Hat Creek Burger Company

This wad our first time here, and we were hardly impressed. The staff was very friendly and the restaurant was very clean. Our disappointment was in the food. We ordered the big hat burger, underseasoned and boring. We also ordered the bacon Royale ($15), as you can see by the pics, it was as if they smashed it flat, the patties are supposed to be 1/4 pound each. We tried the chicken nuggets , while tasty, no kid is going to eat those, with on over-fried appearance. In general it was an OK, more disappointing, experience. Might come back, probably won't.

Hat Creek Burger Company in McKinney, TX, is a fantastic spot for families and food lovers alike. They offer a variety of vegan options, making it a welcoming place for those with dietary preferences. The play area is a standout feature, with a spacious and fun setup that keeps kids entertained for hours. Little ones especially enjoy their grilled cheese, tater tots, and fries—classic comfort food done right. The restaurant is clean and well-maintained, and the staff are friendly and inviting, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Nestled in a wonderful neighborhood, Hat Creek McKinney is more than just a place to eat—it's a community hub where families can gather, relax, and enjoy great food together. Definitely worth a visit!

Excellent variety of options, nice atmosphere and friendly customer service. The hot honey sauced chicken nuggets were delicious, love that fried chicken is gluten free in a safe frier. The dipping sauces were ok, but all tasted like similar versions of each other and weren't super flavorful with the fries or chicken and could probably use more spices. Fries were very fresh and crispy

My family loves Hat Creek!! Their burgers are some of the best! My kids favorite place to go for food and the playground. We had my daughter’s birthday here. I wish they’d build one in Princeton, TX.

I'm not really impressed. Burger was ok. The fries were not that good. The restaurant itself was hot. It is an easily forgettable place to go.

First time here and already love it. Food was great, very simple to order. Kids can run around while food is brought to your table. Plenty of seating inside and out. Definitely a new favorite place of ours to eat!

We came here to meet up with two other families and have a play date. We sat inside and all ordered food. The food came out pretty quick and the kids and adults loved the food. (Our order was missing a kids fry, but the staff quickly replaced it!) After dinner, we let the kids play outside and all of the adults were outside watching the kids. There were TONS of kids outside and all age ranges. There were some teenagers throwing a football and one of them threw the football and hit my two year old in the face. We quickly made sure our son was okay and told the kids not to throw the football. Why were there older kids playing football in the play area? Where are the parents? We walked inside to see the parents drinking wine and beer. We told the staff and they didn't know what to do (they were teenagers themselves.) In my opinion, there should be some sort of policy with no footballs or other balls. Also, the staff should go outside every once in a while and make sure there are no playground violations. I believe it is the responsibility of the parents to police their kids, but it is also the responsibility of the restaurant to enforce the rules of the playground.

Hat Creek Burger Company is a solid spot when you’re craving a fast-casual burger. I had the Southwest Burger and it was excellent — flavorful and fresh, especially for a quick-serve meal. Service was fast and friendly, which made the experience even better. The atmosphere is very family-friendly and welcoming, and I appreciated how accommodating they were with my service dog. Pricing is a little higher than expected since fries aren’t included, but the quality makes up for most of that. The playground is a great bonus for families with kids, and overall it’s a place I’d happily go back to when I’m in the mood for a good burger.

good real food. great avacado's on keto bowl and a $2 IPA!! clea and wonderful ly relaxed. 2nd time here and always enjoy

2024 Yelp 100 Challenge - #28 Fast Food burger and chicken spot with seasoned fries and sweet treats. I visited Hat Creek and ordered through the drive through. My food was cooked fresh and because I was asked to park out front and it was up in no time. I ordered a Fried Chicken Sandwich and a Burger with Fries. My order was correct. I did notice that there is a play area and a covered patio space for eating. I would visit again.

Hat Creek was recommended. We were told that the food was good. Upon arrival the parking lot wasn't crowded. We walked right in & quickly placed our orders. There was hardly anyone in the restaurant. We found seating and our food was served to the group in about 10 minutes. We ordered chicken nuggets, tater tots, grilled chicken sandwich, & sweet potato french fries. All of the items were good and tasty. I would recommend this location to others and visit again.

We love the burgers and sweet potato fries! The kids love the milk shakes especially the dirt one that come with a gummy worm. Nice playground area, too

Awesome service and great environment to hang out on a weekend. Bring the dog and the family. Super clean and fresh, delicious food!

A good solid burger, a bit pricey but worth it. Fries are great. In order to post this simple review I need to have at least 85 characters, so here you go

First time here, this is what to expect. Sunday at noon it was very busy, great place for kids and families. Lots of kids running around having fun. For the money the burgers are average and the fry's are below average. The 3 different sauces basically look and taste the same..... must be the same base with extras added to each one. Service was good, but you can get a much better $10 burger combo other places.

Today we made a mobile order. Their burgers are ready ahead of time. Everything was tasty and well-made. And altogether pleasant experience for burgers and fries. The only reason I don't give it five stars is cause I like a thicker burger that's not so well done. But it still tasted really good.

This place is amazing for kids and parents. The food is actually good, and the playground is really nice. They have alcohol and plenty of places to sit. It's good for groups, too. Definitely super casual. It's pretty loud, but if you have a 2 year old like me that's not a bad thing.

Great atmosphere, not-so-great service. I'm a nanny, and I bring my charges (ages ranging 3-5) here about once a week. There's a covered patio that is open but temperature controlled-ish (there's a ceiling fan for summer and heaters for winter), so it's nice and shady. The playground is great and it's always clean. They have reasonably priced food that the kids will eat. Slider burgers and chicken nuggets. The chicken nuggets are in the "squishy" side in my opinion, but the kids eat them so that's really all that matters. The service, however, is something else. You practically have to dance and sing to get the attention of anyone behind the counter if you need something; they're all very actively focused on NOT making eye contact with anyone waiting for ask for help. One time they told me they would bring my order out to me, and then proceeded to yell my name over the intercom 4 times in under 5 minutes (rather aggressively, too, after the first time). I finally had to open the bathroom door and yell out that I had 3 toddlers in there with me and I would grab my order as soon as we were done. Since when does "we'll bring it to you when it's ready" mean "we'll scream at you on the intercom when it's ready, and if you don't come get it immediately we'll scream louder"? I'll probably keep going back because the kids love the playground and it's a shady spot, I don't recommend this place unless you've got kids though.

Always an incredibly good meal. Absolutely the best burgers and fries in the area. Fast service and have never had a mistake on a to go order

Love this place so much! Kids playground is awesome and the food is great! Love that it's all gluten free. Even the gluten free buns are delicious.

Food is good for the price and the playground. Staff is nice and the restaurant itself is pretty clean. Great place to bring your kids to run around while you eat.

Love LOVE Hat Creek for our Celiac daughter. So many options and the staff really is trained and caring when it comes to a true allergy!

Finally a place I can get a hamburger with a bun and not get sick. I have issues with gluten and have a hard time eating out. The bun was the best I have had. I will be back.

2/8/2023: After a week of staying home with the family and being isolated from everything else, wife wanted a burger. We've been to Hats Burger before and it was wife choice to return. Though it's been 3 days since that fatal trip to Hat's, I am still recovering from this trip... NOROVIRUS per Wikipedia: "The virus is usually spread by the fecal-oral route.[yuck!] This may be through contaminated food or water or person-to-person contact. It may also spread via contaminated surfaces or through air from the vomit of an infected person.[Hadn't seen anyone or been anywhere before Hats Burger] Risk factors include unsanitary food preparation and sharing close quarters.[Unsanitary food preparation. - Bingo!]" This brings back memories of working in fast food during my teenage years. Letting teenagers in charge of your food preparation may not be the most sanitary thing - sweet baby Jesus, what I saw still haunts me today, decades later. Granted you don't have the highest caliber work force to choose from, hopefully you find a way to enforce sanitary food preparation. 2/12/2023: Update - my wife and daughter now have this awful illness. This was the only place we visited after the ice storm so there is no other place we could of gotten the norovirus. My wife found that they had a typhoid outbreak a t this location a couple years back: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2019/09/20/worker-at-mckinney-burger-joint-infected-with-typhoid-fever-health-officials-warn/?outputType=amp Surely there is some procedural changes that can be implemented to better safe guard the guests safety from illnesses.

