Watt's Burgers, Odessa, TX (March 26, 2012)

As I was leaving Odessa on Monday, I passed by the Permian Basin Hamburger Company (on Main Street since 1978) and whipped the car around to try it out. Sadly, they closed at 3:00 and it was close to 4:00.  Dejected, I headed back toward I-20 and the Midland International Airport.  It was then that I saw Watt's Burgers (Serving Coca-Cola and Odessa since 1952) and pulled into the parking lot.

This place looks like it hasn't changed since the 50s, except for the occasional paint job.  A big awning to shield you from that hot Texan sun (just a sweatin' and a pantin', 'cause his work is never done), advertising their offerings and under which you can park and eat, a small parking lot out back and a drive thru that passes under the awning in both directions.  It reminded me, in concept, of Keller's, in Dallas, without the car service, massive awnings and beer sales. 

Walking up to the window, the choices weren't broad - 1/2 pound burger, 1/2 pound cheeseburger, foot longs and sundry fried things (potatoes, onion rings, chicken tenders) and I couldn't see anyone inside.  Being the enterprising not-so-young man that I am, I walked into the drive-thru lane and jumped up and down on the plastic hose that rang the bell.  "Ding".  And a sweet little lady who looked like she had worked there since 1952 came and took my order.

I went with a simple cheeseburger, fries and a drink and waited to hear her yell "47".  While I waited, I moved my car under the awning.  It was then that I noticed the chicken place next door - Pollos Asados Rio Grande. There was one guy, in his truck eating at Watt's when I arrived.  I was there 15-20 minutes.  One car went thru the drive-thru.  That's 3 sales in 20 minutes.  Granted, it was an odd time of day 3:30-4:00, but this was not a flourishing business.  In the time I was at Watt's there was a steady stream of cars in Rio Grande's drive-thru and people inside.  At least 20 folks.  I likely made the wrong choice (so I ended up having chicken, too.)


After about ten minutes, my number was called and I took my bag to the car.  There was a copious amount of fries, but I'm pretty sure they were frozen Ore-Ida Golden Crinkles.   Then I opened the burger.  The first thing I thought was, "that thing is huge".  So I took this photo for perspective. 

 

When I took the first bite, I realized the best thing about it was the size.  It really wasn't that good.  So I put 3/4of the burgers and fries in the bag, walked around to the trash can and headed next door.

Square Burger - McKinney, TX (February 2012)

On a recent visit to the land of burgers, I asked the fellow I was visiting with if there was a good burger close by.  He thought for a minute and said, "there's Square Burger downtown?"

I was sold, so when lunch time rolled around we drove to the square in downtown McKinney.  We found a parking place and walked in.  The first thing I noticed was the decor - wood floors, high ceiling, long bar on the left wall.  While it wasn't an issue at lunch, I imagine that this place could get LOUD.  In a hurry.  The bar was lined with at least 30 taps and they had a modest wine list on the chalkboards on the back wall.  Floor to ceiling windows lined the streets.  A very attentive maitre d' appeared out of nowhere and took us to a table.

This was definitely an "up-scale" as opposed to a "hole-in-the wall" burger joints with burgers in the $7-$12 range a la carte.  The selection was broad - ten listed burgers (including salmon, tuna and turkey) along with salads, plates and some appealing looking sides (three mini-grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup).  At least they looked appealing from the menu description.  The special menu included a celery root and apple soup, pork chops, a chicken dish and a charcuterie and cheese plate.  

My companions ordered sides for the table.  A big bowl of French fries and sweet potato fries, with sides of ketchup and mayonnaise. 

The fries arrived first and were thin, crispy, hot and slightly sweet.  Good start.  I have a fundamental problem with a great burger served with bad fries.  Are you listening Burger King?  These fries portended good things to come.

My lunch mates ordered a turkey burger on wheat and a Smokey Jack burger (smoked mozzarella, monterey jack, apple-smoked bacon and fried onion strings).  I went with the High Society Burger.  

Seven ounces of locally sourced Genesis beef, topped with thinly sliced prosciutto di San Daniel, aged balsamic, arugula and fontina cheese (I had the roasted red pepper relish on the side), served on a slightly oblong roll.  The waitress recommended it "medium" and it was cooked perfectly. 

I devoured every bite.   Then the three of us fought over the last few crispy fries.  Definitely a winner.

