Eats Beat: Great burgers not at burger joints

The DFW.com Battle of the Burgers highlights burger specialists — joints where hamburgers fill most of the menu and where the owners’ hearts and souls are stained with burger grease.

But we also know that great burgers can be found outside the bounds. So we take a momentary break from the battle to honor a few of those:

Salsa Fuego: This decorated west Fort Worth Mexican restaurant is about to go into the burger business. Fuego Burger will open this fall in the current location, featuring the much-talked-about guacamole burger and green-chile-cheese Fuego Burger. Salsa Fuego expands into a former Chinese restaurant one block north; 3520 Alta Mere Drive, 817-560-7888, salsafuegofw.com

Woodshed Smokehouse: Chef Tim Love’s best burger is served not at Love Shack but here — juicy beef topped with chopped barbecue, the sausage of the day and cheddar, plus first-class lettuce, tomato and pickles. It all comes together in a manageable burger that arrives waving a Texas flag; 3201 Riverfront Drive, Fort Worth, 817-877-4545, woodshedsmokehouse.com.

Capital Grille: Most prime steakhouses have impressive burgers. So if you really must spend $15 on a burger, Capital Grille is the place to go. The Grille burger isn’t just beef. It’s chopped sirloin cuts, blended with crumbled bacon and finely chopped onion, all with layers of melted havarti cheese: 800 Main St., Fort Worth, 817-348-9200, or 500 Crescent Court, Dallas, 214-303-0500; thecapitalgrille.com

Lili’s Bistro: The best burger on Fort Worth’s West Magnolia Avenue restaurant row is at Lili’s. That might be surprising, until you read the description: It’s made with Gorgonzola cheese dressing, on a custom jalapeño bun. Lili’s also has a poblano burger, and burgers are now available all day; 1310 W. Magnolia Ave., 817-877-0700, lilisbistro.com

Village Marquee Texas Grill & Bar: The chef has changed at this Highland Park spot, and on Aug. 4 it will close for a makeover to Village Kitchen and offer a more casual atmosphere. But the burger shouldn’t miss a beat. Chef Andre Natera promises a new beef-brisket-short rib burger, according to The Dallas Morning News. Hope he keeps the hardwood-grill flavor of the Beeman Ranch bourbon-ancho burger or predecessor Tre Wilcox’s Hatch green chile cheeseburger, which made everybody’s “best” lists; 33 Highland Park Village, 214-522-6035, MarqueeGrill.com.

Lucile’s Stateside Bistro: A few blocks from Kincaid’s and Tommy’s, Lucile’s delivers a winning chargrilled burger for $8 with fries, or a bacon-cheddar burger with bacon dressing (like long-gone Carlson’s Drive Inn) for $10; 4700 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817 738-4761, lucilesstatesidebistro.com.

Roy Pope Grocery: Marking 70 years, Roy Pope’s makes burgers at a deli counter reminiscent of the original Kincaid’s (they were partners before becoming competitors); 2300 Merrick St., 817-732-2863, roypopegrocery.com.

Tres Betos Taqueria: They serve burgers Mexico-style with ham and avocado or American-style; 2418 N.E. 28th St., 817-378-9950.