Peace Burger ~ Grapevine, Texas

Latest visit: Apr 2014

First visit: Nov 2008

The beer revolution continues here in DFW, and the whole Baja "chain" has gone all in for local craft brews. Hooray, hooray! Mr. Music and I visited Peace Burger this past weekend, and now I can say they really will be part of a "burger rotation". We each tried a local-to-Texas beer - I had the Peticolas Royal Scoundrel, while he had the Real Ale "Devil's Backbone" (which I've had in the bottle but not on tap). Like their Funky Baja's location in Keller, they feature gigantic $5 "Freaking" Burgers. Mr. Music had the Hell Burger and I tried their chili cheese dog, which is about the biggest one I've ever had. Sloppy goodness. This chain has evolved so much, I'm not even sure how much of the below is worthwhile to read. I've struck out items that are no longer true

The below review represented the RJG's first visit. And now some 3 years later, we have gone back for only the second time (despite my false claim below of a mythical "burger rotation"). There have been significant changes since Mr. SS and I were last here (and, as mentioned in an earlier blog entry, Mr. SS is now munching his way through Manhattan). Perhaps most notably thay have moved into a new setting around the corner - but still in the same strip mall. And they went from a fast food burger joint to a full-scale sports bar with an expanded menu that includes tacos (since they're owned by Baja's, this makes sense), appetizers, sandwiches, and of course hamburgers. Gone are the album covers - in its place, sports memorabilia and flat screen TVs.

To start with, I was disappointed with the bar aspect. The draught beer selection was limited to strictly mainstream US and Mexican macro swills. At least throw in a couple of micros or a European import! So I settled on a frozen margarita, which was pretty good actually, though somewhat generic. As for the meal, I zeroed in on the "Hell Burger". You know Mr. RJG, always looking for some fiery spice. You all seen that show Heat Seekers? I could hang with those guys all day - they're a lot of fun, and I love their idea of a good meal. So the Hell Burger is pretty much a regular size patty with a habanero sauce, sliced jalapenos and Monterey Jack cheese. Was it hot? Sure, but not overly so. I didn't taste the habanero honestly - seemed more like a paprika/cayenne blend (and suspiciously looked that way too). The sliced jalapenos were mild, though that could be a seasonal situation. They also threw a fat roasted jalapeno on top. I'm not fond of "fat" peppers, but I got about half-way through it. It was pretty weak to be honest. So in the end, I loved the concept, but wasn't blown away by it. I'm saying thumbs up to Peace Burger, though personally I'm finding it hard to come up with a reason to be a repeat visitor. Maybe I'm just not getting what they're really good at. It could be another 3 years for me...

--- Original review

Drugs, sex and hamburgers? One could argue that hamburgers ARE narcotics, and based by the crowd we saw on our first visit, the sex will need to be Viagra fueled.

On this lunch visit, I was accompanied by my neighbor Mr. SS. Apparently we were with the Youth Group. That is, until a bunch of woolly looking characters came walking in, with oval patches saying "Billy" and "Fred". OK, we're in the right place.

Peace Burger is actually a side business for the good folks who run the Baja Mex Grill / El Taco H, which happen to be conveniently next door. They decided to occupy a former wings place, and since they already had a circle as a logo, in the name of efficiency they just painted in the peace sign. Good idea!

Their signature burger is the "The Peace Burger", loaded with Mexican ingredients they grabbed from the adjoining kitchen no doubt. Also "The Hippie Burger" which is, predictably I suppose, a vegetarian option made with a black bean patty. Hmm, might need to drag Mrs. RJG here.

We both stuck to traditional items like cheeseburgers, fries and onion rings. The cheeseburger is huge - and has a certain thickness that some find appealing, while others (like my wife) think it appalling. Many times with a burger this size, the ingredients don't penetrate, leaving the taste of plain ground beef. Not Peace Burger. A nice, salty ingredient mix tunneled it's way throughout. And the fries also included a delicious seasoning. The rings weren't to our liking, tasting like fried batter and little else. Still, Peace Burger will now be part of the NE Tarrant Burger Rotation, that includes Johnny B's, Kincaid's, Chapps Cafe, Five Guys, Clown Burger and a few others.

You can find Peace Burger on William D. Tate in Grapevine, just east of TX-114, right across the street from the Silver Fox steakhouse.

As for the rock and roll, Peace Burger could probably use a primer on 1960s music. Sorry guys, Guns N Roses, Rainbow and Mahogany Rush weren't residents at the corner of Haight and Ashbury. Nor a part of the sunshine pop psych of LA. Or any psych movement. Let's see, better we view posters and covers of The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Doors, Iron Butterfly. Or perhaps we should dig deeper with The Beat of the Earth, Wendy and Bonnie, Music Emporium, Dragonwyck, The Plastic Cloud, Fifty Foot Hose, The United States of America... OK, I'll stop. Did I just say all those bands out loud?

11/14/08 (new entry); 4/16/14

My New York Pizza ~ Keller, Texas

Latest visit: Apr 2014

First visit: Apr 2010

When the RJG first wrote the below review, we also added the restaurant to Urbanspoon and was its first rater. A year and a half later, 207 votes are in, with a 90% approval rating. That's pretty amazing when you consider how remote My New York Pizza really is. It's definitely a neighborhood pizza place. On the downside, of the 10% that don't like it, some have left vicious reviews. I think folks need to take it easy when they're negative. There's some bad karma out there and it usually comes back in the same manner. Be careful out there. Try to be kind even when things don't go your way.

One other note, the guy who runs My New York Pizza is a bit quirky (and very nice). Sometimes he opens at a 11, sometimes not until 12. So to avoid disappointment, I'd suggest not going here for an early lunch.

---

In Part 1 of our pizza overview, we discussed the New York pizza phenomenon, and my own personal history with it. Finding a place that makes a pizza in this most beloved of styles (NY) is not too difficult anymore, but finding a place that makes a slice - now that's a whole different story. As we mentioned in Part 1, the RJG loved to sample as many pizza joints as possible while working in Manhattan (and many subsequent visits since). There's an art to making a good slice, and very few get it here in North Texas. But when I first walked into My New York Pizza, I knew instantly they got it. Sitting peacefully on the counter top were two pies, one pepperoni and the other cheese. If he had called the cheese a "regular slice", I would've probably passed out. But OK I can live with the name "cheese". So I dutifully ordered one of each, and 3 to 5 minutes later out came two perfectly heated slices - spread appropriately across two paper plates. That's right, this is fold down the middle, lift the tip up, old fashioned NY pizza. Crispy, chewy, pliable, greasy (in a good way)... delicious. I've gone many times since, and it's spot on every time. The wife has started to join me of late, and she likes to get one slice with a salad, which is loaded with fresh greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, and his own dressing. Remember the cheese pizza serves two purposes - one to be eaten by itself, and the other to add any ingredient you want with a little extra cheese thrown on top for good measure. Want a quick slice? Come to My New York Pizza. They're located on North Tarrant, just east of Rufe Snow and across the street from Niki's.

4/18/10 (new entry); 7/7/12; 4/15/14