Peace Burger

The great thing about having a day off is the ability to meet up with friends for lunch. And that's just what Amalia, Caitlin, and I did the other day.  We met a Peace Burger in Grapevine for a burger and the chance to catch up.

I ordered a Sissy Burger - bacon, cheddar, mustard, mayo; condiments on the side.  Let's start with the bun, which is poppy seed.  I don't have anything against poppy seed buns, I just don't know how it enhances the taste of a burger.  Let's talk bacon!  You know it's one of my favorites and there's something about on a burger that is so delicious.  But one thing I have never thought about is the type of bacon and how it's cooked.  And I guess I've never thought about it because bacon on a burger is pretty consistent, right?  If I were to ask you how you picture bacon on your burger, it's probably a bit crispy and flat.  Not at Peace Burger.  It's on the chewy side and definitely not flat which made it more of a challenge to eat.  I ended up taking the bacon off of the burger - it just wasn't doing anything for me.  First time for everything. Overall, I'd say the burger was decent.  It felt like the temperatures of the components weren't matching.  It's not like the buns were super cold, but it's as though things just weren't coming together.  

We also ordered the 50/50, a basket of fries and onion rings.  The onion rings were made with white onions and really delicious.  Very flavorful and the perfect texture, slightly crispy.  The fries, however, were plain in my opinion.  If I were to go back, I would stick with just the onion rings.

When we first arrived our waitress was quite attentive.  That changed once we got our food.  It's almost like she forgot about us. So that was a bit disappointing as well.  At this point, I'm not sure if I would go back, at least for a burger.  Which is a bummer, because over the years, I've heard good things about Peace Burger.  But just maybe, I'll give it another chance someday.

Paradise

Sometimes when you hear someone say they're going to grab a burger from a convenience store, you may get an uneasy feeling in your stomach.  Convenience store food can be a little sketchy, unless of course, it comes with recommendations. And that's exactly what happened in the case of Paradise Burgers.  Paradise Burgers is in Argyle, right off of I-35W, north of Texas Motor Speedway.  To me, it's a little more than convenience store dining . . . you do have the option of dining in. 

This burger is great!  They don't ask you how you want your burger cooked when you order, but the meat is fresh and flavorful.  The condiments are just as fresh, layered with purple onion and lettuce; every bite was delicious.  But the best part of the burger is the freshly baked buns.  So yummy and you can just taste the freshness!  

It doesn't seem right to have a burger without fries, so it just made sense to order the combo - a quarter pound burger, fries, and a medium drink for $7.  That's a great deal, considering they load up the to-go-box with fries.

Next time you go to the races, be sure to visit Paradise.

Health Camp

The Circle is a bit legendary in Waco.  While I had eaten at The Elite years ago before it closed, I had never visited Health Camp.  So when I found myself in Waco for the Baylor Job Fair, I decided it would be a good time to visit and grab some lunch.  I knew it would definitely beat the sandwich in a box that would otherwise be provided for me.  Health Camp is one of those places you go to based on a recommendation; just driving by it would probably not entice you to stop.  You can walk up to to the window and order to go, or go inside to order and sit at one of the 10 tables.  Since I arrived at the end of the lunch rush, the wait for my food was not long at all.  And it was exactly what you would expect from an institution that's been around since 1949.  Burger, fries, and soda were less than $10 and filled me up. It's a good solid cheeseburger, served with a tomato slice, onions, and shredded lettuce (the one negative).  It comes with mustard, so if you're not a fan, be sure to let them know. The fries are good and basic, no fancy spices or seasonings. I did need ketchup just to add a bit of extra flavor.  If you're in driving through Waco and need a bite to eat, I'd say it's definitely worth the stop.  After all, it's a mom & pop place that's been around for close to eighty years.  That in itself deserves some attention and some celebrating!

