FnG Eats’ Jeff Banister burger scores a hit

Last summer about this time, the DFW.com staff was in the planning stages of its Battle of the Burgers, which has taken place every odd-numbered year since 2009. During the battle, DFW.com listings editor Denise Harris shot a brief video of Texas Rangers manager Jeff Banister talking about how he likes his burgers.

“I’m a bacon-cheeseburger with mushrooms and grilled onions [guy],” Banister said. “Mustard, mayo and a little bit of ketchup.”

Yes, he said mayo and ketchup. In Texas. We have video evidence. But anyone who follows our Burger Battles knows that we are not burger purists, so who are we to judge?

The seemingly unrelated news that Keller’s FnG Eats is adding a Grand Prairie location inspired us to seek Burger of the Week possibilities at the original location, which recently marked its fourth anniversary in Keller Town Center. And, lo and behold, there on the lunch menu is a Jeff Banister burger. Coincidence? We think not.

As it turns out, FnG chef/co-founder Bob Stephenson is a big baseball fan. “I’ve been a Rangers fan since they moved to Texas in ’72,” he says in an email. “My stepdad took us to at least 20+ home games a year in the old metal bleachers in Arlington Stadium.”

Stephenson’s email lists several managers in Rangers history, from Ted Williams, Whitey Herzog and Billy Martin to Johnny Oates, Ron Washington and, now, Jeff Banister.

“Banister has a style, swagger and demeanor that is unmistakable,” Stephenson says. “He’s the kind of leader that you know will have your back and help you reach your potential. … It’s kind of a man crush, but it’s no different than admiring your favorite player, singer, music group or actor.

“When it came time for me to name a new-addition unique burger on the menu, I did what I wanted to do,” Stephenson says. “I wanted to pay homage to Jeff Banister and his swagger style.”

Note: Stephenson’s burger has a lot more swagger than Banister’s dream burger.

The burger: The Jeff Banister burger’s patty is wood-grilled certified Angus beef top 2 percent “Chuck n Steak,” as the menu puts it. It’s topped with grilled Canadian-style bacon, and garnished with maple-bacon barbecue sauce, roasted red onions and sharp cheddar. All served on a “rustic French bun.”

The patty: Requested medium, it came just a little past, with no hint of pink but plenty of juiciness. There was a bit of smokiness to the meat, which managed to not get smothered by the sauce. Good flavor and texture when a couple of parts were torn off to test them away from all the toppings.

The bun: Aesthetically, this is a great bun, with a nice floury dusting atop. It also held up throughout, an admirable feat that not all buns on barbecue-sauced burgers achieve. But it wasn’t what we noticed about this burger. It just quietly did its job, and did it well.

The toppings: These were what won us over. In a smart move, the cheese was on the bottom of the patty, so that it didn’t get overwhelmed by the sauce. It was also generous: Almost every bite had a bit of sharp-cheddar tang. The sauce itself had a subtle sweetness that played well off the other components. Roasting the onions removed some of their aggressiveness while maintaining their crunch. Those all worked in harmony; the thin-sliced Canadian-style bacon, however, got a little bit lost.

The sides: The burger comes with a side salad, “510” fries or root chips. The server said he’s a big fan of the fries (they’re named after a restaurant Stephenson and his partner tried to develop in Dallas’ Bishop Arts District). The server was right; sliced thin, they were crispy throughout, but what put them over the top was the house seasoning, highlighted by smoked Hawaiian black sea salt. It looks a little like pepper until you examine it more closely. There was a hint of pepperiness to the fries as well, but the salt was the most impressive element. And the flavor lingered.

The verdict: If Banister hasn’t had this burger, he needs to try it, because we think it’s a lot better than his dream burger. Ketchup comes with the fries, so he has the option of adding that to the burger. But we hope he doesn’t.

Burger available on lunch menu and by request during dinner. Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. FnG Eats, 201 Town Center Lane, No. 1101, Keller. 817-741-5200; fngeats.com.

This story was originally published July 14, 2016 at 3:34 PM with the headline "FnG Eats’ Jeff Banister burger scores a hit."