The recently opened Fatburger location in Plano is making big waves in North Texas as the Los Angeles-based company seeks to carve out its spot in the burger market.
Founded by Lovie Yancey in 1947, the first location was a “three-stool hamburger stand using scrap materials from her partner’s construction business.”
As the company expanded and eventually began establishing franchises outside of California, Fatburger sought to retain the flare and flavor of the original. Calling themselves “The Last Great Hamburger Stand,” the company suggests, “Every day, we seek out the freshest quality ingredients, handcrafting each and every burger to absolute perfection.”
To see if the new Fatburger location would live up to the hype, The Dallas Express team went to try some of the items ourselves.
Starting with the sides, Fatburger offers a variety of fries. Their standard “Fat Fries” are thick and wedge cut, cooked to a golden brown. Served without salt, so we suggest adding some and pairing it with ketchup.
Their “Skinny Fries” take an opposite approach and are shoestring-style fries. Like the Fat version, these fries come unsalted, but we find it unnecessary to add salt. Fries come in hot from the kitchen, and these skinny fries are hard to put down.
Do you want to switch it up? Fatburger also offers sweet potato fries which are thin crinkle-cut delicacies. They are “unconventional, but have a really good flavor and crunch,” according to Karin Dyer, editor-in-chief of The Dallas Express, who claimed they were “some of the best” she has ever had.
The Pickle Fries were also a hit. Dyer suggested that “oftentimes pickles fall out of the breading” but noted that Fatburger’s version “doesn’t have this problem as they hit a good pickle to batter ratio.”
However, their funnel cake fries may be the crowd-favorite and most unique fry offering. Served with a side of dipping chocolate sauce, the funnel fries were the perfect balance of savory and sweet.
When it came to the burgers themselves, Fatburger did not disappoint. The meat patties were of excellent quality and cooked well.
James Bennett, the managing editor for The Dallas Express, described the classic “Fat Burger” as “up there with Fuddruckers and better than In & Out.” Even noting that it “rivals Whataburger.”
The “1,000 Island Burger” was an exciting offering with a sweet thousand island sauce – hence the name.
For those not looking to order a fat burger, customers can try the “Skinny Burger,” which replaces the buns with burger patties, lodging all toppings and condiments in between. We found it to be a solid option on the menu.
At the end of the meal, Fatburger had The Dallas Express team sample their vanilla milkshake, which proved to be rich, creamy, and classic — a dangerously good combination.
Overall, the service, food, and atmosphere were great, and the restaurant is undoubtedly a “fat” addition to the DFW burger landscape.