Flaming Burger - May 24, 2011

Last week's burger quest took us to East Dallas to visit Flaming Burger which has been open now about six months near the intersection of Garland Road and Jupiter Road. Walking into Flaming Burger you can hear and smell the burgers cooking in the small kitchen behind the register. The restaurant is very open with televisions tuned to ESPN and tables and booths throughout the restaurant. I placed my order at the register for a Bacon Double Cheeseburger with grilled onions, fries and a drink which cost just over $9.00. Other items on the menu included a variety of burgers and chicken sandwiches. After placing my order, I saw the cook put two patties on the flattop and about ten minutes later, my number called and I picked up the following burger:




The presentation of the burger reminded me of Jake's Hamburgers. The poppy seed bun was toasted extra crispy and the bottom bun was lightly coated with mayonnaise and then topped with a cheese covered thin patty and three slices of bacon. The top cheese covered patty was then topped with lightly grilled rings of onion and topped with the crispy poppy seed bun. Taking a bite, I was met with a contrast of the crispy bun which could have used a little less toasting and the juiciness of the patties. The patties were lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and had a few crunchy bits from the flattop. The bacon and onions were both cooked so that they were slightly crunchy and they both added a good flavor to each bite of the burger. Next, the buns were either over cooked or slightly stale but they were a little too chewy and detracted from each bite of the burger. Finally the french fries were thick cut skin-on fries that were cooked crispy. The fries were not fresh-cut but had a good flavor and complimented the burger. Next time, I would probably go for the tator tots but the fries are a good choice as well.


Overall, I thought that Flaming Burger prepared a good thin style patty burger. If I wasn't in that part of Dallas, I would probably head towards Jake's or Dairy-ette first but Flaming Burger will serve you a good burger combo at a good price.


Ratings (1-25:)


Bun - 18, poppy seed bun, chewy, toasted too long


Meat - 19, thin style patties, good seasoning, bacon had good flavor


Appearance - 20, well presented burger, nicely melted cheese, golden color to toasted buns


Taste - 18, good fresh flavor to beef, bun slightly chewy, bacon gave a nice pork flavor to each bite


Overall - 75

Mooyah Burgers and Fries - May 9, 2011

This week's burger quest took us the newest location of Mooyah Burgers and Fries on Northwest Highway just west of Hillcrest Road. Mooyah is a fast casual Dallas based burger chain that serves burgers, fries and shakes. When you enter the restaurant, signs encourage guests to place their order before finding a seat and guests are directed to a counter with pens and menu pads. Options for burgers include a one patty or two patty beef burger, turkey burger or a veggie burger and all burgers are served on a choice of fresh baked white or wheat buns. I ordered a double burger with cheddar cheese, grilled onions, bacon and mayonnaise, a small fry (enough for one according to the menu) and a drink for $11.32. After paying for my order, the cashier called out the number of patties and they were then placed on the flat-top griddle by the cook. I filled my drink cup and about five minutes later, my name and number were called and when I went to the counter to pick up my order, a fry container was dropped into the bag and then filled with fries as I watched. Sitting down at my table, I pulled out an aluminum foil wrapped burger and then opened the following burger:



Two thin slices of bacon were placed on the bottom bun which was then topped with the two patties and two slices of cheese. Diced grilled onions were then placed on the top slice of cheese and a small layer of mayonnaise was smeared on the top bun. Taking a bite, I could taste the fresh beef and the flavor of the fresh baked bun. The patties were lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and were cooked well done. I am not sure you could cook them any other way due to their size. The cheddar cheese had a very mild flavor and complimented the overall flavor of the burger. The bacon on the burger was crispy but the slices were too small to add much flavor to the burger. The onions had been diced before caramelizing and added a slightly crunchy texture and a nice taste to each bite of the burger. Next the bun was probably the highlight of the burger, it was light and fluffy and perfectly proportioned to the burger. Finally the fries at Mooyah are fresh cut every day in house. They are a thicker cut fry and after frying they are dusted with a house blend of salt, pepper, a little sugar and some other spices. I thought they had a good flavor but had a little too much salt for my tastes.


Overall I thought Mooyah Burgers and Fries presented a pretty good fast casual burger. The meat for the patties and the bun were very fresh and had a good flavor in each bite; however, the burger didn't wow me as being a unique burger. While I liked the idea of cooking the patties to order and using a house baked bun, the burger did not stand out to me especially at the price point. If I was with a group of people who wanted to eat at Mooyah, I would gladly tag along and enjoy another burger.


