BurgerFest 2013

Yesterday was the first ever (and I hope first of many) BurgerFest!  It was in the Deep Ellum Outdoor Market and you really couldn't have asked for a better day.  After twenty-four hours of dreary weather and much needed rain, we had sunny skies with temperatures in the low 80s; perfect for roaming Deep Ellum in search of fabulous burgers!

Here's a list of the players.  While we didn't get to everyone, we did tried a combination of familiar and new.

• Twisted Root
• Maple & Motor
• Stackhouse
• Chop House
• Mixed Up Burgers
• Max's Wine Dive
• Haystack
• Whiskey Cake
• Asador
• Easy Slider
• Cook Hall
• Ten Bells Tavern
• Garden Cafe

Burgers we already love - 
Because we already know about the awesomeness of Maple & Motor, Stackhouse, Chop House, and Mixed Up Burgers we opted not to visit these tents.  And while Twisted Root is always a Top 5 burger for me, I had never tried the goat meat.  So I convinced Kelly to try it with me.  And it was a good burger.  I'm not sure if it was the goat cheese that enhanced the meat, but I did enjoy this slider.  The bread seemed different this time and it wasn't as great as it normally is, but it still put a smile on my face.

New Burgers - 
I was excited that most of the participants were new to me, and a few of them I had been hearing great things about, so I was excited to try Haystack, Whiskey Cafe, and Easy Slider before making them official Burger Babe outings.

Haystack's offering was a chicken fried burger with gravy and jalapeno slices.  Strange, but yummy!  Super yummy, in fact!  We left off the jalapenos, although I can't help but think that they would really tie everything together.  But the chicken fried hamburger patty has a great flavor and the texture was perfect.  Just the right amount of crunch. And the jalapeno-bacon cream gravy was delicious!  Made me want a plate of mashed potatoes.  I think Haystack will soon be an official Burger Babe outing.





The other place I've been hearing about for months is Whiskey Cake.  And they definitely brought their A-game yesterday!  Instead of just putting any old burger out there, Whiskey Cake brought the BBQ Banh Mi - roasted pork, tangy veggies, cilantro, and Asian BBQ, all atop a brisket patty and nestled between a crispy baguette.  I'm pretty sure this was my favorite of the day.  Such a great combination of flavors and textures.  Pure yumminess!  I cannot wait to visit Whiskey Cake and try some of their other creations!





Not sure how we can make Easy Slider a Burger Babes outing since it's a food truck, but it definitely deserves our attention.  They had two offerings, but we chose Sweet & Lowdown.  Goat cheese, strawberry jam, and bacon on an Angus beef patty.  What a savory combination! The goat cheese and strawberry jam was so wonderful and to add in the crispy bacon was a touch of genius.  This one was Kelly's favorite and I don't blame her.  I'd have to say it was close behind the Bahn Mi from Whiskey Cake for me.  I will absolutely be paying more attention to Easy Slider's schedule from here on out.



We also tried Asador and Cook Hall, both are restaurants in hotels, the Renaissance and W, respectively.  I have mixed opinions on Asador.  The ingredients were great, including the grilled mushroom.  You could tell that they didn't use a basic crimini from Tom  Thumb.  It had a very deep, rich flavor to it.  I think they used a chipotle aioli, but I can't recall for sure.  Whatever it was, it was really good, too.  But what got me was the rareness of the meat.  And this girl likes rare meat, but this was a little too rare for me.  So, I'm not sure that this will make the cut for Burger Babes.  And we were both lukewarm on the Cook Hall burgers as well.  They had two choices, so we got one of each.  The BBQ Meatball slider had crispy potato strings, sweet pepper jam, scamorza cheese, and BBQ braised meatballs.  It wasn't bad.  In fact, I really liked the sweet pepper jam.  But not what I look for when I want a burger.  We also tried the Bacon Glazed Short Rib Slider; cheddar cheese, horseradish mustard, arugula, and a sliced tomato.  Again, good, just nothing outstanding.  I think if you're staying in either one of these hotels and you don't want to venture out, either place can give you a good burger.  But then again, if you're visiting Dallas, why not get out and try some of our amazingly fantastic burger joints?

