Mixed Up Burgers

Mixed Up Burgers, formerly known as The Patty Shack, is in Grand Prairie, right off of Highway 360.  It's in a strip mall, and if you blink, you may miss it.  It's a seat yourself kind of place, so we grabbed a table as soon as we walked in.  Our waitress was very attentive, checked on us often, and was very patient as we made out decisions.  Mixed Up Burgers has a different take on their burgers.  Instead of piling the burger high with the condiment, they are mixed into the patty and cooked that way.  

We placed out order and settled in for what would turn out to be a long wait.  Friday night is a popular night for Mixed Up, and either someone didn't show up for work or they weren't expecting quite so many people, but the wait for our burger was probably about 10 to 15 minutes longer than it should have been.  Next time we'll know to order those fried pickles.  After about a 30 minute wait, this is what arrived:

Jaleen & Joe Schmoe

Kelly & Shackadelic -
with a fried egg!

Tina & Jethro

Jethro was actually the first burger on the table and the smell of the sauteed onions was simply heavenly, so we were all super excited about the burgers headed our way.  I do appreciate a burger that is delivered open face so you can fully assess what you'll be eating.  Plus, it makes for a great picture.  Our immediate concern was the shredded lettuce and the one, very small, pale tomato slice on each burger.  But, we powered through it, as is the Burger Babe way.  

I ordered the Shackadelic - bacon, 'shrooms, and Swiss cheese, all topped with a fried egg.  And the yolk was just the right amount of runny.  Yea!  The egg turned out to be a great decision this time around since the patty was well done and on the dry side.  It was definitely packed full of whatever mixings you had ordered, but the dryness of the Jethro really detracted from the great flavors of a Cajun spice, blue cheese and bacon.  Sorry about that, Tina.  The bun Mixed Up uses is a great choice.  Fresh and flavorful, it definitely holds whatever toppings are on your burger.  Putting a fried egg on a burger is always dicey if the bun isn't sturdy enough, but this bun held up quite nicely.

As usual, we ordered a variety of sides and they are all superb!  All three sides  were savory and incredibly full of flavor.  For both fries, they were just the perfect size and firmness...a bit of crunch every few bites, but overall soft.  The onion rings are cut thin and made with white onions, but don't let that sway you.  They are absolutely great!

Sweet potato fries, onion rings, and french fries

Mixed Up Burgers is a solid, neighborhood hangout with a different take on burgers that is fun to try and pretty tasty.  They are pretty frequent on Groupon; I guess they're really trying to build up the business.  The prices are good, even without the Groupon and the staff is extremely friendly.  It's definitely worth checking out, especially if you can snag one of those Groupons.  Just be sure to specify how you want your patty cooked if well done is not your style.

Original review when Mixed Up was Patty Shack

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.

Dutch's

Dutch's is in Fort Worth, right by TCU.  It's definitely got the college hangout feel to it, but it seemed to be pretty family friendly, too.  Customers place their orders at the counter and then grab a wooden table while you wait for your meal. Thankfully, the fried pickles came rather quickly; we waited only about 8 to 10 minutes for these:

The breading was thick and the pickles were great.  They came to us straight out of the fryer, piping hot, served with a side of Ranch.  Greatness!  The basket was overflowing with pickle goodness.  One basket would work fine for five Burger Babes.  We had ordered two baskets and had to leave some uneaten. 

About 10 minutes after we got our pickles, our burgers were ready.  I ordered the Bacon Bleu Cheese Burger.  I'm always worried about the amount of bleu cheese I'll find on a burger.  Too much can be overpowering.  Luckily, this burger had just the right amount.  One more teaspoon may have put it over the edge.  And the bacon was unbelievable!  Thick and crisp with an awesome flavor, my burger had three slices.  I loved Dutch's generosity.  Beware, there is shredded lettuce involved, but everything else was so good, it was only a minor distraction.  The hamburger bun was incredibly fresh and had a wonderful sweetness to it.  The patty was juicy and well-cooked, with an extremely light pink touch to it.  The Bacon Bleu Cheese Burger does come with a chipotle mayo, but I opted to omit it.  If you like chipotle, then it probably only enhances the flavors, but it's still a great burger without it.  Both the Hickory BBQ & Bacon and the Bacon Swiss Mushroom Burgers also received rave reviews from my fellow Burger Babes.

The onion rings are made from white onions and are lightly battered, making them crispy.  I like them that way because you can really taste the flavor.  The downside to this kind of onion ring is its flakiness and their tendency to fall apart.  But still, the taste was pure yumminess!

