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(1 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10)Register to vote. Loading ...
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Angry Dog www.angrydog.com 2726 Commerce Street Dallas, TX 75226 (map)
Dallas! Home of the 2011 NBA champs and “America’s team”, the Dallas Cowboys. Whether you’re a fan or not, Dallas is one happenin’ place (that’s how the kids would say it, right?). I recently was sent there for a work assignment and I have to be honest… I was excited! Dallas is home to some of the top rated burger joints in Texas and the country. Lucky for me, I had a few coworkers who are not just Dallas-ites(?) but also burger lovers! You would be surprised how many of us are out there… Well, I guess if you are reading this then it should be no surprise. Anyway, the number one burger in Dallas, as voted by the people I know who live there is Angry Dog! That is a good enough endorsement for me. My experience at Good Dog in Philadelphia left me with high hopes for yet another (adj) dog themed burger joint.
I rounded up a few coworkers and early on a Tuesday evening, we headed down to the Deep Ellum section of Dallas. On the drive over, they explained to me that Deep Ellum was the happenin’ place to be in Dallas but the trend has since moved on. When we got there, I saw what they meant. There were a lot of empty shops and buildings in what looked like a pretty nice area. There were, however, plenty of people going in to Angry Dog, which is always a good sign.
We walked inside the barn door front and were immediately greeted by what is perhaps the most intimidating waiter I’ve ever seen. He had a long goatee and his rolled up shirt sleeves drew particular attention to scary size of his biceps. He politely greeted us and turned out to be a pleasant dude. This place was packed and, as it turned out, our waiter was the waiter for everyone else too. I became very skeptical about the service we were going to receive. However, I quickly became amazed at the speed that our waiter was going from table to table, refilling drinks, taking orders, and bringing out food. It was really impressive.
We scanned over our menus which had all kinds of Texas style offerings but were here for the “Best in Dallas” Angry Dog burger. It comes with a half pound patty and veggies on the side. I opted to have my onions grilled and added jalapenos, American cheese, and a fried egg (of course). An interesting twist was the option for fries or refried beans included with the burger… I got fries.
Our wait was short and our waiter speedily brought out our drinks and then our burgers without a hitch. Visually, the burger spread was not the most impressive. The bun was a regular white bun and I personally am not a fan of having to separate the burger to put on the veggies. When I opened it up, however, the grilled onions, melted cheese, and fried egg began to get me excited. I quickly assembled mine and took a bite. Mustard! As is a Texas burger tradition, the mustard is leading flavor here. It complemented the beefy patty in both flavor and adding a little juiciness to it as it was a little more well done than I prefer. With the addition of grilled onions and the other veggies, this burger was plenty juicy. .. good. The fries were good too; fresh cut and fried crispy. One of the other Burger Tymers got the refried beans. I sampled them and frankly, I don’t think the beans went that well with the burger but it was an interesting twist.
We rounded out our meal with the desert of the day which was a chocolate cake. It was quite good and a nice way to end stuffing your face with a big burger. Overall, this burger was just plain good. Nothing special, nothing gimmicky. It was a straightforward, classic burger, with so many options you are the only one to blame if you don’t like it. The price was reasonable as well. The burger, fries, and drink came in at just under $10. The best part about this meal was the atmosphere. From the picnic table seating to the house rules of “No foul language” and “Don’t harass single women”, everything about this place was Texas at it’s best. If you are in the Dallas area, you should give Angry Dog a try.
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 10)Register to vote. Loading ...
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Block 7 Wine Co. www.block7wineco.com 720 Shepherd Drive Houston, TX 77007-5353 (map)
Let me discuss lists for a second. Lists are great. They summarize, in simple terms, the information that you should care about, while at the same time, telling you how strongly you should care. I constantly referencing lists to find great burgers to try. In fact, one goal of Burger Tyme is to provide burger lovers a comprehensive list of great burgers, from around the world to try (or not depending on the rating). It was on the list of Best Bugers in Houston 2010 by fellow burger and food critic Allison Cook, where I found the Block 7 Wine Co. burger listed as one of the best. This was great news! It is literally across the street from one of my current favorites, BRC, and less than a mile from where I live. Great! So we rang up a friend who was in town and headed over to sample one of the new “best” burgers in Houston. Block 7 is an unassuming warehouse style building, which is in line with the many other trendy pubs and bars that are popping up along the Washington corridor. We were quickly seated and given some menus. Block 7′s core focus is wine which is evident in the vast wine menu, frequent tasting events , and on-site retail store. The food menu seems to echo this focus with many upscale offerings that would most likely go well with specific wines. I don’t drink, so I don’t know wine… but I do know burgers.
