So even though we didn’t initially go to ATL for the food, the city was very kind to us to us in that respect. We had a really great dinner at ONE. midtown kitchen, sipped locally-brewed SweetWater beer at TAP, got tasty breakfast pasties at BAKESHOP, and an unbelievable southwest fritatta during brunch at Murphy’s.
Lots and lots of good places to eat in Atlanta. However, the two culinary highlights of the weekend were at restaurants belonging to Top Chef contestants. For lunch, we dined at Richard Blais’ Flip Burger Boutique. The upscale burger joint’s menu boasts a long list of delicious-sounding burgers like the Venison Burger with gooseberry relish, toasted pecans, and brie or the Southern Burger with country-fried beef, pimento cheese, and green tomato ketchup. The Southern was rich but delicious, as was the other (somewhat tamer) Turkey Burger I got with avocado & pomegranate ketchup.
Sides like smokey jalapeno slaw & tempura-fried rutabaga go way beyond the standard french fries & their shake menu presented the hardest decision of the afternoon. Looking around, the obvious favorite was the Nutella + Burnt Marshmallow Shake. Thinking about this shake now and how far away it is from Dallas makes me want to cry just a little.
All that being said, it was dinner at Kevin Gillespie’s Woodfire Grill that made my trip to ATL complete. Kevin is far and away my favorite Top Chef contestant. After watching him on the show, I decided that if I was ever in Atlanta, I would definitely need to eat at his restaurant. I booked the reservation months in advance, just to be doubly sure that I would be able to eat there while we were in town.
Now I know, that’s a lot of expectations to put on a dinner. And even though I didn’t get to meet Kevin (he was out of town), I was very happy to have had that experience there and eat from his menu. It’s a simplified selection; there were just five main entrees to choose from. I chose the quail: three (sadly, very cute) bobwhite quail atop a roasted turnip and bosc pear puree, served with wood-roasted brussel sprouts and crunchy pieces of bacon brittle.
Here’s what I learned from this dinner: brussel spouts have the ability to be awesome, bacon and toffee do make a good pair, and sometimes the higher expectations you have for something, the more you can actually enjoy it. The whole meal, from the starter roasted celery soup to the finishing mini donuts was just what I had been hoping for.
I’m happy to report to Blais & Gillespie fans that their favorite chefs’ culinary enterprises are running along great—I think even Padma & Tom would approve.
Hi, I’m Michael. I go to school in Austin, Texas and I like to eat. I’m a friend of Michelle and Brian. The result? I’m going to start writing some things for the little dish that involve eating in Austin. It’s going to be great, I promise…
Lambert’s is a great restaurant in downtown Austin that refers to itself as “fancy barbecue.” It’s housed in a great looking, old two-story building that apparently dates back to 1873. The interior is cozy but modern, and manages to feel exactly how you would think an upscale barbecue joint should. (In other words, the hardwood to brick to leather ratios are on point.) The open kitchen is definitely a plus in my book.
The second floor is home to the main bar, which is just as charming as the main dining area downstairs. A small stage frequently hosts live music acts. There’s a great neon “LIQUOR” sign hanging over the staircase. I’d like to take it to hang in my apartment, but they’d probably notice. Most importantly, this bar is where my evening gorging took place. You see, from 5 to 7 PM, seven days a week, Lambert’s has happy hour. And during said happy hour, all of their (already reasonably priced) bar food is half-price and all drinks are 2 dollars off.
We started with some Roasted Green Chili Queso and a round of drinks. The queso was good, though I wish the green chiles would have been a bit more prevalent. I’m not sure what kind or combination of cheese they use, but it was a little mild/Velveeta-y for my tastes. However, my two dining companions had no complaints. The tortilla chips though, were awesome—fresh, perfectly crunchy, and not greasy at all.
I ordered the Wood Grilled Natural Cheese Burger. Brian (who had eaten their previous on a trip to Austin) raved about this burger, so I had high hopes. I was not disappointed. It’s a very straightforward burger, but executed extremely well. The beef is flavorful and was perfectly cooked; the dressings (mayo, mustard, lettuce, and red onion) provide a good counterbalance to the richness of the meet and cheese. The taste and aroma of the wood is definitely there. The bun is thick enough to last the entire meal without getting soggy, but so heavy that it gets in the way of the main burger goods. I could eat the mustard with a spoon all by itself. Really, it’s just an awesome cheeseburger. I want another one right now.
The herbed waffle fries that came with the cheese burger were also great. Crispy outside, fluffy inside, and tossed with a nice seasoning that coated all the fries pretty evenly. I dipped them in the mustard. And then dipped my finger in the mustard a few times, too. Seriously.
The Crispy Wild Boar Ribs with celery and daikon slaw were pretty spectacular, too. Each rib had a fairly small amount of the flavorful (but not gamey), lean boar meat. However the serving was large enough to be satisfying. They had a sweet and sour glaze with a great tang to it, and gave the ribs a bit of an asian inspiration to match the garnish of daikon slaw.
The third dish at the table was a Barbecue Plate with chicken, jicama slaw, and green chili grits. I didn’t taste the chicken, but it didn’t look like it was overcooked, which seems to be the problem with chicken at most barbecue places. I did, however, steal a bite of the sides. I love jicama and grits and green chili, so I naturally expected to like both of them. And I did…especially the grits. Even before you taste them them, there’s something kind of inherently fun about green-tinted grits.
To finish, we got an order of Bread Pudding for dessert that doesn’t appear to be on the websites menu. It came out steaming hot with a perfectly round scoop of in-house homemade ice cream on top. I only had a bite, but it was a great bite. The custard perfectly saturated the bread (not too mushy, not too dry) and there was plenty of spice from the cinnamon. The cold and creamy ice cream melting down into the pudding was…cold…and creamy…and melting down into the pudding. Real good. I wished I wasn’t so full and could have eaten more of it.
The only thing I didn’t enjoy was the Habanero BBQ sauce. I liked the heat, but it seemed like—both from flavor and color—they had tried to cut the spice with the sweetness of ketchup. I could be wrong about the source, but there was definitely a sweetness that I was not digging too much.
Overall, it was a great early dinner, especially for the price. If you’re ever in Austin looking to get some drinks and a great bite to eat, the Lambert’s bar should definitely be towards the top of your list. Get the burger. Eat the mustard. Booyah.
401 West 2nd Street | Austin, TX 78701
512.494.1500
It’s amazing how much nicer McDonald’s are once you get out of the States. The ones I’ve seen in England and France look like posh little bistros compared to their counterparts in America. We’re talking leather booths, overhead lighting, clean floors and restrooms. In Japan, the food they serve you looks exactly like the pictures in their advertisements. I was floored when I ordered a burger and it arrived, un-squished with all the ingredients properly spaced. It was almost as if it was put together by someone who cared. So it’s no surprise to find different menu items when visiting the Big M abroad, although it is surprising to find one that I like. Let me introduce the M.
While the McDonald’s stateside is relentlessly pushing their Angus 1/3lb burgers and fancy coffee drinks on us, their UK counterparts have opted for a more elegant new product.
The M from McDonald’s. Made with selected cuts of 100% beef, Emmental cheese, Batavia lettuce and juicy tomato—all in a toasted, stone-baked ciabatta.
Classy. As for taste, not bad at all. I’m unsure if it’s in the meat, because if you have ever been to the UK you are aware that their beef tastes different from what we eat in the US. However, the burger doesn’t quite taste like a McDonald’s creation. The ciabatta bun is what seals it for me though: soft, chewy, and a welcomed departure from the standard burger bun. It’s all topped with a creamy garlic and herb mayo that’s a perfect compliment to the fresh ingredients: no mustard and ketchup here.
So if you happen to be across the pond anytime soon, make sure you venture over to a McDonald’s and try one of these. I realize it’s no McRib, but what are you gonna do?
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.
