DFW Burger Tour 2010

Dallas is a burger town. Just take a look at how many burger places have announced openings within the past year and the presence on Texas Monthly’s rankings. The often-asked question, “what is the best burger in Dallas” can lead to quite the debate, and Steve Doyle organized a merry troupe to seek out the answer. We took a three six hour tour-de-force this past Saturday that sent us throughout several Dallas neighborhoods to munch on four burgers. Each burger was to be shared with other participants, which is similar practice as those who sample each of the great BBQ destinations of Lockhart, ensuring we would not be too full before the conclusion of the tour.

Our magical mystery bus transported us to our first destination quicker than the time it takes to down half a beer.

Boots Burger
701 Austin St
Rockwall, TX 75087-2642
(972) 722-5802

Boots Burger has stood since 1968 as a local legend, serving their burgers by purely relying on the power of word of mouth. Finding the actual place was not an easy task as these burgers are sold out of a baby-blue house in a Rockwall neighborhood. As you walk up to the counter, a sign clearly states, you are not allowed to eat on premises.

The Boots burger (photo credit: Robert Bostick)

The medium-thick patty was cooked well-done and topped with American cheese, chopped onions, lettuce, and pickle, all wrapped in a semi-sweet, seared bun. Although a little low on the juice scale, the beefy flavors were pleasing and I enjoyed this excellent example of a home-cooked burger. The burger ascended to the next level once I added some of the jalapeno relish, which presented piquant spicy flavors without burying the other delicious characteristics of the burger. Back to the bus, for a quick little ride to the second stop.

Restaurant AVA
108 S. Goliad
Rockwall, TX 75087
(469) 698-9920
http://www.restaurantava.com/

Chefs Randall Copeland and Nathan Tate graciously extended an invitation for our group to sample their restaurant’s burger. They take a strong commitment in using quality ingredients, which is evident in the construction of their burger: the patty uses a blend of ribeye and tenderloin and the cheese is aged white cheddar. The bacon, buns, pickle, and mayonnaise are all made in-house. I believe Chef Nathan also mentioned that at one point, they also made their own ketchup and mustard.

The Restaurant AVA burger (photo credit: Robert Bostick.)

How did this fall off the radar from Texas Monthly’s ranking? I say this because I think AVA’s burger would easily rank amongst the elite, as it is one of the best burgers I have ever had. I can’t find fault in this burger. The thick, medium-rare patty leaked juice and was full of beefy flavor. The pickle had a perfect synergy of sweet and tart. The light and fresh bun formed a solid foundation that held together the burger and all of it’s toppings. Last, but not least, the thick, crisp house-smoked bacon was so addictive that I could probably eat a plate by itself. I recommend trying the burger if you are there for brunch.

Fighting the urge to consume more than a 1/4 sized portion of AVA’s burger was one of the biggest challenges of the day. We continued our trek to tackle the monstrous burger from a run-down building in Oak Cliff.

Wingfield’s Breakfast and Burger
2615 South Beckley Avenue
Dallas, TX 75224
(214) 943-5214

Wingfields is another local neighborhood institution, and their burgers are not to be taken lightly. There is a post on Chowhound outlining the experience of eating a double WITH BACON, and I’m happy to hear the poster lived to tell the tale. He is a far braver soul than I!

Wingfields burger (photo credit: Robert Bostick)

Although this burger was a single, it was still a formidable one as an individual patty of Wingfields’ 80/20 ground beef must weigh at least half a pound. The toppings include mustard, red onion, lettuce, tomato, and thick slices of bacon. The massive well-done patty’s beef flavors reminds me more of a hunk of meatloaf than a typical burger patty. The curly bacon had equal parts of crisp and chewy. Eat this burger quickly, as structural integrity is not a strong point of this burger.

We moved onward to our next destination and the tour suffered it’s first (and only) casualty: a styrofoam container of  beer, which was no match for the speed bumps on Monticello Avenue. Fortunately, consolation would soon come in a miniaturized portion of “The Best Burger in Texas”

The Grape
2808 Greenville Ave
Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 828-1981
http://www.thegraperestaurant.com/

Throughout the six years I’ve lived in Dallas, I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing many happy memories and meals from The Grape. On this particular saturday, Chef Brian Luscher coordinated with the Hot Box Truck as they set up a tent outside the Greenville Avenue institution while serving delicious food to patrons on the sidewak.

He made us slider-scaled down versions of the burgers (previously seen in Burgers and Burgundy), while the full one is available during lunch service and Sunday brunch.

1/4 size portion of “The Best Burger in Texas” from The Grape (photo credit: Robert Bostick)

The composition of the burger has been dissected numerous times in the media, but for the uninitiated, every part of this burger is treated with utmost attention and care: ten ounces of chuck-eye ground in-house, hydroponic Bibb lettuce, Lemley Farms tomatoes, house-cured bacon, and white cheddar cheese. A lightly-sweetened bun supplied daily from a French father/son bakery in Garland holds all of these parts together as they harmonize for a delicious result. The cheese melds with the medium-done thick patty and worked well with the tender lettuce, the perfectly ripened tomatoes, and slightly peppery bacon which made it’s presence clear with a brilliant crisp. The Grape is certainly worthy of their ranking as best in Texas.

So what was the best burger we had that day? The opinions were across the board. Talking it over with Andrew Chalk, there were two apparent types of burgers sampled: local neighborhood eateries serving traditional burgers and chef-driven gourmet burgers. I’m honestly torn between AVA’s and The Grape’s as my overall favorite gourmet burger. For the traditional styles, I give Boots the edge, because Wingfield’s patties are too enormous for me, and this may not be a bad thing for some.

Thanks once again to Steve for the invite, and I can’t wait for the taco tour.