Clown Hamburgers, Clown Burger for short is located at the intersection of Haltom Road and Stanley Keller Road in Haltom City Texas. The place is truly nothing fancy. The business has a long history in Haltom City, established in 1959 by George & Mary Stafford. Bill, the current owner and cook, has been working this business since 1963, using the original grill, and doing business pretty much the same way.

The place was really busy the day I was there and I didn’t take interior pictures. I’d describe it as an old hamburger stand with a bunch of clown memorabilia thrown in. Lots of kid pictures on the walls from children’s sports leagues owner Bill Louthan has sponsored over the years.

This place is different, but different is what makes it good. Don’t think that this is some crusty place with no following. At noon on Tuesday the customers were just about lined up out the door.  Service was quick though and it didn’t take that long to order. Prices are real reasonable, too.

The burgers were, well, I’ll call it old school. The hamburger patty is thin but fairly large so it covers a big bun nicely. The meat seemed lean because the burger wasn’t greasy and the garden items (pickle, lettuce, tomato) were dry. It really made for a good tasty hot hamburger. If you like a thick burger you should order the double or triple meat burgers. Like I said prices are so low. They claim to peel fresh potatoes for the french fries every day. Different and good.

I liked the place and I’ll go back, probably not at noon though. I would like to talk to the owner about the history of the place and get his take on 45 years in the burger business.

Some burger places in DFW are so storied that you have food critics from the Metroplex newspapers debating which one is the best and giving awards for best burger in DFW. What nonsense. But you know what, I shouldn’t be such a cynic. Some people just naturally want to rate things and create stars: winners and losers. Me, I like places like this that have good food, service to match, and that have been a gather place for friends and neighbors for decades.

Location

Clown Hamburgers
5020 Stanley Keller Rd.
Haltom City, Texas 76117

County: Tarrant
Map

Copyright © 2009 by Sam Fenstermacher
All rights reserved

 
 Yes it’s small, the building is about twelve foot square. Yes it’s old, they’ve been making burgers here for 50 or 60 years. According to the owner of The Burger Bar, the building was originally the office area for a wagon yard. That’s wagon as in horse and wagon. The barn burned down leaving only this tiny building which became a taxi stand then a used car lot and then finally The Burger Bar.

The grill they cook on is 100 years old and the owner credits it for the great taste of the burgers. The fries are good. Not like those fries you get at fast food restaurants that taste like they never met a potato in their life. They have sodas available in long neck bottles. I don’t know where they get them, but they looked old enough to be collectible.

The owner told me she and her husband purchased the business three years ago to keep a long standing tradition going in Cleburne Texas. They frequently get customers in who have driven great distances just to eat in this place.

I remember that The Burger Bar was mentioned in an article about the best burger places in Texas, a few years back, in the magazine, Texas Highways.

As I said, this place has been serving burgers for at least 50 years. The building is unique, the burgers are great, really this is more than just a place to get cooked hamburger on a bun. This is a small town family-run business where the pace is a little slower, the service a little better, and the conversation a little more animated.

Places like The Burger Bar are slowly disappearing because they can’t compete with mass-market burger stores and 99-Cent Value Menus. If you hunger for a taste of small-town Texas culture and a good burger than visit this place before it’s gone.

Location

Burger Bar
109 N. Anglin St.
Cleburne, Texas

(817) 645-9031

County: Johnson
Map

Older Images

UPDATED 10/23/2011 – Added six new image of the Burger Bar in Cleburne Texas. Rick Vanderpool declared The Burger Bar smallest burger joint in Texas.

Copyright © 2008 by Sam Fenstermacher
All rights reserved