(Several locations in the metroplex)
2720 State Hwy 121, Suite 600
Euless 76039
817.571.7575
Saturday night we all went to Tim Love’s new Love Shack location in the really difficult to find So7 development. What’s familiar about it? A really, really delicious Love Burger and onion rings. What’s different? Well, almost everything else. The overall feeling of this Love Shack is more contemporary and trendy. There was a dj, a couple of dancing girls drunkenly celebrating a birthday, and not a cowboy in sight. (Hey, it’s still Cowtown!) Outside on the patio was a game area with a beanbag toss and something involving washers. Oh, and I heard Lady GaGa. All of these things added up to a very different experience than the one at the original Stockyards location. It wasn’t bad, just different.
In fact in some ways, it could be considered better. It feels like there’s a lot more seating, which was nice because they were really busy. Also, there’s an indoor sitting area that’s open air but still covered enough from the elements so you could enjoy a Love Burger in the rain! Additionally, they have a full bar featuring a mixed drink menu that’s pretty novel. I sipped on a jalapeno cucumber margarita that was refreshing and yet really had some heat to it. Very different, but maybe a little pricey because of its small size. (That glass is shorter than it looks.)
Speaking of small sizes, we were a little confused by the potions of fries and onions, which were about half of what we usually get at the original Love Shack. We’ll have to go back; maybe it was just an off night for potion control.
Finally (and this difference between the two locations might be the most crucial), they have an expanded menu. Different sides, a lobster roll, a salad of the day–you won’t find these sissier options on the old Love Shack menu. However, when you love the original Love Burger as much as we do, there’s not a big incentive to stray. Oh! And there’s one more major plus about this location. They accept credit cards! Cha-ching!
(website doesn’t have info on the new location as of yet)
817 Matisse Ste. 445
Fort Worth 76107
817.348.9655
*Cue the mournful violins*
Usually on the little dish, we like to only post reviews that are favorable or notable, maybe a little critical, but of places worth mentioning. Consider this a departure from that. The other day we decided to try OC Burgers on a whim. (The primary reason being that it looks completely nuts from the freeway as you pass it.)
The strange, fun house exterior should have been a tip off, but we really do believe that you can find delicious food in unexpected places. Let it be known that OC Burgers: “Salads, Burritos, and More” isn’t likely going to be one of those places.
On the menu is everything from breakfast plates with french toast to chicken teriyaki bowls and carnitas burritos. Being our first visit, we went with standard fare: chili cheese fries and the signature OC Burger. The chili cheese fries were disappointing—passable at best. The burger was delicious-ish looking but ended up being a bit tragic. The undercooked, doughy bun couldn’t make it through half the burger and it became a sloppy mess. (Have they tried to eat one of their burgers?) Worse than being messy, it just wasn’t that good. The burger lacked anything special that would make it something worth coming back for. We left feeling pretty sad.
Apparently Patricia Rodriguez from the Star-Telegram went there and had a much better time. Could we have caught OC on a very off day? Possibly. But we kinda don’t want to try them again to find out.
1201 Airport Freeway | Euless, TX 76040
817.858.9322
This past weekend I finally got to eat at Tim Love’s burger joint in Fort Worth and wash that filthy mini-sirloin burger taste out of my mouth. After visiting, I have a few requests. I want Fort Worth to be closer to my house. More specifically, I want Love Shack to be closer to my house. I want to eat at The Love Shack every day, but that’s currently impossible. It’s probably better for my health and wallet, but I can keep dreaming, right?
The Love Shack has everything going for it. A unique location: the Stockyards of Fort Worth. Beautiful architecture and ambiance: you dine in a large open space with three levels of patio, almost like a courtyard, but with with a stage and music on the weekends. Outstanding food: perfect burgers, onions rings, and a new flavor of shake every day, all of which I will continually go back for. What more could you want from a restaurant? This is the type of place you take your friends to when they visit from out of town, not because it’s fancy and elegant, but rather its unique and something your guests probably haven’t experienced.
