Al’s Hamburgers

Al’s hamburgers opened in 1957 and quickly became an Arlington landmark. What started as a drive in, complete with window trays and carhops, kept the citizens of Arlington happy for over thirty years. When the lease came up for renewal in the 80’s the landlord chose not to renew Al’s but, replaced it with a shopping mall. Al continued serving his loyal, distraught, customers through catering until he was able to open a new location in 1989. Al even brought his 1947 gas grill back and the open concept of the restaurant allows you to watch your food being cooked.

On my mission to try a chicken fried steak anywhere it is offered in the Dallas and Fort Worth Area (currently at .045% completion), I tried that. I was very satisfied with it. I live on the other side of the metroplex from here but a family friend works at the restaurant and recommended I come in and try the food. I am glad she did; I will definitely make the drive back to try other options on their menu. I have been told I absolutely must try their famous double cheese hamburger and that is what I plan to get.

My partner had the Frito pie with a side of tater tots smothered in chili and cheese. He said it was very good and let me sample some. I am not a fan of tater tots (I know, that is weird for a natural born Texan to be a tot hater but we do exist), covered in chili and cheese, they were amazing. I enjoyed watching the cook make our food and I enjoyed eating it. Sitting at the bar has a communal feel and encourages conversation between staff and other diners seated there.

This is comfort food at its finest. My favorite part of the restaurant was not the food though. My favorite part was the staff. Granted, we went at three pm and they were not busy, the staff was super friendly and made the experience even better. They took the time to fill me in on Al’s history and some of their bestsellers. They have a room that can be reserved and you can be assured that your party will be a hit with Al’s food and customer service.

If you follow Al’s on Facebook, you will be privy to all the specials that Al’s has, from Ranger’s specials (quarter pound open faced chili cheese hot dogs for $4.69) to Happy Hour specials. That’s right, in addition to great food you can grab a cold beer for $2.50 or a $4 margarita. I think I need to move closer to Arlington. Stop by Al’s soon; tell them DFW Today sent you because their employees are amazing and the food is scrumptious!