Fred's Texas Cafe: A Nationally Recognized Dive Offers Up The Good Stuff

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At first glance, driving into Ft Worth's Cultural District you might miss the average and aged outside that proclaims that it is Fred's Texas Cafe. That's if you hadn't seen it before. There's a good chance you have as this old Ft Worth eatery has been featured on Food Network's Diner Drive In's & Dives. There's also a reason that I've seen it plastered all over my local access channel and written about in several publications very frequently over the years. This nationally recognized eatery offers up the goods in the form of some of the best tasting burgers this side of Texas.

I gotta tell you that if you come to Fred's be ready for a delicious and hearty 1/2 pound burger. That's advice not to skimp for the 1/4 pound burger. No, you're going to want something heartier trust me on this one. Don't worry, if you can't finish it you can let the always hungry kiddos have at it. I took my own advice in advance of giving the advice and got the 1/2 lbs Fredburger with fries. It was quite a burger with very well seasoned meat and sandwiched in between what seemed like above average buns. Now, it was good don't get me wrong but I did need something a bit more on it besides mustard (yes I held off on the cheese). I wish I would of given myself some more advice in advance and was more daring. As delicious tasting and filling as my burger was, Fred's is the kind of burger that would be 100x better with the bonus extras. That's because after I ate my burger, I opened up the menu again (it's nice when a eatery leaves their menu on the table - a lot of places scoop them up so fast like you're going to run off with em) and knew immediately that I could of upped my burger happiness. Just looking at some of the burgers descriptions such as the BBQ Cheddar Burger and the Blue Cheese Burger, it's like they were staring in the face from the menu saying, "you missed out buddy"! The one on the menu that probably proclaimed this the loudest was the Bacon Mushroom Burger which comes topped with a a portabello mushroom, bacon, grilled onions, melted Swiss cheese, pickles, lettuce, and tomato. Oh well, reasons to go back.. always a good thing.

It was so hot even our burgers were sweating!

Now, my foodie partner in crime, she did an extraordinary thing by getting the Portabella Burger. Mind you that it was meatless but when you have a Portabella mushroom as succulent and juicy as the one I taste tested, then going meatless is not the end of the world. My taste buds were very happy that she was kind enough to let me sample this wonderful veggie creation. It was also nice to see that they offered this choice for fans that aren't as big of burger lovers as some of us. 

Speaking of lovers, you might know by now (if you've been following this blog) that I'm not a huge fry lover as some of your kind might be. As tempting and great sounding as the menu was at Fred's Texas Cafe my heart was a little saddened that they did not offer the choice in the form of onion rings to those of us that share my sentiment. Ok, I'll hand it to them though, the fries at Fred's couldn't of been much better. They came out warm and it was obvious that they were cut fresh. What more could you ask for? Silly me, I shouldn't of asked that because the onion rings, if they did make them would of been made in the fries likeness. If you're reading this Fred's, make at least a secret menu where my kind could order O-rings! Ok, I'll stop complaining but you should know this was coming. Hell hath no fury like a man that loves his onions! 

Gotta love a place that has such a sign as spotted behind the bar.

You should also know (and if you don't I'll tell you) that I don't seek to sit outside and eat. I sweat way too easily in this scorching Texas heat. Oh but I didn't have a choice because all those that appreciate the A/C were jammed inside so I sat wherever I could. The reason I mention this is because this is not a bad thing to do at Fred's especially as hot as it was. Fred's not only has satisfying your stomach in on the menu, they also have your comfort in mind. Comfort in the form of a huge nicely decorated covered patio with plenty of tables to be exact. One of the most important comfort features being oversized and powerful fans blowing on us sweltering hungry customers.. nice touch Fred's.. thanks! That reminds me, the service was A+ for as busy as it was. I like to see that in my service and I surly thanked them in the tip department.

All in all, Fred's Texas Cafe was a experience worth writing home about and then going back and sampling some of their already awesome burgers and then writing home about it again. In other words, I am going back and I'm going to be daring enough and go all out for some fabulous fixings on my burger. When your in town be sure to do the same and don't pass up this nationally known foodie gem right middle of the Ft Worth cultural district. Fred's Texas Cafe will satisfy your beefy burger mood like few others. 

Burger House Hamburgers: A Dallas Staple SInce 1951

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If you mention "Burger House Hamburgers" to anybody that has lived in Dallas awhile, it's guaranteed that they will automatically know of that of which you speak. That's for a good reason too. Mainly because the Burger House in Dallas has been around since 1951. To be around that long and still thriving as a burger joint is a testament to the quality of burger they produce for all their loyal customers that keep coming back for more. You can count Livin' Tejas in that group of loyal customers because we will testify to the satisfaction of consuming many of their tasty burgers.

All this begs the question, what keeps customers ordering a Burger House Burger for over 60 years now? These questions need answers and I'm pretty sure I can offer a few up for you. First of all, we have to focus on what they are known for and what people think of when you talk about Burger House. They would tell you about the special seasoning they use on their burgers and more obviously so on their french fries. While Burger House won't give you the recipe for obvious reasons, they will tell you that it's a special salt. Special salt or not, it kind tastes of cumin, which take it from us, does greatly enhance the taste of their food and is part of the reason we love Burger House so much. We're pretty sure that we aren't the only ones that keep coming back to the addictive and distinctive taste of whatever the seasoning is that they use.

We recommend the burger first and foremost but the quality of the chicken in the chicken sandwich was way better than it should of been but that image is a great injustice to how good those fries taste!

While we'd love to tell you that it's all in the seasoning that they use, that wouldn't be completely fair to Burger House's delicious food. Everything we've tried there, has left us completely satisfied and is way beyond what you'd expect from a fast food kind of experience. While we wouldn't exactly consider Burger House fast food because it deserves a lot more recognition that, someone that is new to Dallas and doesn't know what Burger House is, might lump it into that category.

That aside, Burger House's hamburgers are very juicy and it tastes like a real treat, when we are able to go there and eagerly bite into their burgers. Which we might add, is not often enough. We'd come back not only for their juicy mouth watering burgers but for their fries and onion rings.

If you've been reading Livin' Tejas, you'd quickly realize that we are onion ring junkies. Some people love their fries and we don't take anything away from that but we like to order onion rings before the fries. Here at Burger House, an exception to that rule does take place. Why? As we mentioned earlier, while it's not all in the seasoning, we have to admit, that it is for their fries. When you order them they'll automatically know why because before you get to taste them, the smell of the special seasoning will overpower you into a deep trance. This is not a bad deep trance... just go with it; rather it's a delicious food one where your taste buds start salivating. While this is a little bit of exaggeration, it is partially true. You'll know it's Burger House by the smell should be a slogan of theirs. We digress, the smell is one thing but the taste of their special seasoning has to be tasted to be believed because it is very unique and addictive. Ok, their onion rings are good too (as they have very awesome breaded texture) but by all means try their fries first even if you aren't a fry fan like us, and there's no doubt you'll order them with every visit.

Burger House Hamburgers has been around for awhile so it's no wonder they have several locations in the Dallas area. There is nothing wrong with that, as it cuts down on our drive for sure. While it isn't neccessary, you'll want to try their original location in the famous Highland Park area of Dallas that has been opened since 1951. Do this at some point because it's a great nostalgic experience of a time long past. We say that because the location is small, wood abounds, and last but not least, it's very old looking with picnic tables. This location is very appropriate especially if you're showing someone around Dallas for the first time. If you can't make it to this location, by all means any location will do, just go there and be overpowered by the greatness this Dallas staple.

Scotty P's Hamburgers in Dallas, TX Equals Attention To Detail

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The bang for your buck feature is at play here as all this awesome American grub came in at just under $19.

Livin' Tejas has a theory when it comes to knowing whether a restaurant is going to be a winner or a loser and we like to think it comes down to attention to detail. We found such a place that proves our theory correct and what a delicious find it is. Yes, it's name is Scotty P's Hamburgers and they truly live up to expectations and not to mention their catchy little motto that says, "That's One Historic Burger." We found ourselves whole heartily agreeing with that motto in every bite we took.

When a burger looks like that you know it's gonna be good, it was.

Case numero uno with the attention to detail that was exhibited at this burger eatery started with the bun. Case in point, a ton of hamburger joints that we've been to overlook the importance of having a tasty bun. Have no fear though because Scotty P's has this covered and then some. Then some was the fact that not only was the bun very tasty but it was toasted to a buttery perfection. How do they do it? We don't know because this was one of the best buns we've ever consumed. Ok, come to think of it, we did wait awhile for our food, maybe they were back there baking them fresh. We really don't know but they sure tasted like it. This should tell you that, I can be a little impatient when it comes to waiting on food at a restaurant probably like most of you if you can admit to letting your hunger get the best of you. What really counts as my wife likes to tell me when I complain as I did here, as that probably means they are really cooking your food and that it's going to be good. How right she was as it was totally worth the agonizing wait.

Also, come to think of it this place was PACKED and got even more so as we lucked out and get there in the nick of time before an even bigger rush came whooshing through the restaurant and I kid you not, took every available seat! I was thankful that, my party got a booth and was not the table next to me, where we heard a customer ask another if they could share their long table. Yeah, hate me, but I like my space and privacy when I'm chowing down on my grub. It's a very intimate moment when your a foodie like me so let no women, man, or child interrupt that. I digress, but you know when a place gets as packed as this restaurant was, you know it's probably word of mouth and that it's a good sign that it's gonna be good!

A couple of winning bites into my Scotty P's experience and I was in burger heaven.

Case numero dos, for greatness and attention to detail which leads to perfection, the quality of the ingredients and in this case, (forgive me for over using case but I have to make my case) the quality of the beef. Damn, Dang it, every word that comes to mind but not in a bad way, Scotty P's gives their choice of beef the attention it deserves. The ground chuck that I chucked into my mouth was so unimaginably tasty, it had me wanting to bum rush the counter and ask them where they got it. Alas, I didn't but I should of.

What kind of burger did I get you might ask? You gotta give me mucho props for this and I'll tell you because you'll never guess on you own. The name for this creation was called the Borchardt Cheeseburger. I told you that you'd never guess. Yes, funny name but serious burger, to kind of borrow a famous fast food phrase but if the burger fits then it works. This Borchardt did work in ever sense of the word, with not with an ordinary ol' slice of American cheese but with grated cheese, fresh tomato and shredded lettuce.

You've seen this before but you got to have these to believe it.

Case numero tres, deeeee-licious sides. Scotty P's put the P in scrumPtious and sealed the deal with none other than my favorite kind of onion ring known as onion strings. It would of been one thing if these were average onion stings but that wasn't the case. These were fried to onion string perfection and had that tasty crunch where you can't stop eating them because they fall into the addictive category.

These are not even the onion rings that Scotty P's is known for. Believe or not they offer two different kind onion rings, the other affectionately known as Scotty P's O'mazing Onion Rings which as the menu states are handmade every morning. That right there makes me want to try them but it will have to wait until next trip as I couldn't pass up the onion strings because like I said in past posts, you don't find them everywhere you go.

How were the fries you might ask? You might know from reading this blog that I'm not a french fan fanatic because I like my onion rings too much but I know a good fry when I taste one. The fries at Scotty P's were no exception. Just like the onion strings, they were fried to perfection and had a very addictive quality to them. Seems to be a trend at Scotty P's.

The atmosphere at Scotty P's (at least at the Frisco, TX location) is nothing fancy, which is just fine for a burger joint. Ask any Texan, and they'll probably tell you that it's not about that when it comes their burgers, they just want a mighty tasty one. I think we've made the case that Scotty P's has that and more. However, while Scotty P's is not big on atmosphere, it does have a very easy going casualness that I look for. What I mean, is it's an order at the counter, sit where you want, and pick up you food when it's called system which is very convenient and relaxed.

We now can close this case of Scotty P's Hamburgers but it trust me, it will be reopened time and time again in the future when I return to this winning hamburger joint. To dive into your own case of Scotty P's please check out their website: Scotty P's Hamburgers for the 7 locations that have spread hamburger greatness across the Dallas metroplex.

Flying Fish in Dallas, TX, Don't Miss Out On The Fresh Catch

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On our journey to find the best eateries Texas offers, Livin Tejas decided to get the lowdown on something Texas does right, fried catfish. We found it at the Flying Fish in Dallas, TX. This was only after an exhausting journey that included several failed attempts to find a parking spot at two other well known catfish haunts. We will let them go unmentioned but just say to these places, you don't have to change a single thing in your restaurant (we like holes in the wall and all that) but if you have a popular spot, spend some money to enlarge your already small parking areas or find a way to accommodate for your customers if it overfills and this doesn't include having valet. That way, your customers don't have to do battle before they even get to the ordering counter. With our rant aside, we have to tell that if you're looking for great catfish and exhaustive selection of tasty seafood and you don't want to hassle with the parking, we found your place, as it has plenty of parking in front and a free parking garage right across the way.

Preston Center is a premier shopping and eating destination in Dallas

Flying Fish also happens to located in very established shopping center in Dallas called Preston Center with plenty of shops for you to browse around once your done with your meal or as we like to say, if you make yourself hungry while your shopping then fried seafood will surely satisfy that. 

