OSK is an experience you have to travel for. It is pilgrimage-worthy. They do real honest-to-goodness smashburgers, with impeccably fresh ingredients and chef-y touches that kick those delicious smashburgers up a few notches.
Blasterz tripped over OSK when searching out a local wholesale spice merchant in this gritty industrial-warehouse and automotive-use area of Dallas. OSK is wisely only open from 1030am-330PM -- Blasterz would not want to be here near dark.
We knew we were in a special place when rough bikers were sitting at outdoor picnic tables with posh Highland Park folks, and everyone was happily passing napkin rolls back and forth.
Mama Blaster had a burger Murph-style, with house-made bacon relish. YUM! Rest of Blasterz had the Straight-up cheeseburger, which they loved. Fries were fresh and delicious -- we should have gotten 4 orders instead of two.
From the Serious East website: (
visit link)
"Dallas: Smashingly Good Burgers At Off-Site Kitchen
Sep 5, 2012 10:30AM
by J. Kenji López-Alt
Managing Culinary Editor
I took my first bite, trying as hard as I could to avoid making a mess, but it was inevitable. Beefy juices dripped down to my chin and onto the picnic table. Perfectly melted cheese oozed out of the edges, coating my fingers in its salty, tangy trap. The bun, soft, shiny, slightly sweet, and perfectly toasted, holds the whole thing together just so, but yields into tender butteriness in your mouth. The state of Texas and the city of Dallas in particular are havens for burger lovers of all shapes and sizes, but despite a week of great burgers and barbecue across the state, this is the one that I still dream about.
Folks, this burger is the real deal, one of the rare burgers worth making a special trip to get. When I'm on the road doing a multi-stop tasting tour, I have a strict two-bite-per-dish policy. The rule book went out the window for this one—I'd finished it before I even realized what was happening.
The work of chef/owner Nick Badovinus and chef Dan Riley, Off-Site Kitchen opened its doors this past February and has been busy ever since, despite the tiny dining room (read: 10 seats at a counter), totally inadequate air conditioning, and in-the-Texas-sun outdoor seating. Nick runs the trio of successful Neighborhood Services casual restaurants, where he got the concept for Off-Site by watching "what line cooks eat." It's down and dirty roasted meats, fried foods, and eggs, at cheap, cheap prices, prepared with a level of care you don't expect to find in a roadside greasy spoon.
Ordering is a bit overwhelming—which burger option do I want? Wait, 48 hour cracked pepper brisket? Do I want the plain fries or the sloppy ones? Is that really a hunk of bologna on that spit roaster back there? I panicked and went with my gut: one Stock Cheeseburger ($3.50), please.
And so enamored was I with the burger that when I went back up for round two, I neglected to order any of the other fine looking meats and sandwiches they offer, all at a reasonable price. Instead I got myself a second burger. And I swear, I never do that.
But that burger, man.
It starts as a quarter pound ball of house-ground chuck and shoulder clod that gets seasoned and smashed, Shake Shack-style, onto a hot griddle where there's a pile of onions slowly sizzling away and waiting to be scooped onto the meat. A quick flip and a melted slice of American cheese later, it gets perched not-so-daintily on top of a pile of shredded iceberg lettuce—an essential buffer for the incredible amount of juices that pour out of this thing as you bite in.
Some good pickles and a slice of tomato also get stuffed into the perfectly buttered and toasted bun from Village Baking Co, then it's all wrapped up in wax paper and brought out to your seat.
There are a few upgrades available, like the Do It Murph-Style ($4.95), which comes with a roasted jalapeño and smoked bacon relish tucked underneath the cheese with a swipe of special sauce under the lettuce. Polynesian & Pleasin' ($5.95) pairs the patty with a slice of Teriyaki Spam, caramelized pineapple, and Swiss cheese (which sounds a lot like my own Hot Hawaiian Burger). Really, I see no reason to upgrade on what is near perfection already.
The fries—fresh cut double-fried russets—are worth ordering, doubly so if you add queso, chili, and salsa to them. Excessive? Certainly. But Off-Site is not the type of place to hold back.
By the way, when you sit outside, make sure to position yourself close to one of these (rolls of paper towels): You're gonna need it."