100 Favorite Dishes, No. 69: The Fuego Burger at 5ive Spice

Leading up to September's Best of Dallas® 2016 issue, we're sharing (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes, the Dallas entrées, appetizers and desserts that really stuck with us this year.

Carlos Rodriguez’s chef-driven Mexican restaurant, Salsa Fuego, closed in Fort Worth. But he quickly bounced back with 5ive Spice Kitchen and offered a scaled-down version of the Salsa Fuego menu that luckily includes the Fuego Burger. It’s worth the drive to a tiny spot across the street from a cemetery attached to a convenience store in Rendon.

The Fuego Burger is just as wonderful as ever and, with a half-pound patty, is bigger, too. Rodriguez has had burgers on his menu since day one, and they have constantly evolved. At first, he threw frozen hamburger patties on a grill with some seasoning. They were actually pretty good, but they weren’t great. Moving from frozen to fresh and experimenting with recipes, the burgers became exponentially better.

Rodriguez eventually started hand-forming the patties and seasoning the beef with flavors that enhanced the flavor instead of hiding it — Worcester, black pepper, whole grain Dijon mustard and pureed shallots to keep the Angus ground chuck juicy. The Fuego Burger is all about the meat at the end of the day, but this is a visually striking burger with savory toppings, put together with an emphasis on execution, freshness and quality. The melted cheddar Jack on top forms into a ring of fried cheese sticking out of the sides, and it comes with roasted jalapeño mayo and fire-roasted green chiles.

5ive Spice, 5595 E. FM 1187, Rendon