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

We're Back!

Wow!  I didn't realize the Burger Babes had been on hiatus for a year and a half.  While I know we haven't gone without a burger in that time frame, we haven't done so as an official group.  Here's what I've learned.  Yes, I love a good great burger!  And I do want to know where to find the best burgers in DFW.  But, more importantly, I love my girls most of all.  And being with them is one of the things that brings me immense joy.  Here are some of my favorite pics over the years.  I don't have pictures of everyone (gotta work on that), but I absolutely have the memories, and for that I am truly grateful.  Want to be a part of this amazing group?  Message me and I'll add you to the group.
Here's to Burger Babes 2.0!