Ratings (1-25:)


Bun - 21, fresh and fluffy, good flavor, held up to a double meat burger


Meat - 18, fresh beef, seasoned well, thin style patties


Appearance - 19, nice contrast of cheese meat and bun


Taste - 18, good beef flavors and representation of fast food style burger


Overall - 76

Screen Door - May 2, 2011

It's been a crazy few months so the Quest for the Ultimate Burger has been put on hold but today we started back and the quest took our group to One Arts Plaza to try the burger offering at Screen Door. Screen Door specializes in a modern take on southern classics and features items on their menu such as gumbo, shrimp and grits, fried catfish, pulled pork sandwiches, meat loaf and southern classics for dessert such as bread pudding and banana creme pie. We arrived at the restaurant and were promptly seated by a friendly hostess. Our server came by a few moments later and brought us menus and asked for our drink orders. After bringing our drinks, he took our lunch orders and I ordered the Angus hamburger cooked medium and added two slices of bacon and a side of house fries. According to the menu, the meat for the burgers is ground fresh daily and all burgers are served with sharp cheddar cheese and caramelized onions. The burger is listed at $11 on the menu and bacon is an additional $2. While we waited for our orders, the server brought us a basket of warm cornbread and brown sugar scones with a side of butter and apple butter. After enjoying a piece of cornbread and a scone, the following burger was brought to the table:





The burger was served on a pain au lait hamburger bun which had been lightly toasted. The hamburger patty was placed on top of the bottom bun and two fairly thick slices of bacon were criss-crossed on top of the patty. The bacon was then covered with cheddar cheese and a good sized stack of caramelized purple onion. A slather of mayonnaise coated the top bun to finish off the burger. Taking a bite, I tasted of combination of smoke and the freshness of the beef flavor of the patty intertwined with the peppery bacon, the tangy cheddar cheese and the sweetness of the onions. The bacon was thick enough that it gave a little chew to every bite of the burger. The onions were soft and sweet and nicely complimented the beefy flavors of the hamburger. The patty was juicy and cooked to a perfect medium with a layer of pink in the middle of the patty. The cheese provided a nutty earthy flavor to each bite of the burger. It was not the typical cheese found on most hamburgers but it worked really well for this burger. The hamburger was light and fluffy but held together throughout the whole burger even after soaking up the juices from the patty. Finally, the French fries were average frozen fries that had been seasoned with a semi-hot spice blend. They were hot and crispy and while they didn't detract from the burger, they weren't my favorite french fries at a burger place.


Overall, the burger at Screen Door was a very good representation of an upscale burger. The fresh ground meat was lightly seasoned to show off the beef flavor, the cheese and bacon were flavorful and worked well on the burger and the onions were caramelized to a perfect softness with a good sweetness in every bite. I would order the burger at Screen Door again but I also want to try the other menu items that I saw being served to other patrons around the restaurant.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 20, light and fluffy, great hamburger bun


Meat - 21, fresh flavors, smokey peppery bacon, cooked perfectly


Appearance - 20, well prepared burger, ingredients nicely stacked on burger


Taste - 21, great flavors of meat, cheese, bacon and onions


Overall - 82

Elevation Burger - January 12, 2011

This week's burger quest took us to Elevation Burger which recently opened at the northwest corner of Hillcrest and Northwest Highway next to PK's Liquor Store. Elevation is a small chain that was founded in Virginia in 2005. Elevation Burger's slogan is "Ingredients Matter" and according to signs all around the restaurant, they focus on ingredients that are organic, sustainable and fresh. We entered the restaurant and noticed a clean, well-lit restaurant with a short line of people waiting to place their order at the register. While we waited, we looked over the menu which featured burgers including both beef, veggie and vegan, salads, shakes featuring Blue Bunny ice cream and side item choices of fresh cut fries cooked in olive oil or mandarin oranges. When it was my turn, I ordered an Elevation Burger which features two patties and real cheddar cheese (according to the menu) with caramelized onions, a side of fries and an ice tea for $11.47. I asked about adding bacon but I was told that there are no organic bacon producers in the US that could supply to the restaurant. I would think that if Chipotle can feature a more humanely raised pork that Elevation could use similar suppliers. Since all burgers are cooked to order, we waited about ten minutes before our name was called and the following burger was brought to the table:




At first I was surprised at how small the burger looked but I loved the appearance of melted cheddar, beef and caramelized onions on a fluffy hamburger bun. Both patties on the burger were coated a with good sized slice of cheddar and then the onions were placed on the top slice of cheese. I would estimated the patty was probably a quarter-pound before cooking. The bun had been lightly toasted on each side. Taking my first bite, I noticed a slight sweetness from the onions, earthiness from the cheddar but the flavor of the beef was featured foremost in this burger. The patties were lightly seasoned and while cooked medium-well, they were still very juicy in each bite. The flavor of the burger is hard to describe but I enjoyed it. I could really taste the gaminess of the beef which melded well with the other components on the burger. Next, I enjoyed how well the cheddar cheese, onions and bun complimented the burger in each bite. You could taste all three components but the flavor of the beef was still featured in each bite. Finally, I was skeptical at first about cooking the fries in olive oil. I wasn't sure that you could get olive oil hot enough to get a good crisp on the fries but the fries were excellent. They had a nice crunch in each bite and were salted perfectly. I really liked that Elevation sliced the fries fresh in small batches before cooking them.


