Goffs Charcoal Hamburgers

When you first pull up to Goff’s you know you’re going to have quite the fun time. Walking up to the register the journey begins. When you look right you decide what delicious food wilI trigger your taste buds and stay with you for the rest of your life. I personally picked the number 12 and highly recommend it. Best burger I’ve had. The owner is a really nice guy too.

Been going to goffs since elementary school at original location with Harvey Goff wearing his 45. Love the salad burgers and frank cheesie. Not the best value but the charcoal cooked flavor is great.

Dry meat with no seasoning with bonus bits of bone in almost every bite and don’t get me started on cold grated unmelted American like cheese. We attempted to let them know and were just given blank stares from the staff. No sorry, no offer to remake, or even a coupon for later. We both threw at least half of our burgers away. Never again!

The quality is awfull compare to what it used to be on lovers ln and the owners definitely don’t care about quality. we used to eat on lovers ln a lot. But we just found out that Harvey Goff is back at a new location in dallas its called Harvey’s on preston and 635. we will definitely try it.

This place is extremely convenient– right across the street from SMU. Based on the high school football posters on the walls, I’m guessing it’s very close to a high school as well. I really liked the old photos of the city and the school pride! However, the burger and fries were just okay. I’m not unhappy with my meal but I don’t think it was worth what I paid (~$ 11 for a basic burger, fries and drink).

I have eaten at Goff’s for over 50 years. Yeah, I’m old. I also worked at a few in the 70’s when in high school. Thus I’m an exprienced old critic on this place.
Although the ownership is not the same, they do try to be as good as the chain used to be. They were not the cheapest then and still not today, but the quality is still there.
The burgers are very close to the best flavor cuts of meat they were for years. Flipping a burger too often dries it out and depending upon the cook of your burger, you may get a great burger. The charcoal quality and dripping fat are improtant as these burgers are grilled over open flame. A hot flame makes the best burger, so if it is slow, the flame may not be there for your burger.
I do have to commend the staff for putting enough cheese on the burgers so you taste it. They always do that Harvey Gough would never have allowed us to put that much on back in the day!
The chili and the dogs taste like the the ones from my past and it is great to revive those flavors! I always get a #6 minus the onions for a pre-​dessert.
Times have changed and no one uses the good old Kraft vegetable shortening like the old days. It does affect the taste of the fries and pies and they do taste different. I still like what Goff sells now days and always get at least one appricot fried pie. These pies are best aged by sitting on the hot mantel for a few hours as it makes the appricot sweeter.
The flake ice in the soft drinks is also a great touch. Makes the drink colder faster and is easier on the teeth when time to chew ice.
And lastly, I do like the use of foil with the to go orders! The old paper would give out on the bags of old.
Keep up the great work!

Old school… has been here for years… I grew up going to Goffs so I love it… I don’t think if you didn’t grow up having Goffs you will love it like those lucky enough to know this institution!!! By far there are much better burgers but this is a very special place…

Underwhelmed. I got a chili cheeseburger and onion rings. With a drink that totaled almost $ 12, which, if a good meal, is not completely unreasonable. But the burger and the chili had no flavor and the patty couldn’t have been more than a quarter pound. The onion rings were better, but still a bit overdone.
Go to burger house if you are in the burger mood in the HP area. Better yet, drive down to maple and motor and do it right for the same price.

This place is exactly what you’d expect; a quick, convenient burger joint with no frills.
I ordered a veggie burger and a salad (the healthiest things available) and received reasonably good tasting versions of both, albeit not very healthy in the scheme of things.
The staff was friendly, and the décor was «authentic». It’s a great place for the local college students looking for a quick bite, but if you want a gourmet menu, keep driving.

Really nice little burger place across the street from SMU. I always make an effort to go on Tuesdays when burgers at half off after 5! «The Deal» is my absolute favorite with a hot dog on the burger with chili sauce and cheese. Freaking delicious when paired with onion rings!

I’m sad to see how many people have given Goff’s poor reviews. I’m thinking a lot of these reviewers are the: «5 Stars! Best food of my life!» or «NO STARS FOR YOU» type of reviewers…
The meat is NOT frozen… Contrary to what others have previously said. (More on that later)
I think what it boils down to is people ordering the wrong thing and going at the wrong time. Here is the solution: Go on Tuesday after 5:00 and get a #13 with hickory sauce and cheese. Because honestly folks, this is one of my favorite burgers in Dallas.
Wednesday through Monday, Goff’s is a sleepy little burger joint that has chronicled it’s walls with Dallas and Park Cities history and news clippings.
And then Tuesday rolls around…
If you are willing to brave the crowds… Tuesday after 5:00PM is the only time to go to Goff’s. Why? Because it’s half price burger night. What is normally an expensive burger ($ 6.60 for the #13 double meat), gets slashed in half… So go ahead and spend that extra cash on some onion rings.
Yes the pattys are small… But the meat isn’t frozen. It’s ground and made into pattys by hand. I love the charcoal flavor that the grill gives them… Who uses charcoal anymore?! Those «national chains» certainly don’t.
If you’re afraid you won’t get enough to eat with one patty on the #9, get the extra meat on the #13. The lettuce and tomato are pretty standard… But the sauces. Oh the glorious sauces. The relish sauce (not the kind of relish you put on a hotdog) and hickory sauce compliment each other perfectly.
The cheese is shredded… And they don’t melt it on the burger… But honestly, I kinda like it. It’s different, it’s cheesy, it adds a new dimension to the burger, and it’s unique to Goff’s.
The burger may be on the smaller side… But the flavors pack a tasty punch. The charcoal, hickory sauce, relish sauce, the fresh pattys, and cheese all combine to be a version of my burger heaven.
The shakes are pretty darn good too. All hand spun.
The onion rings are my favorite… Even though the rings and fries may be kept on the frozen side of the fridge.
Please don’t compare Goff’s to Hopdoddy or another high class burger joint… They’re not even in the same category. I’ll get off my soapbox now, but Goff’s really is a great burger.
Bottom Line: Go on Tuesday. Get a #9 or #13 with hickory sauce and cheese. I really think you’ll be pleased.
Goff’s is old fashioned, and oozing with history and tradition. The burgers are tasty, and the shakes are good. You gotta love the charcoal grill! It’s messy, it’s tasty, it’s one of my favorite burgers.