There were only three that were new to us and we didn't try - Max's Wine Dive, Garden Cafe, and Ten Bells Tavern.  Garden Cafe was not really a possibility since it was a vegetarian burger.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, but that's not how this girl rolls.  Ten Bells Tavern is in Bishop Arts, so I'm sure I'll get there eventually.  And I know that Max's Wine Dive is on my list of Dallas eateries to visit.  I've heard great things about it and their slogan is "Fried chicken and champagne...what the hell not?"

If I had one critique about BurgerFest it would be about the drinks.  Looked all over that place for a Diet Coke, but to no avail.  Luckily, Yellow Bar was there with sweet tea.  

In addition to the burger tents, there were a few vendors as well.  Everything was handmade and there were some very creative people out there with really unique products.

All in all, it was great outing!

Kelly and me with our Sangria Winesicles!

Adair's

If you've lived in Dallas any amount of time, more than likely you've heard of Adair's Saloon.  It's on Commerce, in the heart of Deep Ellum and it's been there since 1963. It's a small dive known for its live music, burgers, and the patrons who sign their name in Sharpie wherever there's some space.  Anytime you talk burgers in Dallas, Adair's usually comes up.  And it is a good burger, but overall, it's not my go-to.

Once you've snagged your seat, you place your order at the bar.  Choices at Adair's are pretty basic: hamburger, cheeseburger, and a couple of other options if you're not in the mood for a burger (What?!?!).  For sides you can pick french fries (duh!), chips, or even popcorn or peanuts.

You know the burgers are fresh and that it's a small kitchen since it takes about 15 - 20 minutes to get your burger and fries when it's not busy.  And the presentation is anything but fancy...something so pleasing and comforting about a burger wrapped in that red and white checkered paper. 

It's no lie.  The cheeseburger at Adair's is great.  The thick and juicy patty is cooked well and served on a no frills white bun.  Not that big of a fan of the shredded lettuce, but it's manageable.  The burger comes with mustard, but you have to add your own ketchup.  Definitely an old school burger that will hit the spot.

As you know, while we are the Burger Babes, the sides that come with our burgers are just as important.  And even if french fries are the only option, that's something we can live with...if they're good.  I am so sad to say that Adair's gets a failing mark on this part of the meal.  Although they looked like they had been cooked just right, they tasted like they had been fried in some really old oil.  Even the ketchup didn't help.  Again, so sad.  Coupled with the lackluster fries was the not so pleasant aroma that intensified the further back into the bar you walked.  So I can't really even recommend stopping by Adair's if you happen to be in the neighborhood and you're looking for a burger.  There are just too many other fabulous options on the same block.  I think the exception would be if there's a band playing that you really want to see, or if you really love Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Because the fries had been so disappointing and a couple of us were still hungry, we walked across the street the Twisted Root.  Thanks to Tina for getting us the Fried Ride.


Straight Cut Fries, Sweet Potato Chips, Fried Onion Strings, Quincy’s Fried Pickles, and Fried Green Beans, partnered with peppercorn and chipotle ranch.

 And although we didn't actually eat a burger this time, the Burger Babes have visited the Twisted Root Burger Co.in the past and we can confidently recommend any of the burger choices

Until next month...

2009

2009 -

November - Jake's (Dallas)
December - Twisted Root (Dallas)

Between these two Dallas restaurants, Twisted Root was by far everyone's favorite. Although Jake's had some great sides, including sweet potato fries and fried pickle chips, the Twisted Root definitely had the better burger. Don't get me wrong, Jake's is a good burger, but there was an overabundance of poppy seeds on the buns and the thin patties left us wanting more. In fact, I'm pretty sure some of us left thinking "more meat."