kenny's burger joint

just went there today with my wife and daughter for wife's birthday lunch. what a mistake! the service was fine. the food is terrible! wife and daughter both had the bacon & egg burger, i had the bud's queso burger and we shared an order ofkenny'sloaded cheese fries. the queso burger was so smothered in queso you couldn't even try to touch it. so, i use knife and fork to try it...awful. can't taste anything but soggy bun and queso. no hint of the burger meat, sauteed onions or anything else. so i try theirs. fail. tasted like a burger king breakfast sandwich. again, no hint of the burger or other flavors, just bacon, egg and bernaise sauce. here's a tip on burger 101 - the burger is the main attraction, the toppings are for complimentary flavors and textures. i can't believe a place supposedly one of the best burger places in dfw serves up this overbearing poorly executed excuse for a burger. to top it off, they can't even get cheese fries right for god's sake! you might even think they used the queso for this, but noooo!. grocery store shredded cheddar that was melted on top but underneath all the shredded cheese was still cold and fully in tact, crumbly and hard. all in all i had 2 bites of burger, 2 bites of cheese fries and quit. i don't send food back because i know what happens to your food when you do, so i just left a comment card and left - and will never go back! don't buy the hype! there are dozens, perhaps hundreds of burger places way more deserving of your patronage. shame on the local foodie bloggers for not outing this place as the overhyped marketing mainstay it is. maybe at one time this place had it together, but for 3 people to spend $50 for lunch (we had water!) on 3 burgers and split an order of cheese fries is tantamount to pure thievery!


update - corporate lied

well, a few days after posting the review i was contacted by a representative of kenny's. they expressed all of the expected concern/remorse expected from a social media and marketing damage control representative. they said they would review their recipes and procedures. they also offered to send me a voucher/coupon/gift card and invited me to come back and give them another chance to offer up a better experience. all i had to do was respond with my mailing address, which i did. guess what - 30 days later, what i don't have? anything at all from kenny's! so, not only was the initial experience awful, but the follow up experience turned out to be a big fat lie to placate me! i don't know who is responsible for running their customer relations and response people, but corporate hq has now made things worse by making a promise and then failing to deliver. i am really wondering at this point if anyone is at the wheel at kenny's, or the whole thing is set to autopilot, heading full speed into oncoming traffic. kenny'shas broken yet another cardinal rule of retail; never make a promise that you don't keep! all they have done is compound an issue in the restaurant with another failure to deliver by corporate. it appears their issues are deeper than first experienced, and much more need to be done to get this organization to the level of service the purport to aim to deliver. let's see if someone wants to take ownership for these issues, step up, and do something about it. any takers on those odds?

i've been tokenny'smini-chains before including both burger joints. i've always been impressed by the quality of the hamburgers and occasionally, like now, completely blown away.
the inside is decorated with movie quotes. its almost always very busy, and quite noisy. usually i flee places this noisy but for this kind of restaurant it was appropriate.
we had the plain, royale, and bud's queso burgers, along with onion rings, fried, and sweet potato fries.
the simple burgers were excellent and the queso burger fantastic. this came with an amazing amount of bacon, lots and lots of jalapenos, and was covered with very nice queso. the burger had a nice char and was very juicy. i tend to dislike having to eat with a fork but given the amount of queso knife and fork were necessary. only one of us was able to actually finish their burger. everyone else left a lot behind, that was how good this was. our only small quibble was the pickles were thin sliced and didn't contribute much to the flavor.
this just jumped to the top of my burger list.

joint:  kennys burger joint main fare (burger): the zed's straight up burger is offered with a 1/2 pound patty, so jack and i split one.  we select white american cheese.  burgers comes with pickles, lettuce, and tomato and mayo.  we request mustard, no mayo please.  when our server asks how we'd like it cooked, we ask for medium. the meat is cooked on a wood-fired grill, and comes cooked perfectly to order.   the beef was seasoned enough to bring out the flavor, but was not too salty.  this burger is tender, moist, and juicy... and the flavor from the wood fire come bursting through, making this a great burger! the veggies were all wonderfully fresh. the ciabatta bread is a unique touch, but being a burger traditonalist, it seems a bit distracting from the whole burger experience.  a real burger should be served on a real bun... not some fancy italian bread. other fare (everything else): we order the loaded cheese fries with jalapenos on the side.  this is an impressive basket of cheese fries, and the flavors are very good.  however, the cheese hardens quickly and makes the basket very difficult to eat. the onion rings are out. stand. ing!  the batter is crispy and has some black pepper spice, and the large onions are sweet and tender.  this is the way an onion ring should be made - next time we'll be getting an entire order of these! the sweet potato fries are fresh and simple.  they are cut fairly thin, which makes them a little more crispy than they might have otherwise been.  straightforward and quite good. the strawberry shake had a knock-out of fresh stawberry flavor.  they must use some sort of stawberry puree and mix the shake like you would a smoothie.  it was topped with fresh whipped cream and was excellent. atmosphere:kenny'sburger joint is really a misnomer... this is not a "joint".  rather, it is a modern burger restaurant that takes their business seriously.  as a modern restaurant, the ventilation system keeps diners from smelling any of those won

