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(1 votes, average: 6.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
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–Twisted Root Burger Co. twistedrootburgerco.com Dallas, TX (locations)–
Back in Dallas for work. This means it is time for yet another sampling of burgers that this great burger town has to offer! By now, most of my coworkers are aware of my affinity towards what science has proven is the optimum combination of both bread and meat, and prepared for my arrival with a list of recommendations. As we headed to the first on the list, my coworker was talking up how good the burgers were going to be. We arrived at our burger destination only to find that the place was closed due to a failed health inspection…. Uh oh…. OK, what’s next on our list? A place called Twisted Root Burger Co. Fortunately there was one nearby so I would be able to satisfy my burger urge without significant delay. While I would have preferred to go to the original Twisted Root location in the Deep Ellum section of Dallas, very near Angry Dog. We were closest to the Legacy drive location in Plano. So that is where we went. When you want a great experience, get some phentermine here for you to try on.
Walking in to Twisted Root, the first thing you notice is the not so subtle sarcasm that seems to permeate the entire place. From the giant, hand-written signs placed everywhere with the help of sodapdf.com to the bizarre 90’s pop culture personalities being listed over the intercom to the tables made out of old computer parts. Click for more – WebDesign499. I was experiencing slight sensory overload from what I thought was going to be a straightforward Burger Tyme. The line was long and that is always promising regardless of any burger environment. This was also fortunate as it allowed me time to thoroughly consider my many options. Something unique at Twisted Root is the option of not one but many different types of wild game meats for your burger including Ostrich, Kangaroo, and Alligator! All subject to availability, of course. Keeping with the tongue in cheek attitude, a sign with a picture of Bambi quoted as saying “I’m delicious” let me know that venison was available.
I wasn’t feeling so adventurous so I ordered one of Twisted Root’s ‘Favorite’ burgers, The Western, with regular beef in lieu of wild game. Twisted Root touts that their beef is a mixture of fresh ground chuck and brisket. This sounds gerat but while placing my order I noticed something that caused a slight bit of distress. In the open kitchen behind the counter a man was mixing the meat, adding seasonings, and then added what appeared to be… bread crumbs. This ingredient is confirmed in an interview that is actually posted on Twisted Root’s website. They claim that the bread crumbs are not there as filler but to retain the meats moisture. I’m not a culinary expert but the only other time I have seen meat and crumbs together is in either meat loaf or meat balls. With a new found skepticism, I finished my order with some straight cut fries and some Twisted Root Beer (Root beer branded Twisted Root). I was handed a card with the name ‘Uncle Jesse’ on it (link for those who don’t know who that is). I was to wait until I heard the name called out to pick up my order. I swung by the homemade pickle bar and picked up a few slices of the different kinds of pickles and then joined my coworkers at a table.
Listening to the various pop references over the speaker was amusing and made the time pass quickly. My name, er, Uncle Jesse, was soon called and I went to pick up my order. The Western included pepperjack cheese, bacon, fried onion strings, and jalapenos, all on a buttered and toasted bun. As I read this list of ingredients I don’t know why I was surprised by how salty the burger was. Everything on it added a savory element with very little to counter it. The patty was beefy but had a very homogeneous texture which gave it more of a chew than I prefer. All of the other toppings became lost both in flavor and texture as I added the house made ketchup to attempt to cut the salt. Another review of the menu would show that many of the burgers had similar toppings but with the addition of either guacamole or mushrooms which I think would have gone a long way in helping this burger out. The fries were good, fresh cut and cooked well. The root beer was my saving grace here. Not amazing, but sweet. I found that a steady regimen of burger/root beer/burger/root beer, was the sweet counter point that got me through the meal.
Did I hate Twisted Root? Absolutely not. While waiting in line I saw many signs telling me I should order a milkshake. I think a creamy, cold, and sugary shaek would have done wonders for this meal. Also, I feel that the original location in Deep Ellum probably has a more genuine vibe than the many locations that now dot the Dallas burgerscape. This is a fun place to go with your friends however this location felt more like a Chili’s or an Applebee’ s than an authentic burger joint. Add to that the price of it all, and you are paying top dollar more for the experience than for a good burger. In a serious burger town like Dallas, that is a dangerous line to be straddling.
