If you consider yourself a burger fanatic and failed to attend Saturday's BurgerFest in Deep Ellum, it might be time to start reevaluating your life choices. The outdoor shindig, brought to you by the Deep Ellum Outdoor Market and the bloggers from The Taco Trail and Entree Dallas, was a worthy followup to April's North Texas Taco Festival, and it was clearly the place to be this weekend.
More than a dozen restaurants from all over the Metroplex including Ten Bells Tavern, Chop House Burgers, Max's Wine Dive, Mixed Up Burgers and Cook Hall set up shop to serve their versions of mini burgers to hungry festivalgoers who were obviously thrilled to be basking in the almost-kinda-sorta fall-ish weather (and by that we merely mean that it wasn't 105 in the shade).
· The burgers ranged in size from two-bite sliders to bigger versions that could hardly be called "mini," and with prices ranging from around $2 to $4 it was an ideal way to sample any and everything that looked tasty.
· The unofficial award for Most Delicious goes to Richardson's Haystack Burgers; they dished up a killer chicken-fried burger that was crispy on the outside, perfectly pink and juicy inside, and smothered in cream gravy and spicy jalapenos. (Sounds like a heart attack, tasted awesome.)
· The Most Unusual burger spotted was arguably Whiskey Cake's banh mi burger, a brisket patty topped with pulled pork, pickled veg and a sweet-and-spicy Asian barbecue sauce.
· The Best Classic Burger tasted came from Stackhouse Burger, who served their killer version of a classic "double double" with crispy bacon, caramelized onions, pickles and plenty of melted cheese.
· Bless the folks of Garden Cafe for taking pity on the vegetarians: They served a surprisingly delicious cumin-spiced veggie burger loaded up with perfectly ripe tomato slices and crisp lettuce.
· Anvil Pub hosted a beer garden in the old Ruby Room space that got pretty packed, but many folks were content to sip on the free Topo Chico mineral water being handed out by the event sponsor.
· The unofficial award for Best Photo Op is a tie between the two cops spotted happily chowing down on sliders, and the world's cutest pug puppy about to dig into a burger bigger than its head. Awww.
· Boozy ice pops from Winesicles were, perhaps unsurprisingly, a huge hit, while the booth that was advertising kale chips looked pretty deserted. (Go figure.)
· Lines were kept to reasonable lengths thanks to quick and efficient service, meaning one never had to wait more than a couple minutes to stuff their face with the next burger; the unofficial award for Longest Line goes to the Easy Slider truck, which got totally mobbed by the festival crowds.