Keller's Hamburgers Beer, Dallas, TX (September, 2011)

Keller's was the last stop on my DFW burger tour at the end of September.   When I read about them in Hamburger America, I'll have to say they were high on my list of prospects, just based on the restaurant itself.  When I pulled up, my expectations were met - this place was a true drive-in.   There was no "inside" at all.   Pull up under one of the awnings and turn on your blinkers when you're ready to order, (per the sign on the front)

So I turned my blinker on and a young lady walked up and took my order.   I went with a basic cheeseburger.   While I waited, I watched the people around me.   The funniest thing was this guy next to me in a pickup.  He pulled up, about 3:30, and when the hop came up, he ordered a longneck.   Then he drank it.  Then he left.   Who in the world drives up to a restaurant at 3:30 on a Tuesday, orders a beer, drinks it and  then leaves?  The guy that parked next to me, that's who.

So the food shows up, on a tray wrapped in wax.  Looks incredibly promising.  I open it with bated breath and what do I find?

The worst burger I ate this summer.  The meat was thin and tasteless, the bun was nothing but seeds.   I was bummed, but then I took one more look at the outside seating and it made my heart smile, just a little.

Maple & Motor, Dallas, TX (September, 2011)

When I knew I was heading to Dallas in late September,  I called my friend (and professional photographer) Chris Moseley, and asked him where HIS favorite burger was.   He did what any reasonable person would do - created a Facebook poll.   The consensus was that we should meet and eat at Maple & Motor.   So we did, for lunch. 

When I got there, he was waiting inside, camera in hand.  See, some of the photos in this blog post were PROFESSIONALLY TAKEN!  The first thing he did was take me back outside to look at the sign on the door:

Photo by Chris Moseley

From the outset, I knew that I was going to like this place.  Any place that is that clear about the priority of the burger is near the top of my list.  (The small print in the sign directs parents to take their screaming kids to the Purple Cow, a Dallas chain that is know for being kid friendly.) 

Photo by Chris Moseley

We went in and scouted for a table.   Even at 11:30, it was packed.   But the burgers smelled good.   The menu was  burger-based, but with a big list of "must-adds": chili; double meat; bacon (mmm.  bacon); fried egg; grilled onions; and grilled or pickled jalapenos.  But what caught my eye was the alternatives: flat top brisket; fried baloney; grilled cheese; BLT; chicken or sockeye salmon.

Photo by Chris Moseley

Chris asked the order-taker-person (I don't know what to call the guy, he wasn't a waiter, or cashier and may have been the owner), whether he should go with the fries or the tots.  You know me, I'm all about the tots.  But OTP said the fries were actually better, so Chris ordered fries, with cheese, bacon (mmmm.  bacon) and jalapenos.

Photo by Chris Moseley

They were good.   

Being the practical man I am, and torn between tots and fries, I did what I believe that Solomon would have done in the same situation.  No, I didn't ask they split an order and half and see who loved it more.  Instead, I ordered a fried baloney sandwich as my side.

It was really good, too.   I don't know what they do to the buns, but the bun was perfect for the sandwich and the burger.   Hard to tell in the photo, but that beautifully seared slab of baloney is about 3/8" thick.

And then, came the burger.   A bacon (mmmm. bacon) cheeseburger, to be exact.   When I ordered the burger, OTP didn't ask me how I wanted it cooked.  He said, "you want it pink in the center.  Right?"  

It came out pink in the center.  It was a mighty fine burger.   Great burger.  Great company.  I'd go there again.

Kincaid's Grocery & Market, Fort Worth, TX (September, 2011)

Texas burger are different.   While the basic burger at most of the places I visit are based on a sixth-, fifth- or quarter-pound burger, often served as a double, the foundational Texas burger is a half-pounder.  I'll have to admit, I'm fond of the idea.  Kincaid's opened in the mid-forties as a grocer with a full service butcher.  In the mid-sixties, the butcher (ultimately the owner of the restaurant, O.R. Gentry) starting grinding the prime cuts not sold the previous day into burgers and selling them out of the grocery.  

Like Lankford Grocery in Houston, at some point, the burger sales surpassed the sale of groceries and it became a burger joint.  From everything I've read and heard, they do a booming lunch time business, serving 800 - 100 burgers a day.  I stopped in late afternoon and the place was nearly empty.   After the crowds starting showing up, they cut down the former grocery store shelves to lunch counter height and they're full of diners at meal times.

 

I stared at the menu for a while, trying to decide.  Ultimately, I went with an Original cheeseburger, with tomato, mayo and ketchup.  It was not fast food, at all.   The burger prep took just as much time as it would have if I'd cooked the burger at home.

So I waited about ten minutes, wandering around, reading all of the articles on the wall (picking up some interesting bits of information) and waiting for them to call my name.  When they did, I went to counter and picked up a little lunch sack full of heaven.  

