Chris S.
Yelp
Whataburger isn't just a meal, it's an experience. If you are visiting TX, you don't experience this on the same level as a Texan does but if you're in the right headspace, it's awesome. First, I want to point out that it's important to manage expectations. When I fly Spirit Airlines, I'm usually satisfied because I don't expect the same level of service & quality I might find on United, Alaska, Delta, & Southwest. I pay less and I get less and that's OK. This is not a steakhouse burger, it's fast food and I feel that it's better than most of the standard chain-faire. Is this the In n' Out of TX? Kind of.
I'm a Seattle native and I grew up on Dick's Drive-In, which I still love & I believe is the reason that In n' Out will never try to breach the Seattle market. As any Seattle native knows, CA started invading our city in the 1980's and you can easily see the ultimate results of that. I'm not here for social commentary but I will say that WA set themselves up for their fate by already embracing a lot of CA's bad ideas before the invasion began & then enacting them when the echo chamber became overwhelming. I don't think Texans would tolerate that. One of the things I hated about the Californians is how snotty they were about Dick's Drive-In. They would crap all over it because they preferred In n' Out & frankly, I've tried them both many times and I'll stick with DDI.
This was my third trip to TX, & my first to the Austin area. I have moved to NV since my last visit and my perspective has changed a bit. I think the first two times I visited, I was a snotty Northwesterner & I instinctively looked down on TX because it wasn't like WA. Since I hated the way the CA people did that in WA, I realized I was a hypocrite. This time, I came with a new attitude and I saw it all through a different lens. I love it now. I love how friendly the people are. I love the overall attitude and vibe. Eating at Whataburger was fantastic. I'm not a huge burger eater beyond DDI but I enjoyed this meal more for the experience than for the food. I don't want to short-change the food, it was tasty and the portions were good as well as the prices but the employees and other patrons were wonderful. I had never been to this city before and they treated me like a part of their community. I love food and even do food blogging and videos and I would urge all of my friends to go try Whataburger with an open mind and an appreciation of a true TX experience.