Lake Highlands-born smashburger concept Burger Schmurger will open this week in the former BarNone space.
Burger Schmurger’s retro-esque interior. Photo by Austin Wood.
Owned and operated by Lake Highlands neighbor Dave Culwell, the concept has operated as a widely-acclaimed pop-up with a permanent kitchen at High Fives on Henderson for the last few years. Now, after countless smashed patties, “Side Chick Sundays” and SMU tailgates, Culwell will finally open Burger Schmurger’s first brick-and-mortar location on April 30 on Buckner Boulevard.
Culwell signed the lease for the space in November and has spent the last few months reimagining the space with a throwback, 1960s-esque diner feel complete with neon accents, cozy booths and VCT flooring. Outside, Burger Schmurger has announced its presence in the neighborhood with a large LED sign featuring its newly born mascot (which appears to be a rather scientifically confusing hybrid of Culwell and his famed burger).
It’s a long way from his backyard, where Burger Schmurger was born in 2020 as “a way to keep our village together.” Eventually, and with some encouragement from his daughter, Culwell began popping up with his “Schmurgers” at Oak Highlands Brewery, SMU Football games and neighborhood events. The concept has operated out of High Five’s kitchen on Henderson since 2023 and will continue to do so going forward despite the new home on Buckner Boulevard.
For the new venture, Culwell has partnered with Brandon Hays and Phil Schanbaum, the owner-operators of High Fives, and Jeremy Koeninger, an industry veteran who has worked with the This and That hospitality team in the past.
The Menu
The brick-and-mortar location’s new menu is a dream come true for longtime Burger Schmurger fans, with past specials and “Schwings” (previously reserved for Sidechick Sundays) making a full-time debut.
But, of course, the original that fueled Burger Schmurger’s rise comes in at the top of the list. The Schmurger ($10), a double-patty smashburger, comes with grilled yellow onions, housemade sauce and pickles, and the Maverick ($12), another longtime staple staying on, comes with smoked bacon jam, American and provolone cheese on an inverted bun. For the less adventurous, there’s also the Plain Jane ($9), which comes plain and dry.
The Claremont Hotel, which comes with Swiss, mushrooms and garlic aioli. Photo by Austin Wood.
As previously mentioned, past specials have come back in a big way to become full-time menu features. A St. Patrick’s Day-fueled creation, the O’Brien ($12), comes with pickled red onions, creamy horseradish sauce, Irish stout beer cheese and American cheese. For a little extra heat, look to the Sicario ($12), which comes topped with jalapeños, chorizo, Oaxaca cheese, avocado, pico de gallo and chili lime aioli.
Past burgers, the Side Chick ($11), an ode to Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles in Culwell’s native L.A., gives customers a chance to get their chicken sandwich fix with a combination of fried chicken, dills, pickled red onions, slaw and sriracha aioli. There’s also a loaded grilled cheese complete with onions, dills and schmurger sauce, and a loaded hotdog served Schmurger-style with jalapeños (both $9).
For lighter bites, the restaurant will serve Schwings (buffalo or BBQ, $10/18 for six and 12 wings, respectively), poutine ($9), fried house dills ($9) and pretzel bites ($9), which come with spicy brown mustard and beer cheese.
Pretzel bits served with spicy brown mustard and beer cheese.
Fries ($5), extra sauce ($2) and onion strings can be added on to any order.
Ice Cold
Behind the bar, Culwell’s establishment boasts 10 beers on draft, representing a mix of local, domestic and import beers. From the neighborhood, Vector Brewing’s Bullpen Lager and Oak Highlands Brewery’s Lake Highlands Light are both available in large, ice-cold mugs (the Lake Highlands love is also made evident by a Wranglers poster by the entrance).
With summer coming up, there’s definitely a demand for frozen beverages in Texas. Luckily enough, Burger Schmurger has two frozen cocktails available: a 16-ounce frozen Paloma and a 16-ounce frozen margarita (both $12). On tap, the John Daly ($11), comes with vodka on top of sweet tea and lemonade to create “Not your Mama’s Arnold Palmer.
Burger Schmurger Bar. Photo by Austin Wood.
Other house cocktails include the Painted Pony ($10), served with gin, Aperol, coconut, orange juice, lemon juice and angostura bitters, and the Pineapple Princess ($10), which comes with serrano pepper-infused tequila, pineapple syrup, elderflower liqueur and lime juice.
The Feel
Culwell told the Advocate in November that he wants the spot to be a family-friendly neighborhood spot. He also said that he wants parents to feel comfortable coming in for a beer or cocktail after hours.
“We want it to be kind of a neighborhood watering hole as well as at the same time one that offers the best burger in Dallas,” Culwell said in November.
Burger Schmurger’s new location is at 718 N Buckner Blvd #100
