14 July 6-12, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents contents onto the plate, but we weren’t com- plaining. It was a very good burger, above av- erage but not stupendous. Next, we tried some chicken wings, boneless this time, with lemon pepper sauce. Six pieces will set you back $5.70, which if nothing else is a very precise figure. You can get anywhere from six to 50 pieces, boneless or boned (as God intended), and in a variety of typical sauces such as mango ha- banero, Buffalo and garlic Parmesan. They were fine but could have used a little more lemon pepper flavor. Sandwiches include a Philly cheese steak, grilled chicken, turkey sub, BLT and chicken fried steak sandwich, all under $9. So, was it worth the trip? If you live any- where near Mesquite, Burger Max is a no- brainer for value and flavor. If you’re in Lewisville or Irving, however, it’s a toss-up. Maybe make an outing of it. There’s a Half Price Books store nearby, too. 1100 Town East Blvd., No. 104, Mesquite. Daily, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. ▼ FIRST LOOK SLUTTIN’ IT UP WE TRY SLUTTY VEGAN’S PROMISCUOUSLY-NAMED FARE. BY ANISHA HOLLA T o say that this new vegan place in Deep Ellum has character would be an understatement. The chain, rooted in Atlanta, is attempting to revolu- tionize the burger industry with its all-vegan ingredients: meats, cheeses and breads in- cluded. The Dallas location marks its first expansion into Texas, and we think it’s worth a visit — if not to get a bite of the food, at least to get a taste of its personality. For starters, employees let out a cheer ev- ery time a new “slut” (customer) walks through the door. If you come in well- dressed, it’s an even rowdier chant. An almost obnoxiously loud bell at the back signals the arrival of a new order of food. And it’s even more fun to hear when your order is called from the bucket-shaped microphones at the front. The high energy, good smells and hip decor are enough to form a line out the door. The burgers are not too shabby either. Mildly promiscuous names like the One Night Stand and the Fussy Hussy draw an al- most aching curiosity as to what’s inside of them. To be honest, we’re not completely sure either: The menu doesn’t exactly do a great job of spelling out each burger’s ingre- dients. We just know it’s all vegan. And, from what we tried, it’s tasty. The chain’s most popular burger, the One Night Stand, is a hit. The vegan burger patty shreds to the bite and is shockingly close in texture to a red-meat patty. The smoked “meat” flavor is complemented by a signa- ture Slutty Sauce, a tangy dressing that messily oozes out of the burger when chomped. The vegan cheese layer at the bot- tom soaks up extra burger “grease” pretty nicely. Caramelized onions leave a sweet fin- ish on the tongue. Vegan bacon strips, let- tuce and tomato are also packed tightly inside the two plant-based Hawaiian rolls. Each of the burger’s seven layers seems to have its own purpose. It’s not just burgers; the entire menu is slutty. Try the Hollywood Hooker, a plant- based steak over a vegan hoagie bun. It comes drenched in a messy, vegan nacho cheese along with ketchup and mayonnaise. The Big Dawg is a plant-based bratwurst stuffed into a pretzel hot dog bun. A limited- time dish called the Hooker Fries comes topped with shredded vegan steak and a dousing of Slutty Sauce. One order gets you a loud ring on the bell. Two orders yield an energetic shout-out at the register. As for three…well, we didn’t stay long enough to find out. A Slutty Vegan banana pudding is, as the cup promises, a happy ending. This cool des- sert tastes much like real dairy and is loaded with ripe banana slices and spiced cookies. Other quirks add to the experience here. A Golden Slut Ticket good for one free meal is handed out to one lucky customer each day. Branded shot glasses, T-shirts and other merchandise sit on the display case for loyal customers to purchase. Slutty drinks, Slutty sodas and even Slutty water add to the un- conventional restaurant theme. For now, the chain serves a limited menu and is to-go only. Regardless, the 10 minutes you’ll spend inside waiting for your food is enough to get the full experience here. Loud bells, energetic employees and good food make it a worthwhile trek through Dallas heat. Just cool yourself off with a Slutty wa- ter once you get there. Slutty Vegan, 2707 Main St. (Deep Ellum). Tuesday – Thursday, noon – 9 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, noon – 11 p.m. Hank Vaughn The Maxima burger comes fully loaded. City of Ate from p13 www.dallasobserver.com/signup go to WEEKLY EMAIL D SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY EMAIL LIST for feature stories, movie reviews, calendar picks and more!
