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(2 votes, average: 6.50 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
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Little Bitty Burger Barn www.littlebittyburgerbarn.com 5503 Pinemont Drive Houston, TX 77092-2619 (map)
In the middle of a busy work week, I got a call from my brother in law telling me he had an expiring coupon to this burger place in northwest Houston. Did I want to go try it with him? Uh… Yeah! I made my way to one of the less savory areas in Houston and pulled up to a shack by some railroad tracks. The parking lot was full and there was already a line out the door. Well that is a good sign that we were in for a special Burger Tyme. I managed to park behind what looked to be an abandoned hardware store within walking distance and walked my way to the “Barn”. We stepped inside and I was surprised by how deceptively big this place is. From the outside it seems like just a small portable building, but inside there were plenty of tables and booths… All full. We got in line and and began perusing the menu board.
Right off the bat, things were looking pretty good for this Itty Bitty Burger Tyme. All burgers were served on a fresh baked bun and could be ordered with either the 1/4 or 1/2 lb patty of fresh, never frozen beef. The price also included your choice of fries, tater tots, or onion rings. So far, this place had the features that I look for and a price that like. It could only be better if they have shakes… THEY DO! Can I add a fried egg?… YES! This is burger heaven. While we were waiting, it is becoming obvious that there are some struggles at the cash register. It was the employees first day and the owner was running back and forth from the kitchen to help her ring customers up. It wasn’t that big of a deal but the aroma of cooking burgers was making my stomach yearn for some little bitty goodness.
Our turn comes up, but there is a problem. Neither the owner nor the new employee are to be found. It’s just a line of potential customers and an empty counter. For about five minutes, we waited at the counter, while they would pop their head out of the kitchen and say it would be just a minute. At this point I’m still OK waiting. The burgers I see coming out of the kitchen look great. Finally the owner steps out and explains that they are very busy and begins to take our order.
I put my order in for a fully loaded 1/4 lb cheese burger with an added fried egg ( of course), tater tots, and a chocolate shake. I was told the shake would come out with my order. My brother in law placed his order and we were fortunate enough to find a seat. While we were in line, the people continued to pile in and the line was always out the door. So, obviously, this place was busy. After waiting 15 minutes to get an order in, we waited some more for our order… And waited… And waited. After about 20 minutes here it came. In the hands of the new employee who had been relegated to bringing food out, were two great looking baskets filled with big burgers, lots of tots, and a shake… No wait, where is my shake. I asked her about the missing item, and she said she would bring it right out. Thinking it would soon turn up, we dug in.
The bun was pillowy soft and very good. While I only ordered the 1/4lb patty, it seemed a little larger and added a very nicely seasoned beefy flavor. It had a nice sear on it and the cheese was perfectly melted. The veggies were so so. The slice of red onion was great but the chopped ice burg lettuce was the let down, albeit the only let down of the very well balanced burger. The addition of the fried egg only vaulted this burger into the greatness stratosphere! The tots were, well, tots. I love tots but I honestly couldn’t tell you a tot I’ve had is any different than any place else, like I could with fries. I’m sure they are frozen and all come out of the same factory in the north east, but I still love them.
The shake was… was… still not there. I was halfway through the burger. I approached the counter to ask for it and was told by the owner it was coming out soon. I grabbed a cup of water to at least have something to wash this down with. I managed to finish this entire meal with only a cup of water. While my arteries were happy, my mouth was sad.
Little Bitty Burger Barn has a great, GREAT burger! But this place also has some Little Bitty problems. The wait time is just ridiculous. I understand that they were busy and there was a new employee, but almost 40 minutes from arrival to eating is insane. The owner was somewhat apologetic for the wait and the confusion but never actually apologized. He would only say “We’re really busy”… Yeah, I can tell. I did finally get my shake… As I was walking out the door. Had I had it with the meal I would have probably thought it was pretty good. But while driving home, it seemed like nothing more than half-hearted mixture of soft serve mixed with Hershey’s syrup. Overall, I would go back but not during a week day lunch. The burger was surprisingly good with borderline gourmet quality and the price was spot on. They just need to fix a few of the rush hour kinks. If they can iron this out, I can promise, the rating will go up.
(1 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
Bolsa www.bolsadallas.com 614 W Davis St Dallas, TX 75208 (map)–
Back in Dallas looking for burgers. My search has led me to a friend’s recommendation, Bolsa, which is in an up and coming area of Oak Cliff. He described Bolsa as an “organic” restaurant with a menu that changes daily. I honestly get a little apprehensive when I hear the ‘O’ word but based on the great experience I had with an all organic burger at Roam Artisan Burgers in San Francisco, I was more than willing to give this a try. Early on a Thursday evening, my friend, a co-worker from Guadalajara, and I made our way from North Dallas, where we were staying, to give the daily burger offering a try.
Once we arrived, we pulled up to what was apparently on old mechanics shop. It looked pretty cool. We walked in and almost immediately I was struck by the large number of waiters wearing fedoras. Apparently, there is a lady on the second floor of the building who makes hats and the waiters must have thought it matched well with their thick rimmed glasses and hipster beards. To each their own style,I always say. We took our seats and began to peruse the menu for the day.