After a brief perusal of the menu we were ready to order. A round of Block 7 burgers was ordered. It includes dry aged beef, gruyere cheese, arugula, smoked bacon relish, homemade “dijonoli”, and all on a specially made bun. It sounded right up my gourmet burger alley. I also opted for a side of tater tots and a Mexican Coke, which is made from cane sugar instead of corn syrup. My wife ordered fries and our friend surprised us all when he ordered rabbit sausage as an appetizer to go with his burger. You’ve got to admire those willing to try new things.
Our wait was not long, roughly ten minutes, until our impressive looking spread of burgers came out. They looked great and were obviously made of the highest quality of ingredients but, sadly, this is where the burger peaked. Upon first bite I was immediately hit by the pungency of all of the ingredients. It was something reminiscent of a feeling of eating too much wasabi combined with sour and smelly cheese. I couldn’t shake this flavor. The patty itself was not much better. Dry aged beef might make a good steak, but ground up and fried it becomes chewy and lacking in juiciness. The one saving aspect of this burger was the bun. It was pillowy and fresh and would have been great were it not housing such a horribly balanced combination of burger ingredients.
But fret not, the tater tots were very good. They were chunky potatoes bound with cheese and breaded with a wonderfully crunchy crust. Imagine deep fried potatoes au gratin. The french fries were equally good, fresh cut and crispy on the outside while still soft in the middle. The rabbit sausage was good as well. I had not had rabbit before and could best compare the flavor to that of seasoned scrambled eggs.
So what did I think? I struggled, probably for the first time in my life, to finish this burger. I was determined to find that special flavor or note that would help me understand what they were try to accomplish. Sadly, the only conclusion that I could come up with is that this mixture of flavors must go great with some types of wine. I don’t know wine… but I do know burgers and by itself this is not a good burger. Was it high quality? Absolutely, but the flavor is just miserable.
Which brings me back to lists… Sometimes lists are useful for guiding us and setting expectations. Unfortunately, sometimes lists can lead you into trying things which you may not like… And that is why I love lists! My wife, my friend, and I had a great time trying and discussing this burger and contrasting it with the other food we ordered. Block 7 does have an extensive menu with many other options that I think could be great and would be willing to return to try. If however, you are wanting a great burger in the specific area, go across the street to BRC (but only on Mondays).
(2 votes, average: 6.50 out of 10)Register to vote. Loading ...
Hut’s Hamburgers hutsfrankandangies.com 807 West 6th Street Austin, TX 78703-5403 (map)
On the road heading to the South by Southwest city of Austin, TX. This great city has approximately one million great places to eat and many of them happen to be burger related. For this capital city’s first Burger Tyme I headed to one of the oldest burger joints in town, Hut’s Hamburgers. Located on the quieter end of 6th street, Hut’s has been around since 1939 and is a landmark of the Austin landscape.I arrived at 11:30am on a Friday with high expectations. I was greeted by a beautiful Huts waitress who also happened to be painted on the wall. She was surrounded by framed accolades that Hut’s has earned over the many years. I made my way around the bar where people were already enjoying their lunch. I was given a seat by the window and began to peruse the extensive burger menu. There are twenty different burger options with nostalgic names like the Fats Domino (jalapenos and New Orleans seasonings), the Big Bopper (mayo, lettuce, and tomato), and the Ritchie Valens (guacamole and chopped tomatoes) burger. As stated on the menu, all burgers are made with fresh, never frozen beef patties that are purchased locally from the Johnny G’s meat market in South Austin. You also have the option to substitute the regular beef patty with bison or real Texas Longhorn. I thought this was an interesting meat choice considering the University of Texas’ (which is also in Austin) mascot is a longhorn. I guess that is one way to show school spirit.
I placed my order for the All American Buddy Holly burger which, as the name would imply, is the traditional configuration with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, mayo, mustard, and american cheese. I opted for the regular beef patty and to add a fried egg since it was an option (and my favorite burger addition). I rounded out the order with a side of fries and a chocolate shake. While waiting I looked at the many photographs on the wall of people eating at Hut’s over the years. After roughly fifteen minutes my burger came out. The burger was splayed open to show the order of contents. Veggies on the bottom, patty and cheese in the middle, and egg on top. I slid everything on top and dug in. The veggies were mainly what I tasted. The shredded ice berg lettuce gave a very neutral overall flavor. While the patty looked perfectly fried and the cheese nicely melted on it, the burger lacked enough seasoning to bring out the beefy flavor of the meat. The bun was nicely toasted but was a generic, plain burger bun similar to the kind you can get at the grocery store. The fries on the side were fresh cut, which is good, but were limp and soggy, which is bad. Additionally, half of the fries were noticeably cooked longer than the rest. What these fries needed was a double frying and someone watching the timer. The milkshake was good but was more of a dessert than a drink to accompany a burger meal. In fairness, it is listed under the dessert section on the menu and not the beverages.