(3 votes, average: 9.33 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
www.berniesburgerbus.com
Check website for locations
“Bernie’s is legit”! That is the text I received from a friend about a year ago. This new burger place restaurant thing was happening. You could call it a food truck but its actually a food school bus. If only I was this excited as a kid to see an actual school bus. This is the story, supposedly Houston Rockets player, Shane Battier, had a personal chef. Shane leaves to play for Memphis, the chef stays and starts dishing out gourmet burgers from the back of a school bus…. And everyone was going crazy for it! Is it true? I hope so because I was getting excited too. So how does one track down a moving burger target? You’ve got to be connected dude! Bernie’s is all over social media. Locations and times to find the bus are announced daily on the bird noise website and the book of faces along with supplemental updates and promotions. The bus has also been getting good reviews from some respected friends of Burger Tyme, specifically Alison Cook’s Burger Friday.
A few nights after receiving that initial text, I decided to try it for myself. Now where to go? This particular Friday night, Bernie’s was going to be parked outside of Lizzards Pub, a laid back bar inside a home, inside of a neighborhood. (Disclaimer: Most of these photos are from a Burger Tyme lunch at Bernie’s parked in front of Inversion Coffee House). So I rounded up the Burger Tyme wife, invited a Burger Tyme buddy to come along, and we made our way on this mini-treasure hunt. When we arrived we saw it. There it was. A bus in the parking lot with people lined up placing orders and large brown paper bags being passed passed through the same tiny window. Keeping with the school bus theme, the changing menu is written in chalk on boards hung like shutters on the window. So we got in line, and waited for Burger Tyme to begin.
Home made ketchup, BBQ sauce, and pickles, “tipsy” caramelized onions, fresh ground black angus beef, and burger buns baked daily! Bernie’s definitely leans gourmet. A quick scan of the menu would tell you that every burger combination has been meticulously planned by someone who knows burgers and knows flavors. It did not take long for me to decide on what to order. The Homeroom had my name written all over it. Bacon, Texas cheddar, “tipsy” onions, chipotle aoili, aaaannnnd a fried egg (asked for over medium)! The sides are equally inspiring however I would opt for an order of fresh cut fries. The line slowly shortened in front of us but never seemed to get any shorter behind us. We placed our order through the tiny window, gave our name, and waited at a table on the pub’s porch to hear our name be called over the distorted, cop style loudspeaker.
I don’t know how they all fit, but the four guys I saw inside that bus were whipping out large paper bags full of burgers at an impressive rate… given the circumstance. Our name was called in about 10 minutes. I proceeded to the window and was handed a grocery bag size paper bag. I hurried back to the table, opened the bag, and started divvying up the orders. The burger was much bigger than I expected, like two hands minimum big. This was not the prettiest burger, but man, it looked juicy. Between the patty, the onions, and the fried egg I instinctively reached for a pile of napkins. The first bite was wonderful. Every texture and flavor seemed to complement each other and tricked my senses into singular experience. The patty was perfectly ground, salted, and cooked. The onions added an excellent sweetness to the salty bacon and nutty cheddar, while the spicy creaminess of the aoili and the buttery yolk of the egg kept all flavors in line. Before I knew it the burger was gone. It was that good. The fries were great as well. My single order seemed like two whole potatoes fresh cut, fried to a nice dark golden brown and sprinkled with sea salt They were a wonderful match to the homemade ketchup that had a strong note of worcestershire. So good.
If you can’t tell by now, I loved the bus. Bernie’s combines everything I love about gourmet burgers with everything I love about scavenger hunts with everything I loved about school…. well, maybe not the last one, but if the buses I rode served burgers like this, I would still be in school. I have yet to mention price. I have mentioned the “G” word but don’t let that scare you. Most burgers are around $8 and fries are a mere $2. You can get as fancy as you like. I’ve been to Bernie’s several times, at several locations, and tried several burgers. All were unique and enjoyable. This is gourmet burgers in a non-gourmet setting but Bernie’s arrangements with the places they park their bus makes me wonder why anyone would not have a school bus.
