My physical is coming up in a few months and I'm trying to get all my burger eating done well ahead on any blood tests that may be on the horizon. For this week's review I checked out Stackhouse on Gaston Avenue, a burger house built literally into a house by Randall Kienast and Ben Spies.
Weeks ago I reviewed Goodfriend and fell in love with the space as much as the burgers themselves, but while both restaurants are self-described burger houses, they're actually very different establishments. Here's a breakdown.
Service: Stackhouse requires customers to order at a counter and find their own seats after handing them a table marker. Goodfriend's hostess boasts and iPad and guides you to wait-staffed seating, sometimes after a considerable wait.
Bar: Goodfriend gives customers a massive horseshoe bar to sit at and swill while they wait for their burgers. It's a great place for an extended drinking session. Stackhouse has four or five bar stools tucked in a back corner. You can order a bucket of beers at Stackhouse, but otherwise you have to get up and down to replenish your glass.
Beer: Goodfriend boasts a major beer menu with rotating features and a full bar. Stackhouse has a small but decent list, and no liquor.
Burger: Stackhouse gives you a 6-ounce patty, and Goodfriend gives you 1/3 pound (5.3 ounces). Stackhouse burgers are called singles. Goodfriend makes you order with kitschy names. Both restaurants cooked their burgers accurately across all my visits.
Outdoor Space: Stackhouse boasts a side porch and roof deck with views of the Dallas skyline, while Goodfriend gives you a massive cedar pergola with a view of a parking lot.
In the end, Stackhouse feels more like a casual joint where you come in for lunch and move on when you're done eating. Goodfriend, in comparison, has a comfortable character that encourages lingering. You can even hit up the beer garden, drink and not eat a burger at all. And that suits me.