My wife and I used to eat here weekly a few years ago, and always enjoyed the food, it being of the messy makes it better school of dinning. Sadly, it has fallen from burger greatness, we debated over three stars or two, in the end it was the overly greasy half cooked nature of the fries that decided us. No doubt it will continue to turn a fairly brisk business from the students alone. But I don’t think I’ll return again, instead remembering it as it was in all it’s messy greasy glory.

The burgers here are excellent, a really nice char flavor that permeates the meat. I got the #13, two patties, lettuce, tomato, relish, and cheese ($ 6.60). It was juicy and very flavorful. Really enjoyed it. My other favorite here is the Works, gooey and messy and delicious from first bite to last. The onion rings are also excellent ($ 2.95). A top notch burger joint that is conveniently located across the street from SMU on Hillcrest.

I miss Harvey

I found this place randomly while near the smu campus on a late Tuesday afternoon. The college kids and the elderly who have been coming since the 50s had the place packed. Apparently on Tuesdays it supposed to be half price burgers, but I didn’t experience this fact. This is your typical hamburger joint where you order the burger to your liking and get charged extra for fries.
What I do like about the place is that your food comes out fast. I ordered the #15 which is a traditional burger and added hickory sauce and cheese. Now what meal is complete without an order of fries? So I added fries for an additional $ 1.80! Obviously the fries were made for the older population that has HTN because there was no salt on the fries. Easy fix.
Because of the overall average food and location from my house, I doubt I will be coming back, but ill recommend it to someone.

The perfect old-​fashioned hamburger! A #2 (burger with hickory smoke sauce), add cheese, lettuce, and tomato. You’ve got a winner right there! And there’s a bonus… the cheese is shredded! Yum! Ok, yes, I’m easily amused. As we’ve been building our go-​to list of Dallas restaurants, there was a void for old-​fashioned hamburgers (we have plenty of schmancy burger places), and it has officially been filled. Thanks, Goff’s!

Goff’s is your typical little burger joint with nice charm and a friendly staff. The only problem with this place is, unfortunately the food is mediocre at best.
I had the #2 Hickory Smoke Sauce Burger with an order of french fries. The burger tasted alright with a slight tangy/​barbeque flavor. It was an adequate burger, but nothing to write home about. The fries were crispy and very hot, which was nice. However, they tasted very plain and of the frozen variety.
I’m glad I went so I could say I tried the burger, but I will not be returning anytime soon. If you need a nice place to take your grandparents or a client for a quiet lunch, this may fit the bill. Otherwise I might not walk through the door.

Small and expensive, like others have said.
Burgers are so small that you either leave hungry or have to buy two and once you do that you’ve spent more than you intended. Either way is a losing situation. Pass.

I am not a fan of the particular location of this place (for the same reason Megan M. is not). However, a friend of mine insisted this place was amazing, so I decided to give it a try. It was Tuesday after 5, which apparently is their half-​price night. I loved the cozy atmosphere inside immediately. So NOT like the rest of University Park. I dug the historical pictures on the wall, too. We got a table right next to a picture of Harvey scowling at the hippies staging a sit-​in at Mrs. Goff’s back in the Vietnam War-​era (those of you who know your Dallas history, good for you!)
I ordered a # 9 dry, with bacon added, and some fries. What I got was a small slice of heaven. The burger is small, yes. I’ll say that. But I like that! I don’t need a Texas-​size burger patty that will give me a Texas-​size waistline! However, the taste packs a punch. I loved the flavor of the patty, as well as the fact that it wasn’t greasy. I also dug the shredded cheese! Nice departure from the slap-​a-​slice-​of-​cold-​American-​cheese approach that lots of burger joints use. The charcoal grill does make a huge difference, and an awesome one at that! I savored every bite of that burger as if it was the last one I would ever have. Would have liked a bit more bacon in my burger than what came with it, though. The fries were fantastic… I hate it when fries are salted and seasoned to death, and sadly, this is the case with many places that serve thick-​cut fries. Goff’s fries were perfect… no salt, no seasoning, crispy, golden, and yummy!
I can’t wait to come here again. Goff’s serves it up simple… and that’s just fine with me!

Overcooked, dry burger on a very expensive bun with sad, sad fries. How this place has stayed open so long or has a following of people that are wealthy enough to afford better hamburgers, I have no idea?
It’s neat to see all the pics on the wall and know that the pictures mean something to people that have been going there for years, but it;s not enough to keep me going here. Maybe if they would increase their patty size or season up their fries, I’ll be back. Still it;s hard for me to pay their high prices for a crappy product.