The Royale Magnificent Burgers

February of 2016 saw the opening of The Royale Magnificent Burgers in Plano.  The name is somewhat cumbersome, so most people have been referring to it as "The Royale."  John Tesar's most recent brainchild is his contribution to the growing number of burger joints in DFW.  The restaurant makes fancy burgers and shakes, but is also kid friendly.  

Best Chocolate Shake EVER

I was finally able to try the restaurant in May, which was three months after it's opening.  My daughter joined me on my visit and she insisted on ordering the chocolate shake, so I allowed her to order it...if, she promised to share it with me.  It arrived in a huge Mason jar and was topped with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, chocolate chips, and a toasted marshmallow.  Simply put, this was the most incredible chocolate shake I have ever had.  It was so good in fact, that I ordered a second shake just for myself.  In case you are wondering, I didn't share mine!

The Royale with Sweet Potato Chips

The Wagyu burgers were also quite tasty, and not overly expensive, considering they were made from Wagyu beef.  I had the Royale which was served with Applewood-smoked bacon and truffle aioli and my daughter had the Americano.  Both were extremely juicy, but the Royale was the better burger of the two and I particularly liked the favor of the truffle aioli.  Each burger was served with sweet potato chips that were both crispy and sweet.  In addition to the chips that come with each burger, we also tried their fries.  The thick cut fries were good as  well, although I didn't care for the pomegranate ketchup that was served with them.

Fries

In addition to the food, the servers were prompt and knowledgeable of the menu.  Although the burgers were good, the shakes were absolutely fantastic.  On my next visit, I will also be trying the Queso Poutine Fries, which I drooled over when an adjacent table ordered them.  Even if you don't like burgers or you are a vegetarian, I would certainly recommend going to try the shakes.  The Royale gets a big thumbs up from me!

The Royale Magnificent Burgers
http://royaleburgers.com
Livin the Good Life Rating = 3
 

Burger 21

The DFW area has no shortage of upscale burger joints, but more seem to open daily.  Florida-based, Burger 21, joined the DFW market with it's first Texas location opening up in the Frisco on the Downtown Square.  While I think the upscale burger market is over-saturated in my area, I still wanted to try this place out and I have been a couple of times since it opened.

Below are my opinions of what I have tried:

Bacon Cheesy- basic bacon cheeseburger on a brioche bun.  Good, but not great.  

The Tex-Mex Haystack- served with lettuce, tomato, applewood-smoked bacon, Gouda, onion strings, guacamole, and chipotle-jalapeno sauce on a brioche bun.  This burger was really good.  In fact, I would say it had the most flavor of any burger I have had thus far in 2016.  I Highly recommend this burger.

Fries- I have tried both the regular french fries and the sweet potato fries.  Of the two, the sweet potato fries are the better choice here, but both are serviceable.

Kids Grilled Cheese- Served on thick bread and perfectly toasted.  It was a big hit with my youngest daughter and myself.  

Key Lime Pie Milkshake- Absolutely amazing milkshake.  It tasted just like a key lime pie and was even served with a lime, whipped cream, and graham cracker crumbs.  They had a lot of other options on their milkshake menu, but this one was the most intriguing to me and I was not disappointed.

Although I have barely scratched the surface of their menu, the food (and shakes) are good enough to where I would certainly go back again.  While the beef patties on the burgers are somewhat bland, the restaurant has a lot going for it in the toppings and sauce department.  I have never had to wait over 10 minutes for any order and the staff is polite and helpful.   Definitely a good edition to the Frisco Square area.

Burger 21
https://www.burger21.com
Livin the Good Life Rating = 3