Burger review: Cock and Bull Neighborhood Pub in Dallas

The burgers at this dive bar are far from an afterthought.

Photo by Cody Wardlaw

Burger at Cock and Bull Neighborhood Pub in Dallas

The Cock and Bull Neighborhood Pub sits on Gaston Avenue in the Lakewood area between a Philly cheesesteak place and one of the several thousand Papa John’s Pizza franchises in Dallas-Fort Worth. Its poorly painted reddish-orange door looks like it belongs on a deserted home or industrial building, and hanging above the door is a small sign that, from the road, is barely legible. Needless to say, the place is somewhat hard to locate without today’s navigation systems, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from visiting one of the better dive bars in Dallas.

The walls at the Cock and Bull are adorned with various tchotchkes: Ancient beer bottles, wooden ships, mirrors covered in assorted beer company logos, old metal signs, and even a non-functional grandfather clock cover almost every inch of the shelves surrounding the bar. It’s dark inside, the only light being provided by some dim overhead lights and the glow of a television tuned to a Champions league soccer match that no one is watching, and a few indiscriminate neon beer signs. Most noticeable throughout the bar were the innumerable Guinness advertisements. The Cock and Bull bar has a comforting, familiar atmosphere that definitely makes it feel like home. And nothing feels like home more than a good burger.

Looking at the menu of The Cock and Bull, you would think that the burgers offered were nothing more than an afterthought of a bored kitchen staff who seemed to be much prouder of their “Big City” salads, pan grilled fish or breakfast items. You would be wrong.

Delivered to the table open faced, The Bull Burger’s toasted square ciabatta bun was toasted to a golden crisp. The bun, which looked to have grill marks on it, had a thick texture that only added to the meal. Its half-pound patty, flame grilled, was somewhat juicy and packed loosely; the relatively dense ciabatta bun soaked up a majority of the juices well. Additionally, the caramelization of the patty is a little heavier than most typical barroom burgers. The meat, ordered – and cooked – to medium rare, was covered with a generous slice of cheddar cheese. A substantial helping of veggies topped it off: The pungent, uncooked, white onions were faintly spicy and went well with the ciabatta bun, and the crisp leaves of lettuce gave the burger a needed element of freshness and crunchiness. Under the lettuce was was one sliced, fresh tomato.

The 3B Burger, with the same patty, bun, onions, and lettuce, is The Cock and Bull’s take on a bacon/blue cheese hamburger. The patty is drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette, grilled, and served on the bun with a mound of blue cheese and plenty of bacon. It is a burger perhaps geared towards those with a craving for a "larger" flavor than a more traditional burger.

The Cock and Bull Neighborhood Pub may not have the most inviting exterior – or interior, for that matter – but with its dim lighting, abundance of Guinness advertisements and wisecracking clientele, it offers a wonderful atmosphere to grab a beer, a Guinness perhaps, and enjoy a burger that would go perfectly with a breezy spring day.