We Try Flaming Burger’s Stellar Chicken Fried Steak Sandwich

From the parking lot, Flaming Burger appears basic. Really basic. The space sits next to a Burlington Coat Factory with a small, nondescript white sign above the door. You’d barely know Flaming Burger was there unless you’ve been before.

Inside, it’s just as no-frills as its humble exterior. Basic. Looks, though, can be deceiving. Because the burgers at Flaming Burger are anything but basic.

The Flaming Burger menu offers a roster of top-shelf burgers, sandwiches and hot dogs, along with a handful of salads and appetizers (such as fried jalapeño bottle caps and mozzarella jalapeño cheese sticks). Fries and beer-battered onion rings round out the menu.

The expanded hot dog menu is fun and something we don’t see as often as we should: you can get chili cheese dogs, corn dogs and, bless them, a Mexidog, which is wrapped in bacon.

But the burgers, which come on toasted poppy-seed buns, are the main attraction. We started with a double-meat cheeseburger ($13.29 for the combo, including fries and a drink) and seasoned curly fries. This cooked-to-order beauty comes with two rather thin patties (not a complaint at all, just an observation) along with the requisite American cheese and toppings. Everything is ultra-fresh, and the curly fries were mere seconds removed from the fryer – piping hot and perfectly crisp.

Next up was the chicken fried steak sandwich ($12.79 for the combo). This was my first chicken fried steak sandwich, and damn, I gotta say it was everything I dreamed it would be. A golden, fresh out-of-the-fryer slab (cut down the middle) of crispy-crunchy chicken fried steak in a poppy seed bun with mayo, lettuce and tomato – this was an elite sandwich. The hand-cut fries (we opted for the standard fries this time) were also a hit.

Marko’s Special is mentioned often in their 4.7-star Google rating and comes with double meat, Monterrey Jack, bacon, jalapenos, hot mustard and all the trimmings for $8.99 (or $13.79 for a combo). We’ll definitely be back for that.

Inside there are plenty of tables for families or groups, plus TVs with sports.

For dessert, Flaming Burger offers milkshakes (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and Oreo).

Flaming Burger is easy to miss or overlook if you’re driving by, but we promise this diamond in the rough is worth the stop.

Flaming Burger, 11255 Garland Road. Monday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Tuesday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.