Smash burgers with crispy edges, savory secret sauce & loaded fries
"What has long been touted as the best burger in Dallas finally finds a permanent home with its own restaurant in Lake Highlands, which opened at the end of April. The ample space features a full bar, giving chef Dave Culwell room to roll out a menu of just under a dozen varieties of smash burgers, along with fries, onion strings, and fried pickles. It features booths and tables suitable for families, as well as bar seats and intimate tables for casual dates, and a small, covered patio. Get the OG Schmurger if you haven’t had it yet, but the Pasadena (a nod to Culwell’s hometown) and the blue cheese burger are also highlights." - Courtney E. Smith
"What has long been touted as the best burger in Dallas finally finds a permanent home in a standalone restaurant in Lake Highlands. The ample space, which opened at the end of April, features a full bar, giving chef Dave Culwell room to roll out a menu of just under a dozen varieties of smash burgers, along with fries, onion strings, and fried pickles. Burger Schmurger features booths and tables suitable for families, bar seats and intimate tables for casual dates, and a small, covered patio. Get the OG Schmurger if you haven’t had it yet, but the Pasadena (a nod to Culwell’s hometown) and the blue cheese burger are also highlights. If you drive: The parking lot of this shopping center has notoriously thin spaces. If you’ve got one of those big ass cars, be cool about it and park in the back." - Courtney E. Smith
"A longtime pop-up that has graduated to a full storefront, specializing in experimented smash burgers with an 11-item menu. Standouts include the classic burger, the East Dallas (blue cheese and bacon), the Claremont Hotel (Swiss, mushrooms, and bacon), and the Happy Hippie (veggie patty with white American cheese and grilled onions). The large former-Bar None space features family-sized tables and booths plus a small covered patio, making it a casual, community-driven spot." - Courtney E. Smith
"Smash burgers reach their peak at this spot in Lake Highlands from chef Dave Culwell. There are weekly specials — the offerings go far beyond the standard smash burger with fries — but if you’re here, it’s probably because you want that burger, which has possibly the best crispy edges in all of Dallas. His secret sauce is a savory delight; the grilled onions and molten cheese in the classic Schmurger push the smash burger’s flavor over the top. His new standalone restaurant, opened after years of operating as a pop-up, offers just shy of a dozen varieties of smash burgers, fries, onion strings, and fried pickles. Best for: Going HAM on a burger, so absolutely not an early-phase-of-the-relationship date. The large space is family-friendly, and it has a full bar." - Courtney E. Smith
"A Dallas pop-up that used a Sunday fundraising event to benefit Altadena and Pasadena fire victims as well as the Pasadena Educational Foundation, turning a casual service into a targeted relief effort." - Kayla Stewart