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closeWednesday, Oct. 21, 2009
Meat madness continues with two local outposts that go beyond the burger
It's more burger-ama, as two new North Texas joints go beyond meat, cheese and bun.
One thing we do not lack in North Texas is burger joints. If you followed our Best of the Burgers bracket, you already know there are at least 32 worth checking out. Plus 16 bubble burgers. Now here are two more: Burger Island, recently opened in Colleyville, in a space formerly occupied by yet another burger place called Old 7, and 5 and Diner Delux, an Arlington diner-style chain that’s kinda like Arnold’s from Happy Days, minus Potsie, Ralph and the Fonz.
Burger Island
The back story: The local chain was founded in Garland seven years ago and now has 11 branches in and around Dallas. The burgers are big and full of flavor, with lots of inventive variations and extra-fresh topping ingredients. Add in excellent hand-cut fries and distinctive milkshakes, and it’s no surprise that the chain is growing.
The grub: Burgers ran from the basic ($4.25), with shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, pickles and mayo, to the absurdly large Double Jungle Burger ($7.65), with two half-pound patties of beef, plus bacon, sautéed onions and mushrooms, jalapeños, bell peppers, American and provolone cheese, mayo, ketchup, hickory sauce, mustard, lettuce, and tomato. A Hawaiian ($5.95) has pineapple and ham; the pizza burger ($5.25) has marinara sauce; and there’s a veggie burger ($4.75), too. They also do Philly sandwiches, cold subs, a few salads and a slew of nifty appetizers such as fried pickles ($4.55) and Buffalo wings ($3.95).
The good stuff: The Jungle Burger ($5.95), with one beef patty and all of its toppings, was more than a meal. What stood out was the excellent quality of the ingredients. Everything seemed intelligently engineered. Mushrooms, for example, were chopped roughly and sautéed until golden brown and extra flavorful. Sautéed jalapeños were cut thick enough that you could still discern their texture and heat. Cheese was applied in the right quantity to hold it all together but not so much as to overwhelm.
The turkey cheeseburger ($4.75) got a thumbs-up, as its shards of white-meat turkey seemed more like the real deal than the usual ground crumble. Cracked pepper added an appealing speckle and a satisfying peppery bite. Like the beef burgers, it came on a fresh, broad bun that was soft and airy but not squishy — the perfect supporting player.
Also try: The onion rings ($2.75) were the real deal, with varied ring sizes and widths coated in a fine, crunchy batter. French fries ($1.95) were hand-cut, skin-on, a deep golden brown and slightly crunchy, with a salty seasoning that made them good even without ketchup.
Milkshakes ($2.95) in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry were simply made, with ice cream, milk and syrup: perfection.
The details: Burger Island, 3930 Glade Road, #101, Colleyville, 817-494-9600. www.burgerislandonline.com
Teresa Gubbins
5 & Diner Delux
The back story: A newish outpost of an Arizona-based chain, this cafe’s tagline is "Food, Fun & Fifties!" Soda-shop kitsch rules in this arrangement of tables and booths.
The grub: All-day breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, dinner plates and shakes. The menu takes a page (or several) from the something-for-everyone restaurant handbook. Meat and potatoes? Check. All kinds of breakfast? Yep. More than a dozen burgers and sandwiches? Yeah. Obligatory salads? Sure. Some Mexican influences? Sí.
The good stuff: Three of us began supper with the Southwestern egg rolls ($6.99), fried, flaky cylinders filled with a mix of chopped chicken, roasted corn and black beans, served with a thin queso sauce for dipping. Other starters good for sharing include mozzarella sticks with marinara ($5.59) and Buffalo wings ($7.29).
The so-so stuff: From a long list of breakfast skillets, the one called Joe’s ($8.99) held a mix of charbroiled ground beef, crumbled and mixed with sautéed mushrooms, onion, spinach and country potatoes, topped with Parmesan, sour cream and two eggs. But our requested over-easy arrived cooked through. Chipotle mayo, pepper jack cheese and a roasted green chile strip jazzed up a grilled chicken-breast sandwich ($7.99). Fries were OK, if from a frozen bag.
The Cadillac Meat Loaf ($10.99) was a mountain of food, but the uniform slices didn’t strike us as homemade, as promised on the menu. The treatment of chopped bacon, molasses glaze, sautéed mushrooms and crunchy onion straws all atop a bunker of red-skin mashed potatoes masked the blandness beneath.
The details: 5 & Diner Delux, 522 Lincoln Square, Arlington, 817-277-7900. www.5anddiner.com
June Naylor
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