Updated Ratings Through September 22, 2010

83 – Club Schmitz
83 - Dairy-ette
82 - Angry Dog
82 - Meddlesome Moth
82 – Roasters ‘n Toasters (Now Closed in Dallas)
82 - Ye Ole Butcher Shop
81 - Barley House
81 - Maple and Motor Burger and Beer
81 - Chips
81 - Ozona
81 - Melios Brothers Char Bar
81 - Tramontana
81 - Yourway Burgers
80 - Cisco Grill
80 - Grazing Cow
80 – Riverside Grill
80 - Smashburger
80 - Neighborhood Services Bar and Grille
80 – Wingfields Burgers and Breakfast
79 - Del's Charcoal Burgers
79 – The Burger Girl
79 – Kellers
79 - John's Cafe
79 – Park
79 – Taco Diner
78 – Back Country Bar B Q
78 - Jake's
78 – Scotty P’s Hamburgers
77 – Burger Spot
76 - JG’s
76 - Twisted Root
76 – Burger House
76 – Village Burger Bar
75 - 12 Burgers
75 – Grape
75 – Snuffers
75 - Stephan Pyles
74 – Five Guys Burgers and Fries
74 - Goff's
74 - Lakewood's 1st and 10
73 – Adair’s Saloon
73 - Flying Fish (Preston Center)
72 – Ball’s Hamburgers
72 - Hole in the Wall
72 - Mighty Fine Burgers (Round Rock)
72 - Central 214
72 – Tre Amici
70 - Peggy Sue's BBQ
69 - Kuby's Sausage House
68 – Loon
67 – Gazeebo Burger
66 – Lucky’s Cafe
66 – Pappy’s Old Fashioned Hamburger Company
65 – Dunston’s Steakhouse
65 - Midway Pointe

John's Cafe - September 22, 2010

This week's quest took us to Greenville Avenue just north of Ross Avenue to visit John's Cafe. John's opened its doors originally in 1972 on Greenville Avenue but was forced to move to Plano Road and Miller when its lease wasn't renewed in 2005. In 2007, John's Cafe opened this location at 1733 Greenville Avenue which is near its original location. We entered the long narrow restaurant and I reviewed the menu above the cash register which included eggs and pancakes, gyros, variety of sandwiches, salad bar and blue plate specials such as chicken fried steak and roast beef. I placed my order for a bacon cheeseburger with grilled onions and mayonnaise, a side of fries and a drink which totaled $10.01. I was asked how I wanted my burger cooked and I ordered it medium. I was given my drink and a number and I found a seat in one of the comfortable booths lining each side of the restaurant. About ten minutes later, the following burger was brought to my table:





When the burger arrived, it was dripping juice on the plate and thin slices of grilled onion were peeking out from below the patty. The patty was resting on a golden toasted bun which was topped with the grilled onions which still had a slight crunch and a nice sweetness from being caramelized on the flattop. The thin hamburger patty was topped with three slices of long thin crispy bacon and two slices of gooey American cheese. Taking a bite, I could taste the simple seasoning of salt and pepper on the juicy patty. The patty was cooked slightly more than medium but with a thin style patty, ordering a temperature really doesn't work. The bacon added a nice crunch to each bite and a little bit of smokey flavor to the burger. The cheese was noticeable in each bite but didn't overwhelm or detract from the flavors of the meat. The toasted bun appeared to be a standard hamburger bun but it was fluffy inside and held up well from start to finish of the burger. The french fries were crispy and hot and complimented the burger. They were standard frozen product but tasted good and weren't overcooked.


Overall I thought John's Cafe prepared a very good diner style burger. The burger had a nice amount of juices in each bite and the simple seasoning of salt and pepper was noticed in each bite. If you are in the area and craving a burger, you can't go wrong with the offering at John's Cafe. I will be back in the future to try the breakfast items and an gyro.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 18, standard hamburger bun, toasted golden brown, held up to the end of the burger


Meat - 20, lightly seasoned patty, juicy meat, bacon was crispy and tasty


Appearance - 21, nice looking burger, patty had crispy bits, cheese was melted well over entire burger


Taste - 20, good tasting diner style burger


Overall - 79

Kuby's Sausage House - September 15, 2010

This week's burger quest took us to Snider Plaza to visit Kuby's Sausage House which is a combination meat market and restaurant. We have had good luck in the past with meat market burgers so we were hoping that Kuby's would prepare a great burger. Kuby's was opened in 1961 by Karl Kuby who is still present at the restaurant these days. When we entered the restaurant all the tables were taken so we sat at the counter where we were promptly greeted by our server who took our drink orders. She served me iced tea and I ordered the German style burger cooked medium with cheese and bacon and a side of fries. Total price of the burger and drink was $10.55. About ten minutes later, the following burger was placed in front of me:





When the burger arrived I could smell the herbs used to season the patty which was covered with a nice amount of crusty bits that formed during cooking. The patty was placed on top a fairly thick bun from the Kuby's bakery. A pile of bacon was then placed on top of the patty and the bacon was then covered with two slices of Swiss cheese. The burger was served open-faced with a slice of pickle and a stack of shoestring fries. I put mayonnaise on the top bun and then took a bite of the burger and was overwhelmed with the flavor of Worcestershire sauce. The patty was infused with parsley, chopped onion and a blend of German seasoning and unfortunately was cooked well done. I am not sure if Worcestershire sauce was used during the cooking process or was mixed in with the ground beef but I suspect it was a little of both. The bacon was thick and crispy and the buttery nutty flavor of the Swiss cheese helped to offset the flavor of the Worcestershire sauce. The bun was thicker and denser than the average hamburger bun and was lightly toasted before serving. The bun and the bacon were probably my favorite parts of the burger. The bun had a slightly sweet taste and held up well to each bite of the burger. Finally the fries were cooked crispy and then dusted with a light coating of seasoning.


Overall, I thought Kuby's cooked a unique burger. It was almost as if the restaurant wanted to create a variety of sausage that got turned into a hamburger patty instead. The bun, cheese and bacon were really good but the most important part of the package was not my favorite. The patty could have used a little less seasoning and a little less cooking time. I will back to Kuby's in the future but it will be for Kasseler Rippchen and Potato Pancakes instead of a burger.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 20, thick dense bun with good flavor; held up well to burger


Meat - 15, funky seasonings, overcooked but good quality meat, patty somewhat dry to being cooked well done


Appearance - 19, nice picture of bacon and melted cheese, bits of onion sticking out of patty were nice


Taste - 15, too much Worcestershire sauce, seasonings would have worked better in sausage


Overall - 69

Yourway Burgers - September 3, 2010

Last week's burger adventure took us to Farmers Branch to visit Yourway Burgers whose promises that they make burgers the right way, your way. To differentiate themselves from other burger restaurants, Yourway features a five step process during the ordering process where you choose your meat, bun, cheese, infused toppings (jalapenos, tomatoes, crushed red pepper, onions, bell peppers and mushrooms) and premium toppings such as bacon, avocado, fried egg and chili. To help with the process, each diner is given a menu with check boxes to choose how they want their burger prepared. I chose a half pound beef burger on white sweet sourdough with cheddar cheese and bacon and infused with chopped jalapenos which cost $10.81 with fries and a drink. I paid for my order and was given a buzzer to wait for my order. The drink station is next to the condiment station which includes fresh onions, lettuce, tomatoes and a variety of sauces such as mayonnaise, mustard, honey mustard and bbq sauce. About ten minutes later, my buzzer went off and I picked up the following burger:





The burger was served open face which showed off the grill marks on the patty and the golden toasted bun. You could also see the small pieces of chopped jalapeno peppers infused throughout the patty. A slice of cheddar cheese was melted on top of the patty and two small slices of bacon were placed on top of the cheese. I put the top bun on the burger and took a bite and I tasted a smokey well seasoned patty cooked to a perfect medium rare contrasted by the sweetness of the bun. The jalapenos infused in the patty were not very spicy but were prevalent in every bite. The bacon had a decent flavor but could have used a little more time cooking. It was slightly chewy which works well with scrambled eggs but on a burger, I prefer a little more crunch and thickness. The sweet sourdough bun had a great flavor but was slightly too thick. At times it would overwhelm the flavors of the patty and cheese. I am not sure if the other bun choices were as thick but I really liked the flavor of the sweet sourdough and would order it again. Finally, the shoestring fries were thin long slices of potatoes fried perfectly and topped with garlic parmesan cheese. Other choices for the fries include cajun seasoning or lemon pepper. I liked the parmesan but will be trying the cajun in the future.


Overall I thought Yourway Burgers prepared a really good burger. The meat was fresh and grilled perfectly and I liked the idea of infusing the meat with different ingredients. The bun was very tasty but slightly too thick for the burger. I will definitely be back to try creating a variety of other burger combinations.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 18, great flavor, perfectly toasted, slightly too thick


Meat - 21, well seasoned beef, infused ingredients was a nice touch


Appearance - 21, golden toasted bun, fresh ingredients, great grill marks


Taste - 21, great flavors, sweetness of bun worked well with smokey meat


Overall - 81


Bonus Picture of Sweet Potato Fries: