There's no reason for Digg's Tacos to have one of Dallas' most addictive burgers, but they do. I'm there just as it opens for lunch, before the carnitas or queso has been fired, and the burger hits the cooktop with a blazing sizzle. A griddle press is placed on top for maximum crunch, and a squirt bottle makes it hiss. JBL speakers embedded in the booth play a sad and folky cover of The Clash's "I Fought the Law."
The "hamburguesa" comes refreshingly simple, with shredded lettuce, pickles, onions and a couple of fried onion rings lattice-worked with ketchup, mayo and mustard. There's no house-made pickles or fresh buns from Empire -- don't look for that here. They don't ask how you want the meat cooked. Monterey Jack was perfectly melted with the steam from that squeeze bottle. It's store-bought ingredients, executed well enough to make you order five more for every lunch of the week.
The second you pick up this burger you know it'll be gone in a few minutes. It's almost worth warning your table neighbor --"Hey, how's it going -- I'm going to eat the shit out of this."
The bun's been buttered-up and toasted on the griddle, so immediately all things are good (♫Buttered and toasted buns are the best♫). The griddle press makes the meat juicy and surface-crunchy. One bite in, you know this your favorite burger at a taco spot. It doesn't need to even be there -- the tacos and salads are solid -- but it is. The onions rings did the predictable thing and pulled out of their fried sheath, but I didn't care.
This is like the one-off perfect burger you make at home, by yourself, and no one is around to celebrate it. The one you cut in half, and punch the air because you cooked it spot-on. It's the best believably homemade burger that you didn't make at home. You try to replicate this burger four times and never quite get there.
Digg's version grabs all the homemade burger points. The pickles meet the mayo for a bite of dill, and the ketchup leaves a kick of sweetness. Served immediately after sliding off the griddle, the beef was piping hot. The whole thing stupefyingly simple and delicious.
Also, it's $6.50. The last few burgers I've had in Dallas have all clocked in at 12 bucks, plus a side, which makes it refreshing to devour an under-eight-buck option that keeps you wanting more. Sometimes you just want a dirty, homemade burger, slathered in condiments. It's just good, with no misdirection. It's what it needs to be.
