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