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

The Second Floor Bistro-Bar - August 25, 2011

Last week's burger quest took our group to the Westin Galleria Hotel to try the burger offering at The Second Floor Bistro-Bar whose kitchen is headed up by Chef J. Chastain and overseen by Scott Gottlich owner of both Second Floor and Bijoux. At lunch Second Floor features a variety of soups, salads, sandwiches and entress such as hand rolled fettuccini, risotto and house made gnocchi. As intriquing as those dishes sounded, we were there were burgers and a few moments after sitting, our server took our drink and lunch orders. I ordered the Second Floor Blue Burger cooked medium which featured blue cheese, pancetta and grilled onions for $14.50. The regular cheeseburger comes with white cheddar, gruyere Swiss or jack cheese. About 10-15 minutes later, the following burger was placed before me:



I didn't expect the side salad to come with the fries but it was a welcome addition to the plate after tasting. The mix of field greens was topped with a flavorful vinagrette and added a healthy foil to the decandent burger. If you wanted some greens with your burger, they would add a different flavor and crunch to this burger. The burger was served simply with a fresh bun topped with a patty topped with a generous portion of blue cheese, pancetta and red wine grilled onions. Taking my first bite, I was overwhelmed with the flavor of the blue cheese but after removing a portion of it, I really enjoyed the burger. The patty was cooked to a perfect medium and and crispy smoky pancetta was offset with the sweet grilled onions. I think that the blue cheese is great in concept but a little bit goes a long way. In the future I would choose the cheddar or the gruyere option. The pancetta was cooked crispy and gave a unique alternative to the typical bacon placed on a burger. It had a nice smoky flavor and melded well with each bite of the patty. The onions were cooked to a very soft texture and picked up the flavors of the red wine that they were cooked in. Next the patty was very juicy and seasoned lightly with salt and pepper. I thought that the patty held up well to the burger. Finally the fries were thin style and cooked crispy. They were seasoned with salt, pepper and a few herbs and were a welcome side dish to the burger.


Overall, I thought that the Second Floor served a really good upscale burger. The patty was cooked perfectly and seasoned to provide a nice flavor in each bite. The blue cheese was tasty but tended to overwhelm the flavors of the pancetta, onions and beef in each bite. Ultimately I think it is difficult to balance all the rich flavors that a blue cheese burger provides. I would definitely order a burger again at Second Floor and look forward to trying the other options such as the Friday night molecular gastronomy drinks and bites.


Ratings (1-25:)


Bun - 20, stood up well to the very juicy burger, nice flavor


Meat - 21, perfectly cooked, pancetta added nice dimension to each bite


Appearance - 21, beautiful presentation, nice contrast between cheese, greens, fries and onions


Taste - 20, blue cheese overpowering at first, great flavor of beef, pancetta and onions


Overall - 82


Bonus Pic of Cheeseburger with Cheddar:

The Coffee House Cafe - August 10, 2011

Last week's burger quest took our group to Jeff Rockow's new gig - Coffe House Cafe at Frankford and Preston in North Dallas. Chef Rockow was formally the head chef at Rex's Seafood Market and is now working at Coffee House. The restaurant is open from 6-4 M-F and 8-4 on weekends and specializes in typical diner food done in Rockow's style. When we entered the restaurant, we were pleasantly greeteed by the hostess and seated at our table. A few moments later our server came to our table and took our drink orders. After bringing my ice tea, I ordered a 8 ounce Akuashi burger cooked medium with bacon, cheddar, grilled onions and mayonnaise. It seemed pricey at over $14 but I was curious to see what Chef Rockow could serve after being a regular at Rex's Seafood Market. About fifteen minutes later, the following burger was brought to the table:

