Jack's Chowhound (Food Truck) - September 27, 2011

This week's burger quest took our group to Jack's Chowhound - one of the food trucks that have started making their way around the Dallas/Fort Worth area. When we arrived the truck was parked in front of the Preston Commons office building. The deli inside the building is undergoing renovations so the building management has invited a different food truck to show up each day. Jack's menu features a variety of sandwiches, a hot dog and hand-cut fries. I placed my order at the window for a cheeseburger with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and grilled onion with a side of Cajun fries for $9. There was a large crowd waiting for food so about fifteen minutes later, my number was called and I was given the following burger and fries:




Opening the Styrofoam container, I was met with wonderful smell of beef and fries fresh from the fryer along with a slight scent of pepper from the Cajun seasoning. The hamburger appeared to be a basic quarter-pound preformed patty. The patty appeared very juicy and a nice crust had formed on both sides of the meat. The patty was placed on top of a very lightly toasted hamburger bun which had a thick slather of mayonnaise. A small slice of cheese was melted on top of the patty which was then topped with thick rings of caramelized white onion, fresh tomato and a few leaves of lettuce. The burger was then topped with the top bun. I would have liked to have seen a better quality of bun but the standard picnic style bun did bring me back to days of burgers at the lake after a long day of swimming. Taking a bite, I tasted a patty that was very juicy and cooked to a perfect medium. It had nice beef flavor that was complimented with a little bit of salt and pepper. The cheese slice was a little too small to be prominent in every bite but in the bites that did have cheese, it had a good flavor. I ended up taking off the lettuce and tomato but they were fresh made a good salad. I did enjoy the generous portion of grilled onions. They had a hint of sweetness from the browning but still had the bite of white onion in each bite. Finally, the fries were served very hot and had a great flavor. They were cooked slightly crispy and the Cajun seasoning added a nice bite of heat in each bite.


Overall, I enjoyed the burger offering at Jack's Chowhound. The food truck used good ingredients but I thought it was priced a little high for the style of burger. That being said, I would return to Jack's and order their burger again as well as try their other offerings. I like the idea of food trucks roaming our city and bring home cooked favorites to the public. The pulled pork grilled cheese sounded really good and people in line were raving about the Steak Frites - rare tenderloin sliced thin and served on a bed of garlic Parmesan fries.


Ratings (1-25:)


Bun - 18, standard hamburger bun, lightly toasted but held up well to the juicy burger


Meat - 19, good quality meat, lightly seasoned and cooked to a perfect medium


Appearance - 21, nice presentation of ingredients, good char to burger


Taste - 19, good flavors, great burger to eat outside on a beautiful fall day


Overall - 77


Bonus Pictures of Truck, Menu and Texas Dog:

JC's Burger House Addison - September 22, 2011

This week's burger quest took our group to JC's Burger House in Addison Texas. JC's has locations in Addison, Plano, McKinney, Allen, Frisco and Richardson. The menu features burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads and chicken strips along with tator tots, fries and sweet potato fries. Walking into the restaurant, we passed the dining area featuring two tops and four tops and made our way to the register to place our order. The friendly cashier too my order for a bacon cheddar burger with mayonaise and grilled onions, fries and an iced tea for $10.11. I looked behind the cashier to the open kitchen and noticed a large flat top where burgers where cooking for all the patrons. Ten minutes later my name was called and the following burger was brought to my table:




The burger was simply presented next to a side of fries in a plastic red basket. The half pound patty was placed on top of a buttered bottom bun and then topped with a layer of cheddar cheese then grilled onions, bacon and top buttered bun. Unfortunately the kitchen forgot the mayonaise but taking my first bite, I didn't miss it all. I tasted a very juicy patty that was lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and had a small crust from the being griddled. The grilled onions were very sweet and contrasted nicely with the abundant amount of crispy bacon on top of the cheese and onions. The patty fit nicely on the bottom bun and you could taste the fresh flavor of the fresh ground beef. I was impressed with the nice contrast of beef, bacon, cheese, onions and bun. The only disappointing part of the basket was that the fries really weren't anything special. The thick cut fries were served hot and crispy but they really weren't any different than the standard frozen fries served by many places. I was told the tator tots were very good and next time I will definitely order them.


Overall I thought JC's served a good burger. I am not sure if it is deserving of the best burger awards that it has won but I wouldn't turn down an opportunity of visiting the restaurant again. The burger was fresh tasting with a nice presentation of beef, bacon, cheese, onions and bun. I would have liked to seen a better order of fries but the burger was well prepared and tasty.


Ratings (1-25:)


Bun - 19, nicely toasted buttered bun, held up throughout entire burger eating


Meat - 20, well cooked patty with good seasoning, bacon was abundant and crispy


Appearance - 20, good looking burger, nice contrast of textures and colors


Taste - 20, nicely seasoned burger, good flavors of beef, onion, cheese and bacon


Overall - 79


Bonus pics of Chili and Burger with Tator Tots:

Sevy's Grill - September 6, 2011

This week's burger quest took our group to Sevy's Grill in Preston Center. The last time I was at Sevy's was when Nancy Nichols hosted her SideDish Supper Club featuring seafood from Steve Connolly Seafood out of Boston, Massachusetts. I had been meaning to go back and this week at lunch I had my chance to try their burger offering. Sevy's has been open since 1997 and is owned and operated by Chef Jim Severson and their menu features a variety of steaks, seafood, pastas along with a weekend brunch. After being seated by our server and ordering drinks, I placed my order for The Sevy Burger which was priced at $10 and featured bacon, sharp cheddar cheese and homemade coarse ground mustard. About ten minutes later, the following burger was placed before me:



The burger was served on a salad of lettuce, tomato and pickle along with a side of crispy fries and ketchup and mustard. The burger was simply presented on a lightly toasted bun and topped with melted cheddar cheese, grilled onions and two slices of bacon. Normally I prefer mayonnaise with my burger but I tasted the mustard and put a small layer on the top bun. Taking a bite, I tasted a very juicy burger that had a little bit of smokiness to it. The beef was very fresh tasting and contrasted nicely with the cheese and the sweetness of the grilled onions. The onions had been sliced in large chunks and caramelized to a crispy outside and soft inside. Although they were not listed on the menu, the onions presented a nice flavor in each bite and were a welcome addition. The bacon was cooked crispy but I would have liked to see another piece on top of the burger to add a little more pork to each bite of the burger. Next the bun held up well to each bite of the burger. It was a traditional white bun and did not detract from the flavors of meat and cheese. Finally the fries were shoestring style fries that were lightly salted and served hot and crispy.


Overall I enjoyed the burger offering at Sevy's Grill. It was a well prepared burger in an upscale Park Cities location with a surprisingly low price for the location. I would definitely try the burger again but I could easily be swayed by the blackened red fish poboy or the tenderloin wedge salad.


Ratings (1-25:)


Bun - 19, nicely toasted bun, good flavor


Meat - 20, well prepared patty, well seasoned, crispy bacon


Appearance - 20, pretty mix of onions, melted cheese and beef


Taste - 20, flavorful burger, juicy patty, good onion beef and bacon flavor in each bite


Overall - 79