smashburger - Top 10 Ranker

Visited November 13th, 2010

1605 S. University Dr.
Ft. Worth, Texas 76107

817-810-9612
Hours: 10AM-10PM 7 days

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As we do with all "chains, we go to the place more than once before we write our thoughts. Mostly because we hate to see chains come into town and do well. We are for the local Fort Worth businesses. Perhaps it helps that these are franchises - but only if a local person owns it. But, if we are to be true prognosticators on the art of the burger, then we must do so with our integrity intact.

And thus our review of smashburger. The concept and story behind this place is basically the same as any burger joint - founded by some guys who had enough of the fast food burger nation and wanted to create an alternative. In fact, Tom Ryan, the founder, used to be the chief concept guy at Quiznos and McDonalds before stepping out to do smashburger.

The fact that this is a chain with tons of locations throughout the US is evident when you come inside. The interior is modern and stylish, but more hip eatery than burger joint. The red lined space lacks the cool factor of some of Fort Worth's favorites. The ordering process follows the same as many places - you stand in line, place your order at the counter and pay and then your burger is made to order and brought to your table.

There is an outdoor patio that was great on this sunny Saturday. The service was average at best and nothing to get excited about here. In fact, it was a little "get you through the line and on to the next customer" method cloaked as "efficiency" that ultimately makes the experience much the same as the fast food chains they are trying to separate themselves from.



The burgers are 100% fresh Angus beef that is "smashed" (their term) into 1/3 or 1/2lb patties. We like the single patty concept versus the stackables that places like Trailboss or Jakes use. It makes us feel like we are getting a fresh and not frozen burger made for us.


Your meal is served "open-faced" on a long rectangular tray with your fries in a wire basket - very trendy restaurant. The overall size of the burger did not disappoint. The temperature was great and the meat was cooked medium - as it should be. And the seasoning of the beef was right on. The "All American" comes with American cheese (of course) on an egg bun, but you do have options for a multi-grain or spicy chipotle bun. Condiments are ketchup, mustard, pickles, purple onions. You can order one of their specialty burgers or "make your own" and get apple wood bacon, beefy chili, sauteed mushrooms, guacamole, avocado or a fried egg. Cheese varieties are American, Aged Swiss, Sharp Cheddar, Pepperjack or Blue. There is also a special "smash sauce" which we think is a holdover of the Big Mac spread from Tom's old days at McDonalds - not a good.

The fries are shoestring style and coated with olive oil, garlic and rosemary. AGH labels these the best fries in Fort Worth. The flavor was terrific. (Although more fine dinign than burger joint.) there are plenty of other great sides if you so choose liek sweet potato fries, haystack onions, fries without the fanciness, fried pickles nd more.

This is a diet coke place that also has some great handmade shakes with Haagen Dazs ice cream and fresh brewed Tazo tea.


Overall, this place was a good and you should put it on your list of places to visit - especially if you are with some no burger people. They can enjoy smashchicken, salads or smashdogs.  

Joining us for this Burger Saturday were Madeline's brother and sister (in law) Brayden and Christine.  


Stats:


Locations: Lots in 20 States


Date Est: 2010










SCORE: (1-7)

Burger: 6 pickles

Sides: 5 pickles

Menu: 6 pickles


Character: 3 pickles

Service: 3 pickles

Price: $8 cheeseburger (with fries)

Salsa Fuego - Top 10 Ranker

Visited October 22nd, 2010



3520 Altamere Drive
Fort Worth, Texas 76116
817.560.7888
Hours: Mon - Thurs 11am - 8:30pm
Fri - Sat 11am - 9:30pm
Sun - Closed

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Menu


Yes, you read the name of this place right. It is a Tex-Mex delight that not only dabbles in burgers, but beats the heck out of a lot of people who only do burgers in town. Ironically located in a building just North of the Weatherford traffic circle that used to be a Charley's burgers place, this place is truly a candidate for Diners, Dives and Drive-ins. 

Chef Carlos, the owner, has brought a real freshness to the menu and the meals are truly made to order. It has the extensive menu of a Daybreak Cafe, but the gourmet touches of Grace. The decor is a little cheesy (which actually works in this case) and the tables are the leftovers from years past. Since this place was not built as a true restaurant, the seating is a real issue. There are only 8 tables total in the entire place. there is a nice outdoor patio area, but it was pouring rain when we were there, so did not take advantage of that. 

