Today's reader review comes from Ewan M. (aka UnasBravas on AHT/Serious Eats), a professional soccer writer who loves burgers. Thanks, Ewan! If anyone else wants to share some burger intel, here's how to do it. —The Mgmt.

[Photograph: Ewan M.]

Always preferring its beef in brisket form, Dallas has had to wait for the recent burger revolution to arrive. Now that it has, though, there is no shortage of great options in the city. Twisted Root in Deep Ellum is the most famous—and arguably the best—speciality burger in the city. How does North Dallas upstart 12 Burgers compare?

On the surface everything seems right. Half-pound USDA Choice beef hand-formed and cooked to order; home-made fries and sides; and friendly staff who clearly care about their work. Yet closer inspection of the menu, and the plated product, shows a few problems.

Firstly, the signature item—yes, the 12 Burger—is gimmicky and obnoxious. A burger with 12 toppings usually sounds better in theory than in practice, but in this case both seem just as bad. Bell peppers? Thousand Island and mustard? They keep pineapple on hand for their Hawaiian burger—it's a wonder they didn't throw that on top and make it 13 Burger. I ordered a cheeseburger with fries.

After the requisite ten-minute wait—everything's made to order—the reason why 12 Burgers was empty on a Friday night quickly became apparent. This was a burger construction demolition zone. The buns, sweet and generic, are given an extremely brief baptism via the toaster and then left to fend for themselves against all manner of toppings. Even my basic cheeseburger proved too much: The (admittedly tasty) Thousand Island rendered the bottom bread a soggy, slippery mess. Meanwhile, a surfeit of shredded lettuce brought to mind lunch rush at the Subway rather than an artisan burger.

Having napkined off half the Thousand Island and banished the bulk of the lettuce behind a DMZ of fries, it was time to dig in. The beef itself is well sourced and the patty is carefully made. It's cooked cooked, if very, very slightly too long, with sufficient skill to grant it both a wonderfully crispy crust and a juicy interior—not easy with a patty of this size.

But still, something felt missing. The beef really wanted for seasoning, and by that I mean something beyond pickles and Thousand Island. If you're going to use Choice beef it makes sense to allow it to star instead of relying on the condiments to do all the work. Instead, the patty offered its texture and juiciness before retiring backstage. Unless 12 Burgers can find a way to make the beef stand out more, it's hard to see its custom picking up.

Unless, of course, french fry addicts find out about the place. The fries at 12 Burgers are among Dallas' best: Hand-cut, skin-on, and deftly salted, they're just the right side of crispy. What a shame the same can't be said for the burger! —UnasBravas

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