When McGuire Moorman Hospitality (MMH) announced their first ever burger challenge, we knew we had to do it. Eat a burger at each of their restaurants: Lamberts, Perla’s, Elizabeth Street Cafe, Clark’s Oyster Bar, Josephine House, and Jeffrey’s? Done!
Apparently the rest of Austin also took this burger challenge very seriously. One guy finished all six burgers in one day, and a vegetarian stopped her diet to do the burger challenge.
EAT ALL SIX RESTAURANTS’ BURGERS IN AUGUST:
Get a $50 gift card to the MMH restaurant of your choice & the MMH Burger Challenge
T-Shirt.EAT ALL SIX RESTAURANTS’ BURGERS IN A WEEK:
Get a $250 gift card to the MMH restaurant of your choice & a special MMH Burger Challenge
Champion Cap.EAT THE MOST MMH BURGERS IN AUGUST:
Get our Friends & Family discount (25% off) at all six MMH restaurants for a year and a
cleanse from JuiceLand.
Rule Changes:
8/14: Happy hour burgers no longer count.
8/20: We have hit our burger challenge capacity… As of August 20th, we will not be issuing anymore burger
punch cards. The burger challenge got totally out of control.
Six burgers, one week? Let’s get this party started! Kristy of 365 Things Austin, Natalie of NatalieParamore.com, and I embarked on the week long burger challenge.
SEE ALSO: 13 Best Burgers In Austin, Ranked
RELATED:
#MMHBurgerChallenge Recap – 365 Things Austin
2015 #MMHburgerchallenge Ranked – How I Ate 6 Burgers in 7 Days – Natalie Paramore
Table of Contents
Lambert’s
Wood Grilled House Ground Cheeseburger – Cheddar, Butter Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Mayo, Dijon Mustard, Sesame Bun
Koko: The burger is eh. I like the heat from the peppers but these waffles fries are SO good.
Natalie: The burger was good but particularly memorable for me. I also really liked the waffle fries! (** Note: Mine had bacon on it but don’t see it listed in the description)
Kristy: It was a good start to the challenge. Nothing special about the burger but wasn’t disappointed. Would go back for the waffle fries alone.
Jeffery’s
Dry-Aged Prime Wagyu Burger – Mustard Frisee, Cambozola, Caramelized Onion, Horseradish & Caper Mayo, Steak Fries
Koko: Juicy burger but there’s a lot going on. These steak fries make me sad.
Natalie: This burger was really a steak house burger, the combination of the meat and blue cheese made for a very rich and savory meal.
Kristy: Not a huge fan of the blue cheese but the meat on this burger was delicious. The fries left plenty to be desired.
Clark’s Oyster Bar
Pan Roasted Black Angus Hamburger – Sauce Gribiche, Gruyere
Koko: Solid burger, I’ve had Clark’s burger several times and so far this is my favorite. And I love their shoestring fries. Although this is half the amount they usually serve.
Natalie: This was my first time having Clark’s burger and it really lived up to it’s reputation! I was pleasantly surprised to have an oyster joint pump out a burger this good. The pan roasted angus give it a nostalgic burger flavor and the gruyere makes it just fancy enough to have a spot on Clark’s menu.
Kristy: I knew what I was getting into with Clark’s. I’ve had it before and I love it. It was everything I was hoping for. Delicious, juicy and the fries. The entire meal was a ten.
Elizabeth St Cafe
Secret Brisket Burger – Griddled Ham, Cucumber Kimchi, Iceberg Lettuce, Kewpie Mayo, Sesame Seeded Brioche Bun, Shrimp Chip
Koko: Where’s the fries?! With sriracha, this burger was on point! Wish there were more shrimp chips..
Natalie: Elizabeth Street Cafe also seems to know what I am in the mood for, and this burger was particularly delicious. This burger had the most unique flavor of them all and with the addition of sriracha, the flavors really pop! I hope they keep this one of the menu. The shrimp chip didn’t really do it for me, it was supposed to be the “fries” according to our server. I think it would have been better served by being layered into the burger for extra texture instead of sitting on top.
Kristy: Easily the most unique burger of the bunch but I loved the Asian inspired burger. I was missing the side of fries.
Josephine House
Josephine House Burger – Grafton Cheddar, Harissa Aïoli, Grilled Red Onion, House-Made Bun, Frites
Koko: Loved this burger! The burger was simple and clean. I went during lunch on Monday so mine didn’t come with an egg.
Natalie: This is one of my favorite breakfast burgers! I have really liked it for a while and it didn’t disappoint this time either. The bun is the right ratio of bread to meat, the egg is always cooked on point, runny but not excessively so. This is a burger I can (and will!) order again and again!
Kristy: I always love Josephine House and this was no different. The fried egg was the perfect addition to this burger. I would recommend this burger to anyone looking for a great burger with an equally great atmosphere!
Perla’s
Perla’s Flat Top Cheeseburger – Iceberg Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Pickles & Special Sauce
Koko: Eh. Tastes like your typical fast food cheeseburger. Fries remind me of Hopdoddy’s.
Natalie: Our last and final burger left a lot to be desired. I had never had this one before, but knew going in that previous challengers weren’t digging this one as much as the others. With double the meat and cheese, I was hoping for something more memorable. I would stick to the seafood at Perla’s in the future!
Kristy: My least favorite of the burgers. It was very basic and bland. But who goes to Perla’s for the burgers?
And our favorite of the bunch?
Koko: Clark’s, loved the burger and the rosemary French fries (this was more of a #mmhfrieschallenge for me). Josephine’s burger was just as good but the fries ranked second.
Natalie: Josephine House was my fav, but Clark’s was an extremely close. The egg put it over the edge for me
Kristy: Couldn’t decide between Clark’s and Josephine house
Final Thoughts
FYI it’s midnight and I’m sitting here eating my Josephine House burger and fries leftovers while writing this post. First and foremost, I absolutely love Clark’s Oyster Bar and Josephine House. MMH restaurant’s are expensive, but it’s all about the experience. A meal can cost $50 to $200 for two.
The burger challenge was a smart marketing ploy by MMH for its restaurants. Not only do you get each person to spend at least $175 on six burgers at each of your restaurants, you also manage to get them into each restaurant to experience the MMH hospitality and see the menus, which increase the probability of guests dining in the future. Also, it wasn’t just the cost of the burger but also any cocktails or appetizers that they may have ordered.
I don’t think the burger challenge was a great representation of MMH restaurants. The burgers at Clark’s and Josephine House were slightly smaller, and the waitstaff at all of the restaurants weren’t the friendliest. Nothing wrong on their part, but they just couldn’t handle the increased traffic. Which is why MMH posted rule #1 (no happy hour pricing) and rule #2 (no more burger cards). And with this increased traffic, it upset the regulars that dine at MMH regularly. I also wouldn’t order a burger at Elizabeth Street Cafe or Perla’s – they have so many great dishes!