Speaking of puring rain, it is important to note that even with the terrible weather, there was still a line and people waiting to b seated - always a good sign for a food joint. The service was average, but we did get to visit with the owner.

The burgers were 1/3 lb patties that can be "upgraded to 1/2lb for $1.00 more. Served in a basket with white paper, the overall size of the burger did not disappoint. This is a stacker versus a large circumference patty like Chubbys. The temperature was good and the meat was cooked medium - the way beef should be. The seasoning of the meat was good, but not spectacular. The "classic" comes with soft sweet bread bun, much like Dutch's or Lilli's.  Condiments are ketchup, mustard, tomato, lettuce, white onions. There are plenty of specialty burgers, and if you are a fan of the tex-mex, this is your burger place. AGH has the guacamole burger (see picture) and there was so much rich flavor, she ordered dry (no ketchup, mustard, etc.) The classic does not come with cheese, but you can add your choice of American, Swiss, Cheddar for some extra cash.

MBH had the Big classic, which comes with melted cheddar and 2 - 1/3 lb beef patties. (see picture) The fries are not hand-cut, but from a bag. They did an admirable job of seasoning and the portion was good. Its a Pepsi place, so that works against them, but they do have diet coke available in a can. (But like Mi Cocina, the price is the same as fountain and there are no refills.)  


Overall, this place was a good and you should put it on your list of places to visit. And if you love the chips and salsa, this is your place. You get some fresh made salsa and warm chips to much on whilst you contemplate which burger is best for you. And be prepared, there is a long list of burgers to choose from. This may be the ideal place for you Burger Saturday people who may be married to a vegetarian - plenty of good food for all. If you venture away from the burgers, might we suggest the chipotle bbq burrito. Let's put it this way, if one day we decide to do Mexican Thursdays, this place will make the Top 10 of that site as well.


It was just the 3 of us on this Burger Saturday and Madeline was pleased even dealing with the rain.


Stats:
Locations: 1

Date Est: 2010


SCORE: (1-7)

Burger: 6 pickles

Sides: 4 pickles

Menu: 5 pickles

Character: 4 pickles

Service: 3 pickles

Price: $8 cheeseburger (with fries)

Magnolia Motor Lounge - Top 10 Ranker

Visited October 3rd, 2010



3005 Morton
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
817.332.3344
Hours: Mon - Wed 11am - 10pm
Thurs - Sat 11am - 2am
Sun - Closed

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Usually catching a place on its 3rd day open is a bad idea, but it worked out this time. Nestled in the heart of the redevelopment along the 7th street corridor, their neighbors are Fred's Texas Cafe - a Top 3 in the Burger Saturday rankings.

Formerly Vonn's transmission repair shop, the transformation is great. The decor and theme is that of an old garage with an industrial feel to the space including a spot for "show" cars inside. When we were there, it was a 1931 Model A Ford coupe.  The plan is to rotate them for a new look each time you come. With a little bit of "sports bar" DNA there is a curving bar in the middle and lots of bar stools. We say a little in that the TVs on the big walls look tiny.

There is an outdoor patio that was great on this sunny Saturday. The service was special and we even got to visit with the owner, Mark Euckert, who for his first attempt at the food biz, did a great job. The menu is fun with good variety and the proper attention to beef.

The burgers were 1/2 lb juicers. Served in a basket with white paper, the overall size of the burger did not disappoint. The temperature was good and the meat was cooked medium - MBH favorite. The "standard" comes with sourdough bun, but if you go to one of the "specialty" burgers, you can get a jalapeno cornbread bun (see looks like toast in picture beow) Condiments are ketchup, mustard, tomato, lettuce, purple onions. You can get apple wood bacon on the specialty burgers, and if you are a fan of the pig, this bacon is special. The standard does not come with cheese, but you can add your choice of Amercian, Swiss, Cheddar, Pepperjack or Blue for some extra cash.

The fries are hand-cut and skinny - what we have come to expect from burger places, but the flavor was average compared to the rest.  A diet coke place that had great prices on large size beers.