The best fast food I have ever had! The fries were seasoned good, and the burger was great too! The only reason I am giving this a 4-star rating is because is because of the outdoor playground, which had graffiti next to the start of the slide saying, "Your mom has my balls" and "Gimme your balls!" I thought that was super inappropriate and I feel bad for the kids that could repeat it (it was done in Sharpie on wood) Food was worth the wait and will definitely be back!

We have been here a few times, dine in and pickup. Food is always excellent. This evening I toggled on my phone between DoorDash delivery or DoorDash pickup. Landed on pickup and I'm sure glad I did. When our order was ready and handed to me, I was like this bag doesn't look big enough for 2 burgers 1 sandwich and 2 fries. She checked. Sure enough our turkey burger was missing. I told her I'm so glad i checked because I'd have been upset discovering that at home or if we had chosen delivery. I'm so hungry. Lol. I waited about 8-10 min for it. And that amazing young lady brought out our turkey burger AND a free second one to have for lunch tomorrow. 5 stars for delicious food. Always excellent customer service. But they definitely need to polish their quality control and expeditor. It's not acceptable to not make entire sandwiches on an order and let those bags walk out the door.

I just love the bunless or lettuce wrapped burgers! They are superb. The food has always been freshly prepared. One of my new favorite fast food places!

We decided to try this place out for the 1st time since its been open for a while and it seems to be packed most of the time. Its very country decor inside. You make a line to order, pay and they'll call you to pick up your food. They have three different sauces. I tried them all and was not impressed with any of them. Two of them were too mustary/sour sauces. The other was like a bland cane's sauce. I ordered their chicken sandwich with fries. My husband ordered one of their burgers and fries. We got the kid's nuggets and fries for our little one. My chicken was very salty and over seasoned. The adult fries were also over seasoned. If I knew that I would have ordered the kids fries which were actually good and didn't have the season. My husband said the burger was ok but not amazing. We were wondering what was the hype about this place. I guess it wasn't our favorite taste? I much rather go to Popeyes, Cane's or Whataburger than this place. Prices were similar than the other fast foods. I guess people like the patio area and I he fact that they sell beers. Plus it has a big playground for kids. Not sure I'll be going back any time soon.

Food was great, and the night we went a portion of the proceeds were being donated to a local school. Love it!

7:30pm today, Sunday: Hat Creek Manager and employee cleaning the outside eating area while there are numerous families eating. First he has a leaf blower that he is blowing debris from ground/tables towards ours and other families' food. Then they get a bucket of water and start throwing it on the ground to mop which splashed us and another family. Manager or employee did not apologize. I get that you want to get your cleaning/closing duties done, but it's 7:30 and you do not close until 9pm. There are still families coming into eat and they had the doors blocked off with chairs at one point and water all over the ground everywhere. Do better Hat Creek.

Food is what to be expected for a restaurant like this for families, its burgers and fries; they are good but not gourmet. My grandson had a blast playing in the play yard, and by the time we left he had mastered most of the options, even going down head first on the tall slide. We will definitely be back.

the food wasn't bad but was not worth the price at all. My family meal was $60 just for it to look like they just put it all together with no care in the world. do better.

This place is right by my office, so I go there quite a bit. The food is always freshly made and delicious. The employees are always professional and friendly. Probably my favorite thing is their breakfast tacos. I always get two tacos with flour, tortilla bacon, potatoes, and grilled onions and with the green salsa packet. I don't know how they made that salsa taste so good, but it's fantastic.

Ugh - hate to say it, but they've really gone down hill. We used to go at least once a week, today was the first time we've gone in over a month - which may be the last time. Unless you order something simple like chicken nuggets, expect your order to be wrong, especially if you go through the drive-thru. Missing toppings, incorrect condiments, wrong food items, etc.

We had a very good lunch at the Hat Creek in McKinney, but it was very crowded on Sunday afternoon. The playground is the most unique of the hat creeks in Dallas, because it has a two story slide! But due to the crowds, it was not as clean as I like. There were french fries and other food particles on the playground, which is kind of gross. The restrooms were well stocked. The food is fresh and great, but the loud speaker is REALLY REALLY loud when they call names for when their order is ready.

