Dallas Life Newsletter

Given the economic situation this past year, we decided to give an award for a category of cuisine in which you can find something whether you want to spend $0.99 or $99.00, and we chose burgers.  Although we have never given a Best Burger award (I know.  What were we thinking?), the choice has been the same for several years now.  Twisted Root Burger Company in Deep Ellum has, by far, had my favorite burger.  If you had asked me if anybody could step into the ring with them and have a chance at not getting knocked out, I would have told you it was highly unlikely.  However, the unlikely has happened.  We've actually decided to split the burger category.  We just had too hard a time comparing a good standard burger with the many specialty burgers out there.  After all, how do you compare a 100% beef half pound bacon cheeseburger with something like an ostrich/emu/portobello mushroom patty with foie gras, capers, and lemon aioli?  Therefore we have an award for the Best Burger of 2009 in which we could include any burger that met our definition of "normal."  For us, that meant a 100% beef patty, no sauce other than ketchup, mustard, or mayo, and perhaps cheese and/or bacon.  The clear winner was once again, Twisted Root Burger Company.  In the Specialty Burger category, which included basically anything else with a patty on a bun, a new face in Dallas has taken the prize, Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant.

People who know me well can tell you that to ask me to try a burger is to be compared to the burgers at Twisted Root.  Before they appeared in Deep Ellum several years ago, there was always a constant hunt to find a better burger.  It's true that I love a wide variety of exotic foods.  I almost always prefer seafood over beef, and I had as close to a perfect meal as I have ever had for my birthday this past year in the form of a specially prepared 13-course tasting menu at The French Room.  However, sometimes there is just nothing like a good burger.  When I am craving a burger, no amount of foie gras and caviar can satisfy the need, and when that happens, the place to go is Twisted Root Burger Co.

They have become quite a fixture in Dallas and have even been featured on The Food Network.  It's not every day two culinary school graduates leave their jobs at the Four Seasons Resort and Pappas Brothers, start a burger joint and higher a pastry chef, also from the Four Seasons, to make ice cream for the shakes, but that's the basic story behind Twisted Root.  Jason Bosso and Quincy Hart met in culinary school and bonded over their love for burgers.  Years later their dream became a reality, and Pastry Chef Steve Thompson joined the team.

Basically everything at Twisted Root is made from scratch, even the ketchup & mustard.  The beef is a hand-mixed blend of chuck and brisket to get just the right percentage of fat in the mix, although you can also get your patty made from ostrich, venison, turkey, buffalo, or veggies.  You can also get a hot dog made from 100% Black Angus Beef, although why anyone would choose a hot dog over a hamburger is beyond me.  (Sorry hot dog people.  I just don't get it.)  Cheese options include Swiss, American, Cheddar, Danish Blue, Deep Ellum Goat, or Pepperjack.  Then you can add other toppings such as Bacon, Grilled Onions, Jalapenos, Mushrooms, Red Onions, Guacamole, Ranch, Chipotle Sauce, Buffalo Sauce, or even a "Big, Fat Onion Ring."  The company is called Twisted Root, so they couldn't get away with not having great potatoes to go on the side.  You can have your choice of hand-cut sweet potato chips or twisted french fries.  If you're really in the mood to pile up on the fried foods, throw in some fried green beans, onion rings, or pickles.  You can even just order a big basket of all of the above.  They also have salads, but let's be honest here.  I'm never going to be able to go to Twisted Root Burger Co and order a salad, so don't ask me how they are.  Plus, this is a burger article, so even though they call one of their salads "Burger-in-a-Bowl," they don't really qualify for this discussion.

About the only time a dessert can be considered a legitimate side item or beverage choice is in the case of burgers & shakes, so having a good milkshake is important for a burger joint.  That's where Chef Steve comes in.  Aside from special flavors each week, his incredible handmade ice cream goes into your choice of vanilla, chocolate, peanut butter, cookie dough, and oreo milkshakes as well as root beer floats.  However, my favorite is the Banana-Bailey's which, along with the Amaretto-Oreo, is only available to customers who are at least 21.

After all this talk about the highly trained culinary minds behind this place, I think it is important to point out that there is absolutely nothing pretentious about Twisted Root.  It's as casual as they come, so head on over in your pajama pants and flip flops for the best burger in town.

When you start opening up the definition of "burger" like we did in the Specialty category, it's really quite amazing (and a little unsettling) what all you will find formed into a patty and served on a bun.  What was most surprising was that our winner was such a simple combination that it almost didn't qualify for this category at all.  It's the Blackjack Burger at Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant.

The first Gordon Biersch opened in Palo Alto, California in 1988, and the Dallas location opened just this past year in the new Park Lane Complex on Central Expressway.  On their expansive menu, burgers are confined to very few choices in one corner of the sandwich section.  Due to an interesting level of devotion to one particular FDA recommendation, they absolutely refuse to prepare a burger below 155 degrees, which they choose to call "medium".  Gordon Biersch has chosen not to utilize the standard consumer warning on their menus related to the risks of eating undercooked meat, choosing instead to not serve their burgers truly prepared according to customer preferences.  However, the beef and other ingredients are high quality, so if you enjoy your burger medium-well to well-done, you will really enjoy their burgers.

One of the daily specials at Gordon Biersch each day is a burger special, and that is how our winner was served.  Unfortunately, that means you probably can't get it right now, but hopefully it will make its way back to the specials list again soon.  Like I said, this is not a complicated burger, although the flavors make a perfectly complex combination.  We're talking about an all-beef patty with lettuce, tomato, red onions, and pepperjack cheese.  What puts this burger over the top is the creole mayo.  I don't venture to guess what's in the sauce, and for once I didn't ask, but the combination of the creole flavors along with the pepperjack cheese creates a whole new profile of deliciousness.

If you're going to have a burger at Gordon Biersch, then you have to also have their signature garlic fries.  However, I will warn you in advance that we are talking about A LOT of in your face garlic in these fries, so I suggest you make sure you have an extra toothbrush to use before going back to that board meeting at the office.  Also, speaking from experience, if you're going to get them "to-go" for a relaxing night at home, you might want to put the bag in your trunk for the drive unless you want to smell the garlic every time you get in your car for the next week.  Don't get me wrong.  They are well worth it.

Also to go with your burger, I highly recommend one of their in-house hand crafted beers.  They just recently tapped their current seasonal offering, Alt Beer, which I find just perfect for the strong flavor of a Blackjack Burger.

Twisted Root Burger Company

2615 Commerce Street
Dallas, Texas

214-741-ROOT

(Also now has locations in Richardson & Roanoke)

Gordon Biersch

8060 Park Lane, Suite #125
Dallas, Texas

214-369-2739

(Also has a location in Plano)