Overall, this place was a good and you should put it on your list of places to visit.  And for our burger purest readers out there, this place could be argued into the Top 10 - especially when you consider the atmosphere. And so we will. Those 5 Guys fans may be upset that we moved them out, but Magnolia is local and not a chain.   But please make the jalapeno cornbread an option for all burgers.

Joining us for this Burger Saturday were Madeline's good friends Richard and Debbie Petty (no pics though.)

Stats:


Locations: 1 

Date Est: 2010


SCORE: (1-7)

Burger: 6 pickles

Sides: 3 pickles

Menu: 6 pickles

Character: 5 pickles

Service: 5 pickles

Price: $8 cheeseburger (with fries)

Movie Tavern 7th Street

Visited on September 25, 2010

2872 Crockett Street

Fort Worth, Texas 76107

682.503.8100

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So, now for something really different. In the heart of the redevelopment along the 7th Street corridor this is a movie theater that serves burgers, not a burger place that shows movies. This line should serve as the prediction of how this posting is going to go.

Perhaps its not fair to pick on this place, but when someone says to us 'you have to try the burgers at Movie Tavern' then well, we have too.

When you gather into the theater, the seats are large and comfortable and there is a "tray table" that swivels around for your food. A red button on your seat alerts the service staff that you are ready to order. They take your order and transmit it to the kitchen for delivery.

The time from our order to delivery was rather slow. And when we needed anything (they forgot the side of mayo and then never brought the drink refills) service was horrible.


There is a large menu, but it is more bar food than anything else. We did try the fried pickles (we are suckers for these) and they were average as well.

The burger was 1/3lb, small for us true Burger Saturday guys. It was served on a plate and cooked well done. There was not much juice factor - which is no surprise when you cook your burgers well done.

Contained in a sesame seed bun, the appearance of this burger was not on par with most of our other reviews. The burger comes with ketchup and mustard and garnished with tomatoes, pickles, lettuce and purple onions (as you can see.) There were options for cheddar cheese and bacon. But even adding these things will not make this burger worth buying.

The fries were fresh from the bag with little seasoning and were more cold than warm. They do serve diet coke and fresh brewed iced tea, and yes, beer. But if you are a Burger Saturday type of person, you can skip this place.

Overall, this place does not rate well with us. While it is a great place to watch a movie, it is not a great place for a burger. And since this business started in our hometown, we hoped it would do better.

When you go, we recommend sitting in the front section next to the aisle against the wall (not on the aisle - you can see it in the image above - plus this will make sense when you get there.) This way you will not be distracted time and again by the servers crossing in front of you to serve people down your row while you are trying to watch the movie. Personally, MBH finds it very distracting and not a fan. Stats:


Locations: 14  (3 in Fort Worth)  


Date Est: 2000



SCORE: (1-5)

Burger: 2 pickles

Sides: 2 pickles

Menu: 2 pickles

Character: 2 pickles

Service: 2 pickles

Price: $8 cheeseburger (with fries)

The Purple Cow Diner

Visited September 18th, 2010

4601 West Freeway, Suite 140
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
817.737.7177
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Okay, so yes, this is a "kid's" place. And yes we did recently have a kid. But the real reason we came here is because they serve burgers.

The first Purple Cow Diner was opened in 1989 in Little Rock, AR. They moved into our neck of the woods starting in 1998. Yes, Purple Cow is a franchise type business. So, yes, the atmosphere feels forced and not genuine. But their target is kids and kids would not notice the difference, so it does work on some levels. Going for that old diner feel, there is a soda fountain bar in the main area by the kitchen. The tables and chairs are what we remember from the old days (just new version replicas) So all in all, not the true character we look for like in a Fred's or the original Kincaid's. But still fun for the little ones. This is also a popular place for TCU parents before the game as well.

The burger was served on a plate this time in keeping with their "diner" motif. They serve diet coke (something we are starting to track now since Matt will only drink diet coke and no Pepsi or RC Cola like Charley's.)
The service was good. Everything was fast and the wait staff took good care of us.


 The burgers were cooked well done, but had a limited juice factor. Served on a white toasted seed bun The patties are smaller around compared to the other places on our reviews. The weight was 1/3 lb (although it honestly seemed less.)  

