ARLINGTON
Airways Hamburgers has been spared the padlock again, but the end may come someday for Arlington’s airplane-themed burger grill near AT&T Stadium.
When word got around this week that the North Collins Street restaurant might be closing after 37 years, friends rallied around Airways and gave it a business boost to keep it around through Dallas Cowboys football season.
Airways, in a well-worn restaurant built in 1973 as a Pizza Hut at 1106 N. Collins St., will eventually be in the way of prime development adjacent to AT&T.
In a city known for old-time burgers at Al’s and gourmet burgers at Rodeo Goat, Airways is a throwback to the 1990s days when Collins Street filled with crowds coming to see “Pudge” Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro for the baseball Texas Rangers, before the Dallas Cowboys moved nearby.
The exterior of Airways Hamburgers in Arlington, Texas, features an aircraft propeller, seen Sept. 1, 2026. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com
The name promotes the charcoal-grilled hamburgers.
But right now, Airways is probably better at hot dogs.
The large franks are charcoal-grilled and come out with a backyard cookout flavor.
For about $4-$7, or $7-$10 with crinkle fries, they’re a good pregame or postgame meal.
The burgers don’t get much online praise anymore, mostly because the charcoal grilling leaves the current pre-formed beef patties really dry..
But Airways’ menu has choices like at an old-time Dairy Queen: fried veggies, chicken tenders, basic salads and Blue Bell ice cream.
Airways Hamburgers in Arlington, Texas, is within sight of AT&T Stadium, at left. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com
It has choices such as the “Lucky Burger” with meaty chili, cheese, onions, hickory sauce and Thousand Island dressing, the last two mostly lost beneath the chili.
Airways is also one of the few simple burger stands to offer a veggie burger or turkey burger. The beef or turkey burger with green chiles and pepper jack cheese (about $7) is one of the better choices on the menu.
The Texas chili is also a thick burger-stand version superior as a topping for chili dogs — ask for the spicy mustard — or chili burgers, french fries or tater tots.
Airways has been open for lunch and dinner daily. It’s not clear whether that will change any in the coming months.
Look for it near East Randol Mill Road; 817-461-1601.
Old aircraft parts and photos are part of the well-worn decor at Airways Hamburgers in Arlington, Sept. 1, 2026. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com 
Airways Hamburgers fFounder Barry Brown, seen here in 2000, had an interest in everything aviation. He started Airways in Arlington, Texas, in 1999 and later sold the restaurant. Darrell Byers Star-Telegram archives
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1973
This story was originally published September 2, 2026 at 4:30 AM.
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Bud Kennedy is celebrating his 40th year writing about restaurants in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has written the “Eats Beat” dining column in print since 1985 and online since 1992 — that’s more than 3,000 columns about Texas cafes, barbecue, burgers and where to eat.
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