A Greek immigrant named Prometheus “Jack” Koustabardis opened the first Burger House at 6913 Hillcrest Avenue in 1951. Dallas looked nothing like it does now — Central Expressway had just opened, “I Love Lucy” was the hot new show on television, and a cheeseburger, fries, and a drink cost less than a dollar. Jack cooked his burgers with a seasoning blend he developed himself, put that same seasoning on the fries, and built a neighborhood burger stand that people drove across the city for. He did not change the recipe. He did not need to.
The place is now run by Angelo “Sonny” Chantilis Jr. and Chris Canellos, and they have done the same thing Jack did — not changed it. The seasoning is the same. The fries are the same. The shakes are real, handmade, heavy on ice cream, the type that makes a straw useless for the first few minutes. There are now several locations around Dallas, each one a neighborhood operation, the same menu at every counter.
The burger is a classic flat-griddle patty — not a smash burger in the trendy sense, just a well-cooked beef patty with the right char on the outside and juice still in the middle. Order it as a double cheeseburger with grilled onions, bacon, and jalapeños and you have the move. The jalapeños here are not an afterthought — they are sliced fresh and have actual heat, the kind that builds by the third bite. The bun holds up. Everything arrives hot and fast.
The Jack’s fries are the other reason people come. Crispy, properly salted, dusted with the house seasoning that has been the same since 1951. They sell the seasoning by the bag to take home, which tells you everything about how seriously people take it. The chili cheese fries are the version to order if you are committed to the full experience — chili ladled over the fries with melted cheese, the kind of side dish that turns into a meal before you notice.
If you want to feel like a regular, order the Texas Hamburdog. It started as an off-menu item at the Hillcrest and Mockingbird locations, passed around by word of mouth among people who knew — two beef patties, two slices of cheese, a hot dog, applewood bacon, chili, grilled onions, jalapeños, and mustard on a toasted bun. It is exactly what it sounds like and it is not for the faint of appetite. It is now on the menu. Order it anyway like you know something.
The shakes deserve their own sentence. Chocolate is the classic. They are thick, cold, made the old way, and they cost what a shake should cost rather than what a boutique dessert bar would charge you for one.
Burger House has multiple Dallas locations. The original is at 6913 Hillcrest Avenue near SMU, open Monday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Mockingbird location at 6248 East Mockingbird Lane runs Monday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. More at burgerhouse.com.
We should have written this years ago. Better late than never.
I knew Jack. In late summer 1992, Can still vividly recall sitting at counter inside eating my chili cheeseburger and fries (no salt),,, Jack was behind the counter – and we were talking about that young candidate “Bubba” Bill Clinton.
Jack and I both said Bubba was definitely going to win.
The other older man, I can’t recall his name, behind the counter wasn’t so sure.
Boy was it fun. Everyone had smiles working there.
Dan M.