It is served "dry" with everyhting on the side (as you can see in the picture.) They do have some specialty burgers that others in the party tried, but no one was "knocked out" with anything we had.  The meat was not well seasoned. But the price was fair for what we got.

All burgers come with potato chips versus fries, but you can upgrade for $1.25. (Who eats chips with their burger?) The fries were hand cut style in a long thin variety. They tasted fine, but could use some seasoning. We honestly have had better fries at fast food places.

Overall, this place has a unique purple atmosphere, but the burger was average. If you are taking kids on Burger Saturday, this might be a good place - after all - where else can you get purple shakes and ice cream cones? But for our burger purest readers out there, you rest assured this place rests well outside the Top 10. 

Joining us for this Burger Saturday were Madeline's big brother Brayden and his wife Christine and Madeline's grandparents from Indiana, Charles and Linda.


Stats:

Locations: 1 (4 total in DFW)


Date Est: 1989



SCORE: (1-5)

Burger: 2 pickles

Sides: 2 pickles

Menu: 2 pickles

Character: 3 pickles

Service: 3 pickles

                                                    Price: $7 cheeseburger (with fries)

Galligaskins

Visited September 11, 2010

5817 Camp Bowie Blvd

Fort Worth, Texas 76107

817.377.0196

Map

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Menu

Started in 1972 and still in the same location is often a great way to start a review. And for Galligaskins' this fact is both good and bad.

The good is that the food here is good. The menu has a ton of sub choices and even some salads for some of you none meaters. there is only 1 burger choice, though, so you will see a low score on the Menu rank below.

The bad is the decor. The same chairs and tables and paint seem to still be in use. While in some instances this might add great character, here it just feels dingy and old. In fact, one of our party got dripped on from the broken ceiling tiles over the table.

The burger is 1/2 lb (if you order it that way.) But what they actually mean is 2 1/4 lb patties stacked on top of each other. Not that this is bad, but if you like you burger cooked medium, you will never achieve that with a 1/4 lb patty. Served in a basket with red and white paper, the overall appearance is disappointing. The temperature was good, but as we feared, the meat was cooked well done. the bun, as you can see, is nothing special - just from a bag.

Since this is actually a sub place, the condiments were unique. For example, the pickles are actually the pickle relish they use on their cheese steak. This added a unique and different twist of flavor. Condiments are tomato, lettuce, onions, pickles and sweet cherry peppers. They do put a side of ketchup in the basket since its a burger for heaven's sake.

The fries are hand-cut and greasy. MBH opted for the tator tots which were delightful. A diet coke place that uses styrofoam cups. (Styrofoam is better for flavor in fountain drinks.)

Overall, this place will not make the Top 10 and if you want a Philly cheese steak, you should check this place out. It honestly is the best in Fort Worth. But if you want a burger, you can skip this one. Sorry to be negative to a locally owned business, but when it comes to beef, we have to be honest.  

Joining us for this Burger Saturday were Madeline's brother and sister (Brayden and Christine) and her "Moo" from Hot Springs, AR.  

Stats:


Locations: 1

Date Est: 1972


SCORE: (1-5)

Burger: 2 pickles

Sides: 3 pickles

Menu: 1 pickles

Character: 1 pickles

Service: 3 pickles

Price: $5 cheeseburger 

Five Guys Burger and Fries

Visited September 4th, 2010

4833 S Hulen Street
Fort Worth, Texas 7132
817.263.8900
Map
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Just into Fort Worth is the largest of our Burger Saturday contestants (outside of the occasional jaunt into fast food) Five Guys Burger ad Fries. This was a special day for us because it marks the addition of a 3rd person to our crew - our daughter Madeline.

Started in Virginia in 1986, we actually ate in the original store years ago. What we can say is that the food and menu of that early experience were consistent with this one. The decor leaves a little to be desired. It does feel a little hokey with the cheap "aren't we the best" signs all over and the seating arrangements were especially poor. The space is crammed with 2 person tables that can be moved or separated for various size groups. But if you have a wheelchair, stroller or cart, do not even attempt this place. The tables are so close together, a wheelchair could not enter the store. Sad. (see for yourself in this image)

You work your way through the cue and place your order first then find a seat and await your burger served in a brown paper bag and wrapped in aluminum foil.

