Taco Diner - April 21, 2010

This weeks burger quest took us to Preston Center to an unlikely burger spot, Taco Diner. Taco Diner is a Mexico City style taqueria but their menu proclaims that they have a fabulous diner cheeseburger that makes them proud for $7.95 so we decided to try it this week. It was a beautiful day in Dallas so we sat outside on the patio and I ordered the cheeseburger cooked medium with a side of fries. As I waited for the burger, the server brought the table warm chips with two salsas - a creamy green sauce and a warm red sauce. It was weird eating chips and salsa while waiting for a burger but the table enjoyed them while we waited. About ten minutes the following cheeseburger was brought to the table:



The cheeseburger was a combination of gooey cheese between three thin style patties on a slightly toasted hamburger bun. The bun didn't seem like it would hold up to the patties and cheese but taking a bite it was substantial enough to do the job. The patties had been cooked on the flattop and the cheese was melted perfectly on top of each patty. I am not sure why the server asked how I wanted the burger cooked since the patties were too thin to cook any way other than well done. The patties were seasoned with salt and pepper and had a nice crisp from cooking on the flattop. The cheese had a nice flavor and blended well with each bite. I would have liked bacon on the burger but Taco Diner only serves bacon with their breakfast in the morning. The fries aren't traditional diner fries but are extremely good. They are deep fried then tossed in butter and salt to give them a unique flavor and crunch in every bite.


Overall I thought that Taco Diner lived up to its claim of having a good burger. The thin patties were flavorful and the melted cheese worked well in every bite. The bun help up to the large amount of meat and cheese on the burger. If others in your party are craving Mexican food but you aren't, you would be well served to order the Diner Cheeseburger at Taco Diner.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 18, thin bun but it held up well to the burger


Meat - 19, nicely seasoned patties with a nice crunch from the flattop


Appearance - 22, gooey cheese, well cooked patties, nice looking burger


Taste - 20, flavorful patties and cheese, great fries


Overall - 79

Scotty P's Hamburgers - April 14, 2010

Yesterday's burger quest took us to the southwest corner of Preston/Forest to try the burgers at Scotty P's Hamburgers. Scotty P's is a family owned chain that prides itself on six ounce hand formed patties made from 100% ground chuck. Other offerings on the menu include hot dogs, salads, chicken sandwiches, hand breaded chicken strips and for $299 you can get a bottle of Dom Perignon or for a $1 more you can have two burgers and fries added to your bottle of Dom. We walked in the restaurant and they have two queues - one for to-go orders and one for dine in customers. We made our way to the register while listening to very loud top forty music and looked at the menu posted above the registers. You could see into the kitchen where cooks were grilling burgers and frying up fries and onion rings. I placed my order for a bacon cheddar burger cooked medium with grilled onions and mayonnaise with a side of frings (combo of fries and onion rings). I was given my drink cup and a buzzer to let me know when the burger was ready. About seven minutes later the buzzer went off I picked up the following burger:




The patty had grill marks from being cooked over open flame and the bun was nicely toasted. I am not sure what happened to the grilled onions but they were left off the burger. Two thick slices of bacon sat on top of pile of nicely melted grated cheddar cheese and the mayonnaise was slathered on the top bun. Taking a bite I was met with a fluffy bun with a nice crunch from the toasting and I could taste the freshness of the patty and a little touch of smoke from the cooking over fire. The bacon was crispy and well cooked. The patty was cooked to a perfect medium with a little bit of pink still left in the meat. It wasn't the juiciest patty but it had been seasoned well. The onion rings were thick cut rings of large white onions that had a crispy tempura style batter. I am not usually a fan of such large slices of onions but these were flavorful and crispy. The fries were cooked nicely but didn't have much flavor.


Overall I thought that Scotty P's prepared a good burger. Thick fresh patties and hand cut bacon and shredded cheddar cheese made a for nice flavor combination. I would like to try the grilled onions in the future to see what they add to the burger as well as I would like to try the homemade chili on a burger as well. Scotty P's is a nice addition to the restaurant offerings in the Preston/Forest area.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 20, nicely toasted fluffy bun, held up well with every bite


Meat - 20, well seasoned fresh patty, crispy bacon, well cooked burger


Appearance - 19, fresh ingredients, nice grill marks, pink center in patty


Taste - 19, good seasoning on fresh ingredients, bacon had smoky peppery flavor


Overall - 78


Bonus Pic of Frings:

Back Country Bar B Q - March 31, 2010

This week's quest for burgers took us to Back Country Bar B Q at the northeast corner of Park Lane and Greenville Avenue. Back Country has been serving barbecue in Dallas since 1975. I had heard from several people that they serve a good burger so we decided to head over this week to check them out. When you walk in the restaurant, you are greeted by several friendly men behind the counter who ask you to step and place you order for smoked meats, chicken fried steaks or burgers. The burgers come in either a 1/3 pound ($4.55) or 1/2 pound variety ($5.65) with a $0.50 upcharge for cheese. If you want a side and a drink, the combo costs $8.00. I ordered a 1/3 pound cheddar burger with fries but you have a choice of other sides such bas beans, slaw, pea salad, fried okra or onion rings. I went the cafeteria style line, poured my drink and paid for my meal. All of the sandwiches and meat plates are made to order so burgers and fries take a little longer to prepare. I sat down and less than ten minutes later the following burger was brought to my table:




The burger appeared to have been cooked on a grill with nice grill marks under the melting cheddar cheese and the bun was buttered and toasted. French fries were thinner hand cut skin on fries that weren't cooked super crispy but were fresh and hot from the fryer. Taking my first bite, the meat was probably a frozen patty but it had a good flavor from the grill and seasoning put on the patty. The cheddar cheese had a sharp flavor that was present in every bite. The bun had a good contrast of crispy toast and soft insides and help up well to the patty which wasn't the juiciest. I would have liked the ability to add bacon to the cheeseburger but unfortunately it is not an option at Back Country.


Overall, while Back Country serves a no-frills burger since its main focus is smoked meats, it served a nice addition to the numerous choices of burgers in the area. The meat was grilled well and was flavorful. French fries were flavorful and the barbecue sauce made for a nice condiment to dip them in. I would definitely go back to Back Country but it would be a hard choice between the smoked meats or a hamburger.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 21, toasted buttered bun, held up well to the burger, good flavor


Meat - 19, nicely grilled patty, seasoned well, no bacon choice


Appearance - 19, fresh ingredients, cheddar cheese melting well over patty, golden bun


Taste - 19, good smoke flavor and seasoning on the patty, cheddar cheese was sharp


Overall - 78