StarTelegram: Fans of Dublin Dr Pepper rally in support of small-town bottler

StarTelegram: Fans of Dublin Dr Pepper rally in support of small-town bottler

More than 120 people who like their Dr Pepper sweetened with cane sugar and made in the Central Texas town of Dublin rallied there Saturday in support of the tiny family-owned bottler being sued over contract issues by brand owner Dr Pepper Snapple Corp.

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/07/30/3258281/fans-of-dublin-dr-pepper-rally.html#ixzz1The9ymGf

Round 2: Johnny B's Burgers vs. Fred's Texas Cafe

Until, that is, we arrived at Fred's, the defending Battle of the Burgers champion, and with just one single bite, the underdog went down. Figuring that we are overly partial to Fred's own fiery concoction, the Diablo burger, we instead tried the Bacon Mushroom burger. Ah, those sliced portabella mushrooms, perfectly smoky and buttery; the grilled onions, caramelized to sweet perfection; the bacon, salty and not too crunchy; the thick slice of Swiss, creamy and elegant; and, of course, the 1/2-pound patty, impossibly juicy and flavorful. All of it came together with such flavorful force -- a champion always makes things look so easy. Lesser burgers survive in this bracket, Johnny B's. No, it's not fair. But in the Battle of the Burgers, that's the way the bacon crumbles

Round One: Nicky D's vs. Fred's

(8) Nicky D's, 1605 Farm Road 1187, Crowley vs. (1) Fred's Texas Cafe, 915 Currie St., Fort Worth

So hard to be objective when it comes to Fred's, a Fort Worth institution and our defending champ. But we went in with an open mind -- which all but snapped shut when we took one bite of the Diablo burger and got that perfect marriage of beef and dusky chipotle spiciness. We've had Diablos in the past where the chipotles dominated the marriage, but in this instance, it was an equal partnership that also made room for the other family members -- especially the Swiss cheese, pickles and onions.

Star Telegram Review: Fred's Texas Café North

Star Telegram Review: Fred's Texas Café North

Only this was the new Fred's, the one that opened in April in a strip mall in north Fort Worth. The big one, the one that has seating for nearly 200 people. The one that has clean menus and a new-car smell and stain-free tables that don't wobble. The one that has six TVs and two video games -- all working -- in a spiffy separate bar area. (And, as of last week, the full bar is now open.) The one that, depending on how you look at it, is either a welcome addition to an area of town that really could use a good burger-and-beer joint, or is just blasphemous.

The Atlantic: The Hot Dog Files

The Hot Dog Files: 12 Tales From America's Era of Sausage-Hating