AUSTIN — No food in America is more iconic than the cheeseburger.
But even the classics could use an upgrade. That's where Cluck N- Burger delivers.
This north Austin food trailer opened in January. Aaron Esserman is a machine in the kitchen, cranking out burgers left and right. Suffice to say, it's his happy place.
"Started out when I was about 14, washing dishes just as a high school job when I was a freshman and just watching the action behind the scenes in the kitchen. It's something I fell in love with," said Esserman.
These days you'll find him at his new food trailer called "Cluck-N-Burger." It's located at the Oskar Blues Brewery and taproom off Metric Boulevard.
He made KVUE a couple of burgers and some smoked wings -- starting with the 3 a.m. burger.
"This one doesn't mess around. It is perfect for sharing with your friends, perfect for any time of the day," added Esserman, "It has a hash brown patty, bacon, egg, blueberry syrup, eggo waffle bun."
Needless to say, it's a mouthful. But it's delicious. Not feeling too adventurous?
You can try the OG -- the original gangsta. It's a classic burger topped with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles and their cluck n-sauce which is made of spicy aioli.
However, the way the meat tastes is anything but basic.
"We consider it kind of the greasy spoon burger, so its a higher fat content. [We] cook it all the way to keep that flavor in there from the fat," added Esserman.
The brioche buns are made fresh from Lil' Mama's bakery out of Pflugerville. A chicken breast burger and a vegetarian option are also available.
And if you're looking for wings, they offer two types. One is a marinated lemon and herb wing and another is smoked
"Smoke with pecan wood for two and a half hours so they are super tender -- great smoky flavor but not too overwhelming," he said.
Cluck-N-Burger also offers brunch on Sunday's from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and it has off-menu items like steak and eggs and chicken and waffles.
If you catch them on weekdays, be sure to partake in their $10 lunch deals from noon to 2 p.m.
It's a selection of three different burgers or wings with a side of fries or house salad and a drink for only $10 bucks.
So many deals, so many options, so much flavor.
"Create something between the bun, people know it and they come back for it," added Esserman.
Cluck-N-Burger also has a mobile food truck that uses social media to let customers know where they are for the day. They've got the same burger menu as their trailer, but instead of wings, they offer mac and cheese.