What’s a ‘skirt’ cheeseburger? At this 15-year Fort Worth favorite, it’s a prizewinner

The calls come regularly, often in a concerned tone of voice:

“Whatever happened to Fuego Burger?”

The answer is: not a thing.

Fuego Burger is open six days a week at 4400 Benbrook Highway, serving the same burgers, tacos and grill orders that have made it a west side favorite for 15 years.

Some Fuego fans never caught up when Carlos and Christie Rodriguez moved Fuego across town and back again, leaving their original Benbrook Traffic Circle location.

Fuego was a past Star-Telegram “Burger Battle” finalist for its signature, a green chile cheeseburger with a skirt of crispy cheddar-Jack blend melted cheese, like a burger surrounded by a huge nacho.

Gravity got to the fried-cheese ring on Fuego Burger’s namesake burger, but we just folded up the cheese ring and put it on the patty.
Gravity got to the fried-cheese ring on Fuego Burger’s namesake burger, but we just folded up the cheese ring and put it on the patty.

The small burger stand still has a full menu of old favorites: a mushroom/Swiss burger, a bacon/blue cheese burger or a “Fuego Loco Moco” platter — a burger patty with a fried egg on top of chili-cheese fries.

Fuego also has some Tex-Mex items from the Rodriguezes’ former Salsa Fuego menu, including soft tacos and quesadillas.

But the menu also includes gyros. And fried or Buffalo chicken sandwiches. And appetizers such as flash-fried cauliflower in Buffalo sauce, or meatballs in raspberry-chipotle sauce.

Alternative burgers include one with turkey and another with a house-made black bean/quinoa/sweet potato veggie burger.

A regular burger at Fuego Burger.
A regular burger at Fuego Burger.

It’s all kept Fuego at the top of west side burger lists along with more fabled JD’s and Fred’s.

JD’s, 9901 Camp Bowie West Blvd., draws more attention lately. It was just named to Texas Highways magazine’s list of 50 “Burgers Worth the Drive,” along with Dayne’s Craft Barbecue in Aledo, Gustos Burger Bar in Fort Worth, Hurtado Barbecue in Arlington and the granddaddy of them all, Kincaid’s Hamburgers in Fort Worth.

Fuego doesn’t have a bar like JD’s or Fred’s.

But it does have a prizewinning burger; 682-250-5600, fuego-burger.square.site.