kenny's is a solid burger joint.kenny'shas a cool vibe to it. the cold cement floor and steel chairs add to the feel. the service atkenny'sis average. they are nice enough, but it takes forever to place an order, get your food, and keep the drinks full. there were open seats with no waiting, so the poor service cannot be attributed to a packed restaurant. the burgers are good. tonight the best of the bunch was the bacon and egg burger. the bearnaise sauce mixed really well with the egg and bacon. great burger. my black and blue was middle of the road. it was a bit dry and over cooked, but still good.

excellent burgers & onion rings!!. we met family here for lunch today. two of us ordered the zen straight up burger. i chose mustard for mine. two of our party ordered cheeseburgers, one with bacon. the burgers were just delicious, as were the onion rings. service was fine. the place is too loud, but that is because it is always crowded. i will be returning here.


-----27 jan, 2013-----

still the best burgers in frisco!!!. we revisitedkenny'sthis evening. my husband and i ordered straight up burgers with mustard. they were just sooo tasty!! my daughter ordered the pepperjack avocado burger, also very delicious. we shared some huge onion rings, yummy. our service was just great!!


-----09 jan, 2013-----

best burgers in frisco!!!!. this review is long overdue. i took my youngest daughter tokenny'sfor burgers. i had heard that they were the best and i have to say that they really are. my daughter ordered the black and blue burger and i had the straight up burger. the burgers were extremely delicious. i would have to say among the very best i have ever tasted and certainly the best in frisco, texas. we also ordered the plain fries which were very good. for dessert, we ordered the "easy rider", a shake made with maker's mark, vanilla ice cream and caramel. just sooooo good!!! we also ordered some kind of sangria drink which was also good. our service was excellent. we hope to return again and again.

benefit of the doubt.... went to this place on a sunday afternoon, where the city was still recovering from a recent ice storm. decided to give it a try because of all the positive reviews that it got on us.

nom'd - bacon cheeseburger, truffle fries

ohhhhh boy. hmmmm. i was very close to being one of the few dissenters and scorekenny'sa dislike. even though it was not very busy (understandably), i did enjoy the atmosphere, reminded me of someplace that you might see in uptown. the service was solid, the restaurant was clean, and the menu had a nice variety of different items.

the burger though...did i just get unlucky? i found it rather dry and without much flavor, and i had it cooked medium. a few small strips of bacon with some cheese, i found the burger very underwhelming - nothing really made it stand out. maybe i had high expectations when i kept reading that this place had some of the best burgers in the dfw area, i don't know. i have been to numerous burger joints where i had a better burger. and what's up with paying extra for a side of fries? speaking of the fries, we went with the truffle fries which were dang good.

i am willing to give this place another shot, maybe i was just having an off night or something. a part of me can't believe that i found a place so average where most others gushed about it. a very mild "like", but if i have a similar experience again it will change to a "dislike".

just leftkenny'sfor the first time and my life will never be the same! brie on a burger! why didn't i think of that! funnel fries.... i will wake up at midnight and crave these little pieces of heaven!

better food and service @ snuffers. the vodka "adult shakes" were tempting and after a good review from friends, we had to trykenny'sbj.

upon arrival we were packed into a small area in front of the hostess where we had to stand with several other groups of folks waiting for a table for 15 minutes - no where to sit!
no matter how we shuffled we were always in someones way as they were leaving or being escorted to a table.
once sat down, the waitress quickly approached the table to ask for our drink orders but that was one of the few times we would see her and her insincere face. she took forever to refill our drinks and didnt aim to please.

after deciding on the bacon & egg burger and a "jucy lucy" with a side of bacon cheese fries, we sat at our table amongst a very loud crowded room of closely packed tables and booths.
the food took forever to come out and once it managed to make it to the table it was far from impressive.

the jucy lucy was overcooked and not juicy as its name would suggest - the white cheese was tasty but it didn't ooze cheese. there was a nice aroma that i've never had in a burger before but that was the extent of my enjoyment.
the bacon cheese fries were even more disappointing. the ratio of fries and cheese to bacon was incomparable and the cheese was not gooey but more of a slab of semi gooey cheese placed over a ton of fries.
my husband, who ordered the bacon and egg burger, enjoyed the brown gravy that we asked for alongside the fries but complains that the burger he could have made himself at home.

