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!