| CITY OF ATE | ▼ Dish These Are Tasty Burgers From mom-and-pop shops to the most high- end steak house, the humble burger contin- ues to inspire us. Here are 15 places to devour a burger in Dallas. BY ANGIE QUEBEDEAUX AND LAUREN DREWES DANIELS Nearly 50 billion burgers are eaten each year in this country, so it’s only fitting that we dedicate an entire day celebrating America’s most iconic food as we usher in the summer grilling season. We’ve rounded up a few of the best places J around DFW to celebrate this day properly. Gym memberships are not included. Hillside Tavern 6465 Mockingbird Lane (East Dallas) Hillside Tavern is an upscale-casual restaurant from Nathan Tate and brothers Brooks and Bradley An- derson, the owners of Boulevardier and Veritas Wine Room. The Tate Farms cheeseburger has a half-pound of 100% grass-fed beef that is topped with smoked cheddar, bourbon bacon jam, garlic confit and white truffle aioli, arugula, tomato and pickles. Decadent is an understatement. Hudson House Various locations Hudson House is a popular destination in the Dallas dining scene with a menu that leans more toward seafood options.While they serve great seafood dishes, the star of their menu is the Hudson House cheeseburger: two thin patties, layered with American cheese and topped with pickles, minced onion and Hudson sauce. During Happy Hour, you can get this for half price. Knife 5300 E. Mockingbird Lane (East Dallas) The Ozersky burger at Knife is an award-winner. It reminds us that not all burgers are created equally. The Ozersky uses a 44 Farms 5-ounce ground sir- loin patty, red onion and American cheese on a white bun. They keep it simple by choice so you can savor the quality of the meat between the buns. For something different, the Pimento burger takes their traditional cheeseburger up a notch by adding gooey pimento cheese, bibb lettuce, to- mato slices and sautéed onions. ust as we’re all trying to get ready for swimsuit season, the food gods are laughing their asses off by throwing us a curveball with National Burger Day on May 28. Lauren Drewes Daniels Sky Rocket Burger Deep Ellum, Frisco and North Dallas Sky Rocket smells like the burger joint your par- ents took you to when you were young. A well- seasoned grill, quick service, nothing fancy in terms of the space (no green Instagram wall) and a decent price. But, man, those burgers. They’re spectacular. Get a single patty, with cheese, add jalapeños and ranch. Maybe bacon. Town Hearth 1617 Market Center Blvd. (Design District) For some the $136 “Bistecca,” a short loin por- ter dressed in arugula and olive oil, might not be an option. That’s fine. While this place oozes all that is right and wrong and Dallas, for better or worse, saddle up to the bar, underneath a vintage Ducati motorcycle — one of many un- usual design touches in the restaurant — and order their Tillamook Cheeseburger and a highball, a drink developed in Japan composed of chilled Jim Beam Black, soda water and a touch of orange. Be sure to add bacon to your burger. Then shimmer in the grandeur of it all. Before you leave, be sure to hit the bathroom; it’s one of the best in the city. A burger and a bathroom. Roy G’s 4001 Cedar Springs Road Roy G’s isn’t just for drinks and laughs on the patio. Try the Roy-Al with cheese made with two patties pressed within an inch of their lives on the grill, topped with American cheese, grilled onions, shredded lettuce and a secret G-sauce on a buttery-toasted fluffy sesame seed bun. Ozona Bar & Grill 4615 Greenville Ave. (SMU) Most Dallasites will agree that Ozona has one of the best patios in the area, but did you know they also have a fantastic burger? For whatever reason, it doesn’t get the media attention we think it deserves. It’s a full half-pound patty with a nice bun-to-meat ratio. The jalapeño cheddar bun is the way to go; it’s not spicy at all but gives the bun a subtle flavor. If you’re really hun- gry, you can get the Ozona Burger, which has double meat and double cheese. Blues Burgers 1820 W. Mockingbird Lane (Love Field) Located near Love Field, Blue’s Burgers is a per- The Town Hearth Tillamook cheeseburger. fect place to stop in on your way to the airport. If you’re craving a burger that is nothing short of sinful, check out the Double Wide: premium An- gus beef, Boar’s Head all-beef bologna, bacon, fried egg, pickles, lettuce, red onion, tomatoes and mustard on a locally baked bun. The bolo- gna adds some peppery spice while the egg gives you a creamy richness. Even with all these toppings, the star of the burger is the meat. It is expertly caramelized for that melt-in-your- mouth flavor. And be sure to get the onion rings. Burger Schmurger Pop-ups, follow on Facebook It was Dave Culwell’s daughter who talked him into monetizing his backyard grilling skills, and to her, we are forever thankful. These L.A.