The Hall @ Trinity Groves

Spring Break is for fun adventures with friends and I know Esther is always up for an adventure, especially when it means visiting a new place.  We spent the morning at the Trinity River Audubon Center, a beautiful nature preserve about 10 miles south of downtown Dallas.  It was spectacular and educational.  And with all that walking in the midst of nature, we worked up an appetite.  So it only made sense for us to stop for lunch before heading home.  And what better place to head to than Trinity Groves.  With so many options, I thought it might be a hard decision, but we immediately headed to The Hall.  The Hall opened up about a year ago, by one of our favorite burger makers, James, formerly of Stackhouse.  We knew we couldn't go wrong here!


As usual, James does not disappoint when it comes to a burger.  Perfect meat to bun ratio, served with the freshest of condiments - Bibb (or was it Butter?) lettuce, purple onion, a tomato slice and homemade pickles! We both asked for our burgers to be cooked medium and they were truly cooked to perfection.  I added Gruyere cheese and the flavors blended together beautifully. There are no gourmet burgers at The Hall, although you can add bacon, fried egg, or avocado, but there's no need as this burger was delicious!  It was served with a side of cole slaw - no mayo!  And you can't have a burger without fries, so we each added them to our order.  These fries were cut just the way I like them.  Not steak fries, but not skinny McDonald's fries either.  And to me, the true test of how awesome the fries are depends on the need to use ketchup.  Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of ketchup. However, I don't use it with my fries unless I have to, and with these fries, there's just no need.
When you head to down to Trinity Groves you've got a few options for your burger needs. Be sure to add the burger at The Hall to your list of must visits next time you're in the area.

Goodfriend. 2.0

Burger Babes visited Goodfriend Beer Garden & Burger House in July (I realized today that I never published this post).  Even though we had been before, it is guaranteed to be in everyone's top 10 and with new people in the group, it seemed like the perfect time to revisit.

While we waited for the whole group to show up, we ordered a couple of appetizers, fried pickles and some crazy good fries.  A huge platter of waffle fries covered in bacon, chives, and blue cheese, and of course, ranch for dipping.  These were ridiculous! You really don't even need to order anything else.

As always the service was good and our burgers came exceptionally fast.  A couple of people ordered the 'Shroom Burger and gave it two thumbs up.  The mushrooms were perfectly sautéed, which let's face it, isn't always easy.  

The cheeseburger with bacon also got an excellent review.  Those pickles!  So crunchy!

I had the Morning Glory, a delicious cheeseburger topped with bacon and a fried egg. Goodfriend will always ask you how you want your burger cooked (thank you for that).  To me, their medium is perfect; pink throughout, but not overly pink. The ingredients are always fresh and top quality. And as someone who always struggles to cook the perfect fried egg, I'm amazed how time after time they get it just right. Just a little bit runny . . . you know, just enough to have that great yolk covering you burger, but not out of control messy.  If you had to pick one "bad" thing about the Goodfriend burger, some might say it's the bun.  Totally a personal preference, but how much bread is too much bread when it comes to your hamburger bun?

Goodfriend also has a pretty extensive beer collection, so if that's your thing, you should definitely check it out.  It's a great place to spend the afternoon, hanging out with friends, eating amazing food and having a drink or two.  Of course, if you go early enough in the day, you can pick up tomorrow's breakfast at Hypnotic Donuts beforehand.

Chop House Burger

It's always nice to have a quality burger right in your own backyard.  And at the end of the first week of school, you typically don't want to go much farther than your own backyard. So Chop House Burger in Euless seemed like the perfect destination for the Burger Babes this month.

A lot of people were feeling the urge for a burger on Friday and Chop House was packed. Service was a bit slow, but the manager acknowledged it and offered his apologies to our group of 7. Because you order at the counter, people placed their orders as they arrived which just meant we had a lot of time to talk and catch up with each other.

Chop House is a really great burger!  And when you're in the Mid-Cities, it's nice to have this casual, yet not fast food option for a burger.  Like I said, the wait for our food was a bit longer, but when my burger arrived, this is what I received - 

So how could I possibly be annoyed if it took a little longer than usual?