Hut’s Hamburgers has everything the avid Burger Tymer is looking for; history, creativity, and burger cred. Unfortunately I think they have been resting on their laurels for a little too long. From the sloppy presentation to the weak fries, I just was not impressed with what came up to a $9 burger and fry combo. Add in a soft drink or shake and you are in the double digit gourmet burger territory. I did enjoy the wide variety of burger options available to me however the burger lacked any real flavor that would make it memorable or recommendable. Huts was good enough that I would give it another chance to see if this instance was an anomaly but for now I will continue looking for the best burger in Austin.
(4 votes, average: 8.50 out of 10)Register to vote. Loading ...
BRC Gastropub www.brcgastropub.com 519 Shepherd Drive Houston, TX 77007 (map)
“You should try the burger at BRC”. These are the words a coworker said to me that, unbeknown(st) to her, would change Burger Tyme history forever. She then said something that I did not quite understand, “The bacon jam is sooo good.”. Oh-kay. Well, this particular coworker has been around Burger Tyme for years so I trusted her recommendation and set out to do a little research. BRC is a gastropub which is something I’ve never heard of before. I’ve come to learn that a gastropub is not so much of a bar as it is a place that has a wide variety of food items on the menu along with more extensive bar type offerings. So now that that mystery is unraveled, what does the acronym BRC stand for? The answer became glaringly obvious upon our first visit. From the giant red rooster statue on the corner of Shephard Dr. and Blossom St. to the many photos and paintings of roosters which seems to be the driving theme of the interior decor, BRC obviously stands for Big Red…. Chicken… At least, that is how you should refer to it in polite, social situations.
Another bit of information that came in handy was that BRC has a special on Mondays where the burger and fries are only $6.50. Done. Say no more. I set my Burger Tyme targets, recruited some friends, and waited… Waited for Monday. Monday finally came and to BRC we went. When we arrived and made our way inside, I was surprised by how nice this place was. It was a little more trendy and upscale than I expected. I think the pictures of chickens everywhere gave this place some much needed farm yard humility. We were given our menus and began to peruse.
There is only one burger on the menu. The BRC Pub Burger. That’s it. There is not eight different burgers all marginally different with unexplainable pricing. Just one burger, one price, with the caption “BRC will be happy to try to customize the burger upon your request.”. Well, let’s see, it comes with a 100% White Hereford beef patty ground on-site daily, marinated tomato, aged cheddar, maple bacon, and something called “really nice” sauce. No need for customization here. This sounds amazing! I placed my order for the Pub Burger Special and added a Peanut-Chocolate Chip Cookie milkshake to round out this burger indulgence.
While we waited we fell under the spell of the laid back atmosphere and were in no hurry. This place is designed for enjoying company and conversations. It is dimly lit, comfortable and a little loud. After a reasonable wait my milkshake was brought to the table and yikes. This thing was huge and in what, unfortunately, looked like something a girl at spring break would drink out of. I embarrassingly admitted to the people at the table next to us that it was for my wife. For what it is worth, the milkshake was tasty. It had a nice texture with the peanut-chocolate chip cookie bits slightly blended through the shake. The burgers now made their entrance. On a plate sat an amazing looking burger and a mini fry basket full of fries. Wow! This looked much better than $6.50 burger special I imagined in my head. I picked the burger up and the first thing I noticed was how soft the bun was. It was toasted and molded wonderfully around the contents inside which helped to keep the burger together while I ate. The first bite had it all. The patty was seasoned well, and moist but not juicy. The perfectly melted cheddar cheese added plenty of creaminess to the patty. I am not typically a fan of bacon on burgers however this mapley sweet, thick cut bacon was terrific! The marinated tomato didn’t taste like anything other than a tomato but the flavor was somehow more intense. This was a straightforward, traditional style burger that is perfectly executed! The fries were great too! Hand cut, thin, and twice fried. French fry perfection!
All the words I know can’t express how much I enjoyed this burger. It was so good that I returned the following four Mondays after my initial visit. Each time it remained the same. $6.50, great burger, great fries.I did opt for the canned coke instead of the giant, girl glass milk shake on these subsequent visits. Per the initial recommendation, we ordered the Bacon Cheddar Biscuit appetizer which includes the “Bacon Jam”. It was awesome! Imagine jam… then add bacon. Brilliant!
