FIRST LOOK DINING
BY CARSON GANONG
“I’M 50, AND THE RESTAURANT IS 51. I’D BEEN EATING THERE SINCE I WAS A KID. I HAD MY BIRTHDAY PARTIES AT TOP NOTCH.” KELLY CHAPPELL, OWNER
The Hutto location has the same architecture as the Austin location.
BRIAN RASH COMMUNITY IMPACT
A POP CULTURE LEGEND Over the years, Top Notch has appeared in an array of hit movies, TV shows, advertisements and music videos. Here are a few of the places customers might recognize the historic restaurant from.
Kelly Chappell bought the Austin location of Top Notch from its original owners in 2010.
Top Notch burgers are grilled over charcoal.
AMY BRYANT COMMUNITY IMPACT
CARSON GANONG COMMUNITY IMPACT
Top Notch Hamburgers Legendary Austin eatery brings the bulk of its cultural legacy to Hutto F or Kelly Chappell, taking ownership of Top Notch Hamburgers in Austin was a personal experience. reasons. The rst involved the city’s status as a relatively small, tight- knit city. Hutto is also close enough to restaurant’s employees. “The employees’ homework is
1993: “Dazed and Confused” ( lm) 1999: “Varsity Blues” ( lm) 2007: “Friday Night Lights” (TV show) 2014: Alt-J’s “Left Hand Free” (music video)
to go watch movies and TV shows with Top Notch in it—those things that have helped make it a staple in Austin,” Chappell said. “I want them to understand that.” Now that the new location is open, Chappell said he is excited to get integrated into the Hutto community. “We’re relying on our steady fan base to help us create the culture here and spread the word,” Chappell said. “We’re just doing what we’ve been doing all these years, and people will learn that a charcoal burger tastes very di erent from a frozen patty.”
Top Notch Hamburgers 121 Co-Op Blvd., Hutto 512-759-3812 www.topnotchaustin.com/hutto Daily hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
The Austin staple has been open since 1971, and in 2010, Chappell bought it from its original owners, the Stanish family. “I’m 50, and the restaurant is 51,” Chappell said. “I’d been eating there since I was a kid. I had my birthday parties at Top Notch.” It took a little over a decade, but on March 22, Top Notch o cially opened its second location in Hutto’s Co-Op District. Chappell said he and his business partners, Chris Courtney and Jay Bunda, selected Hutto for two
Austin that many Hutto residents are already familiar with Top Notch, which Chappell said was another draw to the city. After more than 50 years, Top Notch’s menu of hamburgers and fried chicken is nearly the same as it was when the restaurant opened, and Chappell said he, Courtney and Bunda have taken great pains to preserve the appearance and culture of the original restaurant in the new Hutto location. That same philosophy has extended to training the new
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ROUND ROCK EDITION • APRIL 2023
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