As you can see, we weren't joking when we said that Flying Fish has an exhaustive selection of fried and not to mention grilled seafood goodness on their menu. We aren't complaining in the least though, as  we love variety and we're pretty sure that most of this menu is sure to satisfy your seafood fix. Just to give you a brief summary of what they have, theres hamburgers, boiled shrimp, snow crab legs, fish tacos, and even a big breakfast menu until 10:30am. You might be asking, how did Livin Tejas ever decide what to get? Easy, we just went for what Texas is known for in the seafood department and catfish would be at the top. 

As you can see, we happened to make the right choice in getting this catfish and butterfly shrimp combo basket that includes fries and hushpuppies as a bonus. We were also very surprised at the size and quality of the butterfly shrimp because unless you live near the Gulf Coast in Texas, then good quality shrimp is hard to come by. Not to say that it can't be found, just a little more difficult. Thankfully, we were very pleased to have found great shrimp here and again, that was very unexpected. It definitely took this place up a notch on the list of best catfish holes in Dallas. Ok, we'll get to our opinion of the quality of the fries because we know that is very important to some people but let's focus on what we came here for in the first place and that would be first rate catfish.

We said focus didn't we? Livin Tejas has visited plenty of catfish eateries in Texas and to be honest with our readers, we have to say... this is some of the very best catfish on this side of the Red River (for those that don't know, the Red River is the border of Texas and Oklahoma). As you might be able to tell, and from our honest opinion, this fish of whiskers was quality in being as fresh as it was. It was also exceptional in the meatiness and tenderness of the fish without any fatty meat which can be common if the cut is not done right. These two factors, freshness and the meatiness quality are very important if you want to experience the best catfish. In other words, the picture doesn't lie, it is as good as it looks. The other most important tip in finding great fried catfish is how they fry and bread it. We found the batter at Flying Fish to be very light and not overwhelming as to be able to taste the fish itself. Also, they fried it to perfection as it was not overdone but just right for our taste buds. A lot of catfish joints don't get that frying part right so needless to say, we were very impressed.

We couldn't leave without ordering up a catfish po'boy as they call it down south. A po'boy (or poorboy as it is also called) is simply a sandwich filled with your choice of seafood. That's if you're from other parts and are not aware of the name. At the Flying Fish, it happens to be called a poorboy loaf (interesting because we've never seen it called a loaf before). All naming issues aside, this poorboy loaf was good but not as good as we've experienced at other seafood restaurants in Dallas, Ft Worth, and Houston. This left our only regret because when we were driving home, we told ourselves that we of should tested some of the desserts. The desserts include banana pudding, key lime pie, bread pudding, and cobbler. All of those sound really good to us. That is ok though, this only gives us an excuse to go back and update this post for you at a later date. You probably know that is only a excuse to go back and eat this delicious fried seafood again. Ok we admit it, we have a sweet tooth too and that's why we were so hard on ourselves for not satisfying it.

The Famous Wall of Billy (talking) Bass can be found here

We just can't end without a silly but entertaining note because not only does Flying Fish have wonderful seafood, they have more personality to boot than most restaurants combined. We noticed this the minute we in the walked in door and decided it was too interesting to pass up by not including it in this post. 

Everywhere we looked, we saw fish and not in our baskets,  but on the walls and even on the ceiling. There happens to be an interesting story to this and it goes as follows...

As you might be able to read in the sign (click to enlarge if you need to) the Billy Bass collection is not only pretty to look at but it will get you free catfish if you participate. All you need to do, is give your Billy Bass up (that's not too much to ask for as you probably won't miss him, poor Billy though). No wonder we saw so many of those Billy fish, people are crazy about getting something for free. Not only is that fun, but what a way to entertain your kids when you take them here.

The Liars Wall is also very amusing as it contains countless bragging rights of people and their catch

We are definitely a fan of the humor that fills this stand out eatery but that would be all for nothing if the food wasn't up to par. Livin Tejas knew it would be though, because when a restaurant has a good vibe you can feel it the minute you walk in the door. The vibes were buzzing at the Flying Fish and there is no doubt that Livin Tejas found a new favorite in a State known for many a great catfish hangout. We have to say in the end, we are glad that we had parking issues at those other catfish joints because then we wouldn't of been able to experience the goodness of the catch and the personality of the atmosphere at the Flying Fish. If you want to find yourself at the Flying Fish and park yourself here with no hassle, then please visit Flying Fish

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