To start off I ordered the Pappa Al Pomodoro which was described as a soup made from ‘marfa tomatoes, Texas olive oil & ricotta salata’. The daily burger being offered was the ‘Meyer Ranch Burger’ and included pickled jalapenos, bbq sauce & cole slaw. Sounds great, but, it was $14…. OK….. Well, the burger is the reason I came so I hope it is good. I’ll admit that I like the fact that the burger options are limited to only what is being offered that day. I’ve had cheeseburgers 100 different ways and they all are pretty much the same. I can appreciate someone being willing to show me something unique with a burger. With orders placed, I took in the scene This place was packed, which is always a good sign. While I waited I ate my soup which was quite good, some of the best recipes I’ve had for sure and an interesting start to a Burger Tyme.
After about 15 minutes our burgers arrived, open face, showing me all that I was about to enjoy. I quickly and carefully folded the top bun loaded with a light purple cole slaw and cilantro onto the bottom half displaying barbecue sauce and jalapenos on the patty. I bit in and the combination of the flavors and textures was really great. The patty was not the biggest, juiciest, or the most beefy I’ve ever had, but it was obviously high quality and a great foundational player to the smoky bbq sauce, spicy pickled jalapenos, and the sweet cole slaw. The bun had the lightest of toasting possible but was so fresh I would have hated to toast it. At first was was concerned with the size of the bun, fearing there would be too much bread but when I picked up the burger, the bun gently yielded and formed nicely around everything inside and soaked up the juices without getting soggy. This was a seriously good burger. The fresh chips and the mixed greens salad were nice as well, but I was focused mainly on savoring this burger… probably because I don’t think I could afford a second one.
The ‘O’ word…I generally don’t like to say it however Bolsa has reinforced my understanding that organic + burger = seriously good. Unfortunately I’ve also come to realize the it also equals seriously expensive. The burger alone was $14. Add on to that a drink, tax, and tip and you are pushing $20 for an organic Burger Tyme. I would still eat this burger again. I would just have to wait for a special, dress up occasion… And even then, I don’t think I would look good in a fedora.
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.
(1 votes, average: 8.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
5-8 Club www.5-8club.com
by Burger Tymer Malonear
What do you think of when you hear the words Minneapolis, Minnesota? Cold probably enters the mind as does snow or ice, most likely. As a guy who is moving to Minneapolis, I wanted to go beyond the typical stereotypes of this fine city and find some of the best burgers in the city. Furthermore, good thing truckplease.com gives instant movers quotes to make a hassle free moving experience. Knowing very few natives I had to resort to a few web searches and it quickly became clear to me that Minneapolis is known for a burger phenomenon known as the “Juicy Lucy”. This is the perfect marriage of ground beef and cheese, usually American, but variations on this theme do exist. Departing from tradition, these enterprising Minnesotans don’t put up with the cheese sitting on top of the patty. No, they have found a way to create a core of molten cheese inside every Juicy Lucy burger. Many establishments have their take on this burger but the one we were drawn to was the 5-8 Club near Lake Nokomis. This burger joint/bar is a former speakeasy of the prohibition era. Since that era came to an end they have decided to compete by offering a variety of delicious burgers and sandwiches. They have lasted since the ’20s for a reason.
Finding a table at lunch time wasn’t easy at the cramped location but once we located one the service was fast and friendly. If you are feeling lucky you’ll find that you are also only a few feet away from an older gentleman selling lottery tickets. We cozied up to the table and grabbed the menu, already knowing what I was going to order. The burgers are the main event here but the rest of the menu had some other tempting options, namely a walleye sandwich. But that’s not what this site is about. No exotic toppings for your burger here. Pickles are standard. For onions, you can order them raw or fried (I recommend the latter). All burgers are also cooked to medium well, which definitely isn’t an issue when you have hot cheese waiting for you in the middle to moisten up the burger. This place is also known for their onion rings, but since my wife doesn’t enjoy fried onions I had to settle on the fries. The considerate waitress got our order out in just a few minutes. My first impression of the burger was that it was overflowing with grilled onions – maybe almost too many. After letting my burger cool off (watch out for hot cheese) I took the first bite, which didn’t yield cheese since that’s further in. The patty was definitely fried on a griddle as there was an even crisp on the outside. And don’t misunderstand me, that wasn’t a bad thing. For some reason it worked really well. With subsequent bites I had to alternate what side to bite as the cheese moved around a good bit. The burgers, when served with a basket of fries, also come with traditional cole slaw, which was delicious and creamy. The fries, while not excellent, were still cooked very well with a crispy exterior – no limp fries here.
The great thing about burgers is that you can take something so simple, vary it slightly, and come up with something unique. The 5-8 Club is onto something here that I hope they continue for many years to come. The grilled onions work well atop this bulging beauty of a patty, even if they are a bit messy. The patty itself tends to be a bit dry, but when coupled with the cheese it works well. I have to assume that in their 90+ years of experience they’ve discovered that medium well holds the cheese in best. Overall, I was very happy with our trip to The 5-8 Club, where pretension isn’t in their vocabulary. Having sampled their version of the Juicy Lucy I’m ready to explore other options but will definitely making a return visit to this establishment.
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.
