Cheeseburger, Fries & Shake @ MooyaBurger

Quick Rant:
Is it too much to ask for a burger that doesn’t fall apart halfway through trying to eat it? I understand the appeal of a messy burger; in fact, I prefer them sloppy. What I don’t like is my bun getting soggy and splitting apart before I’ve reached the end of my meal. It’s not a hard thing to remedy, although the majority of burger joints don’t seem to have a grasp on this technique. It’s simple science: slightly butter the bun, and then grill it for a quick second or two. This will create a simple, yet effective barrier to hold off the burger sauces from soaking into the bun. Can someone please put out a memo? Thanks.

Now that’s out of the way…
I’ve been hearing here and there that Mooya Burgers is the In-n-Out of Texas and at first glance those comparisons seem to be founded, but let’s not be hasty without an investigation.

Interior & Menu:
White tiles with accents of red and a plain simple menu, both harken to comparisons with In-n-Out. At Mooya Burgers you can order a Mooya Burger that’s essentially a double meat, double cheese burger (Double Double). You can also get a Junior which is a single cheese, single meat burger. They have a few other items, a hot dog, the expected veggie or turkey burger option, and that’s about it. Simple, just like In-n-Out. Where Mooya burger stands apart is in its toppings. Similar to the approach of The Counter, you can choose from all sorts of different ingredients to top your burger with. While not as complex as The Counter’s, things like jalepenos, A1 sauce, BBQ, and grilled onions offer you a chance to customize your experience beyond the usual.

Shakes:
Straight from a machine, just like In-n-Out, Mooyah’s is slightly creamier and the chocolate version I had was less chocolately tasting. Still delicious.

French Fries:
Fries are cut from whole potatoes, just like In-n-Out, although these are bit thicker and (dare I say) a bit tastier. Let’s be honest here, if you’ve had fries from In-n-Out, they aren’t the best things in the world. Basically, you overlook the fries inadequacies because the burgers are so damn tasty. It’s the truth. Most of the time I don’t even order fries, especially when I’m rolling drive thru. In-n-Out fries never make it home in a edible manner.

Burger:
I ordered a Mooyah cheeseburger with mustard, Mooyah sauce, jalapenos, pickles and onions. As you could have guessed from my rant above, the freshly baked, honey wheat bun arrived home a bit soggy, but still edible. (I went there twice. Once I took it home, which is where this complaint comes from. The second occasion I ate my food there and the burger held together much better.) It was definitely a good-sized burger–well cooked, but not tough. There was plenty of cheese to hold things together. (I opted for American, but you get a choice.) I wasn’t a fan of their pickles; they serve the thicker style chips that aren’t dill enough for me. I prefer the thinner standard pickles that most places serve. The jalapenos were also a bit of a disappointment. They didn’t carry quite enough heat and suffered from being overly pickled. I know, ironic. I won’t fault Mooyah for these dissapontments, I’m sure some people prefer their pickles and jalapenos this way. The onions were chopped, which I like, so bonus points for that.

Recap:
Anybody who has been to an In-n-Out won’t be fooled by any of Mooyah’s similarities, although I can understand how the comparisons are made. Other than being a tad pricey and not toasting their buns, they have a great thing going. The staff is super friendly and informative, and I’ll definitely head back in every now and again when I’m too lazy to drive to California for In-n-Out, or Ft. Worth for some Love Shack.

MOOYAH
(Several locations in the metroplex)
2720 State Hwy 121, Suite 600
Euless 76039
817.571.7575

Tags: burger, burger roundup, chain, fries, shakes, toppings