Chicken Fried

Our Place (Mansfield, TX, location reviewed.)

The Food: We opted for the chicken fried steak, with a side of mashed potatoes and fried okra. For good measure, we also tried the chicken fried chicken. Both entrees were excellent. Both chicken fried items featured thick, crispy breading. Gravy was also thick. The day we visited was during the holidays and the staff was overrun processing people who had bought holiday pies. (The pies are also great here.) The service was good, despite the crowd. There’s plenty of good grub to choose from including daily specials. Several entrees are also offered in a smaller portion with one side instead of two for $5.99.

(We’re also fans of their breakfast, but this is a Chicken Fried site – so we’ll stay on topic.)

The Place: The Mansfield location is by itself near Highway 157. The dining area can seem a little cramped when they are busy, but the restaurant is well lit and nicely decorated. There are also a few outside tables that are great when weather allows.

The People: Very friendly. Good hometown staff.

Cost: Most entrees are around $10, but sandwiches and burgers are cheaper.

Adult Beverages: Nope.

Kid Friendly: Sure.

Hours: 6:00 am to 3:00 pm, 7 days a week (Sorry, no dinner service yet.)

Phone: 817.473.9996 (Mansfield), 817.426.9900 (Burleson)

Locations: 915 W Debbie Ln, Mansfield, TX 76063 -AND- 140 S Wilson St, Burleson, TX 76028

HB Burger

THE STORY
While out all day looking at new apartments, my wife Cara looks at me and says “I’m hungry and I’m craving a burger. Let’s go somewhere you haven’t been yet.” For me, that is the equivalent of Commissioner Gordon turning on the Bat-Signal. Ever since I read Nick Solares from The Beef Aficionado’s review on A Hamburger Today, I wanted to try out HB Burger. Thank you Cara for giving me the excuse.

HB is a division of the Heartland Brewery, NYC’s first

HB tots

American style brewpub. They offer all of the Heartland Brewery’s standard brews and their seasonal ones as well. The place has the same pub feel as Heartland with wood every where, exposed brick, vintage beer paraphernalia and your choice of stools at the bar or tables. We opted for the formality of table service until we had been seated for 15 minutes without so much as a drive by from a waitress. Sure enough, as soon as we picked up our bags and coats to move to the bar, a member of the wait staff came over. We moved anyway. Within only a few moments the bartender had drinks in front of us and taken our food order. I have to give him massive kudos for being one of the most attentive and friendly bartenders I have ever seen in NYC.

The menu at HB Burger is a smattering of assorted burgers with veggie, tuna, turkey and even bison patty choices. There are also a number of interested specialty burgers, ranging from kobe to buffalo style, crab cake and fried chicken. Me, I went right for the “HB Burger.” “HB beef is supplied by a local, family-owned steak purveyor. Our custom blend from prime angus steers includes cuts of flank, chuck, and prime rib. Served with chopped lettuce and tomato.” I topped it with cheddar and sautéed onions while asking it to be placed on a whole wheat bun. Sounds good, don’t it!??!? We decided to share the tater tots made with smoked slab bacon and jalapeño jack cheese. Sounds ever better.

THE BURGER
Nick’s mouth watering review biting at the back of my brain had me practically drooling when the burger showed up in front of me. I opened the bun to inspect and add some mustard only to discover a bonus item; mushrooms. BLECCHHH!! I have a rule about ’shrooms; I don’t eat what I can grow between my toes. NO FUNGUS. I pointed it out to the server who quickly put in an order for another burger.

I shifted my focus to the tater tots. Tater tots have a certain shape, crunch and flavor and are one of the most specific items available on a menu. Once you deviate from the standard tot, it’s hard to continue to use that description. Such is the case with the HB Burger tots. These were more like flash fried mashed potato puffs than said title. Based on the description, I expected them to be bacony and spicy and although, they were neither. Took a heavy dose of ketchup to moisten these salty little numbers up.

After a few tots made the adventure down my throat, a new burger arrived, this time exactly as as ordered. I was SO hungry that I had to remind myself to go slow before devouring this in one shark attack like bite. First bite; nice bun, very juicy patty, nice flavor in the beef and good sautéed onions. I bit back for a 2nd bite, really focused on tasting every intricate flavor. The beef had a juiciness unique to this burger. The beef itself had more of a grass fed flavor which was really complimented by the salty cheddar cheese. The bottom of the bun had no chances of survival in fighting the juiciness of the burger. I had serious trouble getting my standard “left hand grab” photos without the burger oozing out everywhere. The flavor was so good that I considered a 2nd burger and not because I was hungry, but more so because I wanted more time to savor the flavor. It will have to wait for next time and there will definitely be a next time!

THE BEVERAGES
As a beer advocate and blogger (see One Barrel Bar site) I thought you might appreciate hearing about the brews I tried.

Bavarian Black Lager
This is known as a “Schwarzbier” which in a direct translation from German means “Black beer.” At 6.50 ABV, this mild, porter-like brew had a nutty flavor with a hint of caramel. It’s not too strong and not too thick, which is actually what I would prefer. However, for a restaurant serving the Times Square crowd, playing it safe and mild is the smart way to go.

Old Red Nose Ale
This dark red / mahogany has a 5.75% ABV and has a hint of spiciness that one would expect from a winter brew. It has a strong flavor and a long finish. Probably one of my favorite of Heartland’s offerings but it’s only available in November and December.

Spicy Ginger Ale
Heartland, along with their beer, offer up home made sodas. The wife, not really a fan of beer, decided to try to Spicy Ginger Ale. While she mixed it with a shot of Crown Royal for a little holiday afternoon cheer its overt spicy ginger appeal makes it good on it’s own. The soda is closer in flavor to a ginger beer than regular old ginger ale and I bet it would be amazing heated up on a cold winter’s day.

Official Site is here.

Adult Beverages? It’s a brewery. So, uh, yeah.

Phone: 212.575.5848

Where is it? 127 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036 (plus 5 other NYC Locations)

Post Submitted by Rev from www.burgerconquest.com

The General Store

The Food: One of those great giant, greasy burgers. Everything is made fresh in front of you. Fries are also good. If you’re still hungry, their big milkshakes are a good topper for the meal.

The People: Always friendly.

Cost: Burger, fries and a Coke is about $8.(Cash only.)

Adult Beverages: Nope.

Take-out: Sure.

Menu: Also offer BLTs, a sourdough burger and other great stuff.

Hours: Closed Mondays.

Phone: 8175634224

Where is it? 5085 E. FM 1187, Burleson,TX

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Burger and Fries from Burger Fresh

The Food: The name could be misleading to some. Burger Fresh has a large menu and serves much more than burgers, including breakfast. However, during our first visit we considered it our duty to try the burger. I ordered the “Texas Monthly Award Winning Basket” which included a half pound burger with grilled onions and bell peppers, bacon, pepper jack cheese, avocado (which was actually guacamole), mustard, mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomatoes on a jalapeno (not spicy) sour dough bun.

These burgers are very good. The meat is fresh ground beef, hand-formed into patties the size of your choice. All burgers come in quarter, third, or half pound sizes and the toppings are fresh and good. The bun is worth mentioning. Burger Fresh gets their jalapeno sour dough buns from a local Mexican bakery, and they’re excellent. Request this bun for your burger. Don’t let the word “jalapeno” scare you away- they’re not spicy.

On the side I tried the fries, tator tots, and onion rings. If you like onion rings, order these. The onion rings are fresh-cut, thick slices of onion, battered and deep fried but not greasy. The fries and tots are nothing special; just frozen potatoes. Burger Fresh has a Fry Sauce on the table that is very good with onion rings or fries. They also have a Road Kill sauce that’s both spicy and sweet. I liked it on my burger.

The Place: Counter service in a strip mall next to a convenience store.

The People: Very friendly. Patrons stand in line and order at the counter, but during our visit the owner brought us our orders when ready and was very attentive.

Cost: Most baskets (burger with fries, rings, or tots and a drink) are under $10.

Adult Beverages: Yup.

Kid Friendly: Sure.

Menu and more info on their official site.

Phone: 9367564414

Location: 804 Gladstell Rd # 110, Conroe, TX 77304-4906

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The Mighty Cone

The Food:  The Mighty Cone offers a unique fried food experience.  Chicken, shrimp, and/or avocado are covered with Mighty Cone’s Hot ‘n’ Crunchy breading and deep fried and served with slaw and an ancho sauce on a tortilla that rests in a paper drink cone (similar to a snow cone).  Mighty Cone’s very crunchy breading is a combination of corn flakes, almonds, sesame seeds, and seasoning.  My favorite is the Shrimp-Avocado cone ($6.95) with a side of Chili –Dusted Fries ($1.25).  Make sure you try their homemade catsup with your fries.  Skip the dessert and walk down to the opposite end of the gravel parking lot to “hey cupcake!” ($2.50), also serving from an Airstream trailer.  And make sure you get fresh whipped cream injected into your cupcake (it’s free).

The Place:  As I said, Mighty Cone offers a unique experience.  Food is served from an Airstream trailer parked in a gravel parking lot just south of downtown Austin.  Outdoor picnic tables are your only seating option.

