As I set out the other day in a quest to finish a long list of errands that have been piling up since last year (as they seem to do every year) I didn’t really make any plans for lunch that day. I knew that I would be pressed for time and figured that I would just stop at whatever place seemed like it might have something edible; little did I know I was about to stumble upon Dallas’s greatest burger house!

I’m completely smitten!

In a well willed effort to make it through one of my lists (I think I have around 200 of them) I rushed out the door that morning without taking time to eat breakfast. I was finally starting to make a small dent in what seemed like a titanic sized list of errands when the hunger from within forced me to my knees (similar to that of a professional wrestler).

As luck would have it I was forced off the road at the corner of 75 and Campbell to finish off one quick list item. As I pulled into the shopping center my stomach growled and I knew this would be the last errand I could complete before my stomach began to eat me from the inside out. I started to seek out a parking spot when I noticed a big white banner that read “Grand Opening!” and much to my surprise it was a new Twisted Root!

“How lucky was that?” I thought. I can grab something to eat and possibly knock out another burger review at the same time (I remember hearing from a friend who lived down town that I really needed to check Twisted Root out if I wanted to find the best burger in Dallas). The only problem with that is I live about an hour north of downtown and it’s a pain to trek all the way down there during a lunch hour. But this new one happens to only be 30 minutes from my house.

Little did I know that I was about to enter the greatest burger house ever created by man. Twisted Root is everything I think a true burger house should represent. It will be the gold standard to which all other burger serving establishments will be judged!

I am so in love with this place I don’t know where to start. When you walk in you immediately realize the owner’s sense of humor as they have written things like “Get your butt in here” written all over the walls. In addition to that, instead of handing you a number when you place your order, they hand you a little piece of paper with a name on it. Mine happened to be “Mr. Tambourine Man”; others included the likes of Bruce Wayne, Mr. Anderson, Homer Simpson and so on. It definitely gives the place a fun and friendly atmosphere.

The atmosphere however, is not the only thing that makes a great burger house, a great burger house. They have to have a burger menu that puts all others to shame. Twisted Root happens to have just that. Their menu contains burgers ranging from the normal hamburger and cheddar burger to the wildly exotic burgers such as Elk, Venison and Ostrich and the burger of my choice that fateful afternoon; The “REAL Buffalo Burger”. They even have a black bean burger (pictured below) for the vegetarian in your life or a Turkey Burger for those keeping to their New Year’s resolutions. My wife opted for the Black Bean Burger (for a healthier choice) which she said was equally as good.

Every burger is handmade to perfection. My real buffalo burger came perfectly cooked with all the toppings one would expect to find on a great burger. What I really love about this joint is they make everything from scratch, from the barbeque sauce to the ice cream to the root beer; it has all been made by hand.

When I took my first bite I damn near fell out of my chair it was so good. The real buffalo meat combined in perfect harmony with the fresh barbeque sauce and veggies to create the best burger I have ever tasted! So good in fact that this will be the burger I order when I’m on death row enjoying my last meal (not saying that I’m going to be on death row, but you know, if I was going to be, that would be what I would order). As if the great atmosphere, and awesome burger weren’t enough on their own, they also decided to switch up the way they do chips and fries. Instead of getting the traditional chip fair I opted for their sweet potato chips. They were perfect! Sweet and crispy with a great flavor structure to them.

I know this post is getting way long but I couldn’t really help it (like I said. “I’m Smitten”). In my final words I will say this, if it wasn’t for the fact that this place only exists 30 minutes to an hour from my house I would eat there damn near every day (No joke). So the only request I have is for Twisted Root to hurry it’s ass up to North Dallas because I’m getting hungry!

Well the other week I started my hunt for the greatest gourmet burgers in the Big D. My first trip to Chip’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers yielded good results so my hopes were high as I visited the second stop on my list, Jakes Old Fashioned Hamburgers.

My first impression of Jakes was a good one. It is a family restaurant with table service and two bar areas with large Plasma screen TVs. I must admit though, I don’t count this as 100% burger house. Anywhere you have a waiter or waitress isn’t really a true “burger house” in my point of view. However, despite this fact the best part of this joint is definitely the burgers!

When I sat down and started to go over the menu I was overwhelmed with the variety of burger choices. They even had a burger of the month; which is a burger creation that isn’t on the list of already great choices! Wanting to judge based on consistency I again opted for the Mushroom Swiss Burger. When it arrived I couldn’t help but notice that the burger had been cooked with the mushrooms stuffed in between two patties with a generous helping of cheese! The poppy seed bun was not too thick and allowed for the greasy tastiness of the mushroom stuffed burger patties to fully envelop my taste buds! The burger was cooked similar to that of Chuck’s however, this one was not dried out, which is probably due to the result of being cooked with cheese and mushrooms stuffed inside. I again like the way the burger was stacked with shredded lettuce as I think that this allows for the full flavor of the burger to shine though. This burger is by far one of the best burgers I have had in a long time!

So if you’re in the Dallas area any time soon definitely make time to stop at Jakes Old Fashioned Hamburgers as it’s one of the better burger houses in Dallas!

This last week I had a little extra time on my hands and was relaxing out by the pool when I smelled the “oh so” familiar smell of burgers cooking on the grill (I immediately started to salivate). That got me thinking… I couldn’t remember the last time I had a really good burger. “This cannot be!” I thought to myself. I guess I have grown envious of the west coast and their superior burger culture. Maybe, it’s because of websites like AHT where each day you are drawn to read more and more about all the great burgers in California. What about Dallas?? So I decided that I was going to take quest to find the most gourmet and delicious burgers in the Big D!

What’s gourmet about a burger you ask? Well it depends on how you look at it…

Some look at it as a simple to make meal that doesn’t take much cooking skill to prepare. (Those individuals have never experienced a truly delicious gourmet burger). I weep for them. I however, look at it as a meal which is actually really difficult to master… and to me many have tried and failed miserably!

I decided to make my first stop at one of Dallas’ well known burger haunts Chips Old Fashioned Hamburgers.

When arriving at Chips you immediately get the old fashioned burger house feel. From the décor to the preparation of the burger everything is representative of the burger days of old.

I ordered the Mushroom Swiss Burger while my wife decided upon a more traditional Cheese Burger. While the patty I believe was lacking in thickness (sometimes you just want a thick juicy burger) which surprised me a little and a little dry (can’t really expect more from a burger that thin), however, they more then made up for it with the stacking of mushrooms – cooked to perfection, cheese, mustard and all the toppings. These burgers are stacked perfectly on top of a poppy seed bun which I thought was a nice touch (so long as you don’t need to pass a drug test any time soon). What I liked most about this burger was its balance. There was just the right amount of mustard, onion, lettuce, tomato, mushrooms and cheese. While it wasn’t the best burger I’ve ever tasted in my life it was definitely worth the trip. The burger was large enough to leave me feeling satisfied; their fries however, are another story.

I know that this is a burger hunt and that fries really aren’t that relevant to the topic but maybe they are? I think the two go hand in hand and I would probably not have mentioned them but they were the lamest fries I have ever had (Akin to my elementary school lunch line days). While yes they were thick and crispy they lacked seasoning. They had nothing done to change them up and while many may argue that this was the way they were meant to be, I personally feel that there should be something done to create a memorable fry.

My burger hunt has begun and I must admit, if it gets any better then this I’m in for a tasty food quest!