PrintIn Fort Worth, Kincaid's Lets Us Down While Fearing's Picks Us Back Up
I've been in the Dallas–Fort Worth area the last few days to attend the Pillsbury Bake-Off. The contest itself ended by lunchtime Monday, so I arranged to meet Bill Addison, the talented food writer and restaurant critic at the Dallas Morning News, for another foray into Fort Worth. I had no idea until I got down there that Fort Worth had so much more interesting real food than Dallas. Addison wouldn't come right out and say it, but I think even he would agree with that sentiment.
Anyway, I tried to visit Kincaid's on Sunday evening but arrived too late. So Bill and I made it our first stop on Monday. Kincaid's is about as celebrated a burger place as there is in America. It's lauded in George Motz's terrific new book, and you can find it on many best or top ten burger lists—lists that cover not just Texas but the whole country.
That's why I was so shocked about what we found.
The place, as you can see, looks great. It's an old grocery store run by a family of butchers. Bill and I sidled up to the ordering counter, and I immediately noticed something that set off my burger alarm. On the griddle there were a couple rows of what seemed to be par-grilled burgers. Par-grilling burgers is one of the most lethal forms of burgercide. Want to kill the joy of eating a burger? Par-grill it—mission accomplished.
If you look closely, you can see the par-grilled burgers on the left side of the grill.
What Bill Addison Said
Heresy in Cowtown: "All in all, we're both slightly disappointed and bewildered. Isn't this the burger that has won all sorts of accolades over and over? I mean, it was a fine burger ... but not, from this experience, legendary. And, I gotta tell you, it was good to have another food writer there, particularly one who has eaten his way through the world of hamburgers. Because I felt a little heretical: We should, by all accounts, LOVE this burger, right? Are we crazy? Does everyone else in the state still worship this place?"
I asked the woman at the register if they would be willing to make our burgers from scratch. "No problem," she said, calling over one of the grill men and asking them for two jumbo burgers made fresh. Bill and I were patting ourselves on the back for coming up with what we thought was a surefire solution to the par-grilling problem. We ordered sides of onion rings, fried okra, and banana pudding.
Ten minutes later the counterwoman called my name. We brought the two white bags of food to one of the picnic tables at Kincaid's (you can also eat standing up, if you'd rather). One look at our unwrapped burgers and I knew we were in trouble. It was a big, thick, hockey puck of a burger with no signs of moisture (or life) anywhere. Bill took a bite of his, I took a bite of mine, and we looked at each other in amazement and disappointment. We were eating burgers in the legendary Kincaid's that were OK but nothing more, and the only reason I would even call them OK is that they were topped with bacon and cheese.
Maybe we just hit Kincaid's on a bad day. Before writing it off completely, I'd have to visit again, of course, the next time I come through Dallas–Fort Worth. But there is some talk of Kincaid's having to close this original location because of some real estate deal.
Address: 4901 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth TX 76107 (map)
Phone: 817-732-2881
Website: fwculture.com/kincaids.htm
Dutch's
Our next burger stop was Dutch's, a burger concept started by noted Texas chef Grady Spears. I'm always a little skeptical of chef-driven burger concepts because the chefs are rarely, if ever, there after the opening period. Spears uses organically fed, humanely raised beef in his burger, but the result was a burger only slightly better than Kincaid's. The sliders were better, but as my man Adam Kuban says, sliders are almost always better. The chili cheese fries were excellent, and if I went back, I would have an order of sliders and the chili cheese fries.
Bill and I also went to Angelo's, another legendary Fort Worth eating institution, and I had some life-changing brisket after a couple of ordering missteps, but this post is about Dallas–Fort Worth burgers, so I'll write about my Angelo's experience in a bit on Serious Eats.
Address: 3009 South University Drive, Fort Worth TX 76109 (map)
Phone: 817-927-5522
Website: dutchshamburgers.com
Fearing's
Bill dropped me off back at the hotel, and, hard as it may be to believe, I ended up going to Fearing's, the hot new restaurant in Dallas opened by seminal Texas chef Dean Fearing in the Ritz-Carlton. Fearing immediately starts chatting up my dining partner, a big-time online food editor. He's telling us about where he gets his buffalo and his shrimp tacos and his duck tamales. I tell him about my Kincaid's experience. He says they make a kick-ass burger at Fearing's.
Fire one up if you please.
Five minutes later, he puts down a gorgeous fancy-pants burger made from house-ground beef that is 80 percent meat and 20 percent fat. If it wasn't for the too-thick roll, this would be a spot-on, perfect, fancy-pants Texas burger. It was juicy, beefy, not too big, and perfectly cooked.
The moral of the story: If you want a kick-ass burger in Dallas–Fort Worth, you have to go to the Ritz-Carlton. Go figure.
Address: Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 2121 McKinney Avenue, Dallas TX 75201 (map)
Phone: 214-922-0200
Website: fearingsrestaurant.com
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9 Comments:
How the hell does a burger joint such as Kincaid's get to the top of national lists? Does a survey of townships' taste preferences reflect the same level as those of big cities with huge choices ? For a proper national list you need some taste buds that have licked every nook and cranny of the best burger joints coast to coast ....and the occasional CPR.
Q80 BurgerBelly at 12:28PM on 04/17/08
Fred's Texas Cafe has the best burgers in Ft. Worth. Always tasty.
http://www.fredstexascafe.com/
I do love Kinkaid's though and was as surprised and shocked at the lack of quality. It was there last time I went which was about 4 years ago. Pre-made burgers? Geees!
SpandTex Pants at 12:55PM on 04/17/08
There is nothing like a good burger. If you ever make it to Ottawa, ON, you have to check out The Works. This is the burger place in town. My favorites include: Three Ring Binder (fried mushrooms, chipotle mayo, gouda cheese, 3 crunchy onion rings) and San Francisco Treat (real kraft dinner and cheddar). To seal the deal, chase the burger with a peanut butter/chocolate milk shake.
vickith at 2:50PM on 04/17/08
What a bummer about Kincaid's, the potential move AND the crappy burger. The burgers I ate there were great so you may have hit them on an off day.
Hamburger America at 12:35PM on 04/18/08
I was hoping Texas Burger Guy would wiegh in on this...love his rating system! I would think it sad one would have to go "fancy pants" to find a good burger in DFW. That's not how Texans roll!
Cheers, TB.
texas blues at 2:37PM on 04/20/08
In the 70s I would go in Kincaids grocery and the owner Mr Gentry would grind the meat and grill it himself with a smile
copycat at 3:38PM on 04/24/08
Burger House in Dallas (the original one, on Hillcrest next to SMU campus) is excellent, and a perfect exemplar of Texas burgers.
http://www.burgerhouse.com/index.htm
cmballa at 11:12AM on 04/28/08
You need to try Kincaid's New location at 4825 Overton Ridge Blvd, Fort Worth. I hardly miss a week without a burger from there, it kinda remind's me of the Hamburger's that I had at the Tastee Freez in Ada,Ok in the 70's.
toysejr at 7:09PM on 07/08/08
I lived in The Fort for 8 years and always thought the burger at Kincaid's was average at best. I think the best burger in town can be found at Del Frisco's steakhouse. Sit at the upstairs bar and order one while chattting with local wildcatters, oil speculators, and general good 'ol boys. Give it a try sometime.
jimbodoyle at 5:18PM on 10/08/08