LunchBox Laboratory www.lunchboxlaboratory.com 1253 Thomas Street Seattle, WA 98109 (map)
Back in Washington! It’s been over two years since I’ve been to this beautiful state. En route to majestic Mt. Rainier, I made sure to sample yet another burger in search of the best burger that the pacific northwest can offer. After some scientific research, I was led to the LunchBox Laboratory in Seattle. Rated as the Best Burger in Washington according to the Food Network and one of the 12 best burgers in the nation by Epicurious, the expectations and hype were a little higher than usual. We made our way over to LBL which, coincidentally, is on the same corner as the REI Flagship store. My wife does not believe that this was a coincidence but nevertheless, we were going to head that way anyway before making our way the the mountain. Remembering the last two burgers I had in and around this town, Red Mill and XXX Root Beer, I had high hopes for the Lab.
We arrived on a chilly and overcast Seattle day and found a seat outside. Our waiter came out and rather unenthusiastically took our drink order, giving us time to make sense of the verbose menu. When the time came to take our order, our waiter began complaining about the number of “build your own” burgers our group was ordering. It didn’t seem like he was trying to be funny but maybe I don’t get Seattle humor. Rude service aside, it was now my time to order.
Based on my research and the recommendation of Epicurious, I simply ordered “The Burger of the Gods”. This burger seemed to have it all! Balsamic soaked onions… gorgonzola sauce…. a patty mixture of kobe ribeye and chuck…. mmmm. As an added benefit, this simple order would not burden our waiter further with the custom burger issues he was having. I went with a side of tater tots which LBL proudly admits to having. I love tots so gotta have ’em. My wife’s custom burger was a basic build with lettuce, mayo, and patty but she also added “Million Island Burger Sauce” which is LBLs version of thousand island dressing. She also ordered the sweet potato fries. To top it off, my sister in law opted for chocolate cherry shake made with local Rainier cherries. All in all, it seemed like we had all of the ingredients for a grand experiment.While we waited, we enjoyed the cool weather, the noticeably 90’s Seattle rock music being played over the radio, and talking about our camping plans.
After about ten minutes, out came the fancy burger spread. These burgers definitely appeal to the gourmet, artistic end of the burger spectrum. As I inspected my godly grub, I noticed that the organic (there’s the O word again) kaiser bun had an intense toasting to it. It was not burned but was the color of deeply browned butter and also had an extremely hard texture on the toasted side. I reassembled my burger, hoisted it with both hands and bit in. Angelic visions of sweet balsamic onions and pungent gorgonzola filled my vision! Whether intentional or not, the hard toasted bun gave a very nice contrast in texture to the other, more yielding ingredients. The flavor of the patty was not really at play here. It gave a nice beefy backdrop to the stars of the show. This was a very great tasting burger with very intense flavors. So intense that by the end of the burger, my taste buds were tired. I sampled my wife’s burger and found it similar in texture with much different flavors at play. The “million island” dressing was slightly sweet and seemed to match up much better with the patty and cheddar rather than over powering them with free slots.
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The tater tots were a little disappointing. I hoped that the same level of creativity we were seeing in the burgers would be applied to the sides, similar in effort to the tots at Block 7. The tots were basically the same you can get anywhere. I don’t think these were made in house, but if they were, then I am impressed by the accuracy with which they replicated them. The sweet potato fries were cooked nicely and seasoned with sea salt. I sampled the chocolate cherry shake, and i have to say, it was really good. The fresh cherries were a nice touch to create the classic combination of chocolate covered cherries.
The test results are in. The lab was an interesting and tasty Burger Tyme…. but it was also an experience where you have to pay for the privilege. My “Burger of the Gods” was the cheapest burger option at a steep $13. Sides were and additional three. Add to that beverages and tip and we spent well over $20 a person on this little experiment. While the burgers were good, they were not good enough to justify that steep of a price. I came here expecting to be wowed by creativity and originality but did not find it. The texture was intersting but new burger ground was not being broken here. For example, the signature “Burger of the Gods” was good but was simliar in concept to an over wrought version of the Good Dog burger in Philadelphia.
All in all, the Lab is an experience but if I lived in Seattle, I might go here every now and then for some high quality burgers. However, I’m afraid I would keep searching for the best burger. Until next trip!
(2 votes, average: 6.50 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
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.
