50 Burgers, 50 Days: BC Tavern
A burger a day all around Austin, plus an answer to the pressing question: Fries or rings?
Day 27: BC Tavern
11715 Bee Cave Road. 477-6535, www.bc-tavern.com.
Hours: 5 to 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. Bar 4 to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, until midnight Friday-Saturday. Noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
By Mike Sutter | Fed Man Walking | 09.06.11
UPDATE: BC Tavern has closed
The burger: Three Napkin Burger ($9). The more things change, the more they reinforce the universal demand for a good cheeseburger. BC Tavern used to be Zoot, but owners Stewart Scruggs and Mark Paul decided their Bee Cave neighbors wanted a neighborhood public house more than they wanted legacy fine-dining. The Three Napkin Burger felt like a lark on the Zoot menu, but it could become BC Tavern's cornerstone. Start with good hand-formed beef, then add excelsior ribbons of purple cabbage slaw, cheddar cheese and tomatoes. Every bite is a sweet spot, the burger world's answer to the top of a muffin. The cabbage makes you appreciate the absence of iceberg lettuce, a staple that for all its dew-dropped cosmetic appeal usually tastes like sandy water. This slaw delivers crunch, color and peppered attitude. Let's admit that the Three Napkin Burger cheats a little with two sweet components: onion jam and a stay-puffed kolache-style bun. Let's also admit that we're OK with that.
Fries or rings? It's a tie, and you can add either one for $2. Take a minute to taste the potatoes, another minute to appreciate what a little buttermilk and flour can do for an onion. Like Beyonce's backup dancers, the only real job for these fried sidekicks is set decoration while the Three Napkin Burger does its thing.
Bonus: Burgers are 2-for-1 on Tuesdays.
(Photos by Mike Sutter © Fed Man Waking)
50 Burgers, 50 Days index