Goodfriend Beer Garden & Burger House - October 24, 2011

This week's burger quest took us to east Dallas to visit Goodfriend Beer Garden & Burger House which is next door to Good 2 Go Taco on Peavy Road. Goodfriend is a neighborhood bar that features a great line up of burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs and appetizers to pair with drinks from their full service bar. After we parked, we noticed a large crowd seated on the large outdoor patio enjoying drinks and watching the beginning of Game 5 of the World Series. Since all the seating was taken, we stepped through the large doors into a very open room with couches and tv on one side, a large bar in the middle and table seating on the other side. Seating was first come first serve so after a short wait, we were able to snag a table. A few moments later, our server came by with water and took our drink orders. The menu featured 10 different burgers ranging from vegetarian options to lamb burgers and five different beef burgers but I decided to go with The Coop burger which came with lettuce, tomato over-easy egg, grilled bacon and brie. All sides are served a la carte so we decided to go with the Pig Pile which is Goodfriend's version of cheese fries. About fifteen minutes later, the following burger was served to me:




The burger was served on a very fluffy lightly toasted bun and I enjoyed the grill smells when it was placed before me. Three crisp slices of bacon were placed on the bottom bun which were then topped by the juicy hand formed patty on which you could see the black pepper that it had been seasoned with while cooking. A thick slice of brie was melted on the patty and the burger was then topped with an over-easy egg. Taking my bite of the burger, I tasted the earthiness of the brie and the grass-fed beef that contrasted nicely with the smokiness and crunch of the bacon. The egg also combined with the brie to give the burger a unique richness and flavor. I am not a big fan of over-easy eggs but it did add a nice touch to the overall burger. The patty was seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked to a perfect medium. The hamburger bun was one of my favorites so far in the burger quest. It was light and fluffy with just enough sponge to hold up well to every bite of the very messy juicy burger. Finally the Pig Pile was good but could have been cooked slightly less. The cheese was cooked just to the point of being crispy but the overall order of cheese fries was still very tasty. My favorite part were the jalapeno peppers. They had been cured in a sweet tangy vinegar that mixed with their heat perfectly. I will have to order some of them on my next burger.


Overall I thought that Goodfriend served a very tasty burger and the atmosphere inside is very welcoming. They are trying to use high quality ingredients to make burgers that reflect a variety of flavor profiles and cultures. I look forward to returning and trying one of the other offerings such as the Fungus Among Us, Pepper Bomb or Loretta burger.


Ratings (1-25:)


Bun - 21, great bun, lightly toasted, sponginess soaked up juices but didn't fall apart


Meat - 20, great bacon, flavorful patty, cooked and seasoned well


Appearance - 20, great looking burger on the plate, fresh ingredients


Taste - 20, very flavorful burger, great contrast of flavors between the components


Overall - 81


Bonus Pictures of Menu and Pig Pile: