Chop House Burgers
1700 W Park Row Dr #116
Arlington, TX 76013
(817) 459-3700
Chop House Burgers
Chop House Burger
January 26, 2013
Chop House Burgers is Chef Kenny Mills newest restaurant offering focusing on unusual hamburger creations in a casual setting. Tucked away in a tiny strip center in Central Arlington bordering Pantego Kenny’s creation has already skyrocketed to fame courtesy of a guest segment on Food TV’s “Diner’s, Drive-in’s and Dive’s” hosted by Chef Guy Fieri. Since the release of the episode you cannot get within a 100 feet of Chop House Burgers without circling a parking lot looking for a parking spot before standing in a 45 minute line to order your lunch. It’s that popular, that fast.
I’ve visited Chop House Burgers twice on recent Saturdays. The first time we arrived at 11:25AM and barely beat the bulk of the quickly forming line. We were also lucky enough to snag an immediate parking space which is no small feat. I ordered the signature Chop House Burger for my meal which is a “Char” grilled ground beef patty mixed with slow roasted brisket prior to cooking. The burger is finished off with house made steak sauce, applewood smoked bacon and smoked cheddar cheese on top of a butter toasted bun (Mrs Baird’s best it appeared to me). The burger was prepared to well done (there is a sign on the wall saying all burgers will be prepared well done unless requested otherwise) despite my asking it be cooked medium rare. I’m not sure if this was an oversight of the kitchen or an impossibility due to the mix of beef and already cooked brisket. No matter as the flavor of the burger was very good albeit a bit dryer than I prefer. This burger is recommended for flavor and interesting make-up, not so much for done-ness.
We shared a basket of Thick Cut Onion Rings ($4.00) which were more than enough to satisfy us with leftovers to take home. They were well seasoned and cooked with a hint of a spicy kick on the finish. This side is recommended.
Chop House The Cheeseburger
The second time I arrived at 1:00PM and got smacked right in the face by Guy Fieri’s influence. I had to circle the lot several times for a parking spot, finally giving up and waiting idle for somebody to pull out. I was soon rewarded with somebody pulling out and before I could snag the spot I had been waiting for somebody BACKUP UP into the spot cutting me off cleanly. You’ve been warned. By this time the line was also pushing out the door hitting the 45 minute mark. Not exactly the first steps I was seeking for a nice relaxing lunch on a Saturday.
This visit I ordered The Cheeseburger which consists of once again a “Char” grilled burger which is wrapped in two grilled cheese sandwiches as the buns. No, I didn’t mistype that. You are literally eating three sandwiches simultaneously. I once again requested this behemoth to be cooked medium rare and low and behold it was actually cooked that way this time. The burger had lots of flavor with a moist, properly prepared patty in the middle. If I was going to upgrade this burger in any way I’d replace the American cheese slices with cheddar for the buns. I did however prefer this burger just a hair over the signature Chop House Burger due to done-ness. This burger is recommended every once and a while right before you have blood-work done at your doctor office. That should give your doctor a kick.
This visit we ordered the appetizer of Fried Pickles as our side. Once again this “side” was well flavored and portion size was plenty enough to satisfy us and still have some to take home after. This appetizer is recommended for the fried and salty crowd.
Service is good, not great. The biggest peeve here is you always feel rushed to finish your meal and clear your table (aka “Flip That Table”). The wait staff is CONSTANTLY passing by tables asking if they can take your plate even if you still have some food left on it. So put your game face on and be prepared to stand firm if you want to sit for a few minutes after lunch and relax.
Chop House Burgers does not have a liquor license so BYOB is allowed. If you’d like to bring a small cooler of your favorite beer to wash down your burger (or a nice bottle of wine as well) then feel free to do so. Just bring your own stemware as there is none. Oh, don’t forget you’ll be pushed out of that chair as fast as possible so you might not have time to finish that drink.
Chop House Burger is open for lunch and dinner from 11AM until 9PM, Monday through Saturday. Attire is casual. Major credit cards are accepted. Parking is free in the lot in front of the restaurant but be aware it is woefully undersized for the volume passing through. Good luck.
Chop House: OK for a solid burger, no thanks to Guy Fieri.
