Mooyah Burgers & Fries

9070 Research #303, 380-0990
www.mooyah.com
Daily, 11am-10pm

Located in the Crossroads Center, on the southwest corner of Burnet Road and Research, Mooyah was born in Plano, the brainchild of a couple of casual dining moguls. The concept is simple: fresh everything and a limited menu. A Mooyah burger is a double meat while a junior is a single, and you can opt for a turkey patty, black-bean patty, grilled cheese, or an Iceberger (no bun, wrapped in lettuce instead). A pallet full of potato boxes by the register suggests that the hand-cut fries never saw a freezer. All of the toppings are free, except for bacon and cheese, and you fill out a checklist to let them know how to customize your burger.

We had a Mooyah Style ($4.49, adorned with lettuce, tomato, pickle, grilled onions, and Thousand Island-like sauce; add thick, smoky bacon and cheddar cheese for $1.20), a regular fry ($1.79, big enough for two), and a strawberry shake ($2.99). The griddle-caramelized meat has nice beef flavor, but the leanness is teetering right on the cusp of tolerance for fat lovers. The sesame-seed bun is house-baked and excellent, and the components are all high quality. The fries are preblanched, crispy, and tasty (with malt vinegar available for dipping). The shake is soft-serve-based with added fresh strawberries and tastes thick, rich, and frosty. In short, a very pleasurable burger/fries/shake experience, served quickly, by a smiling staff. – Mick Vann

This article appears in May 22 • 2009.

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Mick Vann is a retired Austin chef who is a food writer and restaurant critic, cookbook author, restaurant consultant, and recipe developer. He moonlights as a University of Texas horticulturist with a propensity for ethnic eats and international food, particularly of the Asian persuasion, but he also knows his way around a plate of soul food or barbecue.