The Best in DFW

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BURGERS

The hamburger is an edible poem to America. Break down the components of an outstanding burger and note how intrinsic each of its ingredients is to our culture: ground beef, downy white bread, tomatoes, crisp lettuce, yellow cheese, well-cooked bacon with crunch. Even mayonnaise and mustard speak to our national preferences in condiments.If the whole country has, in the last decade, renewed its vows to the burger, more ravenous fans may not be found outside Texas. When we posted our critics' picks for burgers on our Eats blog, more than 500 readers (and still counting) responded to tell us about their beloveds. It's by far been the most popular topic in our ongoing Best in DFW series.

For our picks, the criteria for an iconic burger were simple: Did the essential taste of the patty please us, and did the ingredients around it reveal quality and balance? In grazing through the slew of sacred cows in the local burger business, we started by sampling a basic burger, but we also didn't consider ourselves purists. Beyond bacon and cheese, controversial toppings like guacamole can be not only acceptable but also sometimes preferred.

Also (and we know we don't really need to make this disclaimer in Texas), this is about beef burgers. Turkey and veggie burgers occupy other realms altogether.

Critics' picks are presented alphabetically, without ranking or star rating.

About the Best in DFW series

The Best in DFW series presents critics' picks and asks readers to chime in with their favorites on the blog.

This biweekly feature focuses first on the area's best restaurants in various dining categories.

When you see this symbol on GuideLive.com, you'll know that location is a critics' pick.

Selections are based on recent reviews and dining experiences by Dallas Morning News restaurant critic Bill Addison and other regular reviewers, including Kim Harwell, Michael Hiller, Kim Pierce and Lawson Taitte.

This series will be expanded later to other high-interest areas.

How we choose

Selections are based on recent reviews and dining experiences by Dallas Morning News restaurant critic Bill Addison and other regular reviewers, including Kim Harwell, Michael Hiller, Kim Pierce and Lawson Taitte.

When you see this symbol in on GuideLive.com, you'll know that location is a critics' pick. Critics' picks are presented alphabetically, without ranking. For more details on our price key and star ratings, check GuideLive.com's Restaurant Frequently Asked Questions. To join in and view other dining features, check the Restaurants page at GuideLive.com.