Affordability. It’s a hot topic these days. Quite frankly, where burgers are concerned, that should always be the case. It is a burger, after all.
After we posted our five favorite burgers in Dallas, we heard from some folks gawking at some of the price points. Then, Delilah opened, offering a $29 burger and $16 fries. Don’t think we’ll be getting that through accounts payable.
So, this month we set out to find bargain burgers, which by our definition are $10 or less. Would it be a challenge? Well, with beef prices sky-rocketing and the threat of a screwworm fly issue looming, it may become more of one in the very near future.
But the good news (you need some if you just Googled “screwworm”) is that right now, there’s still a plethora of great burgers at or below $10. We even had one on our all-time favorites list: Wingfield’s. There are others.
Restaurant News
A quick refresher on this Burger Jaunt ‘26 project: We’re all about hunting down the best burgers to match your mood and your occasion. Our only limitations for the time being: We’re focused on Dallas. Widening it to the suburban sprawl would create another unsightly sprawl in our midsection.
In January, we offered my five favorite burgers as I entered this quest. In March, we hope to find great burgers at sports bars.
As always, this is a group project. So tell me where to go (on my other beat that usually doesn’t get a pleasant response). Your suggestions are most welcome here.
And with that, here are five great burgers $10 or under to grab:
Keller’s Drive-In
10554 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas (and two other locations)
The correct way to eat at Keller’s Drive-In burger is on your console or dashboard.
Evan Grant / The Dallas Morning News
The burger: The No. 5 Special ($5.45) has risen in price over the years (what hasn’t?), but it’s still as good a value as you are going to find in town. Two well-seasoned patties, lots of thoroughly melted American cheese, special sauce (if you ask, they’ll give away the secret: it’s Thousand Island), shredded iceberg and tomato. As the sign says out front, add grilled onions for no charge. Deal. We are always, always down for that.
The experience: When the patron saint of cheeseburgers, Jimmy Buffett (may God rest his soul), sold out arenas and stadiums to Parrotheads, he knew what was what when it came time for Cheeseburger in Paradise. He’d flash a big video homage to the drive-in, where back in his day, Buffett was known to stop on his way through Dallas. And nothing — save the prices — has changed since then. It’s still a drive-in, as it has been since it opened in 1950. You eat in your car, and you pay when you are through. Talk about trust. It might not be in Paradise, but, for the price, that burger is pretty close to it.
The sides: We tried both the fries (asked for them crispy) and tater tots and both were fine. Just something about an old-school place serving tots that seems most fitting. After all, when you go to a drive-in, part of the allure is a trip back in time. The day we were there, a handful of old Ford Mustang enthusiasts were milling about their cars. Anyway, go with the tots. Came out a bit hotter and a bit crispier. Add cheese, if you can.
Snagging onion rings or a chocolate milkshake isn’t a bad plan at Keller’s.
Guy Reynolds
Pro tip: Good to remember some drive-in etiquette. As our server advised, the best plan of action is to flash your hazard lights for a few seconds after parking. That’s the best signal to the staff, which is very likely to call you “baby” when you order, which is always nice. Also: Bring a toothpick. There are enough poppy seeds on the buns to make you fail a drug test, and one or two are going to wind up lodged between your teeth.
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Goff’s Hamburgers
3032 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas
Goff’s places shredded cheese at the base of its burgers.
Evan Grant / The Dallas Morning News
The burger: The No. 1 with cheese ($8.60) is topped simply by Goff’s “relish sauce,” which is a very Thousand Island-centric spread, and shreds of cold cheddar.
The experience: A lot has changed over 75 years since the place first opened. Goff’s is no longer on Lover’s Lane. There is no statue of Joseph Stalin out front. And Harvey Gough is no longer slinging burgers and barbs from behind the counter. But the burgers are still flame-kissed over a charcoal grill. The result is a patty with just enough char to give it a pleasing bit of texture, while the interior remains moist, if not juicy. It’s what I imagine Burger King was decades ago. The shredded cheddar can be polarizing for those who wanted their cheese melted (count me among them), but it works remarkably well. This is a simple burger in a simple spot, but it’s a good value. And on Tuesdays, after 5 pm, when all burgers are half-price and the No. 1 with cheese falls below $5, it’s probably the single-best burger value in town.
The sides: A Rangers source, who considers Goff’s the best in town, advised us to order the fries well-done. It’s a common request and is met by a shout to the grill “crispy.” The result is truly golden, hot fries that come out with a crunch to the bite and a fluffy stuffing. Make ’em even better by adding from the shakers of seasoned-salt at the drink station. They were transcendent.
Pro-tip: After finishing your burger, the apple or apricot fried pies are enticing, but you might just want to step next door to Pokey-O’s for a custom-made ice cream sandwich featuring your choice of Blue Bell flavor between two freshly-baked cookies. We’re partial to the State Fair cookie for a base, chock full of peanuts, M&Ms, peanut butter, oatmeal and dark chocolate. With or without the ice cream, it’s great.
