’nAround Verdict
Sometimes when someone says they just want a burger…
They don’t actually mean “just” a burger.
They mean a burger that’s memorable.
One that’s worth making a trip for.
NADC Burger delivers exactly that.
Our lesson from this visit?
Don’t judge a menu by its size.
Judge it by the first bite.
Because this place proves that if you’re only going to do one thing…
You’d better do it exceptionally well.
Not A Damn Chance Burger absolutely does.
Would We Go Back? Not a damn chance we’d say no.
Their full menu:
MENU
NADC BURGER
Double patty of 100% wagyu beef, New School's real American cheese, secret sauce, onions, pickles, slightly tamed jalapeños — $16
Add a patty for $8
KIDS BURGER
Single patty of 100% wagyu beef, New School's real American cheese, on a bun — $8
*we do allow modifications
FRIES
100% Beef Tallow fries with a side of our special chipotle peppered ketchup — $5
Make them Beast Mode Fries by adding cheese, diced pickles & slightly tamed jalapeños, special sauce & seasoning — $8
DESSERT
Brown butter chocolate chip cookies — $4
Locations
LOCATIONS and Hours
THE ROCK SPORTS BAR, ROUND ROCK
PARLOR & YARD ON WEST 6TH, AUSTIN
