What’s special about this burger you ask?

You’ll just have to read more to find out.

I was so impressed with the buffalo burger I tried at Twisted Root the other week that when opportunity knocked I had to answer. The opportunity this week happened to be me finding some buffalo meat at Market Street yesterday as I was picking up some last minute groceries.

One of my favorite things about buffalo meat is that it is an extremely lean meat. This means you can add all kinds of not so healthy stuff to it to make it even more delicious and you won’t feel as guilty as you would had if you had done this to a regular burger patty.

So what makes this buffalo burger special besides the buffalo…

It has been stuffed with mozzarella and slathered with pesto! This combination is a one- two punch that will knock your taste buds right out of your mouth! I loved this burger. The melt in your mouth cheese makes this burger unexpectedly savory. Another great point (especially for those who love a little heat down here in the south) is the fact that you could put a couple of sliced jalapenos inside as well to give that unexpected punch a kick to go with it!

Mozzarella & Pesto Stuffed Buffalo Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean buffalo meat
• 4 oz of mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon McCormicks hamburger seasoning (I know it’s a cheat but it’s so darn good)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 4 tablespoons of pesto (store bought is okay)
• Desired burger veggie toppings

Directions:

1. Combine the meat, seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and olive oil in a bowl. Using your hands combine the ingredients thoroughly.
2. Separate the meat into four flat patties. Roll the mozzarella cheese into small balls and place in the center of the patty.
3. Use a cupping motion to fully incase the mozzarella in the patty. Round and flatten into a normal looking patty. Make sure no mozzarella cheese is exposed.
4. Cook on the grill until desired doneness is achieved. Place 1 tablespoon of pesto sauce on top of your burger; then top with desired veggies.

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!