Blackjack Pizza Might Have the Most Underrated Burger in Dallas

More than any other food, Dallas is a city defined by burgers. Ask any North Texan for a burger recommendation — lifelong residents and recent transplants — and they’ll likely rattle off five or six places in quick succession that they swear by unequivocally.

A few staple joints usually make people’s lists, guided by personal experience or influenced by publicity from publications like this one. Google the best burgers in Dallas, and recent lists from all the major outlets, including the Observer, rarely include any spot south of Interstate 30, and none include Blackjack Pizza. Not yet, anyway.

Blackjack Pizza might have one of the most slept-on burgers in Dallas. The nondescript location at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Atlanta Street in South Dallas is serving up a hefty, high-quality burger that deserves consideration as an entry on everyone’s go-to list.
The burgers here are legit. Unwrapping the burger from its white paper wrapper requires at least one napkin. That’s a good thing. The thick, homemade patties are topped with fresh vegetables — lettuce, onions and pickles — with a choice of mayonnaise, mustard or both.

None of the burgers runs more than $8.95. The Blackjack cheeseburger is $6.50. There’s an option with double meat, but the single size should be enough to satisfy almost any appetite.

Sides of french fries ($2.85) and onion rings (small $3.50, large $4) are available. The onion rings are probably the better side option. Still, it’s the burger, with its glistening bun, ample beef patty, American cheese and perfectly crunchy vegetables, that's the star of the show.
Blackjack has two locations: one in South Dallas and another in Pleasant Grove. It’s worth the trip no matter where you live in the city.

Word to the wise if you’re heading to the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard location: there is no exterior signage other than a paper sign taped to the door. The restaurant is still in the midst of repairs after teenagers crashed a stolen car into Blackjack in September 2022.

Because of the repairs, there’s currently no indoor dining. Roll in, place your order, watch some NBA basketball on the TV in the corner while you wait for your food and take it somewhere where you can really enjoy it. The banks of the Leonhardt Lagoon at Fair Park or a table at your favorite watering hole will never let you down. They may also add to the experience, especially if your order makes the people around you jealous.

Dallasites are particular about everything, especially when it comes to their all-beef patties cradled in a warm bun. Blackjack Pizza’s burger is worthy of attention, and it’s long past due for this restaurant to enter the pantheon of go-to, recommended burger destinations in Dallas.

One thing to note: Blackjack Pizza is cash only.

2536 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (South Dallas). Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Saturday, noon – 10 p.m. Closed Sunday.

2120 N. St Augustine Road (Pleasant Grove). Monday – Friday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Saturday, noon – 9 p.m. Closed Sunday.