Restaurant DeGolyer's Burger Is the Dallas Arboretum's Secret Blossom

Jayson Jones, executive chef at Restaurant DeGolyer at the Dallas Arboretum, recently reached out to us with two bold claims: Restaurant DeGolyer has the best patio in Dallas and a new burger worthy of our best burger list. We honestly didn’t know much about the dining options inside the arboretum prior to hearing from Jones, so we had to go check out this potential hidden gem for ourselves.

What we need to mention first is that Restaurant DeGolyer is, indeed, inside the arboretum, and you will have to pay admission to get in. Or, you could spend the day there and wrap things up with a burger.

The menu contains a breezy selection of lunch dishes, including salads, sandwiches and a robust list of desserts. While everything is enticing, we took Jones up on his new burger.

It’s worth noting that on the menu, the burger is listed as a “short rib and brisket sandwich.” We find this unnecessarily confusing, not just for people seeking the burger but for those who would understandably expect this sandwich to be more barbecue-adjacent. If you’re going to have a burger on your menu, call it what it is and stand by it.

And this is certainly a burger worth standing by. It contains two patties on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, red onions, caramelized onions and your choice of cheese.

The burger here is the go-to for the picky eater and should still hold up for those who prefer their veggies on the side.

The burger is served medium-well, with little pink to be seen, but it's still juicy and flavorful. The two patties have a hearty thickness but are thin enough to let the flavors shine without struggling to fit your jaw around the burger.

We went with Swiss cheese on our burger, and it was the right call. The burger contains a careful balance of flavors, from the sweetness of the caramelized onions to the savoriness of the meat, with the cheese adding a bit of gooey texture.

The burger is served with a side of fried green beans, whose greatest strength proved to be its greatest weakness. The batter used to fry the green beans was perfectly seasoned, and each bean was fried to a thick, golden perfection. The least exciting part, however, was the green bean itself, which got a little lost in the batter and was further muddled if you choose to dip into the provided ketchup. It’s a serviceable side, albeit a bit forgettable.
Clinching a spot on our best burgers list is quite the feat, but Restaurant DeGolyer has certainly put forth a considerable contender. As for their claim of having a gorgeous patio, that feels like a given, right?

The restaurant is part of the historic DeGolyer House, a breathtaking Spanish Colonial Revival estate built in 1939. The patio not only contains distinctive architectural details of the period such as stunning stone and tile work, it also overlooks White Rock Lake and parts of the botanical gardens. The additional fees that come with having lunch inside the arboretum feel justified, as this dining experience feels serene and miles away from the bustling city it’s nestled in.

Would we recommend stopping by the arboretum just to eat at Restaurant DeGolyer? We’re going to leave that up to you. But if you happen to be spending the day there and pondering a burger on a scenic patio, we recommend this one wholeheartedly.

Restaurant DeGolyer, inside Dallas Arboretum, 8525 Garland Road. Daily, 11 a.m – 3 p.m.