overall our experience was a poor one, and will not be returning tokenny'sbj.
for the same price, tastier burgers & cheese fries and excellent service, we will stick to snuffers.

overpriced! burgers are good but come with no sides. want fries? that's extra and portion is small by the way.kenny'sribs are famous, for what? my ribs came out dumped on the plate drowning in sauce. when i bit into the first one it was cold. come on kenny! you are charging $15.00 for 8 cold ribs and a gallon of sauce with no sides?! bottom line. good beef but overpriced.

anotherkenny'ssuccess!. fingerlicks: 9
table-side manner: 8

you can bet that anything withkenny'sname on it in dallas is going to be good. and this is no exception.

order the green chile burger or an adult milkshake!

excellence on all points!. valentines day with mom and i was looking for a new place and after reading a few reviews and looking at a few menus decided on a place that looked promising! well, let me say that turned out to be an understatement. from the moment we walked in the door i knew we had found an unexpected gem! with a 20-30 minute wait for a table we choose the bar area and absolutely was greeted with impeccable service from the personality to the personal treatment it was understandable why this place was packed at 1pm on a saturday. the food was simply "the best". from the brie and mushroom burger cooked to a med rare perfection to a tuna steak sandwich that left you speechless! i simply cannot wait to return. when you visitkenny'sburger joint and experience what seems so effortless to have excellent food, outstanding service and a great atmosphere, it is hard to understand why others just do not get it! thanks for knowing how to get it right. ps can you open a restaurant in fort worth soon?

burger-viewed. atmosphere - you'll enter via a discreet, yet upscale motif outside, to find the same inside. the tones are earthy, with a strong hint of industrial, and pop culture to boot. the bar is smartly separated from a spacious dining hall, allowing both to flow at their different energies. kudos on this design point. definitely geared towards a younger crowd, but enjoyable for. 9 out of 10.

service - wait staff is very kind, seems to understand their menu items, and are attentive. during heavy traffic, some of their accuracy and attentiveness breaks down; this is acceptable to some extent. while their service won't win them any awards, it'll definitely keep the masses happy, and that's what matters. 7.5 out of 10

food -kenny'sdeserves praise for its usage of local, high quality ingredients, as well as fresh baked bread. burgers, sandwiches and the typical bar appetizers are their main attraction, along with ribs they serve per rib or as a rack. quality aside ,some of their flavor combinations are a bid boggling to me. the mushroom burger utilizes brie, which offers little flavor compared to swiss, for one example. bathing a burger in queso is also odd, but that item appears to be popular, so i'll reserve my judgment. 8.5 out of 10

price - the food averages from 6 bucks to 13 for their largest burger. fries are sold separately, and cost another 2.50-3 bucks depending on what kind you get. your basic meal will start over 10 bucks a person sans wine, starters, or milkshakes. for dinner, it is pricy, but not back-breaking. for lunch, it is ridiculous. they'd do well to offer lunch combos, in my honest opinion. for a burger place, it is very expensive one way or another ,but that is frisco for you. 6 out of 10.

overall - kenny bowers can put out a tasty hamburger, in a nice restaurant with a friendly wait staff. it is most certainly worth visiting to form your own opinion. in my opinion, they lack a reasonably priced lunch option, which makes me pensive to eat there at the time when i'd be most willing to enjoy that style of food and restaurant. luckily, mr. bowers and friends has a lovely establishment in addison for food snobs like me. i do recommend trying the burger joint, though. 8 out of 10

kenny's is good.. my wife and went tokenny'son a recommendation. it was a wednesday for lunch.kenny'swas doing a really good lunch business and the place was pretty full. we had to wait about 5 minutes for a table. the place was not too loud and there weren't too many children (it was during the christmas/new year holidays). it's upscale for a burger joint. my wife ordered the chili cheese burger (open-faced) and onion rings. i ordered the bacon burger. the burgers were quite good. neither was cooked to specification however. also, mine was sent back as it had mayo on it and i ordered it without and there were no pickles as my simple order that the waitress wrote down specified. two strikes really. the o-rings were texas-sized. i mean, not rings at all. there were 5 of them to a 5-dollar order. they were like "half baseball" size and shape. pretty good though! bottom line: i don't know that we will be back. sure, we realize that the area wherekenny'sis exclusive and high-rent, and they use good quality beef and such, but two burgers, o-rings, and two iced teas for $29 (and then tip of course)? that's just too much for reason. plus bj's has a superior burger anyway. on a side note, be advised of the "el jefe grande" super-size burger. it's an "eat this 7-pounder in an hour" contest burger. youtube the attempts (and recent winner) for entertainment. ciao!