Need something sweet after your burger?  Dutch's had some really great shake options.  Kelly recommends the Oreo, a classic, but I had the tropical, a coconut and pineapple concoction.  Loved it.  

Be sure to put Dutch's on your list of burgers to try.  Great food and great atmosphere!

Burger House

Since 1951, Burger House has been a part of the Dallas landscape.  The original location on Hillcrest, across from SMU, is still going strong.  But even if you aren't an SMU Mustang or reside in the Park Cities, don't worry, there are five additional locations, including one in Lubbock, and franchising is a possibility.

Walking into Burger House, it's obvious the building is 60 plus years old.  It's just as obvious that they are proud of their humble beginnings.  In fact, I would say it's a part of their charm.  Don't go with a large crowd, the small patio tables and picnic benches really don't support that.  But Burger House is a great place to go if you have the hankering for just a good, honest, burger with a healthy side of savory fries.

When you get to Burger House, simply walk up to the window to place your order.  I recommend getting a double.  After having the super thin patty at Jake's, I've learned to ask about the thickness of the patties when a double is on the menu.  I ordered the double cheeseburger.  After what seemed like forever, but it really wasn't, our names were called one by one and this is what we were presented with - 

How does this not make you happy?  And hungry for a burger?  Like, right now?  The meat was absolutely perfect - in terms of flavor and how it was cooked.  Absolutely great flavor and not overly cooked or dried out.  Now, a word of warning.  The burger comes with mustard and the cook is a fan of mustard.  I was just glad I had asked for ketchup to counter some of the tang of the mustard.  You know how I feel about shredded lettuce and that was a downside, but it wasn't a terrible distraction.  I still don't like it, but if the burger is put together well and the bun doesn't fall apart, then it's a little bit easier to handle.  The bun wasn't anything special, but it was the perfect partner to the double patty.  I always appreciate a good pairing of meat hamburger patty and buns; sometimes I think people underrate the relationship between the two.

Burger House is well known for seasoning they've been putting on their fries for 61 years, and rightly so.  It is incredibly savory and flavorful and I would say worth purchasing for your own pantry.  Are you a fan of onion rings instead?  Well, you can't go wrong with those bad boys either.  Great cut of a white onion and a crunchy outside.  The onions stay together with the crust even when you take a big bite.

Unless you're on the patio, I wouldn't say that Burger House is the kind of place where you might just hang out with friends for an hour or two.  Especially because there are no refills on sodas and the cups are small (by today's standards anyway).  But, I would say that getting a shake and lingering for a few extra minutes is definitely worth it.

Burger House is a Dallas institution and with five Dallas locations, most definitely doable.  I always encourage people to go to the original location if possible, but if that's not possible, you've got other locations to choose from.

Oh yeah, I forget the exact name, but they've got some crazy hot dog/hamburger combination going on.  If you're brave enough to try it, let me how it is.

Goodfriend...Again!

Back in May, the Burger Babes visited Goodfriend Beer Garden.  Not open even a year, at that point it was already earning a reputation as having one of the best burgers in Dallas.  Tonight, I returned to Goodfriend, with a good friend, Tina, for a little R & R as we prepare for the beginning of another school year.  Normally, I wouldn't blog about a burger place I've already visited, especially if I didn't try something different the second time around.  I ordered the exact same thing I did in May, that scrumdidlyumptious Coop burger, with the most perfectly fried egg and wonderfully cooked bacon.  What I wanted to share with you this time, was the amazing customer service. Tina and I both ordered our burgers medium, so we were a bit dismayed when the burgers arrived well done, char and everything.  Now there's nothing wrong with a little char on your burger, but when you're expecting medium, it throws you for a loop.  When our waitress came by to check on us, we were honest about the char, but insisted on keeping what we had already started.  Not two minutes later, the manager was at our table, apologizing profusely.  She was incredibly sincere, saying she would address it in the kitchen right away. And even though we said it wasn't necessary, she comped our burgers.  She came back a few minutes later to let us know that there was a new burger flipper on the line and he had been a little overzealous in his grill time.  She apologized again and wanted to make sure that we would be coming back.  Our answer was a resounding YES!!!  Some burgers are just worth a 40 minute drive!  Don't you agree?

Hunky's

The August edition of Burger Babes took place at Hunky's.  There are actually two locations, one in the Bishop Arts District and one on Cedar Springs,which is the one we visited.