In the past, I've ordered a Chop House Burger (black summer truffle sauce, shaved red onion, vine ripened tomato, green leaf lettuce and whatever toppings you want to add). Add bacon & a fried egg on top and you'll be in heaven!

On this visit to CHB, I opted for the Wine Country Burger.  Adorned with arugula, honey mustard, vine ripened tomatoes and my current obsession, goat cheese, the 100% certified Angus Beef ground chuck is cooked medium (unless otherwise requested).  A popular discussion among burger lovers is the meat to bun ratio.  At first glance, the brioche bun looked like it might be too much for the patty. But this toasted bun was absolutely perfect.  For lack of a better word, it was squishable, yet strong enough for the juicy patty and all its trimmings.  The meat has a fresh taste to it and it was both seasoned & cooked to perfection.  Seriously!  Posting this picture makes me want to go back today for another one.

If you're a fan of the turkey burger, you'll want to try the Gobbler.  Sometimes a turkey burger can be dry, but I have it on good authority that it too, was juicy and full of flavor.

It's not a burger review without mention of the sides.  At CHB, only fries are an option - but you have 3 choices.  Even going with the regular french fries will not disappoint you. Light and the perfect amount of crispy to soft ratio.  But, if you're feeling fancy, then try the Truffle Parmesan Fries.  Yes, you read correctly and they are scrumptious! White truffle oil, Parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley sprinkle regular fries.  If you're there with a friend, you can get one order to share and be plenty satisfied.  For those of you who love chili cheese fries, you'll want to sample them here - no doubt! Homemade Texas chili, sharp cheddar, onions and cilantro - how do you say no to that?

The original Chop House is in Dallas and we visited the Euless location.  But do not fear, the website says locations are coming to Ft. Worth, Southlake, Plano, & Frisco; soon much of the Metroplex will be able to enjoy this tastiness!

Boulevardier

When you see the write up about Boulevardier, a French-inspired, neighborhood-friendly bistro, you don't think burger.  But this Bishop Arts bistro consistently shows up on Dallas' best burgers, and as we learned last night, for good reason.

Friday night is a busy time in the Bishop Arts District (you may want to consider making reservations), so we waited about 15 minutes at the bar. The bartender was helpful and friendly, making recommendations once he learned it was our first time at Boulevardier.  I don't remember the name of the beer, but it was sour & tangy and would compliment my burger perfectly.

After a short wait, these fabulous burgers and fries showed up at our table.  The presentation was great, although some may prefer their burger on an actual plate.  I liked the butcher block and the bucket of fries - something fun & different.

The fries were perfectly cooked,  Crispy, but soft on the inside and seasoned with a touch of black pepper.  Notice the pickles.  They were fabulous bread & butter pickles with that perfect crunchiness and tang. Tasty on the burger and by themselves.  I'm not really a tomato person so I didn't add it to my burger.  Plus, it was cut too thick for my tastes.

I ordered my burger medium and it was cooked to absolute perfection. The burger is a thick patty of grass-fed beef with a nice, just right char on the outside. and juicy on the inside.  The combination of house bacon, caramelized onions, and gruyere cheese just may be my favorite combo.  There really are no words to describe how yummy this was.  Even if you're not an onion person, these were done so well you just may not realize they're there.  The burger also comes with a garlic aioli you can add to your burger and that is a definite recommendation.  The patty is served on a pain au lait bun (again, delish!), but it's a lot of bread.  I ended up eating half of my burger sans bread and I'm so glad I did. The flavors were even more intense and delectable.

In addition to amazing food, Boulevardier provides wonderful service.  The staff was knowledgeable and very attentive.  Add that to delicious food and a creative cocktail menu, and Boulevardier is good option for a night out on the town.  And when the weather permits, you can hang out in Bishop Arts before or after dinner and even grab a piece of pie from Emporium