The People:  Austin-friendly.

Cost:  A cone, fries, and a bottled drink will run you less than $10.

Check out their menu.

Hours: Open Tuesday-Sunday from 11 am to 9 pm. (Closed Mondays.)

Phone: 5123839609

Read their story.

Location: 1600 S. Congress Ave, Austin TX (at the corner of Congress and Monroe)

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Fred’s Texas Cafe

The Food: Fred’s Cafe famous for its hamburgers. Had the Fred’s Cheese burger and fries, good greasy slider hamburger with deep fried french fries still smoking hot when delivered to the table.  On a scale of one to ten, Fred’s burgers gets an 8. We also had an order of cheesy – jalapeno french fries, a huge order that’s almost to much to eat.

The Place: The atmosphere gets a 10. If you like small happening places, this is it. The inside boast a bar and a few 1950 style booths that are small and intimate. The crowd is older folks having a great time. Outside is another bar and live music with a mix of picnic tables and patio tables. 

The People: The folks at Fred’s are friendly and the service gets a 10.

Adult beverages(and fun): YES.

Cost: Moderate. Burger and drink sets you back about $10. Our total bill for the night with 5 adult beverages served in a brown bottle, Fred’s Cheeseburger, and Cheesy Jalapeno fries, $40, no charge for the live band.

Menu is here.

Bonus Video: Watch a clip on Fred’s from one of our fav shows – Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The clip also features Martin Sheen(no kidding.)

Phone: 8173320083

Where is it? Check Fred’s out, it is worth the drive located just Southwest of downtown Fort Worth. 915 Currie St, Fort Worth, TX 76107

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Texas Roadhouse

(Editor’s Note: We’re not too hot on chain restaurants, but we’ll try anyone’s chicken fried steak. It’s about the research, people.)

The Food: We had the Chicken Fried Steak(of course). It was huge, but was thin and very salty. The winner here was the cream gravy. This is not our favorite chicken fried steak, but the restaurant was fun. They give you a large pail of peanuts to shell, eat, and toss the shells on the floor, while you wait for your entrees. There’s also all-you-can-eat rolls with cinnamon butter that are pretty tasty.

The Place: The interior will remind you of many of the Outback, Chili’s, Applebee’s-type places you’ve been. It is a little darker. They have TVs in the bar that are visible through much of the restaurant, in case there is a game you need to keep an eye on. One fun feature(especially for kids) is the digital jukebox near the front of the restaurant where you can pick all your favorite new and old country songs. (We opted for some old Willie Nelson.)

The People: Friendly, local staff. They seem to be high school, college age. They occasionally break out into a line dance which is fun or frightening, depending on how you feel about that.

Cost: $10.95 for Chicken Fried and two sides. (All meals include rolls and peanuts, too.) Other entrees range from under $10 to more than $20 for a large steak.

Take-out: Sure.

Adult Beverages: Yup, and happy hour drink specials.

Locations: 310 stores in 44 states. (Sorry, Hawaii) http://www.texasroadhouse.com/store-sites/

Kendall’s

The Food: The chicken fried here is excellent. It’s absolutely worth the stop. Lightly breaded and matched with excellent gravy. There are two sizes, the smaller portion is human sized. But…go ahead and order the big one and give it a try. We had to take some with us, but it made a great snack later. Also, sometimes you have to ask, but they have great gooey cinnamon rolls to top off the meal. Kendall’s is a must for Chicken Fried Lifers in the Oklahoma City area.

The People: Friendly, local staff.

Cost: About $10 for entrees.

Take-out: Sure.

Phone: 4058720303

Where is it? 100 South Main, Noble, OK 73068

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Threadgill’s Home Cooking

The Food: On my most recent visit, I had the fried chicken livers ($8.95 with 2 sides).  As usual they were perfectly breaded- crispy and not too greasy, with amazing cream gravy on the side.  This is true cream gravy- it’s not like any you’ve had before.  Meals are served with fresh rolls a cornbread.

The People: Friendly. Service has been good, even at busy times.

Cost: For an entree and drink, expect to spend around $10.

Adult Beverages: Yup.

Take-out: Sure.

Check out their menu. 

Hours: Open 365 days a year, Mon-Sat: 11:00am-10:00pm Sun: 10:00am-9:30pm
Sunday Breakfast Buffet: 10am-1pm, Howdy Hour: Mon-Fri 3pm-6pm; 9pm-11pm

Phone: 5124729304 (Riverside location),  5124515440 (North Lamar location)

Where is it?(2 Austin joints) 301 West Riverside Drive, Austin, Texas 78704

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6416 North Lamar – Austin, Texas 78752

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(Reviewed by OC)