Dirty Martin's Place has occupied the same stretch of Guadalupe Street near the UT campus since 1926, when founder John Martin opened it as Martin's Kum Bak Place. He intentionally misspelled "Come Back," and the dirt floor of the original building earned it the nickname "Dirty's," which stuck. Ownership passed through the Nemir and Pickens families over the following decades, keeping it a family-run operation for most of its history.
The menu has stayed narrow: burgers, patty melts, onion rings, tater tots, and milkshakes make up the core of it. The O.T. Special — said to be Austin's first bacon cheeseburger — was invented on the grill here by longtime staff and remains part of the lineup.
The building still holds its historic front room and diner-style bar, plus a backroom used for events, and the burgers are cooked on a grill that regulars and reviewers alike describe as having changed little over the decades.
The menu has stayed narrow: burgers, patty melts, onion rings, tater tots, and milkshakes make up the core of it. The O.T. Special — said to be Austin's first bacon cheeseburger — was invented on the grill here by longtime staff and remains part of the lineup.
The building still holds its historic front room and diner-style bar, plus a backroom used for events, and the burgers are cooked on a grill that regulars and reviewers alike describe as having changed little over the decades.