Plano’s newest (and quite possibly most innovative) burger joint opened its doors in mid-May. Owners Jeff Braunstein, Martin Hennessy, Jeremy Samson and Scott Terraciano-Spence were delighted to make Plano the fast-casual restaurant’s second home after a successful 2015 opening in the White Rock Lake area of Dallas. Dugg Burger completely renovated a former space in Berkeley Square off of Park Boulevard and Ohio Drive.
“We’ve always had our eye on Plano. We love Plano from a trade-area standpoint; the community is very proud of their restaurants. A lot of corporations and great people,” said Jeff Braunstein, managing partner.
“Simple, yet exceptional” is the Dugg motto, which is apparent in their décor, menu and food. Dugg offers a selection of local craft beer, wine, burgers (duh!), fries, healthy alternatives and the newest menu addition, shakes. I’ll even share a couple off-the-menu items. First, let’s go through the Dugg Burger line together.
Choose your meal and pay at the front (burger: $7.75; meal combo—burger, fries, drink: $10.75, meal combo with a canned beer or glass of wine: $13.75) before walking through a build-as-you-go style line. Although they’re not on the menu, a salad or a grilled cheese called the DUGGless is available at the same price points. The experience is supposed be super laid back, as if you’re grilling burgers in the backyard, except the work’s being done for you. Feel free to drink your adult beverage in line.
At Dugg Burger, they reverse the burger building process by digging out the top portion of the brioche bun from Empire Baking Company. Instead of adding toppings to the patty, the Dugg team fills the “dugg out” bun with your choice of any 12 toppings including fire-roasted jalapeños, hickory-smoked bacon, caramelized onions and Dugg sauce. The temperature hot toppings are kept warm in La Creuset cookware on a hot slab of marble. A final topping that changes frequently, called Lucky 13, adds a hint of surprise to the menu; past examples are guacamole, roasted brussel sprouts and a fried egg. “My all-time favorite Lucky 13 was marshmallow fluff with habanero sauce,” said Greg Watson, operations manager. All toppings are included in the price, so stack on as much or little as you’d like. The sauces are made in-house too.
This topping picking process allows your burger to be cooked simultaneously so both the patty and toppings are as warm as possible when it reaches its final destination, your mouth.
The beers rotate every 2–3 weeks and are only chosen from breweries within 50 miles of the area. They stayed local with their milkshakes, too, using Plano’s own Henry’s Ice Cream as the main ingredient for the delicious treat. What do they do with the extra lightly buttered brioche bun that’s “dugg out?” It’s made into a bread pudding topped with warm caramel sauce created using one of the founder’s mother’s personal recipes.
Eat inside the 3,000-square foot space, or take a seat on the nice patio complete with ceiling fans. When you’re finished, leave your tray, the Dugg team will pick up after you.
Dugg Burger
4701 W. Park Blvd., #110 Plano, Texas 75093
Hours: Sun–Thurs 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m.
duggburger.com