delicious. i wish i was there right now. where else can you order one onion rin, one rib or one jalapeno just to try it out? the burgers are outstanding, juicy, delicious... the service is five-star - they will spoil you. likekenny'sgrill in addison, everyone here truly cares that every visit is beyond your expectations. and it always is.

back for more.... i got an invite to meet some friends atkenny'sthis morning and, well, how could i turn down a chance at a return trip? no way in hell i would miss it.

our bunch of eager beavers arrived right after the doors opened - kind of a burger brunch, if you will. once we were all seated, i perused the menu and vowed to try something different - well, a different burger anyhow. this time i opted for the bacon cheeseburger, medium rare of course, with a side of fries to accessorize things.

once again,kenny'snearly brought tears to my eyes. when my burger came, it was perfectly juicy (bloody) - the bottom bun taking the brunt of the punishment. the patty was topped with a big handful of crispy crumbled bacon, and smothered in melted cheddar cheese. dear god this has to be illegal in some states. after i got everything properly assembled and mashed down, the first bite reminded me how awesome this place is. yes, i made a bit of mess (how did i get burger juice on my lap?), but it's nothing a little oxyclean can't handle. hell, they were cheap shorts anyway.

the newbies that were in our group sounded mightily impressed with these burgers, as they should've been. "fantastic" and "outstanding" could be heard faintly from mouths full of burger goodness.

anyhow, i don't know if it's kosher to post multiple reviews of one place, but dammit this place is good. fantastic. outstanding.


-----11 jul, 2010-----

good lord this is a damn good burger!. i love a good burger, and i tend to be picky about it. i'm not ashamed to say it. i love sleazy goodness (keller's) as much as i love gourmet perfection (father's office in santa monica).kenny'shas honestly nailed gourmet perfection to the ass of sleazy goodness. pin the tail on the donkey, if you will.

the frisco strip-mall location belies the goodness that lies inside. walk right in, sit right down, and you're treated to a clean eatery that's very nice, and offers no frills except for framed movie quotes on the walls. nice... a full bar is available, and flat screen tvs are present, but not distracting. if you wanna watch sports, you gotta go to the bar. fair enough.

the menu is shockingly simple (yet comprehensive), with an assortment of sides/appetizers, burgers, ribs, and salads. but it only fills one side of one page. period. lots of burgers to choose from, including turkey and tuna, but beef is where it's at. right?

to get things started, we ordered the bacon-wrapped jalapenos. holy sweet jesus. first off, these bad boys are huge, and oh-so fresh. somehow they manage to stuff them full of jack cheese without completely splitting them in two. then they wrap them in bacon and grill 'em till the bacon is mostly crispy. these things are obscenely good. the peppers are sweet and spicy, the bacon is smoky, the cheese is suitably messy, and the dipping sauces (ranch and bbq) are damn-near perfect.

oh yeah... we ordered burgers too...

the burger selection ranges from plain-jane to starship-phantasm, so i went mid-line with the mushroom burger. this burger makes me want to cry for joy, hoot my vuvuzela, dance a jig, then go back and collect the whole rest of the burger lineup. first off, the patty was cooked to perfection exactly as i ordered it - medium rare. no fuss, no muss, no excuses, just pink and juicy and messy and bloody goodness - i ain't skeered. in fact, when i ordered "medium rare," the waiter actually gave a knowing nod and a subtle wooderson "all right, all right, all riiiight." so right there that's four thumbs up. moving on... the mushroom burger is topped with (you guessed it) very fresh sauteed mushrooms - earthy and rich and yummy. cheese? yes... melty, runny, buttery, rich brie cheese! hell yes! and to think i actually toyed with the idea of the chili-cheese burger. pffft. on top of that was the usual complement of unusually fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle. by the time i was done with my burger, i had cheesy-juicy goodness running down to my elbows. if i could've licked my forearms clean, i damn sure would have.

alas, we come to the one shortcoming of kenny's... their sorry-ass napkins. but, you know, that's it. i can't think of any other reason to bitch. i will definitely repeat the drive to the great white north to delve deeper into their burger menu.

re-reading this, i realize there may be too many superlatives here, but i was quite moved bykenny'sburgers. i'm putting it in my pantheon of great american burgers. yes, it was my first outing, but i can't think of one single reason not to return. not to name names, butkenny'sstomps twisted root like a sack of helpless kittens...

next time i'm bringing a roll of brawny paper towels. problem solved.