Best Hamburger in Leander & Cedar Park

We recently ran a poll on NextDoor in the local community to see who the community believes has the Best Hamburger in Leander & Cedar Park.  Similar to other polls, we are limited to 10 options for patrons to choose from, so there were, predictably, those who wanted an 11th, 12th, and 13th choice.  But, no soup for them!  10 is our limit, so be it.  The polling booths closed and we had a whopping 325 votes!  That’s a really good voter turnout, probably better than Bush vs. Gore back in the 2000 election!  Candidates in this very contentious battle ranged from little ole’ Shark’s Burger in Leander to the behemoths of Hopdoddy & Mighty Fine in Cedar Park.  There were even the cult-followed chains of Whataburger & In-N-Out Burger (Don’t California My Texas, I believe, is the saying<grin>).  Despite the big names, the glitz & glamour of the Cali folks, and the plush facilities of some of these fine establishments, little ole’ Shark’s Burger took home the trophy, handily!  Here’s a snippet of the Top 5 from the NextDoor Poll Results:

When you think about going out to get a burger, you don’t first envision going to a gas station on the edge of a suburban town to get it.  You quickly learn that you will be doing just that if you want to get the “Best Burger in Leander & Cedar Park”!  Shark’s Burger is nestled in the “Texan Mart” at the corner of Hero Way West & Sunny Brook Lane in Leander, making it very easy to miss, but even harder to beat, apparently!  People can be quite pretentious when it comes to food, especially in the Austin Metro, but in the end, we tend to let go of those ideals and go with our gut, pun intended.  In this case, Shark’s Burger has won over the community simply by being nice and serving darn good food.

Some of the employees, working their magic! Notice the flexing cook in the background 🙂

Three Tables in the back of the store are where you can sit, preferably. The food tastes soooo much better if you dine-in. If you must take it to go, might as well order on the web-site, it’s smooth!  Tip:  Order your food from Shark’s and buy drinks from the convenience store while you wait.

Their tables are pretty awesome…

Shark’s Burger employees are a diverse bunch, and they are all fanatical about great customer service and accuracy.  They have embraced the humble surroundings and have certainly made the most of it.  Doing a quick Google Search quickly reveals their dominance online.  Their reviews are some of the best I’ve ever seen (4.8 stars with over 500 reviews on Google) in this tricky day and age of keyboard warriors who are so quick to judge harshly.  No restaurant will ever maintain a perfect record, but they have certainly come close, in large part due to their ownership/leadership, the staff, and of course their fantastic product.

Their hamburgers are fully customizable, but they do offer weekly specials, which make the often arduous and stressful task of ordering in a line with people behind you, less stressful, so that’s what I order!  But, float your boat and order what you like!  Tip:  you can order online from your home so it’s ready when you get there!  Much less stressful for those that have ordering anxiety like me, but I suggest ordering there the first time so you can get the whole experience.

They have great beef (these are not veggie burgers), juicy, fresh, and hand formed, not the square bits you’ll find from a Wendy’s or some big chain.  Their buns, oooooh, their buns.  They are delectable.  Just the right mix of buttery, crispy, soft, warmth you look for on a hamburger!

Shark’s Burger with American cheese, lettuce, mushrooms, jalapenos and Shark’s sauce. This was my 13 year-old daughter’s burger…luckily she left me one bite!

Weekly Special Chicken Cordon Bleu. Couldn’t tell you all that was in it, but it was fantastic!

Shark Bites (chicken nuggets), French Fries, and Tots. Honey-mustard to dip the Shark Bites in.

It’s the little things that help elevate Shark’s over the competition, in my opinion.  For example, none of their fried goods, particularly the Shark Bites, are battered then frozen.  They batter their chicken just before frying so that the texture is right, and boy is it just right!  Light, yet tasty, so you don’t feel like you drank gallon of Mazola Oil afterward.  Their fries and tots are fantastic.  Perfect crispness on the outside with a balance of interior goodness you will soon crave again.

View from one of the tables (plus shameless plug with the Funk Mobile)!

Let down your guard, bite the bullet, and stroll into the Texan Mart so you can experience what everyone has been talking about, a Shark’s Burger!  I’m confident you’ll enjoy the whole experience and will soon find yourself voting for them as the Best Hamburger in Leander & Cedar Park.