Twisted Root Burger Co. closes original Dallas location in Deep Ellum

An iconic burger joint in Dallas' Deep Ellum has closed: Twisted Root Burger Co., which helped usher in the "better" burger trend, has closed its original location at 2615 Commerce St. after 20 years.

The restaurant issued a statement, saying that, "After many memorable years, Twisted Root Deep Ellum has permanently closed."

"As our original location, this restaurant will always hold a special place in our story," their statement said. "We're incredibly grateful to every guest, neighbor, and team member who supported us along the way. Thank you for the memories and for being part of where Twisted Root Began."

Twisted Root founding chefs Jason Bôso & Quincy Hart ditched Wall Street to launch Twisted Root Burger Co. in Deep Ellum in 2006, serving up half-pound burgers with over-the-top toppings and a saucy attitude long before gourmet burgers were a thing.

The "better burger" trend began in the early 2000s, taking what was previously a fast-food item and gave it a chef spin, with gourmet ingredients and more upscale surroundings. Twisted Root was one of the pioneers in DFW alongside names such as John Tesar's The Commissary and the Liberty Burger chain.

Boso took an especially cheeky approach, adding ingredients like peanut butter and giving menu items humorous names like the Kevin Bacon burger stacked with three slices of bacon.

Their "Low Rider" features a burger with taco seasoning, avocado, pico de gallo, and tortilla strips, while their "Steak Me Home Tonight" is a beef patty with shaved roast beef, American cheese, provolone, grilled onion, and beer sauce. They have a worthy vegan burger; four robust salads including a Cobb salad and "My Big Fat Greek Salad"; and milkshakes you can customize with ingredients such as Oreos and M&M's. They also serve beer, wine, and cocktails at some locations.

Prices range from $11 to $16.

Things changed forever for Twisted Root in 2009 when the Deep Ellum restaurant was spotlighted by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives — securing its continued success indefinitely (since Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives airs frequent repeats which bring another round of customers).

They went on to open many locations of Twisted Root across Texas and neighboring states. However, they struggled during the pandemic, with some locations declaring bankruptcy and some locations closing.

The chain was rescued by Local Favorite Restaurants, who acquired the concept in 2020. Local Favorites maintained Twisted Root's culinary stance as well as their resolve to "not taking ourselves too seriously." There are currently locations in Carrollton, Coppell, East Plano, Arlington, Mansfield, Bedford, Waco, Lubbock, Athens, and Abilene. (Local Favorites also recently acquired the Cotton Patch Cafe chain.)

Twisted Root is not the only restaurant to close in Deep Ellum: Zåtar Lebanese Tapas & Bar, a Mediterranean restaurant which has been open since 2016, just announced that it will close in late August. Like Twisted Root, Zatar is also located on Commerce Street, which is currently the victim of a multi-year conversion from one-way to two-way street, which has dragged on and on through multiple, unexplainable delays, with completion just getting pushed back again to 2027.