Overall, I thought that Elevation Burger cooked a really good burger using fresh ingredients. This flavor of the beef may not be for everyone but I enjoyed the freshness and gaminess of it. The cheese was melted into a nice gooey consistency and blended well with the beef and onions. It was a well prepared burger that was served by the friendly staff of Elevation Burger who did a good job of checking on the guests. I will be back to try another burger at Elevation Burger and hopefully sometime in the future they can find a bacon purveyor.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 18, light fluffy bun, didn't fall apart


Meat - 21, good quality grass fed organic beef, cooked well, very juicy


Appearance - 20, smallish sized burger, nice layers of meat cheese and onions


Taste - 21, beef flavor foremost, lightly seasoned, high quality cheese, sweet onions


Overall - 80


Bonus Picture of Menu Board:

Alee Burgers - December 29, 2010

Our final burger quest of 2010 took us to Alee Burgers which is a recently opened burger and wing restaurant at the southeast corner of Forest Lane and Webb Chapel. Alee Burgers is a no-frills restaurant with seating for about twenty people and an open kitchen behind the register. It appears to have been a Subway in a past life. There were a few people waiting in line to order and when it was my turn, I ordered a half pound bacon cheese burger cooked to medium which at lunch is served with fries and a drink for $5.68. Behind the register, I saw that all the burgers were cooked on a small shiny flattop. Aftr I paid for my order, the server took notice where I was sitting and then went to work on cooking my burger to order. About ten minutes later, the following burger was brought to my table:





Shredded lettuce and slices of tomato were placed on the bottom bun which had been very lightly toasted and then salad was topped by the patty which reminded me of the patties at Smashburger. A single slice of slightly melted American cheese was then placed on top of the patty and the topped with a large serving of diced grilled onions and two crispy slices of bacon. The top bun was also lightly toasted and was slathered with mayonnaise. Taking a bite, I could tasted the salt and pepper used to season the patty but the flattop needs time to build up the seasoning which gives those nice crusty bits that only come from a well seasoned cooktop. The patty was cooked to medium-well but it was still somewhat juicy in every bite. The American cheese really didn't add anything to each bite of the burger since it only covered a part of the patty and was pretty flavorless in itself. The bacon was cooked to a nice crunch and the grilled onions were cooked perfectly to a nice golden color with just a slight crunch in each bite. The bun was a standard seedless hamburger bun but it did not fall apart and gave a good flavor to each bite of the overall burger. Finally the fries were probably my favorite part of the whole burger. The were medium cut skin-on fries that were hot and crispy and seasoned with a spicy seasoning salt. I am usually not a fan of this style of fries but I will be back to try them again.


Overall, Alee Burger was a good burger made even better by it's price point. It's hard to find a half-pound burger with fries and a drink for less than six dollars. I really liked that the burgers were cooked to order and with time, the flattop grill will get used and the patties will have even more flavor. The staff was very pleasant and seemed to be interested in serving up great food. I will definately be back to try the other burgers on the menu at Alee Burger and I look forward to having some more of their fries.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 18, standard hamburger bun, lightly toasted


Meat - 19, nicely cooked patty, lightly seasoned, crisp tasty bacon


Appearance - 20, smashed style patty and great grilled onions looked really good on the platter


Taste - 19, good flavors, time will make the burgers even better


Overall - 76

Nosh Euro Bistro - December 7, 2010

It has been a busy time with work so the burger questing has unfortunately been taking a back seat lately but on December 7, we were able to visit Avner Samuel's newest restaurant, Nosh Euro Bistro which is on Oak Lawn Avenue. Nosh is a very open restaurant featuring lots of light, warm colors, open kitchen and a large flat screen television which gives patrons a better view of the food being cooked. Our group was seated by a pleasant server who went over the features of the day and asked us for our drink orders. Unfortunately Nosh only serves bottled ice tea which I found strange so I stuck with reliable Dallas tap water. When the server returned with our drinks, I ordered the Nosh Stacked Kobe Burger which featured a 1/2 pound of house ground Waygu, a blend of cheddar cheeses and fries for $14. While we waiting for our main courses, we tried the Spiced Beef Cigars and Crushed Avocado Crostini. The cigars were perfectly cooked but their delicate flavor was overpowered by the pear chutney served on the side. According to the menu on their website, it looks like they might be serving the cigars with a lighter sauce now. I really enjoyed the Crostini - The crushed avocado was lightly seasoned and then topped with a nice amount of Spanish Chorizo, olive oil and sea salt. I could snack on those all day long as the fattiness of the avocado was nicely offset by the spice of the chorizo. After we were done for our small plates, the following burger was placed on the table:





