September 11, 2001. A Reflection.

A reflection on 9/11: Today in Western Civilization.

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Consumer Reports reports on Hamburgers

August 2020 UPDATE

Opinions on fast-food hamburgers varied and often have less to do with who actually has the better burger but which franchise the reviewer is happiest with. I have no problem with that.

But objectively I think you can make a judgment about which fast-food hamburgers are better than others. I exclude places like 5-Guys because you are buying twice as much as you are at McDonald's , so yes, of course their hamburger should be better.

If we stick with the basic $7.50 for the meal which is best, which is the worst. Here's my opinion:

From worst to best:

5. Burger King. The restaurants are ususally not kept up, the service is usually bad, and the burgers are mediocre. Fries are worst of the major fast foods.

4. McDonald's. In my view the pre-cooked then steamed hamburger which is what they do with all their burgers is a mistake. Unless you are lucky enough to get the burger right off the grill it is usually not hot enough, not juicy, and has a mushy texture. For speed and convenience and cleanliness they win.

3. Wendy's. Some attempt has been made at the Wendy's restaurants to update them and keep them clean. And their burgers are made to order so they are usually hot. I think their fries are weak.

2. In-N-Out

1. Whataburger

I apologize for yet another hamburger post, but just in case you didn't see today's Yahoo/Consumer Reports article on the best hamburgers., the link below will take you to it.

In summary, the Consumer Reports survey considers Five Guys and In-N-Out to be the best burgers for national companies and McDonald's the worst.

I actually like the McDonald's quarter-pounder when it's fresh and prefer them to Burger-King or Whataburger.

In the Consumer Reports report, 26,000 people were polled and on a 1 - 10 scale Five Guys and In-N-Out received a 7.9, Whataburger received a 7.3, Burger King and Jack-in-the-Box, 6.3, and McDonald's 5.6.

Agree? Disagree?

The Consumer Report article: consumer reports

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Cane Rosso at Times Ten Cellars Cancelled due to weather.

For those planning to attend the  

Cane Rosso open at

Times Ten Cellars:

Sorry to announce:

Canceled due to weather.

Rescheduled for September 14, 2010

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Five Guys Hamburgers, Fort Worth, on Hulen.

I'll make this quick.

I had already eaten lunch, so when my son called and said, "Want to go to the new Five Guys?" I hesitated, but decided to go for the conversation and to see the place. I've been to Five Guys many times in other cities and wanted to see how ours compared.

It was about 1:15 p.m. when we arrived and I figured it would be somewhat cleared out. Wrong. It was packed. About 100 people, but almost everyone was seated, either eating or waiting for their burger. Our wait was about 10 - 15 minutes before he got his burger. They had the staff to service the crowd.

Now, Fort Worth has many good burger places: Fred's, M&O, Kinkaid's, Love's, Blue Tower . . . who am I missing? No, I'm not adding Dutch's or Papa's. We will have a Smashburger soon, and rumors keep floating about In-N-Out.

In my opinion, Five Guys ranks with the best, and their boardwalk fries, when they are just out of the fryer, are fantastic. Plus, they have vinegar as well as ketchup for the fries.

Five Guys
4833 S. Hulen Street
Fort Worth, TX 76132



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Roots Coffeehouse. North Richland Hills.

I had to venture out of the comfortable confines of Fort Worth yesterday to take my son to the airport. My first thought on such occasions is to be thankful that my days of working in Dallas but living in Fort Worth are over. Nevertheless, to the airport we went, and on the way back I decided to try the coffee at Roots Coffeehouse, a new coffeehouse in North Richland Hills. I'm not sure where I heard or read about it, but I did, so I went.

First glance: very attractive interior, spacious, and well furnished. And to my liking, not over-stuffed with Roots gear and bric-a-brac. I hate bric-a-brac and I never wear apparel with a company's name on it ( if you want a billboard, buy one).

Anyway, Roots is new, comfortable, and inviting. The store is in a condo/retail complex, something like W7th but more suburban, and is part of the newly developed North Richland Hills/Precinct Line Road area. Not interesting to everyone but it is to me.

The coffee: I asked for a dark roast coffee to go and was served a good cup of coffee. Very hot. No complaints, not an A+, but I will go back when I am in the area. Coffee is best immediately after brewing -- mine may have been at the tail end of the holding time limit, at least it seemed that way. Regardless, it was a good cup of coffee.

The business: Some of my friends (you know who you are) will be interested in their fair-trade coffee commitment and their association with small independent businesses.  This from their website:

Roots Coffeehouse is one of DFW’s first coffee-shops serving all fair trade, organic coffee. Located in the heart of North Richland Hills (right across the street from Tarrant County College), Roots Coffeehouse invites you to come try out our specialty fair trade coffee, our signature RED Espresso, or perhaps a soy vanilla latte paired with a freshly baked blueberry muffin.

Summary: Any new venture in the area gets my support. The coffee is good. The pastries looked fresh, the attendants were friendly, and they have free wifi. What more could you ask for?

Roots Coffeehouse:  http://www.rootscoffeehouse.com/

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