OooRah! Yes they are open for inside dining again with all the usual virus precautions. We last went here in Feb 2020 so a lot has happened since then and reflected inside store. Check out my new photos. All the staff was wearing bandana face mask with gloves. Optional for customers. We got the little hat burgers which is plenty for us and should only get one order of sweet potato fries...next time. Delicious. You have to ask for sweetner for iced tea and packages of their special sauces. Beverages are self-service. About 1/2 of the tables are open and they clean them right after the customers leave. You can also eat outside on the patio in the shade while kids are playing.

Delicious food and perfect for a rainy night in. Had it delivered and even enjoyed milk shakes to finish off the night

My family did not have the greatest experience a few months ago when we ordered delivery through DoorDash or Uber eats I can't remember. Today we decided to use the $25 gift card they gave us for the awful experience and we gave it a shot again it was beautiful weather and our kids wanted to play and we were all hungry. I'm happy to say our experience this time was phenomenal! The place was so clean and the food was absolutely delicious. Josh took such great care of us and made sure our food was up to par and we had everything we needed! It was an excellent experience! Thank you to Hat creek for the awesome early dinner! Our customized little hat burgers were great! The tots and fries were crispy and delicious! The kids chicken was hot and fried to perfection. Thanks again!

Dinner time! I ordered Cowboy Hat burger and fries. My son ordered turkey burger and my wife and daughter in-law ordered their single hat burger. Their beef patties are grilled and blended with sliced of red onions, lettuce and tomatoes. The cowboy hat burger is placed in the toasted buns garnished with pickles, bacon and spread of ketchup. It's delicious! This place is in Little Elm near Frisco, TX just opened more than a month ago. Very busy on a Tuesday night with kids playing on their family friendly playground with slides and swing. Their first restaurant opened in Austin, then on McKinney and the third one is this place. Young families moved and have lived in this area, Hat Creek Burger Company set up their third burger joint. Serving portions are average at $$ coded price. Self service fast food chain. Cashiers are attentive, courteous and friendly. Clean separate upgraded Men and Women's bathrooms. They even have faucet outside by the playground and outside open dining area for the customers to wash their hands, specially the kids playing. I wish they could put Dyna bug trap outside. There are flies all over their exterior dining area next to the kids playhouses.

1/7/22- Friday!!! Happy Friday!!! Great customer service. It's my very first time here! Place is super clean! Tasted awesome!!! Thank you!!! Jjay R1616

Pretty standard burgers from a burger joint. Lettuce wrap is a nice option. Sauces are good. Sweet potato fries are amazing. If I had only ordered the sweet potato fries, this would have been a 5 star review.

I really love the hat creek we have in Katy so when we came to visit McKinney for the holidays I was excited to go to this location. I'm sad to say I was disappointed. I ordered a burger well done and they said they couldn't do it. They only make the burgers one way. I explained that I was pregnant and couldn't have red meat but she said their manager said they only cook them one way.

We have been here a few times in the last several months and the customer service has been awesome. The walk up counter service is quick and easy with a large menu to check-out as you make your way to the counter. The burgers have always been well prepared with no issues. There is beer on tap and it's nice and cold. If you have kids, there is a large play area in the front. It's worth giving them a try and enjoy!

After eating at Hat Creek for the first time years ago I wasn't impressed and left a review stating so. I felt that perhaps I had been a little harsh and removed the review, though I never returned to eat at their establishment. However, I recently started delivering food to customers in the evenings and was appalled by Hat Creek's lack of health and safety awareness. The manager of this restaurant insists that drivers assist with the preparation of orders; drivers who are independent contractors, contracted to deliver by third party companies. We cannot complete orders by adding food or filling up customers' drinks and are in no way shape or form trained in food and safety handling. We are also constantly handling gas pumps, touching door handles etc., and while some of us use hand sanitizer, it is not the same as washing one's hands (which we certainly don't have time to do between stops). Would you want someone who had just filled up their car, preparing and placing the lid on your drinks? The managers response to being confronted with the issue was to become rude, raise her voice and insist that this is the job of a delivery driver. But this must be a company (culture) issue. The manager's inappropriate responses and refusal to complete the orders., ignoring the health and safety risks and the liability involved, reflects on the company. There has to be a problem further up the chain.