The burgers were cooked well done and had a great juice factor. Served on a white sesame seed bun that is baked for Five Guys (and not from the same place you get your buns,) there are 2 patties of beef on the basic cheeseburger versus 1. The patties are smaller around compared to the other places on our reviews, but the weight was still 1/2 lb.

A neat part of the order is the garnishes. You can choose from any or all of the following on your burger with no extra cost. There are 15 items on the list including Mayo, Relish, Onions, Lettuce, Pickles,Tomatoes, Grilled Onions, Grilled Mushrooms, Ketchup, Mustard, Jalapeno Peppers, Green Peppers, A-1 Sauce, Bar-B-Q Sauce and Hot Sauce. And for you bacon people, they do have a bacon cheeseburger which is essentially the same as the other add bacon.


The fries were home style in a long thin variety. Cooked in peanut oil (wanted to mention that for those of you with allergies) they have a good flavor. they can be ordered regular or Cajun style. We tried both. While the Cajun style were fun, the flavor was so overwhelming that it actually detracts from the burger, so we would recommend to stay with the regular fries. The fries portion is generous so kudos for that.

Overall, this place had a great tasting burger and good side of fries. But the poor space planning and basic, uninspired bun will keep this place from the Top 10. They will make the Top 10.5 (which does hurt since they are a franchise and not a local!)

Stats:



Locations: 1 (625 in 40 states)


Date Est: 1986


SCORE: (1-5)

Burger: 4 pickles

Sides: 3 pickles (think dessert)

Menu: 3 pickles

Character: 2 pickles

Service: 3 pickles

Price: $8 cheeseburger (with fries)

Krystal

Visited August 14th,2010

951 North Beach Street

Fort Worth. TX 76137
817.834.0034
Map
Website
Menu

And now for something really different! We get requests from people to review "fast food" places. And while Griff's got some comments from us that it was more fast food than burger joint, it was not part of our series - "Better Know a Fast Food Burger!" This one is. The series is sporadic and will come and go over time. We prefer to visit, review and eat from real burger joints, but we appreciate our audience and their contributions.

Krystal's is a fast food place best known for its mini-burgers. Started in 1932 in Tennessee, the size of the burgers were perfect for the depression era place Krystal was back then. The music is diner style and we think the interior is supposed to be as well. But the atmosphere is sterile and not too exciting- unless you like 8 foot pictures of your food on the walls. They do have free WiFi, though. You place your order at the counter and then grab a seat with your plastic number.

Quick enough, you will get your order. The traditional Krystal's burger comes in a box and is garnished with mustard and a pickle. You can add cheese (which we needed to do for this series.) We each ate 5 of these little guys. They brought back memories of late night runs to White Castle. But, we must say that these were not near as greasy. They actually taste fresher than White Castle (WC is the original "slider" which has transcended culture into a menu item on many restaurants.) But I think it is more the fact that there is much less grease to soak into the bun.

The fries are from a bag and okay, but not very inspiring. Its definitely a place where you will feel like a pig because you eat so many burgers to get your fill. (Even though the amount of meat in 6 of these little guys is about what we normally get on a Burger Saturday!)

Visit this place if you want your arteries to explode and your stomach to speak to you later that day. But don't forget dessert. We tried the Sweet Bites. Think of a donut hole, crusted with a sweet breading outside and then deep fried. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and you have some sweet lusciousness. Its almost being at the State Fair.

Stats:

Locations: 1 (420 in 11 states)
Date Est:  1932


SCORE: (1-5)

Burger: 3 pickles

Sides: 4 pickles (think dessert)

Menu: 3 pickles


Character: 2 pickles

Service: 3 pickles

                                                 Price: $4 cheeseburger trio (with fries)

Flip's Patio Grill

Visited: Saturday July 31, 2010

6613 Fossil Bluff
Fort Worth. TX 76137
817.847.4424
Map
Website
Menu

First started in Grapevine and then added Fort Worth, this place has shown up on the Urban Spoon Top 10 Burgers in Fort Worth for awhile. (But then again, so did Charleston's) Built from he ground up, this place is more sports bar with large outdoor patio (which was nice) than it was burger joint. In fact, joint is not the right word for this place., It is a restaurant with 2 bars and live music and the usual plethora of LCDs on the wall with various sports programming (ala Boomerjack's.)