-style burgers are an 80/20 mix smashed into thin, wide patties on the griddle, topped with thick cheese that quickly melts. The buns are buttered and grilled, then the entire thing is topped off with Culwell’s house-brined pickles and onions. Haystack Burgers & Barley Various Locations Because we’re in Texas and we inherently love all things “chicken fried,” the chicken-fried burger at Haystack should be a rite of passage for all Texans (or anyone who aspires to be a Texan). It’s just like it sounds; a seasoned beef patty sealed inside a wall of flaky chicken-fried batter and topped with a jalapeño-bacon cream gravy. The burger to batter ratio is ideal and the gravy has a nice kick, but not too spicy. Loro 1812 N. Haskell Ave. (East Dallas) When barbecue master Aaron Franklin and chef Tyson Cole opened their Asian Smoke- house in East Dallas, we never imagined we would see a burger on the menu, much less or- der it. But they offered it, we ordered it, and we love it. The Loro burger is a ground beef equiv- alent of a smash burger, nicely seared on the outside and slightly pink on the inside, topped with a mound of chopped brisket, Muenster cheese, lettuce, chili aioli and a brisket jam that is way more brisket than jam. The combination of flavors is unique and different from any other burger you’ll find in the area. It falls apart on you about half way through; just let it hap- pen and stuff it in. No one said National Burger Day would be delicate. Rodeo Goat Various Locations It seems that Rodeo Goat has popped up every- where in North Texas. There are four locations with two more opening soon. Our favorite burger has a different name at each of the cur- rent locations. In Dallas, it’s the Mike Rawlings burger, which has Irish whiskey cheddar, can- died bacon, blackberry compote, shredded let- tuce and whole grain mustard. Other locations refer to it as the Whiskey, H.L. Hunt or the Ray Hubbard burger. Zoli’s NY Pizza 14910 Midway Road (Addison) While Zoli’s is best known for their thin-crust, New York-style pizzas, their burgers should not be overlooked. The Gigante burger looks like a mouthful and is probably not for the faint of heart. But we believe in you. Double patties, American and cheddar cheese, horseradish pickles, homemade soppressata marmalade, Zoli sauce and a slab of fried mozzarella, be- cause why not? Kenny’s Burger Joint Various Locations There is nothing better than a hickory-grilled burger cooked over an open flame. That is what you’ll find at Kenny’s Burger Joint in Plano and Frisco. Each burger is a half-pound patty cooked to order. There are many topping options on the regular menu, plus a burger of the month. We enjoy the Smokehouse BBQ burger, which adds a mound of brisket, bacon, cheddar, BBQ sauce, jalapeños, onions, pickles and mustard and will satisfy any good carnivore. Del’s Charcoal Burgers 110 S. McKinney St. (Richardson) If you’re looking for a delicious, no-frills flame- grilled burger from a place that has been around for 65 years and still offers prices that feel like 65 years ago, then Del’s Charcoal Burgers is the place to go. Burgers are between $4.45 and $5.85 (double meat) and a combo with fries and a drink will run you no more than $9. ▼ FIRST LOOK LET’S GO BOWLING lar fast-food chain Chipotle, Mango Leaf Foodies Hub hopes to use the same method with classic Indian comfort foods. Mango Leaf Foodies Hub is in its soft- A launch phase but hopes to hold a grand opening sometime in mid-June. “We wanted to make sure we have the right quality of food before we open,” owner Kamalakannan Sivanandam said. His goal with this restaurant is to introduce a food concept to Dallas that’s not only unique but fully customizable as well. The create-your-own bowl concept begins with a bed of either cumin or biryani rice. Layer that with beans: black, kidney >> p14 113 TAKING A CUE FROM CHIPOTLE, MANGO LEAF FOODIES HUB ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO BUILD THEIR OWN BOWL OF INDIAN FLAVORS. BY ANISHA HOLLA new Indian-fusion restaurant in Frisco is putting just about every- thing in a bowl. Based on the popu- dallasobserver.comdallasobserver.com | CONTENTS | UNFAIR PARK | SCHUT |ZE | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | MOVIES | DISH | MUSIC | CLASSIFIED | CLASSIFIED | MUSIC DISH | CULTURE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS DALLAS OBSERVER DALLAS OBSERVER MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2014 MAY 26–JUNE 1, 2022
