Every Friday we take a break from our regular blogging schedule to allow the authors an opportunity to feature a certain topic they are passionate about. In the past you’ve read about art, studying abroad, and experiencing culture through food. Through this and other future posts we hope you’ll enjoy reading, we hope to share with you our personalities, passions, and interests on a more personal level.
My feature is once again on food. What can I say, I love food and love talking about it. Many take the military philosophy of consuming food in the quickest amount of time possible without enjoying a morsel of it. Food can serve as a reminder of all that went in to making the meal you are about to partake; each dish takes a great number of things: a farmer, grocer, cook and many things in between. Food is one of those things that stir up memories in us–sometimes we can remember what we were eating during a really good (or bad) situation and it can remind us of loved ones that are no longer with us. It reminds us of home. Food is a way that tells a story of our lives. Food helps us remember, but also gives us things to look forward to. Food can cause the most introverted of people, a person that hates to debate, to become a staunch debater as they clamor for their favorite food or restaurant being the best. Food is my passion, and one of my favorite foods is the hamburger.
I have been on a personal quest to find the best and greatest hamburgers in the U.S.. Throughout my life, I have loved burgers. I would probably eat a burger every day if I could.
Burgers are wonderful because they are fairly easy to make, but doing this simple act right is difficult. That is the beauty in this quest. Many fondly recall the times in the backyard, camping or at the ballpark eating a burger that just came off the grill. It probably had American cheese on it but there was something to that smell, the seared crust, and freshness. The burger’s greatness allows people to put either a few ingredients on it or 20 different ingredients if they chose; it is that versatile.
This post is not a grading rubric like the barbeque, Tex-Mex, or brewery tours, but simply sharing my personal quest to find the best burgers around and what I love, enjoy, and look for in a good burger. A possible rubric will be done in the future, but this is just my passion for a good burger.
What I look for? Those that know me know I am a “traditionalist.” This means that typically I like foods the way they were meant to be served. This does not mean I only eat burgers. or that I don’t try new things. I love food adventures, however, I generally prefer food in its most traditional sense. I am fine every once in a while taking a classic dish and putting a new spin on it. That is great and honestly some dishes need a modern twist, but I don’t want that all the time. If I want chili, I want a legitimate chili that is simply a traditional chili. I don’t want to order a chili and get it with a bunch of things like carrots and corn or anything else that belongs in a salad. I don’t want to order stroganoff and get some weird deconstructed plate that has a foam as a sauce, some tofu for the protein and quinoa as the carb. I want my classic stroganoff. I will of course try the weird stroganoff, but I would probably prefer the classic dish done perfectly than the weird dish for the sake of being weird or different.
So how does this pertain to a burger? If I was to evaluate a burger place, can I truly assess a normal burger at one place with a specialty burger at another? I think it is great to have 20-30 different topping options like bacon, grilled peaches, a fried egg, or foie gras; but those options don’t necessarily tell me that restaurant knows how to make a good burger. At that point, I probably can’t taste much of the meat. To know if a burger is good, I believe you have to keep it simple–once you know and enjoy the simple, then you can move toward the pineapple, goat cheese, and ghost pepper concoction. A simple burger to me means an all beef patty, cheese, a favorable bun-to-burger ratio, sauce (if any) and traditional toppings of tomato, lettuce, and pickles.
The burger must truly be an all beef patty. I am not the type that will go to a burger place and order the chicken sandwich or a salad (the healthy realtor can tell you all the best chicken sandwiches and salads to get at burger places, but that is not me). I want my burger to be juicy and not overly done; for me, the patty should be a medium, however I know some places will do medium-well (my max burger doneness) or well done. Likewise, some people don’t like the juices (or grease) getting all over their hands, that doesn’t bother me. That is what napkins are for and when no one is looking, just lick your fingers.
I love cheese as do the other authors. I know American cheese is probably the classic burger cheese in America, but I can’t do that. It is fine every now and then as it offers a sense of nostalgia. I really enjoy a good cheddar or blue cheese on my burger. The flavors of goat cheese are making their way up the list of favorites but this is not a traditional flavor and will probably never overtake cheddar.
Other factors: The bun-to-burger ratio should be proportional and not be out-of-whack. I also don’t want a bun that can’t stand up to the patty as the bun disintegrates and becomes a sloppy, gooey mess. If the burger has toppings, it has to be able to stand up to the patty and bun. If there is tomato, lettuce and pickles, it better be good–not wet, limp, and/or mushy. There must be enough sauce (whether that is mustard, mayo, ketchup, secret sauce, whatever) and it enhances the flavors, but not be so overpowering such that sauce is all you taste. Some of my favorite burgers are served on a poppy seed bun, which is probably my preference, but few places serve this bun.
My favorite burger places are typically dives, that don’t have a ton of options. I appreciate places that give you customizable choices and can appreciate the value from a business perspective, but there is something to the simplicity of a menu that just says, “1. Burger 2. Cheeseburger.” The toppings can cover a bunch of mistakes, but take away from the quality of a good burger. Everything on a burger should enhance flavors and not take away from the original design. I know there is a restaurant in New York that serves a $100 hamburger. The thing is, if I go to a nice restaurant, I don’t know if I want to pay more than $12-$15 for a burger. After all, it is a burger and not a steak.
During some of my future feature posts, I will share some of my favorite burgers and burger restaurants in different cities and states. Also, I will share with you some of my favorite fast food and “fast casual” burgers. For now, here is a *brief* preview of some of my favorite burgers in DFW:
Legit Burger Places (non-chain, Independent places): I do not have an all-time favorite as I am just on this quest to find the best burgers offered. I also feel like I have not found a truly great, tell all your friends burger yet. In the Fort Worth area, Rodeo Goat was recently voted the best burger in the area. I think they are good but not great. The Chaca Oaxaca (beef and chorizo) is good and I like that they have burger wars, but I just feel disappointed when I leave and don’t feel like they are the best. The Dirty Love burger from The Love Shack is a favorite, as it includes bacon, “love” sauce, and a fried quail egg. One more favorite is from Burgundy’s Meat Market. This farm turned their meat market into a restaurant and offers organic, grass-fed burgers that are dynamite. They have a limited menu of Burger, cheeseburger, hot dog and chili.
In Dallas, I like the simplicity and atmosphere of Keller’s Drive-In. You order by turning on your hazard lights. The number 5 (double meat) on a poppy seed bun with the sauce is simply wonderful. Best of all, Keller’s offers a quality burger, fries and drink for a very reasonable price. I love Twisted Root (also voted a best burger by some magazines) as they offer a good variety of options including game burgers, but try the Western which has Pepperjack, bacon, fried onions, and jalepenos.
This is not a comprehensive list as these are just some of the burgers that stick out the most to me. As long as my heart allows, I plan to keep eating burgers across the U.S. to find one that is truly memorable and that will leave me wanting to go back to that place just for a burger.
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