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The whole wheat bun was lightly toasted and red wine sauteed onions were placed on the bottom bun and then topped with the half pound patty. Cheddar cheese was then melted perfectly over the hamburger patty and then the top bun was placed on top of the burger. For some reason neither bacon nor mayonnaise made it on the burger and after I was almost done eating the burger, the server came by and asked how we were doing and said he would bring some mayonnaise. I declined at that point but it was a little disappointing. When I took my first bite of the burger, I was impressed at how juicy the patty was and how the cheese and onions worked really well in the bite. The onions had been sauteed in red wine and were caramelized nicely and were definetly a highlight of the burger. Akuashi beef is a Kobe style beef that is well marbled and while I had never had Akuashi beef before; I had seen it on several menus around town at a high price point. The patty was very juicy, was seasoned well and was cooked to a perfect medium. I would have liked to have had bacon on the burger to add even more richness to the burger but it really wasn't needed. Finally the burgers were served with kettle chips instead of fries. I know it is easier to pour chips out of bag but when serving a burger made from Akuashi beef, you would think that Coffee House Cafe would serve a great side of fries with the burger.


Overall I thought that Coffee House Cafe served a really good upscale style burger. The patty was extremely juicy and cooked perfectly. I was a little disappointed in the service issues but I think with time, they will work out the kinks. This was an upscale burger that can compete with some of the better burgers in town. I will be back to Coffee House Cafe to either get a burger or try some of their other menu offerings.


Ratings (1-25:)


Bun - 19 - nicely toasted bun, prefer a white bun as opposed to wheat bun


Meat - 21, great blend of fat and beef, very flavorful


Appearance - 20, good looking burger, cheddar cheese melted perfectly on top of patty


Taste - 20, great representation of upscale burger, cooked well and tasty grilled onions


Overall - 80

Stratos - August 1, 2011

Last week's burger rave took our intrepid group to Nick Rizo's restaurant Stratos which specializes in Greek food. Greek specialties include gyros, soulvaki, moussaka and spanakopita. When we entered the restaurant, we were greeted by a friendly hostess and seated at a marble topped table near the main bar. Our server took our drink orders and I ordered Max's Greek Burger cooked medium rare which featured sauteed red onions and feta cheese and cost $9.99 on the menu. This isn't my normal choice of burgers but I was interested to taste the speciality burger of the house. About ten minutes later, the following burger was served to me:





The half pound patty was placed on top of a lightly toasted hamburger bun and and few slices of barely caramelized red onion. The patty was then topped with a generous handful of feta cheese and then topped with the buttered top bun. I was a little leery at first at the amount of feta cheese on the burger but taking my first bite I was pleasantly surprised at the earthiness of the feta cheese. The hamburger patty appeared to be a frozen patty which had been cooked over open flame but it was fairly juicy and cooked to a nice medium temperature. The patty was seasoned lightly and worked well in each bite with the cheese. I was slightly disappointed in the amount and doneness of the sauteed onion. I would have expect slightly more caramelization on the onions but instead they were crispy with a slight amount of warmth from cooking. The hamburger bun was a typical Mrs. Baird style bun but it had a nice crunch from being buttered and toasted and it held up well to the patty and feta cheese. Finally the fries were battered and seasoned fries and were cooked to a nice crunch but they were nothing special and were very similar tasting to Arby's curly fries.

Overall, I thought that Stratos served a decent burger. I probably wouldn't order it again as I enjoy the Meat Lovers Gyro much better; however if you aren't an Gyro fan, the burger is a good choice for lunch or dinner. I will be back to Stratos to enjoy their daily drink specials and Greek specialties but for now I won't be ordering another cheeseburger.