Went to Hat Creek with some friends & kids. Love the outdoor playground available for the kids to play. The burgers were good. We got the veggie burger and really appreciate the meat-free option. Additionally we got the fried pickles and tater tots. The fried pickles were a little salty but nothing ranch couldn't help with! We will definitely be back

Nice customer service, nice atmosphere for family with kiddos, my boys favorite burger place

I visit here and the one on Exchange and Main. Both are awesome! It depends if we need to be closer to a friends house or not. Just tried the Southwest burger bowl. I do like their burgers and chicken. But I really like this! I think itll be the item i will always order! You can get it without the burger party but I liked having it there. Kinda like a salad with chicken just a burger patty instead. The lime vinaigrette I thought would over power everything. Actually it turned out to be a nice subtle taste enhancing the meat with corn and black beans and spinach. I eat here after the gym, I know, and I often had an issue with really what to eat. The salads they have are good but this is best. What a wonderful addition! Thank you!

Horrible service. This was my first visit and honestly my last. The lady working the drive thru was very rude to me. I wanted a combo and she completely disregarded me when ordering. When I got to the window and let her know she had a complete attitude with me instead of just putting it in correctly and moving on about it. She practically threw my food out to me trying to rush me off. I will not tolerate to be disrespected just because you hate your job.

Been here several times, mainly because it's close to home and the food is okay. Every time we've come, the employees have been super nice, including today. However, great employees can't make up for the fact it took 31 minutes to get our order today in the dining room, and it was barely warm. I noticed cars in the drive-thru were in and out pretty quick. I'd noticed this in the past and had even suggested to my wife that we should drive thru then take the food inside. Today I was told their order system wasn't communicating with the grill due to a glitch, and I believe it. I feel bad for good employees who have to bear the brunt of a system that crashes or a policy (drive-thru gets priority) that leaves customers unsatisfied. Sadly, it will be a while before we come back, because there are a few five-star burger places that are maybe ten minutes further away; if you do the math, that's a better, warm burger 21 minutes sooner.

We love this location. While some places tend to mess up on special requests, hat creek always gets it right. We had our parents in town and ordered 5 combos. All of them had some substitutions and all of them came out perfect. Even the crispy fries!

Honestly , you can do better somewhere else for delivery. I don't right NEG reviews. Unless it's really BAD. Ordered the food and it arrived , mostly hot. The burgers were a mess. Apparently they didn't pack them well for delivery. - hamburger party's were on 1 side of the wrapping, everything else on the other.. I ordered the loaded fries - for $8, figured it'd be loaded with cheese, bacon, etc -- NOPE - loaded with salt ((the amount made me down 32 oz of water.. cheese and bacon were not evident at all. I could've gotten a better meal at Sonic. Which is sad.

No no no ! They either need to wash their hands or they're not doing something right I got food poisoning from this place first time coming never again! This place was recommended to me ! Got the southwest and the fried pickles I thought my Burger was overcooked! And the fried pickles were soggy . I will not be returning!!!!!!

I don't get it... it's busy and the burgers taste like a burger from the little league field. Chicken sandwich was ok. Kids nuggets were the best thing we ordered. Milkshakes are...ehhhh. Clearly people come to allow their kids run around. Just not a good burger. Sorry.

I have to update my review sadly. I was really craving fried chicken and my husband surprised me with a hat creek salad at home, however they put grilled instead of fried. This is after the drive thru many times having forgotten things (however they were really nice and gave me a free meal for me and my kids to make up for all the forgotten stuff through the drive through) it is still very problematic that they so frequently get stuff wrong in the drive thru, because you either get home and it's wrong or have to go inside from the drive thru and that's the whole point of the drive thru to not have to get out and go inside. Now what do I do with this salad?! I have to drive back there and get what we ordered.

Delicious burgers and nuggets by any standard (especially for fast casual). They have wide range of reasonably priced menu options, three tasty proprietary sauces and a huge playground area for the kids to burn off energy. My only knock on the burgers is use of iceberg lettuce; however, it isn't shredded so at least it's tolerable. This place is brand new so expect long lines around mealtime, but they know how to work a line and move quickly. We will definitely be back!

Always great food here at Hat Creek Mckinney but even better service as they are always so friendly which means great management. I highly recommend this place to eat a great burger and try the spicy sauerkraut it's delicious

I have tried this place 5 times. Not once have they gotten my order correct. They didn't just not make things correctly. Entire items were missing. They had the nerve to deliver a bag with fries and pickles, reassured me it was all there (they staple the bags). And didn't add 4 burgers! I will not return here ever again.