Opening the sack, I could see the grease and cheese pushing against the wax paper.   When I opened it up, what did I find?   An amazingly juicy burger, on a steamed bun, covered in melted cheese that I absolutely devoured.   An amazing burger.  The picture doesn't do it justice.

I'll have to be honest, here.  Before I left Fort Worth, I swung by one of their other locations (they have five satellites in the metroplex) and had a junior before I headed to the airport.   It was good, but the original was amazing.

The Burger House, Dallas, TX (April 2011)

On the way back home from Oklahoma, via DFW, we had time for lunch in Dallas.   Looking at the choices, we ended up at the Burger House.  Originally Jack's Burger House, it has now turned into a Texas-based franchise.  We chose the original location on Mockingbird, near the campus of SMU.  

It is a typical burger joint, known for their fries.   But what caught my attention wasn't on the menu, but rather on a sign on the wall - the Texas Hamburdog.  In case you can't read it, this contains: 2 all beef patties, 2 slices of American cheese, 1 all beef hot dog, 2 slices of applewood bacon, 1 scoop of chili, mustard, grilled onions (which I held) and jalapenos.   How can a man turn down that opportunity?

Quite a culinary experience, but I don't know that I'd do it again.  Not that I need to.  You, on the other hand, should <g>.

The Places I Missed (Part 2)

In the same trip that we hit Charlies' in Folsom, PA, we travelled across the state to Tessaro's in Pittsburgh's Little Italy neighborhood. Aside from the size of the burgers, one of the main attractions is, according to Hamburger America, the hardwood grill which is "unique to the burger world.  The hamburgers at Tessaro's are grilled over a fire made from west Pennsylvania hardwoods."  They use a mixture of yellow maple, red oak and walnut.  This was a great, huge burger.  

In September of 2010, I was on a business trip to Houston and went to Christian's Tailgate Bar & Grill.   Imagine a half pound Five Guys burger.  Now make it more flavorful.  You're getting there.

This was an excellent burger - one of the better recommendations from Hamburger America.

Late in the summer of 2010, I kept hearing stories of the "secret" burgers that only appeared on the menu at Holman & Finch Public House at 10:00 on weeknights.   And they only made 24 a night.  And they sold out EVERY night.  ((the Legend).   Griddled patties, American cheese, homemade ketchup and grilled onions.   

I began plotting a way to end up there around 9:45.   It's on Peachtree, near Peachtree Battle, so I couldn't really come up with a convenient "excuse' to be in the neighborhood....

Then I heard that they had burgers ALL DAY on Sunday for brunch, starting at 11:30.   The next Sunday we were there at 11:30.  Waited an hour.  Two weeks later we took  the girls, got there at 11:00 and made the first seating.  Many folks believe that this is the best burger in Atlanta.  On a recent episode of the Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" about hamburgers, Chef Anne Burrell chose the burger at H&F as the best burger she ever ate.  I'd say it is definitely among the three best in the city and at the top for the country, in my meager travels.

The Places I Missed (Part 1)

Since I decided to start a blog retrospectively, there were some spots I visited where I don't seem to have the photos anywhere but on FB.   

There was Stanley's in Central Falls, RI (a little north of Providence) in August 2009.  That's the first time that I remember ordering Poutine, Quebec style French Fries, cheese curds and brown gravy.

Eagles Deli, Brighton, MA in August 2009.  Home of the "Godzilla Burger".  Tokyo won.

Lankford Grocery, Houston, TX in November, 2009.  This was a Hamburger America find.  This place was operated as a grocery from when it opened in 1939 until 1977 when they converted it into a cafe.  Great, classic burger (see below)

In March of 2010, we heard about a new restaurant in Atlanta called Bocado.  The reviews in Atlanta magazine raved about the quality of the burger.   It was good.  I'd put it in the top five in the city, today.

The April adventure was at the now defunct Vinings Burger Club.  Their take on burgers was there was nothing you couldn't do to a burger to "improve" it.  I had to try this one - the Artery Annihilator: a cheeseburger between two Krispy Kreme doughnuts.  Not nearly as good as you'd hope when you combine two culinary wonders....

June, 2010 - we tried a new restaurant after a review in the AJC, Urban Pl8.   Great local in-town restaurant on Huff Rd, in West Midtown, focusing on quality + affordability.  This was the burger I chose that night - a bison burger with harisa (an Algerian HOT paste) and avocado.  Excellent!  We've been back several times since, and while I've sampled other offerings, I've come back to the burger.  They also offer it "paleo" style - served between two slices of tomato, as opposed  to on a bun.