JewBoy Burgers blends Jewish deli comfort with bold border town flavors.
AUSTIN, Texas — It’s a name unlike any other: Austin-based JewBoy Burgers was the brainchild of owner Mo Pittle a decade ago, but the inspiration goes back even further.
“I was playing football in El Paso and somebody just said, ‘jewboy,'” Pittle said. And the nickname stuck.
A winner of numerous “best burger” awards in Austin, Pittle calls his restaurant a celebration of cultures.
“Its not just the Jewish culture and the border culture, but it’s the food culture,” he said.
Growing up in El Paso, he eventually traveled across the U.S. while working in advertising.
“I went to school here at UT, went to San Diego, Phoenix, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C.,” Pittle said.
But his true passion came calling and he followed his gut…literally.
“I’m not a chef and I make it a point to tell people that. I cook because I like to eat,” he said as he laughed.
KVUE’s Daybreak anchors love to eat, too. Bryan Mays and Yvonne Nava joined Pittle in the kitchen to make some of his most coveted creations.
The restaurant’s Yenta Burger is a fan favorite, and it’s served with a latke on top. And how about the A——from El Paso burger. This is a spicy name for a spicy burger that has American and Pepper Jack cheese, creamy serrano, a chile salsa and fried jalapeño peppers.
We also made the Oy Vey Guey, topped with hatch green chiles.
“Oy vey is an expression in Yiddish, which is, ‘Oh, my,’ and ‘wey’ is like the all-purpose Spanish term like “Como estas wey, que pedo wey,” Pittle added.
The burgers are juicy and the vibe can be described as lower East side deli meets Texas roadhouse.
The joy of cooking is contagious, and it’s exactly that feeling that led Pittle to find his purpose in life.
“The problem I have with advertising is that I was the only one that loved it. You know, you show somebody an ad they go, okay, give them a cheeseburger, watch their face light up, watch him smile,” he said.
“I think we can all agree that the world could use just a little more happiness right now.”
JewBoy Burgers has four locations around Austin. There are currently two trailers that offer sliders: one off East 6th St., the other on South Lamar Boulevard. A brick and mortar is located off Airport Boulevard, and an additional spot can be found inside Pins Mechanical Co. in the St. Elmo’s Arts District.
In about a week, the Austin chain will open up its fifth location at the Domain, in the Lavaca Street Bar.