Snuffers (Preston Center) - December 28, 2009

Monday's burger adventure took us to the Preston Center location of Snuffers restaurant to try their burger. Snuffers has been open over 20 years in the Dallas area and specialties include burgers, salads, chicken sandwiches, Snufferitas and cheese fries. We sat upstairs and our waiter quickly came over to take our drink orders which were brought to the table fairly quickly after which we placed our food order. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with mayo and we ordered a large cheese fries for the table. The waiter asked if medium rare was ok for the burger and that is how I ordered it. About ten minutes later the cheese fries and the following burger was placed on the table:




The poppy seed bun was toasted crispy and the bottom bun was lightly coated with mayo. The patty was placed on the bun and cheddar cheese was melted generously over the patty. Crumbled bacon generously coated the cheese. Taking my first bite, I tasted the well seasoned patty that had flavors of salt, pepper and garlic but unfortunately the bun was very chewy almost like it had been left out for a while. The bacon was crispy and tasty and added a great smoky flavor to the burger but I really prefer slices of bacon instead of the crumbles. The patty was juicy and was cooked just past medium rare which was great.


Overall, this was a good burger with well seasoned patty and perfectly melted cheese but with some shortcomings like the chewy bun. I am not sure if a different location would have been better or worse but I definitely would not hesitate to order another cheeseburger at Snuffers.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 16, well toasted but very chewy bun


Meat - 19, good salt, black pepper and garlic taste, well cooked


Appearance - 19, all ingredients melted together nicely, juices running out of patty


Taste - 21, great seasoned burger, very flavorful


Overall - 75

Burger House (Hillcrest) - December 14, 2009

On Monday, we trekked again to Hillcrest Avenue across from the SMU campus to try the burgers prepared by Burger House. Burger House has been open since 1951 and have a reputation of making a great burger and seasoned fries. Parking can be hit or miss in the Snider Plaza are but we were able to get close to the restaurant even at noon. The restaurant was doing a good business at the order window just inside the doors. While you are ordering you can see the meat and onions grilling on the flattop and the smell is wonderful. I ordered a bacon double cheeseburger with mayo and grilled onions and a side of fries and they took my name and I went outside to the patio to enjoy the nice 72 degree day. About five minutes later, they called me name and I brought the following burger out to the table:




The patties were stacked on top of each other with a layer of American cheese between them and on top of the upper patty. Two thin slices of bacon were under a generous mound of diced onions that had been grilled and the bun had been lightly toasted. Taking a bite, the flavors of melted cheese, grilled onions and Jack's secret seasoning were a good combination. The hamburger patties were two thin patties cooked well done when you order and then dusted with seasoning salt before putting on the bun. The bacon was slightly disappointing. It was two very thin slices that had been cooked on the flattop but they didn't get crispy. The fries are some of the best that I have had so far. They are thin shoestring potatoes which are cooked crispy and then dusted in the seasoning salt.


Overall, I thought Burger House made a good burger especially for a fast food style burger. The meat was fresh and tasty but it wasn't an incredibly memorable burger; however, I will visit Burger House again especially for the fries and grilled onions.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 19, lightly toasted bun, good flavor


Meat - 18, fresh meat, seasoned nicely with secret salt blend, bacon was average


Appearance - 20, nice appearance of melted cheese, onions and patty


Taste - 19, great grilled onions, seasoning salt has a good flavor, juicy patty


Overall - 76

Village Burger Bar - December 7, 2009

On a cold Monday outside, we visited the Village Burger Bar off of Lemmon and McKinney Avenue in Dallas to try their cuisine. The Village Burger Bar is a very modern restaurant where you order at the counter but your food is brought to your table and the menu consists of a selection of burgers plus salads and paninis as well. The people behind the counter were very friendly and I placed my order for a Build to Suit burger consisting of bacon, cheddar, grilled onions and mayo with a side of shoestring fries. I was given a number and pointed in the direction of the drink bar where you have a choice of flavored tea, black tea and a variety of soft drinks. We all sat down and about ten minutes, our burgers were brought to the table:



I immediately noticed the bun which was brushed with butter on top and was toasted crispy on the bottom. The onions were thin slices of white onion that appeared to have been barely grilled. There was not much caramelization and crispy bits on them. The patty was fairly thick and juicy. The bacon was thin slices that were crispy and the cheddar was melted on top of the patty. Taking a bite, the bun was crispy on the outside but fluffy on the inside and it held up well to the juicy patty. The patty was seasoned lightly with salt and pepper and the bacon was lightly smoked. The flavor of the cheese neither detracted nor added to the taste of the burger. The french fries were generously seasoned with salt and pepper but they could have been a little crispier. Finally the onions were good but they didn't add much flavor to overall burger.


Overall, I thought Village Burger Bar did a good job on preparing a burger in an upscale location. The ingredients were fresh and the restaurant offers a myriad of options for preparing your burger. I would definately go back to get a burger if I was shopping in Uptown.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 21, fresh bun, nicely buttered and toasted


Meat - 18, nicely seasoned patty, cooked well, juicy, fresh


Appearance - 19, fresh ingredients, well prepared burger


Taste - 18, good burger with fresh ingredients


Overall - 76


Bonus Pic of Turkey Burger with Cranberry:



Bonus Pic of Beef Burger with Grilled Jalapeno's and Sweet Potato Fries:

Park - December 3, 2009

It's been almost a month since I have gone on the quest for the ultimate burger but between a much needed vacation, work and Thanksgiving, we have not been out to try something new. Last night I had dinner at Marc Cassel's restaurant Park which is located east of Central on Henderson Avenue. Park is a very pretty restaurant with interesting menus on both the food and drink side. After we handed over our keys to the friendly valet staff, we entered into Park and were promptly seated by a perky hostess. A few moments later our server offered us a choice of complimentary filtered still or sparkling water and the specials of the night were explained. I ordered the Henderson Honest Burger which is described on the menu as half pound natural beef patty on sesame seed brioche roll. I ordered it medium rare and asked if the kitchen could add bacon. The server was unsure about the bacon but when the burger arrived several slices of bacon were placed on top of the cheese.


The burger arrived with a generous serving of crispy french fries and the burger was skewered with a crown of in-house made horseradish pickles. The bun was fresh looking, was covered in seasame seeds and appeared to be homemade. The half pound patty sat on top of the bottom bun and was covered with two slices of mild cheddar cheese, several slices of bacon and thin sliced of marinated grilled onions. A few minutes later, ketchup, mayo and dijon mustard was also brought to the table. Taking a bite, the patty had been cooked to a perfect medium with a thin layer of pink in the middle and it had been seasoned well. The bacon was thin but crispy and added a smoky flavor to the burger as a whole. The patty could have been slightly juicier but I think they are using leaner cuts of meat ground in house to make them which limits the fat content. Finally the fries were wonderful. They were thin slices of potato that were hot, crispy and seasoned with salt and pepper.


Overall the burger at Park was a very good burger with fresh well seasoned ingredients. It's hard to pick the burger with all the great choices on the menu at Park but you can't go wrong if you need a burger fix.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 18, fresh tasty bun, lots of sesame seeds on top


Meat - 21, fresh ground beef seasoned well and cooked to medium, tasty bacon


Appearance - 19, nice stack of meat cheese and bun served next to crispy fries, cheese could have been melted more


Taste - 21, well seasoned patty, smoky bacon and fresh bun


Overall - 79