Ratings (1-25:)

Bun - 19, nicely toasted; held up well while eating the burger

Meat - 19, cooked well, good flavor, would have liked a non-frozen patty

Appearance - 19, nice contrast of feta cheese, sauteed onions and patty

Taste - 18, decent flavors, cooked well; feta added a different flavor to the burger

Overall - 75

Bonus Pictures of regular cheeseburger and Dancing Cow :)

Company Cafe - July 5, 2011

This week's burger quest took us to Lower Greenville to visit Company Cafe. The menu at Company Cafe features natural fresh items that strive to be organic and healthy. Items on the menu include burgers, ground beef and vegetarian tacos, a gluten-free chicken fried steak, salads and steak frites featuring grass-fed beef. When we entered the restaurant, we were told to sit at any open table and after sitting, our server took our drink and lunch orders. I ordered the Belmont Burger cooked medium with raw cheddar cheese and bacon which cost $12. A few minutes later the following burger was placed in front of me:



The first thing that I noticed was that the burger was served on Texas toast which was a little unexpected but gave the burger an interesting twist. Our server told us that they serve all the burgers on their Challah bread unless we wanted a gluten-free bagel. The lettuce and tomato on the burger was very fresh and made a nice side salad to go along with the sweet potato fries. The thick hand-formed patty was placed on top of the bottom slice of toast and then two slices of bacon were placed on top of the patty. Both meats were then topped with a slice of melted cheddar cheese. Taking a bite of the burger, I really liked the Challah toast and the texture that it added to each bite of the burger. I thought that the patty was very juicy and cooked perfectly but overall the patty really didn't have much flavor. The cheese and bacon complimented the burger well but the grass fed beef could have used a little more seasoning. A little more fat content to the beef might have helped as well. The bacon was two slices that had been applewood smoked and cooked crispy before placing on the burger. Finally the sweet potato fries were cooked perfectly in olive oil and lightly seasoned. Normally I don't order sweet potato fries but I really enjoyed these fries and I have a feeling they work really well in the loaded fries which cover them in melted cheese, bacon, green onions and jalapenos.


Overall I thought that Company Cafe prepared a fresh healthy burger. The Challah toast and fries were my favorite part of the burger but it is nice to know that there is a healthier choice for a burger in Dallas. I look forward to trying the Challah French Toast in the future and will return to Company Cafe in the future to try their other menu items.


Ratings (1-25:)


Bun - 21, loved the Challah bread Texas toast, great flavor


Meat - 18, great bacon, patty needed more seasoning and fat content


Appearance - 19, good looking burger, fresh ingredients


Taste - 18, healthier burger but still juicy, cooked well, fries and vegtables were flavorful


Overall - 76

Top Golf Dallas - June 30, 2011

Last week's burger quest took us to the Dallas location of Top Golf which is located on Park Lane near Abrams Road. The menu at Top Golf features a variety of sandwiches, burgers, pizza, breakfast items including Migas and granola with Greek yogurt, appetizers and a specialty golf themed drinks. After we hit a bucket of balls, we went to the open dining area on the first floor where we seated at a table and our server took our drink orders. Upon returning with my iced tea, I orderd the bacon cheddar burger cooked medium. About ten minutes later the following burger was placed in front of me:




I liked the presentation of the burger and I could smell the aromas from the hamburger patty and bacon. The fries were lightly salted and then topped with chopped herbs. The sesame seed bun was lightly toasted and the thick half pound patty was placed on the bottom bun. Two slices of bacon were placed on top of the patty which was then covered with melted cheddar cheese. The top bun was then slathered with mayonaise and placed on top. I took my first bite and enjoyed the juicy patty that had been seasoned with salt and pepper and the smoky peppery bacon. The melted cheddar added a nice texture and earthiness to each bite of the burger. The bun held up well with each bite of the burger and was light and fluffy and had a good flavor. Finally the fries were hot and crispy and had a great salty flavor with each bite. The chopped herbs really didn't add anything to them but looked nice on top.


Overall I thought that Top Golf served a pretty good burger. The ingredients were good quality and the hamburger was seasoned well. I really enjoyed the flavor of the bacon and the cheddar. It is not a burger that I will crave over and over but it is a great choice after hitting a bucket or two of balls.


Ratings (1-25:)


Bun - 19, lightly toasted, light and fluffy


Meat - 19, nicely seasoned, juicy patty, thick crispy bacon


Appearance - 20, fresh ingredients, cheese melted over bacon and patty


Taste - 19, good flavors, well cooked


Overall - 77