The Dairy-ette: I'm a Fool for Old-School

Pondering my next entry for this blog was not hard.  I've been craving a Dairy-ette bacon and jalapeno cheeseburger for a long time.  The only hard part was trying to decide whether or not to wait until today----Independence Day---to indulge.  Jessica and I talked about it and somewhere along the way we decided we couldn't wait until Thursday, and we'd go after I got home from work on Wednesday night.

At work on Wednesday, I thought about our decision and had second thoughts.  I knew I'd be writing about our visit and needed an angle.  And what a great story it would be to celebrate our cherished freedom at the Dairy-ette, an old-school American burger joint.

After a day of deliberation, I made up my mind to put off the Dairy-ette until Thursday.

When I got home from work, and stepped into the house from the garage, I was greeted by Charlie, who was jumping up and down and excitedly saying: "We're going to get hamburgers!  And home-made root beer!"

I set down my lunch box and went looking for Jessica.  Breaking off this burger engagement for the evening wasn't going to be easy.  I found Jessica and before I could say anything, she cheerily informed me that she'd just showered after a strenuous workout and was very hungry for a Dairy-ette burger.

And so, it came to pass that at about six o'clock yesterday evening, I loaded the family into the car and drove over to 9785 Ferguson Road in Dallas to enjoy what I call, in all seriousness, one of the best burgers in Dallas.

The Dairy-ette comes by it's old-school reputation honestly.  It's been around since 1956.  The booths and counter inside provide a comfortable and cool dining experience.  However, if you want to stay in your car, just flash your lights and the waitress will come to you.  And yes, they will hang a tray from your car door, just like we've all seen in the movie "American Graffiti" or the television show "Happy Days!"

This time around, we chose to dine inside.  We sat in a deep cushioned booth that was upholstered with a cherry red and white vinyl.  I don't know if the booths are vintage, but they sure look that way.

I looked over the menu, even though there was no way I was going to the Dairy-ette without having a bacon and jalapeno cheeseburger.  The only real debate was whether or not to have the fries or onion rings, and Jessica answered that question by choosing to have the onion rings with her cheeseburger.  We like to share and so I went ahead with the fries.  Van wanted a corn-dog, Charlie a grilled cheese, and we got them an order of tater-tots to share---thereby ingeniously ensuring that Jessica and I could sample three fried side dishes!

My burger was delicious!  Besides melted American cheese, three strips of crisp bacon, and a generous helping of pickled jalapenos---heavier on flavor than heat, there was lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, and mustard---the Dairy-ette burgers come with mustard, but mayo can be substituted.  All of this was piled on top of a large beef patty that was cooked to juicy perfection. It took both hands, both buns, and the paper wrapper to contain the mess while I consumed it.  Every bite was an explosion of flavor and I was so focused on the burger that I neglected my fries, which unfortunately cooled before I could get to them.  All was not lost, however, as Van doesn't mind cold fries.

Jessica enjoyed her cheeseburger with mayo, and we both agreed that the onion-rings were probably the best we'd ever had.  They were fried to a perfect crispness that kept them from falling apart when we took a bite.  The entire fast food world could learn a lesson from the onion rings served at the Dairy-ette.

I had a bite of Van's corn dog after he'd had enough and it was pretty good.  It reminded me of the corn-dogs served at the Texas State Fair.

Having a frosted mug of house-made Dairy-ette root beer should be on everyone's bucket list.  Every drop is creamy and sweet and if you love root beer, you know that the frosted mug is the only way to go.

I find the prices to be reasonable at the Dairy-ette.  You can check out their menu online.  Remember, if you decide to visit, they only take cash.

As we finished our meal, we overheard a conversation between the waitress and a customer.  The customer, while standing at the register to pay, asked the waitress if the Dairy-ette was going to be open for the holiday.  The waitress rung up the bill, smiled and said that they would be closed for the Fourth of July.

Closed on the Fourth of July!  If I'd gone through with my plan to put off our visit until Thursday, we would have been out of luck!  Fortunately, I listened to my wife and kids, and was able to start my holiday with a delicious burger and house-made root beer.

The Dairy-ette is a cool place to eat.  I recommend you give it a try!