Hudson House
4040 Abrams Road, Dallas (+5 additional North Texas locations)
The burger: Advertised as two “thin patties,” it’s topped with American cheese, pickles and onions and Hudson sauce, which it also declares is “often imitated, never duplicated.” Honestly, we’re not sure about that; all the special sauces restaurants advertise seem like a general riff on Thousand Island, but either way it’s good. But, wait, you are saying, what’s the bargain price? Patience.
The bar area inside Hudson House
Ben Torres / Special Contributor
The experience: So, a little latitude here, please. Hudson House’s burger is regularly $16 and is a la carte, which puts it definitively out of bargain range. It’s so good, though, that had our favorites list been a half dozen instead of five, this burger would have been on it. So, when we found out that everyday from 3-6 p.m., you can grab a bar top or one of the tables surrounding the bar area and get cheeseburgers for $10, that’s a bargain indeed. I’m not sure I’d call this a straight smashburger. The patties are indeed thin, but the burger sits more upright than most smashes and there isn’t the lacy crispness on the edges. It’s a hybrid. Kinda the Prius of burgers.
The sides: You can get skinny fries or skinny truffle Parmesan fries. Not sure the truffle Parm element moves the needle on fries for me. Not anti- either ingredient, just think it’s more marketing than substance. We usually opt for the plain ol’ skinnies. And we’re never disappointed. Served in a mint julep cup, they stand at attention and beg for plucking. Perfect serving size, too, where they are gobbled down before morphing back into plain, lukewarm potato slivers. While the fries are a la carte, every burger does come with a half pickle that might just sub for a side for some.
Pro tip: We always make time for an app here, whether it’s the airy cousin of guacamole, whipped guacamole dip; the tempura-battered rock shrimp dynamite; or even the popcorn chicken, a grown up version of chicken nuggets. And with all that money you save on the happy hour burger, you should splurge!
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Chip’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers
1605 N. Beckley Ave., Dallas (and two other locations)
The burger: Lots of options here for a bargain burger. With the one-third pound cheese burger ($6.99) you can choose from American (our pick for meltability), bleu, cheddar, Swiss, pepper jack or provolone. You can also choose a bigger, half-pound patty ($8.49). That’s a lotta burger for not a lotta dough.
There’s no harm in adding bacon to your burger at Chip’s.
Evan Grant / The Dallas Morning News
The experience: Chip’s has been family-owned since it opened in 1981, which may make it something of a youngster on this list, but still impressive. Even though it also has a handful of Tex-Mex options and six different chicken sandwich choices, Chip’s just feels like a no frills burger joint, you know? You create your burger your way. There are multiple bun options (we prefer the old-fashioned poppy seed butter bun); six different patty options, from bison to tuna to portobellos; all those cheeses; and a dozen topping options that include all the basics, plus fried green tomatoes and poblanos. You aren’t coming to Chip’s for atmosphere, but for the burgers.
The sides: The variety extends here. All the fried potato options, but also fried pickles, fried cheese, fried green tomatoes and fried mushrooms. It’s like the midway at the State Fair of Texas. We have a special place in our heart for a nice fried onion that isn’t all batter. And Dallas has a relatively weak onion ring/string scene (save for Bob’s Steak and Chop House and dear, departed Peggy Sue’s BBQ). Strings can get too wispy where it’s basically just a ribbon of batter, but Chip’s stand out. Wispy and crispy, but still you can tell there is actual onion in there. There is another section of the menu dedicated to veggies.
Pro-tip: Keeping right up with the variety theme, Chip’s offers a fries (regular or sweet)/onion strings combo for $5.99. It will satisfy the entire table, both in terms of variety and size.
Dairy-ette
9785 Ferguson Road, Dallas
The Dairy-Ette is a Dallas staple.
DMN file
The burger: The quarter-pound cheeseburger ($6.80) is very straight-forward: Mustard, shredded iceberg, tomato and onion. Even the double-meat cheese burger ($9.85) is an affordable bargain, though we were told to order it only if “we were extremely hungry.” I don’t think I need to shove any extra patties in my gullet on this adventure. The folks can be a little liberal with the mustard spread and combined with the pickle slices, it can be a bit of a tangy first bite, but you’ll settle in and enjoy it.
The experience: Dairy-ette opened in East Dallas in 1956, so it’s kind of on the young side on this list, but it’s still plenty of a throwback. It has drive-in parking (though the day we went, we had to walk inside to get service), but unlike Keller’s, it also has counter and booth seating. The afternoon we walked in, Yacht Rock Radio was playing through the speakers. It seemed to fit perfectly, though, we suppose if we’re going all-in on the throwback, maybe a jukebox would be more appropriate. Either way, it’s another trip back in time.
The sides: The fries are fresh cut, which is always a plus. We found them ever so slightly lacking a bit of seasoning. Nothing to complain about. As much as we would have loved to try the cheese fries, we have to watch our figure on these burger runs. Also available: onion rings and tater tots.
Pro-tip: The Dairy-ette folks make their own root beer. You have to love that. So get it. And you can get it in an honest-to-goodness frosty mug, though only if you eat on site (do we even have to mention that, but be polite). You can even buy a gallon jug to take home for $9.90. Get a $2 discount if you bring your own jug.
The Dairy-Ette neon: classic.
1997 DMN file photo / 105897