So. We had decided some time ago that we would DRIVE to Houston for my August appointment at MD Anderson and then drive back by way of Austin so that we could take in the annual meeting of the Texas Association of Broadcasters.
Then Texas Monthly published this article titled “The 50 Greatest Burgers in Texas.” Well, you have to eat when you are on the road, yes? So Nancy comes up with this research project:
Let’s replicate the study done by Texas Monthly, and see if we get the same results!
Dutch's main dining room with Kay Greenlee greeting clients.
All 50 burgers? Well, no, just a convenience sample … just top burgers that happen to be “in our way,” along our pre-determined path. So if we get an early enough start on Monday, we should be able to make Fort Worth for lunch. There, on University Drive just two miles south of I-30 and on the edge of the TCU campus is Dutch’s, home of Burger #8, Dutch’s Bacon and Bleu Cheese Burger.
We ordered a couple burgers and some onion rings and then sat down to wait for our order. Up comes this blonde woman wearing a red-and-white striped sleeveless dress, saying “I see you’re from Texas Tech.” “Oh boy,” I thought, here we are in Horned Frog Heaven, all dripping with purple and white and I’m wearing black and red with an embroidered double tee on my shirt.
While I am wondering what kind of fight I just started and considering a diplomatic response, Kay Greenlee – the blonde, who just happens to be Dutch’s general manager – wistfully announces “I just left my baby there this weekend.” So that started a wonderful conversation about Texas Tech and Lubbock, and her son who is planing to major in sports medicine. It wasn’t long before the conversation turned to burgers and Texas Monthly. And presto! Our burgers were ready.
Verdict? A burger worthy of Top 10 designation, and better than burger #10, a designation belonging to the Cheeseburger in Paradise served up by Orlando’s in Lubbock.
The bacon cheeseburger served at Beck's Prime in Houston.
Beck’s Prime
After our experience at Dutch’s we were ready for burger #9, the bacon cheeseburger at Beck’s Prime in Houston. Beck’s Prime is actually a short order café at the golf course clubhouse in Memorial Park just south of I-10. Tuesday’s experience echoed Monday’s: Another burger, worthy of top 10 designation, and probably better than Orlando’s. But choosing between Beck’s and Dutch’s was more than we could do.
We had planned to try burger #12 in Austin (Chop-House Burger), but frankly, it was so hot in Austin (103-105 each day), and the humidity so high that we just wanted to stay close to the hotel. However, on the way home we stopped in Buffalo Gap, south of Abilene. There, at Perini’s Steakhouse, was another top burger, #7. We felt it was not good enough to dislodge Dutch’s or Beck’s in our minds, but it was worth the trip off the beaten path.
