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).

Grease Monkey

Billing itself as Arlington's Burger Shop and Social Club, Grease Monkey is exactly that. It's located in the heart of Arlington, near Division and Center. It's a casual hang out with a bar that opens up to the street. After grabbing a table, we made our way to the counter to place our orders. I wavered between the Black and Blue Burger and a cheeseburger, finally opting for the Black and Blue - a blackened burger covered with crumbled crispy bacon, melted Swiss cheese, onion strings, and a Blue Cheese dressing. I've ordered plenty of Black and Blues before, but this was the first time the patty was actually blackened. So the spice of the seasoning did throw me off, but it was a flavorful burger. After about 10 minutes, our pagers went off and we headed back to the counter for pick-up.

Doesn't this look yummy?  The burger doesn't come with any of the usual condiments, you add what you want at a side bar.  Notice the lettuce. That was probably the greatest disappointment.  It's my opinion that shredded lettuce is for tacos, not burgers.  Obviously Grease Monkey disagrees, but to each his own.  The burger was quite flavorful; I can only imagine how much more flavorful it would have been if I had gone for just the cheeseburger and not had blackened meat to distract my taste buds.  The Swiss cheese and blue cheese dressing is a great combination, giving the burger a tangy yumminess.  I really liked the crispy bacon crumbles, although a few more crumbles would have been nice.  The absolute star of the show?  The hamburger bun!  Before the buns are toasted, they're coated in a butter blend of honey, cilantro, lime, and jap spread.  Even if you're kind of iffy on the burger, the bun would most definitely sway you.  It was so delicious!!!

There are a lot of sides to choose from: fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, and fried pickles.  I think there were more, but we focused on our usual suspects.  I can't really rate either of the fries too highly. Pretty average, to be honest.  I did like the onion rings, although there was a discussion about the style.  These rings are the thin ones that tend to fall apart easily.  Those kind of onion rings are fine by me as long as the flavor is there, and it was.  But, overall, the best side on our table was the basket of fried pickle chips.  Sliced and breaded thinly, the pickles were a great addition to the meal.

Overall, Grease Monkey got pretty high ratings from the Burger Babes on this visit.  It's not going to break my top 5, or probably even my top 10, but Grease Monkey is the place to go when you want a casual atmosphere and a good, solid burger that will fill you up.  They've got the choices and options for building your own burger, as well as a couple of unique burgers, like the Chicken Fried Burger.  If you need a place to go before or after a Rangers game, this would be a great choice.  Or, if you need a place to watch the game, there were plenty of televisions with both the Rangers and the US Open on.

See you next time!

In-N-Out Burger

About six years ago, I made my first trip to California.  I was visiting one of my best friends, who had just moved out to the central coast, and I was excited to see her and experience the Golden State.  The very first place she took me?  In-N-Out Burger.  Now at this time, I wasn't quite the burger girl I am today, although I had heard of In-N-Out and knew it was a must-visit.  My initial reaction was favorable.  It was a really good burger, obviously made with fresh materials.  And the fries were pretty great, too!  So when the news broke that In-N-Out was making its way to Texas, I was pretty excited.  I chose not to visit In-N-Out until they had been open for awhile.  The buzz about this institution was phenomenal and the wait to get a burger was often a couple of hours.  Since In-N-Out's arrival to Dallas-Ft. Worth last year, I've only been a couple of times.  I have to be honest and admit, I don't really get all of the hype.  It's a good, decent burger for a fast food burger, and it's obviously made with quality ingredients.  But I haven't had one in Texas that really makes me want to make it a regular part of my life.  And a lot of times the french fries can help out an average burger.  The fries I've had both times were lackluster with a greasy taste (and not greasy in a good way).  Pretty disappointing.  I'm sure a lot of people think I'm crazy, but to me In-N-Out is justy another fast food place with a decent burger, but it's nothing to get excited about.  In fact, the one I would typically go to is within 5 minutes of both a Five Guys and a Smashburger.  So, if I have a say in the matter, hands down, I'm headed to Smashburger.  As far as chains go, they've got one of the best burgers and a variety of sides around.  Sorry California, maybe Trader Joe's will have a bigger impact on me.

Goodfriend Beer Garden & Burger House

Goodfriend Beer Garden & Burger House is another one of Dallas's most recent burger joints to open up this past year and it definitely ranks up at the top.  Open for business since October of 2011, it is a casual, neighborhood bar in East Dallas.

The patio was already full when we arrived save for one table located right in front of the TV showing the Ranger game.  And the weather was spectacular so we were already off to a perfect start.  And because it is a beer garden, there's no rush to order your meal.  We were actually able to wait for everyone to show up before we ordered.  That doesn't always happen. 

There are probably about 10 different types of burgers to choose from and all of them sounded so wonderful.  There are definitely some I plan on trying in the future.  All of their burgers are made with natural grass-fed beef and most everything is made in house which you can tell as soon as you take a bite.  I ended up going with The Coop, with the fried egg cooked just a touch hard and the patty with a touch of pink.  It was absolutely delicious:  Burgers at Goodfriend are the kind you'll want to cut in half to be to handle properly, but even then I still made a mess.  Just a sign of a good burger filled with tasty, fresh condiments.  I'm not a big fan of tomatoes, but just look at how red and fresh those slices are!  So yummy!  I'm about ready to get in the car and head back to East Dallas as I write this.

Other burgers you might consider trying are the Loretta (their version of a blue cheese burger), the Pepper Bomb (made with habaneros, serranos & jalapenos - yikes!), or the Latin Lover (chorizo burger).  If you want a burger without beef, you're in luck!  You can try a turkey burger, a lamb burger, and even a black bean burger.


I don't remember the name of this one, but it has some kind onion compote - heard it was awesome!



You can't ever go wrong with a good old-fashioned cheeseburger.

We had three sides to select from and you can't go wrong with any of them.  You can choose from waffle fries (good) or sweet potato waffle fries (better).  And if you can't decide, don't worry, they'll let you order a basket with both.  Not a potato lover?  You absolutely won't miss with the fried battered green beans.  Yes, I said fried batter green beans served with a tangy ranch-like dip.  Up until this point, Smashburger had my heart when it cam to friend green beans, but the beans at Goodfriend are way better by far.

You might still be unsure of my opinion of the burgers at Goodfriend.  I know I haven't been very complimentary.  A definite two thumbs up!  It has everything - great food on a patio with a friendly, laid-back atmosphere.  Be warned though, the kitchen doesn't open until 5, so no burgers until dinnertime.

Until next time!