The flashing neon lights can be seen down all of Broadway. The smell of pork entices one to enter. Jack’s Bar-B-Que is a dive BBQ restaurant in the heart of Nashville, TN.

Being a novice in the large world of barbeque, I expected to enter Jack’s and to be mesmerized by a large menu selection. Actually, I was pleasantly surprised. At Jack’s, there are only six items on the menu (including Tennessee Pork Shoulder, Texas Beef Brisket, Smoked Turkey Breast, St. Louis Pork Style Ribs, and Smoked Chicken), along with a few delectable side dishes.

For the past few days, I have had a strange craving for a pulled pork, so I went for the Tennessee Pork Shoulder sandwich. Being a New Yorker, I expected (and wanted) there to be a spicy sauce on-top, instead it was just pork, and you had the option of putting sauce on yourself.

I took a bite, and I was simply blown away. It was the most tender pork I have ever dug my teeth into. It was also very tasty (even without sauce).

Jack’s Bar-B-Que is a must-visit establishment for any barbeque enthusiast traveling through Nashville.

Jack’s Bar-B-Que
216 Broadway
Nashville, TN

Max Murphy, host and producer of Mac News Weekly, is on a 3000 mile road trip with his dad and brother, Sam. On the road he is BBQ blogging for Carnivore and making us all really hungry!

When we started producing GeekBrief.TV, we were living above a store we opened for Extra Space Storage in Highland Park, IL. At the same time we opened our store, Jim Lederer and Chef Dave Teichman opened Bluegrass, a neighborhood restaurant with beyond words amazing food. Jim and Dave fed us well, served us great martinis and kind of turned us into food snobs (in a good way). Chili’s and Red Lobster is awesome until you know better. Thanks to Jim and Dave … we know better.

This morning we got a dire notice in the Inbox about a BBQ Emergency:

Bluegrass Restaurant is having a BBQ Fest to combat the constant construction on Old Deerfield Road. Chef Dave has decided to get out the BBQ and do some real smoking with his grills. We will be BBQ’ing for two weeks straight to get the word out that we are still here. If you see smoke please be aware it is only our smoker smoking the Ribs.

Chris Christensen, The Amateur Traveler, was in Dallas for business, so Cali asked him to stop by for an interview and dinner. In preparation for our Big Trip to all 50 States, frugality has been the watchword, so yuppie burgers have been nearly banned from the options list.

Dinner with Chris was at State and Allen Lounge, an urban bistro in Uptown Dallas. Having not reviewed a burger in over a week, I felt obligated to order a Mushroom and Swiss burger, which came with a side of fries.

I need to do some morethinking to make a call about the importance of Burger to Bun Ratio (BtBR). For now I’ll just throw out the ratio that feels right in my heart. The burger experience is at least 60% about the meat, 15% about the toppings, and 25% about the bun. Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts about the proper BtBR in the comments.

The Mushroom and Swiss burger I ate at State and allen Lounge last night flips my loose BtBR on it’s head. This burger might be as much as 60% about the bun. The bun had to have been made with a good amount of butter because that was the taste that made this burger experience so uniquely good. The meat was excellent, although, I have yet to eat a burger in Dallas that is served truly medium. Medium in Dallas tends to be what I would call medium-well.

State and Allen has a very strong yuppie vibe. Dogs are welcomed at outside tables. Service is great, and they offer an impressive a la carte cheese and meat board.

This might be my second favorite yuppie burger, ever. The first is the Bluegrass Burger from Bluegrass Restaurant in Highland Park, IL. Dave, the chef at Bluegrass is THE starting point for most of what I believe about burgers, and he knows what it means to cook a burger medium.

It’s off topic here, but there are three places in North America with unforgettable Mac and Cheese. One is Nob Hill Restaurant in the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco. It is served with Blue Cheese crumbled on top. One is The Beaconsfield on the corner of Beaconsfield Ave. and Queen Street W in Toronto. It has a chipotle corn flake crust. The other is this place, State and Allen Lounge. State and Allen’s Mac and Cheese has toasted croutons on top.

Cali ordered the Al’s Love Love Spicy Chicken Bowl. It’s worth mentioning because of the name. Chris Christensen picked up the tab so our Big Trip frugality could remain in tact. Thanks, Chris!

I broke a personal rule today. I try and limit burger intake to once per week, but we were out, needed nourishment and the window sign said the three magic words: Kobe Beef Burger.

If you haven’t had the pleasure, Kobe Beef is reputed to be the best on the planet. The cows are raised in a particular region in Japan, and this is no joke, they receive daily massages and drink beer. This special treatment results in some expensive, but tasty meat.

The place is Who’s Who Burgers in Highland Park Village.

I made the mistake of ordering my burger with everything on it. They use shredded iceberg lettuce, and I’m not a fan. I dumped the lettuce.

The taste of the meat was spectacular, but the other ingredients, including the bun, didn’t taste premium enough to complement the Kobe. The veggies, american cheese and buns could all use an upgrade. They seemed to be the same ordinary ingredients you’d get from a major fast-food chain. That wouldn’t keep me from coming back, though, or from recommending the place.

It was a burger to be savored bite by Kobelicious bite. I plan to return to taste some of the other treats on the menu. If you’re in the area, you should too. OH! And when the manager asked how the burgers tasted, he called me Neal. He remembered from when we ordered.

Who’s Who Burgers
69 Highland Park Village
Highland Park, Texas Â

214-522-1980

As burger joints go, Twisted Root is different from the ground up. Started by three Chefs, each with a culinary degree and each with a passion for burgers. It took them three years to raise the money to open the first location just outside of Downtown Dallas in historic Deep Ellum.

The staff creates a fun atmosphere. When you walk up to the counter and place your order, you’re given a card with the name of a famous person or fictional character. We were Cinderella on our last visit. When your order is ready, you’re beaconed over the loud system using the name on your card–sometimes with a song, sometimes with a rap, but always in an entertaining way.

We’ve ordered several things from the menu. The specials are always worth a look, but our two favorite burgers are #1, the Blue Cheese & Jalepeño Burger ($6.99) and the REAL Buffalo Burger ($7.99) with Ceddar Cheese ($0.75).

The buns are just the right size and toasted just the right amount, and the ingredients are top notch. A lot of what they serve is homemade including the pickles, rootbeer, watermelon sweet tea and ice cream.

The Buffalo is lean, hearty and savory. Sometimes, I wonder if I’m ordering a Buffalo burger just for the idea of the whole thing, or because I really like Buffalo. There isn’t a doubt at Twisted Root. I LIKE the Buffalo.

The beef burgers are 1/2 Lb. patties that blend chuck and brisket meats. They’re juicy, just like you want a beef burger to be. If you choose one of the specialty burgers, the toppings are out of this world, especially the blue cheese and jalepeño.

They have all the standard condiments, but they also have their own unique versions of ketchup, mustard and BBQ sauce.

The “Root” part of the name refers to the Hand-Cut Sweet Potato Chips and the Hand-Cut Twisted Fries. An order of Blue Cheese Fries is enough for two or three people and comes close to being as good as Garlic Fries from 21st Amendment in San Francisco.

Twisted Root Burger Co.
2615 Commerce Street
Dallas, TX 75226
214.741.ROOT (7668)

When I hear burrito connoisseurs dismiss Chipotle simply because they know it’s owned by McDonalds, I’m dismayed. The only thing the two restaurants have in common is consistency.

We eat at a Chipotle at least once a week, and often three or four times. Chipotle burritos are the yard stick against which I measure all other burritos, and it’s simply because of the quality of the ingredients. Chipotle uses organic meats and vegetables raised by farmers who never use antibiotics. The animals are free to roam in healthy environments, and the farmers feed the animals vegetarian diets with no animal by-products.

Chipotle burritos have complex flavors created by a wide range of ingredients. My favorite, for example, is Barbacoa. It’s spicy, shreded beef that is seared and slowly braised for hours in a blend of chipotle adobo, cumin, cloves, garlic and oregano. I usually order Barbacoa as a bowl with black beans, rice, hot AND mild salsa, sour cream and cheese. I also like the Barbacoa tacos.

When I first got married, we were on a budget and the Chipotle logo intimidated us. We thought it was an expensive restaurant. It wasn’t until we witnessed Ozzy’s Chipotle obsession on The Osbournes that we gave it a try. We were living in Illinois at the time, and it reminded us so much of our former loft in Texas. Everything from the art to the music to the industrial design. That the food is excellent just cemented our love for the place.

Chipotle provided our first experience with what I call upscale fast food. Noodles and Company has the same kind of feel. I’d like to see more upscale fast food places that offer quality food and a great atmosphere at a great value. If anyone has any recommendations, I’d love for you to share them by leaving a comment.