Print
E-Mail
tool name
closeWednesday, Aug. 05, 2009
Maid-Rite Diner makes its burgers with a Midwest twist
Midwest's Maid-Rite introduces Texas to 'loose meat sandwich.' Things could get messy.
By TERESA GUBBINS
Special to dfw.com
The place: Maid-Rite Diner
The cuisine: Burgers, sandwiches
The draw: An institution in the Midwest, Iowa-based Maid-Rite is a quick-serve place that offers unique regional specialties including the burgerlike item called the "loose meat sandwich." This is the first branch of Maid-Rite in Texas, located in a small strip center on the southernmost edge of Arlington.
The food: The menu is a patchwork of Maid-Rite signatures and standard fast-food fare. However, it makes the food to order, so it doesn’t fall into the fast-food category.
The loose meat sandwich ($3.19-$6.69 for a "mega" portion topped with cheese) was a nifty treat. Like a deconstructed hamburger, the bun was topped with ground beef that had been crumbled like sloppy joe meat. But in place of the typical sloppy joe sauce, was seasoning with a piquant meaty-tasting blend of spices that had notes of salty and sweet, enhanced by pickles and chopped onions.
Pork tenderloin sandwich ($4.69) is another favorite among Midwesterners, and it was easy to see why. The pork was formed into a cutlet about a half-inch thick and given a breaded coating, then deep-fried and served on a hamburger bun, dressed with a flavorful mix of ketchup, mustard and chopped onions. The addictive part of this sandwich lay in the contrast between the crunchy outside and the crumbly interior.
Onion rings ($3.69) were clearly hand-cut, with irregular shapes and crunchy crusts, but the batter was a bit bready and with less personality than a beer batter. French fries were excellent: crisp and hot, soft inside. A Chicago hot dog ($4.29) — described on the menu as "Nathan’s" dog but identified by an employee as "Hebrew National" — had all of the hallmarks of a Chicago-style dog, including bright green relish, mustard and chopped onions. The dog itself wasn’t heated all the way through.
Other regional favorites include breaded cheese curds ($4.29) — like a distinctive fried cheese — plus Godfather’s pizza and very good milkshakes ($2.99) made with ice cream.
The atmosphere: It felt like a fast-food joint but a bit nicer, with a red-and-white color scheme and bright graphics.
The service: Although well-meaning, the service situation seemed chaotic. At least four employees were clustered behind the counter, yet it still took time to place an order, and one staffer became exceedingly frustrated when the cash register misbehaved.
The details: Open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. No bar. Smoke-free. Major credit cards. Wheelchair-accessible.
8021 Matlock Road
Arlington
817-472-9191
DFW.com is pleased to be able to offer its users the opportunity to make comments and hold conversations online. However, the interactive nature of the internet makes it impractical for our staff to monitor each and every posting.
Since DFW.com does not control user submitted statements, we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted on our website. In addition, we remind anyone interested in making an online comment that responsibility for statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not DFW.com.
If you find a comment offensive, clicking the exclamation icon will flag the comment for review by the administrators; we are counting on the good judgment of all our readers to help us.