The burgers are served open face in a basket with hand cut fries. It was a 1/3;b patty whose seasoning and flavor did not knock us out. The temperature was good, although we ordered it medium and they came out well done. (We get that a lot.) The "juice" factor was average. It had some succulence, but again not up to our Top 10 rankers.

Buns were a plus. They were baked fresh daily and then lightly toasted, which you know we like. You even get an option for white or wheat (which we found out later as we were leaving - waitress did not tell us that.) The "Famous Big Cheesy" comes with red onion, pickle, tomato and lettuce. A twist was no sauce. You could get anything on the side (mustard, mayo, etc) but nothing comes on the burger.  AGH liked this as she rarely feels like the kitchen gets the condiment portioning right. So this way she had total control. (Although we had to ask more than once for our sides and then had to wait to start eating.)


There was a great variety of "specialty" burgers on the menu. This is probably why so many people like it. And to be fair, this is a good reason. But when most people say their favorite burger, it is normally some type of specialty burger and not the basic cheeseburger. You know our philosophy - if the best way to judge is on the basic cheeseburger. We tried the Fried Pickles and were very pleased with them - probably better than Jake's - and AGH had side Cesare salad which she was very pleased with. So, we would give a nod to the better for the sides of Flip's.  

All in all, Flip's does not make our Top 10. Not because it was not a great place, but because unlike the food editor of D magazine, we found the flavor package of the Famous Big Cheesy to be, well, not so famous. We would not steer you away from his place, but remember it is a sports bar that plays live music. Which means it is dark and more like a bar than a "hole-in-the-wall" burger joint.




Stats:

Locations: 2   (1 in Fort Worth)

Date Est: ?


SCORE: (1-5)

Burger: 3 pickles

Sides: 4 pickles

Menu: 4 pickles

Character: 2 pickle

Service: 2 pickles

Price: $8 cheeseburger (with fries)

Griff's Hamburgers

Visited: Saturday July 24, 2010

4525 River Oaks Blvd
Fort Worth. TX 76114
817.626.2007
Map


Celebrating 50 years in 2010, this place was more like a Wendy's than a typical "hole-in-the-wall" joint. There are 5 locations in the metroplex and we have heard people rave about it and, quite frankly, if someone lived on this side of town and never ventured out for burger greatness, this place would probably be worth raving about.

The interior was as cheesy as you can get with old tables and chairs featuring glass vases with fake flowers in them (with lots of dust on them.) Think o f it as circa 1970's Burger Chef. There was an old Galaga video machine, so AGH got her chance to play and prove once again that she would be crushed if the world was to be attacked and she was our defense.

Like many places, you place your order at the counter and pay and then go to a table. There is a patio if you want to be outside, but again rather old school. So, you gathering it was old, not charming or "hole-in-the-wall."

The burgers were served in a wrapper within a wrapper. (not sure why other than branding.) The wrappers look rather "clown-like" which hopefully was the plan. The fries on the side frozen in a bag fries, not fresh cut. The onion rings were better.


Buns are toasted, which you know we like, and a little larger around than the norm. But portion was only 1/4 pound. This was called the "Giant" burger. Probably should have had more meat if it was going to be called giant. The "Giant" cheeseburger comes with white onion, tomato and mustard, lettuce. Temperature was fine, but it was a little "fast food" dry for our tastes.

There were options for other add-ons like jalapenos and mushrooms and you can do the "Monster Burger" with multiple meat patties, but still multiplying at 1/4 lb a patty will not get it there for us. This was one of the few times we did not leave a joint stuffed full and not able to eat dinner later (just dessert!) The prices you see below in the rating look good, but remember its not the same size, so keep that in mind.

Would you choose this over McDonald's? Yes. Would we choose it over Billy Miners? Yes, again. But we would not choose it if we truly wanted a Burger Saturday experience.

Stats:

Locations: 5  (2 in Fort Worth)

Date Est: 1960







SCORE: (1-5)

Burger: 2 pickles

Sides: 2 pickles

Menu: 3 pickles

Character: 1 pickle

Service: 3 pickles

Price: $4 cheeseburger