Big State Drug

Since many of the Burger Babes are teachers and we have two glorious weeks off, we opted for a daytime excursion this month and we went to Big State Drug in Irving. Big State is a family owned pharmacy/diner/gift shop that's been around since 1948.  This was actually my third time to visit Big State, although the first time I've been for a burger.  Previously I've had the fried egg sandwich and the BLT . . . highly recommend either of them!

Service was super fast.  Esther, who arrived a few minutes after we had ordered, got her meal at the same time we did.  I guess it helps that it's a small establishment; it seats maybe 15???

I ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger with fries.  After just a few minutes, this is what was delivered to me:

The patty was done, with a bit of char, which I always appreciate.  And it was a nice thickness.  Not so thin that you want to order double meat, but not so thick that it doesn't fit on the bun.  I'm always intrigued by the condiments a burger place offers.  Big State will prepare your burger with mustard, mayo, or both, but it's up to the customer to add the ketchup.  To me, ketchup is the non-negotiable.  But no biggie, easy to add.  As usual, the shredded lettuce made a mess, but I fought through it.  The bacon was definitely the absolute best part of the burger.  My burger had three beautifully perfectly prepared strips of bacon, overflowing out of my burger.  The fries, unfortunately, were not anything to speak of.  I'm pretty sure they are Ore Ida.  And I'm fine with Ore Ida when you add some seasoning and do something to make it your own.  Just like a brownie or cookie mix.  Add a chopped up Milky Way to the brownie batter, or a teaspoon of almond extract to the sugar cookie mix to make it have that homemade feel.  That's how I feel about Ore Ida french fries.  

Overall, I'm not super impressed with the burgers at Big State.  Future visits would include the aforementioned fried egg sandwich, or even a malt.  I know that many consider Big State an Irving institution, but after having had so many fabulous burgers over the last few years, it's hard to get excited about their burgers.  Not that they're bad, they're just not great.

LA Burger

In November, the Burger Babes tried out LA Burger on North MacArthur in Irving.  LA Burger is the brainchild of two Korean brothers originally from Los Angeles; their goal is to combine Korean flavor with American classics.  Located in a strip mall in North Irving, it's a small BYOB storefront.  

After placing our orders at the counter, we settled in to wait for our burgers.  It was about a 15 minute wait, but you could tell the burgers were freshly made.  I ordered the Cali Sunshine: crisp bacon, a homemade spread, an egg made over easy, and cheddar cheese.  I would really liked to have ordered the LA Burger which comes complete with kimchi, but I wasn't nearly brave enough to try something that spicy.  

Cali Sunshine with sweet potato fries

Amanda's burger came first.  She did get the LA Burger with kimchi and she gave it two thumbs up.  Tina and I both ordered the Cali Sunshine and it was scrumptious.  Everyone's biggest complaint was the bread.  It tasted great and brought everything together nicely, but it was just too much.  In fact, Amanda and Tina ate their burgers sans bread top.  I was able to muster my way through it, though.  And while I do love a toasted bun, the center part of the top did get a bit too crispy for me. The flavors of the patty, bacon, cheese and  homemade spread did come together quite nicely.  I always think an egg on a burger is dicey.  It's incredibly yummy!  But, if the yolk is too runny, you've got a complete mess.  And if it's cooked too hard, then there's not any of the runny yumminess.  Unfortunately, my yolk was a bit too hard.  While it still gave the burger great flavor, it didn't really have the runniness I was hoping for.  Overall, we do give the burgers at LA Burgers a hearty endorsement.

LA Burger with onion rings

The sides on the other hand, were decent, but nothing to write home about. We ordered the onion rings, french fries, and sweet potato fries. Surprisingly enough, none of them had much flavor to them.  I was expecting them to have a little more pizzazz considering LA Burger's story.  And it's not that they were bad, they just weren't anything out of the ordinary.  

Prices are good, sides are decent, and the burgers are full of flavor.  If you live or work in the Irving area, then you should definitely check it out.