A few chinks did, however, appear in BRC’s brightly feathered armor. The waiters were usually very nice, but the host, hostesses, and bartender can be less than friendly at times. There is definitely an air at BRC that dining there is your pleasure and not theirs.
For $6.50 this is the best burger deal in Houston on Mondays. On any other night the Pub Burger is $8.50 and fries are additional $3, the cheapest drink other than water is a $2 canned soft drink (no refills), add in tax and tip and you’ve suddenly got a good but pricey burger at a place that is not really happy you are dining there. For now, that is a price I’m willing to pay but only on Mondays.
(4 votes, average: 5.25 out of 10)Register to vote. Loading ...
The Burger Palace http://www.burgerpalacehouston.com 2800 Sage Road #1100 Houston, TX 77056 (map)
Thanks to a certain “Group Coupon” website, I obtained a coupon to a burger place in Houston that I had not heard of, The Burger Palace. For $7 I could enjoy $15 of all The Burger Palace had to offer. A quick glance at the menu online would show you that $15 is just enough to enjoy a full burger meal (burger, fries, and drink). So on a quiet Friday night, my Burger Wyfe and I made our way to the premier shopping destination in Houston, the Galleria. In the back corner of a strip mall caddy corner to the Galleria itself, The Burger Palace has set up shop. This was about 7:30pm and I expected there to be lots of people enjoying some gourmet burgers before continuing on with there evening, but when we walked in, we found the place rather empty. We were told we could sit any where we like by our polite but melancholy hostess/waitress. We took a seat and began looking over the menu. They proudly serve “100% Akaushi Beef” which is “Rated Higher Than Prime”. Given the average $10 cost for a burger this seemed like a decent deal for kobe style beef. There was a small selection of vastly different burger options including burgers with grilled pineapple, tahini (sesame) sauce, or mushrooms and parmesan cheese. While deciding on what to order I glanced around at the decor, which had a very upscale, modern feel to it. Being that we were the only other couple not already eating, the waitress was patiently waiting for our cue that we were ready to place our order.
I settled in on the “American Classic” which included white cheddar and a secret sauce. Of course, I asked for the addition of a fried egg to round out my favorite burger configuration. My wyfe placed a similar order, minus the egg. She had also found a deal that if you mention Yelp to the waitress, you will get a free milkshake. Feeling obliged to mention this deal we both got complementary chocolate milkshakes. We then opted for an order of the parmesan and rosemary french fries for $5. I was eagerly awaiting the food we ordered and went about watching the burger chef go to work. After waiting for about ten minutes, our shakes arrived. The first sip proved disappointing. The shakes were icy, runny, and the chocolate flavor was very obviously of the Hershey syrup variety. They basically lacked the ice creaminess one looks for in a milkshake. For free, however, I won’t complain.
A few minutes later the burgers and fries made their way to our table. The presentation was interesting. Each burger had a curl of pickle on top and a small spring mix salad on the corner of the plate. It was a nice healthy gesture to suggest I have a salad but it’s Burger Tyme! This burger was a two-hander. I hefted it up and took a bite. The bun was soft but untoasted, a Burger Tyme no-no. The patty was beefy and juicy, as promised, but lacked any notable seasoning. The veggies, which included what they called “butter lettuce”, a slice of tomato and a couple of rings of raw onion, struggled to stand out against the plain flavor of beef . The aged white cheddar needed to be a bit more pungent as there was only slight hint of cheese flavor. The egg did a fine job of adding the buttery, cholesterolly goodness I was hoping for. The parmesan rosemary fries were tasty and crispy but there was no rosemary or parmesan on them. In fact they seemed to be frozen cajun, seasoned fries. For $5 this was a disappointment.
Let’s sum up. 2 burgers X $10 + add egg $2 + 2 milkshakes X Free + Cajun Season… I Mean Rosemary Parmesan Fries $5 – Group Coupon $15 = a burger bargain of $12 for two people. That’s great right? Not so fast. The coupon was not free and had we not known about the free shakes, they would have been $4 each.For the average diner a burger, fries, and shake will easily set you back $20 after tax and tip. Ouch! Price aside, how does The Burger Palace shake out? Not good I’m afraid. The burgers have the pedigree and appearance of a good gourmet burger but are bland and wholly uninspired beyond the description on the menu. The fries cost way too much for not being fresh cut and the milkshakes seem like an afterthought. Everything that The Burger Palace has attempted falls sadly short of what they are trying to acheive. My recommendation for those seeking creative, inspired gourmet burgers in Houston would be to drive the extra eight miles down Westheimer to Burger Guys.