Their burgers are a 50/50 mix of prime tenderloin and prime brisket that’s ground fresh daily and cooked to order. I opted for a single Love Burger and I was impressed with the size of it. I couldn’t imagine myself trying to scarf down a double, but for those who have the appetite and are up for the challenge, the option is there. It’s a standard burger: meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato and sauce, but there’s just something about it that makes it stand tall. Maybe it’s the ‘love sauce’ or special seasoning they put on the meat. It’s actually the closest match to an In-N-Out burger I’ve had since moving to Texas. It’s a bit bigger and more expensive, but for flavor and taste, it’s damn close. One of the best non-fancy burgers I’ve ever had. If you want to get fancy though, chef Tim Love will fry a quail egg on top, mix in some bacon, and call it a day.
We also opted for some onion rings and a shake. Each day the flavor changes and on Saturdays it’s Raspberry. It was a nice shake, Blue Bell icecream mixed up with some flavor and milk in a cup. The fact that it’s $3.23 for the large, makes it even better. The onion ‘rings’ were more like ’strings’, but don’t let that mislead you. They were delicious and I opted to stack a few on my burger which turned out to be a great decision. I’d also go for the ranch dressing to dip those onion strings in; they just aren’t the same with out it.
The Love Shack is really a great experience. My only word of advice is to watch your trash. If it’s a windy day and you are sitting on one of the upper levels that overlook the main court, your wrappers might just end up on someone else’s head or lap. It happened to us twice!
So next time you find yourself in Fort Worth, head on over. Make sure it’s a nice cool evening, sit out under the open sky, enjoy some fine burgers, have a drink, bring some friends and relax. If you’re lucky enough to get a seat at one of the tables on the second floor balcony you can even do a little people watching as the bikers and cowboys mosey up and down the brick-lined streets of the Fort Worth Stockyards.
Love Burger: $4.62
Onion Rings: $3.00
Shake: $3.23
110 E. Exchange | Fort Worth, TX 76164
(817) 740-8812
The hardest part about reviewing The Counter is that on any given day, people are bound to be extremely pleased by their burger or dissatisfied, and this all depends on the choices they make. You see, The Counter’s gimmick is choices. You are handed a check-box menu, similar to a sushi joint, and then it’s up to you to build your burger. Sure they have a few standard classics to pick from if you don’t want to be creative, but why come to The Counter if you don’t like to DIY?
First you choose your meat (beef/turkey/veggie) and size of the patty. Then you get to pile on your choice of cheese, selected from a nice variety ranging from horseradish cheddar, to jalapeno jack. Next comes the toppings, then sauce, and finally your bun. You can definitely see where things can get messy and go horribly wrong depending on your choices, but at the same time there is a burger here for everyone. Take a glance at the menu so you can get an idea of the process I’m talking about.
Tons of options, right? On my trip I opted for the 1/3 lb. beef burger with blue cheese, mixed greens, jalapenos, pickles, red onions, topped with a peppercorn steak sauce and piled high on a classic white bun. The burger did not disappoint. It’s very similar to the Twisted Root style burger: fresh ingredients, a delicious patty, and a perfect size and price. They use freshly ground angus beef, that’s never frozen, and are hormone and antibiotic free.
I’d also like to recommend their sweet fries; they arrived perfectly crispy, lightly salted, and overflowing the basket they were dropped off in. They were a delight and definitely enough to share. You can even mix and match with regular fries or onion strings if your dining partner doesn’t fancy the sweet potato.
So as you can see, The Counter is definitely a great spot to get your burger fill on. You just need to make the right decisions and build a beautiful burger. Their only problem is that they are in Plano.
Price: $7.95 (burger only)
Shops at Legacy | 5700 Legacy Drive Suite A5 | Plano TX 75024
972 801 2772
Sorry about the lack of updates recently. Half of the little dish team has been out traveling the world and will continue to do so over the next few months. Maybe some on-location little dish reviews? We will see! Bear with us though, we promise to keep the reviews coming with the usual witty remarks and impeccable photos.
I really need to go back to Snuffers and give them another shot. Not because this burger was mediocre and I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but rather because it was so damn good that I’m beginning to doubt it’s superiority in the land of burgers and need to make sure I wasn’t dreaming the whole thing. Out of all the burgers I have tried so far in this humble Burger Roundup and road to the Best Burger In Dallas, it’s the best I’ve had. A bundle of perfection, hidden behind the mediocre food stigma that is so prevalent in the land of franchised/chain type bar/restaurants. Trust us, Snuffer’s burgers are no pedestrian affair. Definitely an indulgence, but should be taken serious by elitists and amateur foodies alike.