The thick patty was placed on top of a well toasted sesame seed bun and was the patty was then topped with a blend of melted white and yellow cheddar cheese. The burger was then finished off with an average blend of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and thinly sliced pickles. I removed the salad blend, took my first bite of the burger and tasted a lightly seasoned but somewhat dry burger. You could taste the flavor of the Waygu but overall it just didn't taste like a burger. It reminded me a lot of a chopped steak plate but in burger form. The cheddar cheeses had a great flavor and were melted nicely over the patty. I am not sure if the bun was made in house but it was toasted perfectly, had a good flavor and texture and did not overpower the rest of the burger. Finally the french fries were my favorite part of the whole burger. They were crispy thin-style fries that was seasoned with salt and fresh herbs and I enjoyed dipping them in the remoulade sauce served with the burger.


Overall I thought the Nosh Euro Bistro prepared a decent burger but when I return in the future, I think I will stick with the other offerings. The small plates that we had were great and I tried a little bite of the other main entrees and they were wonderful. If you are craving a upscale burger when you visit, then its worth trying but I think you'd enjoy Avner's other offerings on the menu at Nosh better.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 19, nicely toasted, liked the sesame seeds


Meat - 19, high quality meat, just not enough burger flavor


Appearance - 20, very pretty presentation of burger and fries


Taste - 18, decent upscale burger, fresh meat used in patty


Overall - 76


Bonus Pic of Crushed Avocado Crostini:

Restaurant AVA - November 20, 2010

The Saturday before Thanksgiving took the burger quest to Downtown Rockwall to try The "AVA" Burger at Restaurant Ava. Ava is owned by Randall Copeland and Nathan Tate and the restaurant strives to use locally sourced ingredients in their dishes. I entered the restaurant from the back entrance and walked past the open kitchen where I saw a burger cooking over open flames. The smells coming from the kitchen were wonderful and I was glad I had made the trek to Rockwall. I was seated at a table in the main dining room which had a nice view of the shops in Rockwall. A few moments later, the server took my order for The "AVA" Burger cooked medium which is one of the less expensive gourmet burgers at $12. I could hear and smell my burger cooking and after a short wait, the following burger was brought to the table:






The presentation of the burger was very pretty - thick slices of purple onion, homemade pickles and mixed field greens were served on the side next to a large cup of thick house-cut fries. The bun was lightly toasted on the top and bottom and a thick hand-formed patty was placed on top of the bottom bun. A slice of lightly melted white cheddar was on top of patty and the burger was finished with two thick slices of bacon that were made in house from Niman Ranch pork belly. The server told me that the meat for the patty was ground from steak scraps and the bun was baked in-house as well. Taking my first bite, I tasted a lightly seasoned, very juicy patty that was infused with smokiness from being cooked over a wood fire and it was cooked to a perfect medium. The cheddar cheese gave a mild nutty flavor to each bite. The bacon was extremely good but it wasn't a typical crispy bacon but it added a welcome layer of texture to each bite. Unless I am wanting Maple and Motor's crispy bacon, this would be the bacon I would want on my burger and is some of the best in the Dallas area. The homemade bun was light and fluffy but held up well to each bite of the burger. I would have expected it to fall apart from the juicy patty but I never had to pick up my fork and knife. Finally the fries were seasoned well and cooked to a nice crisp. Although I prefer a thinner style fry, the had a good flavor and were great dipped in the homemade mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup.


Overall, Restaurant AVA served a great burger using fresh ingredients prepared in house. The flavors melded together nicely and it was a great showing of what can be done with a gourmet burger. If you aren't in the Rockwall area but are looking for an outing on Saturday, I would recommend visiting the shops in downtown Rockwall and then having The "AVA" Burger.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 19, lightly toasted bun, good flavor in every bite


Meat - 22, great patty, thick slices of bacon, well cooked


Appearance - 20, fresh ingredients, well cooked burger, great presentation


Taste - 22, great flavors in each bite, tasty burger


Overall - 83


Bonus Picture of Homemade Condiments: