Mooyah Burgers and Fries
April 5th, 2008
In-N-Out Burger is legendary. Burger aficionados make annual visits to the West coast just to get a fix of one of the best fast-food burgers anywhere for any amount of money. In-N-Out is a regional chain and those of us out of the region are usually left to just long for the next time we’ll be near enough to drive through and use our secret menu ordering skills.
Mooyah Burgers and Fries in Texas is the closest thing to In-N-Out I’ve ever tried, and it’s pretty clear why. They use the same high quality ingredients. The burgers are fresh and never frozen with no additives, fillers or preservatives. The fries are made from potatoes cut fresh the same day. The buns are baked fresh every day and the shakes are made from 100% pure ice cream. When you visit a Mooyah, it even looks a little like an In-N-Out. The employees are friendly and the menu is almost as simple as the published In-N-Out menu.
The regular Mooyah burger, the one I always get, comes with a default of two patties that are also very reminiscent of In-N-Out. My standard order is a Mooyah Burger with swiss cheese, bacon, onions (sometimes raw and sometimes grilled), and mustard. Burgers are thoughtfully wrapped upside down, so when you turn them over to unwrap them, they are ready to eat, right side up.
When we go to Mooyah, we rarely order fries. It isn’t because they aren’t good. They are. We just don’t have appetites large enough to accommodate more than a Mooyah burger. Mooyah fries are cut from fresh potatoes and served in cups. When we DO spring for fries, a regular order is plenty for two. Mooyah gets extra points, from me, for including Malt Vinegar as a condiment beside the ketchup dispenser. A carny once told me, when I was little, that Canadians put vinegar on their fries, and I’ve preferred them that way ever since.
I wouldn’t dare proclaim a Mooyah burger to be as good as an In-N-Out burger, but it’s so close I no longer miss In-N-Out when I’m in Texas. The thing missing most from Mooyah, apart from years of history, is a secret menu!
Mooyah Burgers and Fries
2626 Howell Street, Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75204
214.999.0059 / fax: 214.999.0049
Hours: Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm Fri-Sat 11am-10pm
Okay, so now I know two great fast food burger experiences that aren’t my area. (After the enumeration on http://www.bigtrip.com I know a lot more than two, but it gets kind of painful to dwell too much on the list.) I don’t know when I’ll get to a Mooyah’s, but I’m already looking forward to In-N-Out next Macworld!
(See, you write a post, you get a comment. The system works!)
Comment by DavePeterson — April 5, 2008 @ 7:17 pm
I spent a summer in Dallas a while back, and I’m a huge fan of a good burger (just enjoyed my first-ever In-N-Out burger last December while visiting in-laws in California), and I can’t believe I missed trying Mooyah. Sounds AMAZING!
Comment by Aaron — April 5, 2008 @ 7:17 pm
OK, this is a MUST try for me and my husband…we love In-N-Out but have yet to find a suitable Dallas alternative. Best part is that it is so close to our house! Thanks for the heads up Neal!
Comment by Jessica — April 5, 2008 @ 8:04 pm
Yum! The description of those burgers made me hungry. Recently I really enjoy burgers from Fuddruckers and Steak and Shake. I’m always looking for great new places to eat!
Comment by Lindsay — April 6, 2008 @ 1:53 pm
i’m finally going to be able to try this place today! i can’t wait! i’ve never been to In-and-Out before.
Comment by daysies — April 12, 2008 @ 9:30 am
With hopes of finding a suitable replacement for all of my In-N-Out cravings, I took your advice and tried Mooyah. After walking in the door, it looked, smelled, and felt as close to an In-N-Out as I’ve been able to find here in Dallas. The staff was friendly and encouraging when I told them I was an In-N-Out fanatic and I was impressed to find the fries could be ordered under-cooked or over-cooked just like the west-coast institution. They were delicious too. But as far as taste was concerned, I felt the novelty had fallen short with a burger that wasn’t even slightly reminiscent of In-N-Out.* I ordered an iceberger and the meat was almost paper thin. Additionally, the lettuce it was supposed to be wrapped in, was instead “in pieces” poorly sandwiching the burger like white bread slices instead of a wrap like the true “protein style” from the famous secret menu.
I have to say however, I decided to give Mooyah a second shot. And on this most recent attempt, I was happy to find it an altogether different experience. I met some friends for lunch at the Uptown location and this time the burger was truly phenomenal (ordered on a bun).
* So it must be noted. The first experience was at the Addison location and the second (much more fulfilling experience) was at the Uptown location. If I hadn’t experienced the difference in quality of the hamburger on my 2nd attempt, I would say its a pass. So I hope Mooyah Co-Founder Robert Anderson reads this and looks into making sure there is more consistency within the chain as it looks to branch out and franchise.
Comment by Dan Paddock — April 14, 2008 @ 3:30 pm
Just got into my first Mooyah burger. Had already had lunch and not much of an appetite, but couldn’t pass up trying it while in the area.
Glad I did. The burger was wonderfu. Had the special sauce with onions, tomato and lettuce. Tasted just as good as Goff’s relish burger. Great secret sauce.
Next time will order the junior burger as the regular is a whole lotta food.
Fries were great. Cut fresh and cooked as healthy as one could cook those.
Reminded me of Five Guys burgers. Big burger wrapped in foil, put in a sack with greasie fries. Pure heaven.
Way to go, Mooyah. I’ll be back even though you’re a long way from where I live.
One last thing, go for the Mooyah burger, not that iceberg whatever. That’s not a burger, that’s a hunk of something that shouldn’t be on the menu.
Comment by John from Fort Worth — September 6, 2009 @ 1:58 pm
i really like burger.. specially cheese burger … thanks for giving these details us.. A good burger is hard to beat. From basic lettuce, tomato and pickle to sautéed mushrooms & Swiss, the flavor combinations are endless.
Rojer
Comment by car parts warehouse — January 19, 2010 @ 10:04 pm