Let’s start with the diced lettuce and let me say, I’m a big fan. Those burger joints that slap a few leaves of green down and think that’s OK, take note. While shredded is a step in the right direction, diced is the pinnacle of burger ingredients. It allows for an even distribution of all toppings into every mouth-watering bite of burger. Every part of the blue cheese burger follows this diced philosophy, from the crispy and fresh bacon, to the raw red onions sprinkled within. (The tomatoes seem to be the only one not playing along and we’ll just let that slide for the sake of a cohesive argument.) Simply put, this burger is divine. It’s full of flavor and even has a secret ingredient. Forget your mustard or ketchup, this burger sneaks in some blue cheese dressing to bring it all together. I thought at first that this might take us into the rare, yet sometimes visited land of blue cheese overload, but thankfully it didn’t.
Snuffers is a real treat when it comes to unhealthy burgers and sinful french fries. Quite the departure from your usual bar fare, I just wish there was one closer to my house. Or…maybe it’s better that there isn’t.
Price: $7.39
3526 Greenville Ave. | Dallas, TX 75206
214.826.6850
Other locations in Addison, Park Cities, Plano, Rockwall, McKinney, Southlake & Highland Village
The last time we talked burgers, the discussion was about how great Twisted Root was and how much I miss my Double-Doubles. Then Michelle chimed in with a turkey burger, which I was quite skeptical of at first, but after getting to try them a couple of times, was thoroughly won over by not only the health benefits, but the taste too. Quite a nice departure from the red meat variety and something I could get used to if cows ever became endangered….but, since we are in Texas and that’s likely to never happen, lets get back to the beef!
Upon first searching out a great burger in DFW I noticed that Kincaid’s was mentioned by many people in many different places. They lauded how it used to be a meat market of sorts and that the burgers were made from choice beef that was ground daily. It was painted as a no frills, no fuss establishment that housed a lunchtime line that sometimes stretched out the door. A burger institution if you will.
This sounded like my kinda place, so the next chance I got, I headed out west to Fort Worth to see what was going on.
Now I went to Kincaid’s twice for this review because sadly, the first time was quite a let down. I ordered a cheese burger, fries, and a drink, sat down and waited for my meal. They called my order shortly after that, which brought about my first suspicion: they had signs up that read ‘this isn’t fast food, so please be patient’, so why did my order cook up so spooky fast? I sat down with the burger and opened up his greasy case. He was thick and messy and I was hoping juicy, but this just didn’t make sense. There was no way this size of a burger cooked up that fast. I then noticed that the table across from me was still waiting for their food and they had been there before I even ordered. All of this was highly suspicious and then my fears were confirmed when I bit into the moisture deficient patty that was almost an inch thick. Gross. Maybe the fries will redeem the meal. Nope. Soggy and over-fried. I was severely disappointed and decided that they had either pawned off someone else’s overcooked burger on me, or served me up a par-grilled patty that was ready and waiting. How was this possible for such a lauded burger joint? I was perplexed and later found out that I wasn’t alone in this dry-burger problem. Ed Levine of Serious Eats had a similar adventure at the Fort Worth Kincaid’s and was similarly disappointed.
I left confused. Befuddled at the fervent hype of the Chowhound message boarders. Could so many people be so collectively wrong? I knew I had to go back and give them one more shot and as it turns out, Kincaid’s second showing was much better. The burger came out messy and greasy, but this time had plenty of juice. I had it piled high with delicious chili and the fries were fresh and perfectly golden. I did however order the smaller sized hamburger which was a much thinner patty and less susceptible to overcooking. I would recommend taking this route if you ever venture into Kincaid’s. While not the best burger in town, I will definitely head back in when I’m looking for nice chili burger to fill me up.
If you don’t feel like driving out to Fort Worth, they also have new locations in S. Arlington and Southlake. Look them up!
Price: $4
4901 Camp Bowie Boulevard | Fort Worth, Texas
(817) 732-2881