After snagging a couple of tables in the back, we took turns placing our orders at the front counter.  Luckily, for these hungry girls, it didn't take but 10 minutes for the burgers to start coming out to our tables.  There was one glitch with an order, but it was quickly fixed.  I wasn't feeling in a fancy hamburger mood that night, so I opted for a Bacon Cheeseburger, with a side of onion rings.  After 10 minutes, this is what arrived:

Bacon Cheeseburger with onion rings

The patty was perfectly cooked, fabulously juicy.  And it was topped with a piece of cheddar cheese that covered the entire patty (and then some), although you can choose from American, Swiss, Jack, Blue, or Mozzarella.  And the bacon slices that were on my burger with thick and cooked to perfection, full of flavor. Since the burger already came with mustard, I added a bit of ketchup to neutralize that tangy flavor.  And that was just what the burger needed.  The buns fit nicely with the burger and it didn't fall apart, always important.  It was buttered and grilled with a nice crispiness to the edges.

The onion rings were good, although I prefer onion rings made from purple onions, not yellow.  The winner, though was the sweet potato fries.  Those were fabulously yummy!  You can get all sorts of other sides at Hunky's...and that's great to have variety.  

Another great thing about Hunky's is the variety in the burgers.  Not only are there different specialty burgers, but for those of you who are a bit more health conscious, you can get a turkey burger or a veggie burger. I love having option available. 

Hunky's definitely gets a thumbs up.  It's a tasty, well done burger and the customer service is great.  And even though we had been done with our meal for a long time, we never felt pressured to leave our cozy corner.  And no matter which location you go to, you're sure to have a lot of options for entertainment after dinner.  

Until next time!

Kincaid's

I first went to Kincaid's in Fort Worth about 5 years ago.  And when I bit into that burger, I was so amazed; I could taste the freshness of the patty.  Since then, I had been to the Southlake location a few times and never been disappointed.  So, two and a half years into the Burger Babes adventure, it seemed time to head over to Camp Bowie Blvd.  


Being the middle of July and lots of people on vacation, our group was small, but we've never let that stop us before.  We grabbed a table and hung out before placing our order at the counter.  After placing our orders, we grabbed our drinks, sweet tea and diet coke.  Not sure what's in the water over there, but Tina & I both thought our drinks had a funny taste to them.  Kincaid's might want to look into a filter system is all I'm saying.


After about 10 minutes, our names were called.  At Kincaid's, your name is called and you retrieve your dinner in a white paper bag, whether it's dine in or to go.  Not sure why that makes me happy, but it does bring a smile to my face.


The side were decent, nothing too outstanding.  I'm pretty sure the fries come from a bag  in the freezer, but they are definitely seasoned really well.  I didn't even need ketchup.  The onion rings are made from thickly sliced white onions.  Again, they're good with a nice crunch, but nothing to knock your socks off.  Other choices include fried okra, chips, stuffed jalapenos, and deviled eggs.  We did try the deviled eggs; a nice tanginess, but I prefer them a bit creamier.


On to the burger...
As I unwrapped it from the paper wrapper, I was immediately disappointed with the shredded lettuce. I know I've said this before, but I really don't get shredded lettuce on a burger.  It just makes it messier and I don't think it really does anything to enhance the burger. I think shredded lettuce has its place, namely on tacos and tostados, but most definitely not on burgers.  If you're hungry when you get to Kincaid's, you won't be after you order the burger.  I think it was a 1/2 pound patty.  The cheese was beautifully melted on the patty, which had been formed by hand.  The bun was a basic white bun without any extra seasoning or fanfare.  When I bit into my burger, I was expecting that same overwhelming freshness from 5 years ago, but I don't feel like it was quite as obvious.  It actually took me a few bites to really start enjoying the burger and the patty's flavor.  As we sat there eating and contemplating the important attributes of a great burger, I started to wonder if all of my great burger experiences kept moving the bar higher and higher, making it more difficult to enjoy a burger I may have previously really liked.  Or, was it simply a case of the burger just not being at the level of greatness as it was five years ago?  Which I don't think that's the case.  After all, Kincaid's has been in this business for over 60 years and the beef is not only antibiotic and preservative free, it's cut & ground fresh daily at each location.


My overall thoughts about Kincaid's?  It's a very family-friendly place to a get a good, old school burger without any of the bells and whistles.  If you're spending the day in that part of town, maybe you've just finished a fun morning at the Amon Carter Museum, and you're hungry for some fresh beef, then I definitely advise that you try it out.  If it means fighting traffic on 121 or I-30 when there's a burger you know you like closer to you, then I would recommend staying close to home.  There are three other Kincaid's in Tarrant County.  Be sure to check out their website for exact locations and hours (they close at 8PM on Friday).