As much as work requires me to be a planner, sometimes the best thing on a random night is a spontaneous adventure. After a long week a friend and I decided that it had been way too long since we had crossed something off The List. We weren’t willing to get dressed up to go out so we decided to try the to-go places. After a little Google mapping we headed out for our Burger Adventure (insert dramatic music). Before you go thinking I ate four burgers in one sitting, you should know we ordered one of each item, split what we could and tossed the rest in order to get through it all. While some places had us wishing we could eat multiples, we knew this was a marathon and we had to plan accordingly.
The first stop of the night was number #54 on The List, the good old-fashioned cheeseburger at Dairyette. We ordered ours plain and dry with cheese and were not disappointed. The place itself is an old-school grease joint, filled with regulars and everything you would think of when coming to an old time drive-in diner. Reminiscent of an older generation, there were no TVs on the walls, no fancy décor and only 10 booths where families sat and enjoyed spending time chatting together. Dairyette’s focal point was a large cask filled with their homemade root beer. Most reviews mentioned how yummy their floats are, so I will be heading back again for another nostalgic treat. Unfortunately, this was one of five -- we were on a mission and could not be distracted from our quest. While patrons could tell we were newbies, the cashier was obviously accustomed to people showing up to try them out. They didn’t bat an eye when we asked to split one burger and went above and beyond as they cut and separately wrapped our two halves of burger. The cheese was perfectly melted, the bun was buttery and warm without begin distractingly thick and the meat held that homemade fresh grilled taste. Stop one was certainly setting high expectations for the night. A
Stop two was the second drive-in of the night at Keller’s Burgers. If you have ever watched Happy Days or Friday Night Lights the movie, this is that drive-in, figuratively speaking. Filled with cars three-deep by 6:30pm, this is the place to be for the locals. The old timers had their lawn chairs and koozies out, taking it in as the local high school girls hung out of their boyfriends’ trucks to flirt. I felt like I had stepped back in time watching small town nostalgia at its finest -- smack dab in the middle of Big D. We again ordered our burger plain and dry, but we just couldn’t pass up the great tater tots, at least according to the 80-year-old man with the eye patch. He and the sweet man in the throwback Rangers cap complimented my convertible and asked if I was a newbie. Not that they really needed to ask as I knew I stuck out like a sore thumb. But the welcoming attitude was appreciated and I must agree with Mr. Eye Patch that the tater tots were worth the added fullness. While I appreciate Keller’s atmosphere, the best thing I can say about the burger is that I need a do-over. We should have gotten a double patty, but the poppyseed bun was perfectly toasted, the cheese was great and while the meat had a great seasoning I needed more of it to counter the toastiness of the bun. But the atmosphere more than made up for it when the gin & cigs-voiced waitress called me “hon” and helped me back out of my spot to head to my next destination. A-
If Keller’s defined nostalgia, then Village Burger Bar defines West Village. The popular burger joint in the heart of West Village is the place to see and be seen. With a patio that wraps the full corner and a crowded bar, this is no place for a low-key night. Luckily, we had already placed our order to go, so were good with our laid-back attire. This #93 cheeseburger was a little fancier with bacon, lettuce, tomato and a spicy aioli. An order of fries was also included as my partner in taste buds raved about them. I’m glad I trusted him. The fries were thin, curly and had a nice crunch. They did cool quickly due to the styrofoam and moisture (another post on the terrible idea to store fries in styrofoam later). The burger was good but not my favorite. I may need to go back and get something fancier when my stomach isn’t so overwhelmed. B+
Our final stop for the night was a shift from the burger to the dog. The Stand is touted as a perfect late night location, and with the fun trailer-like decor and ideal location on the corner of Allen & McKinney, I can understand why. The woman taking our order looked pretty shocked to have someone come in around 7:30pm. We ordered one #96 Mac Daddy Dog and headed to my friend’s house to consume our final meal. This dog was.... interesting. With chili, mac & cheese and liquid cheese on top of a rather thick piece of meat, it was a bit overwhelming. I liked it more than I thought I would, but am not sure I would order it twice. I will however try mixing some chili into a thicker mac & cheese because that part was an unexpected surprise. This feast of a hot dog would be a great outside dish or fun tailgate appetizer. Maybe it would adapt well into hili/mac & cheese baked cups? B-
If you are looking for a fun night on the town, I would highly recommend a comparative test of your favorites. It was great Dallas perspective and a fun drive in the new ride!
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