I step into the truck and enter the world of owner and head chef Jonathan Arguello where everyone has the opportunity to experience something extraordinary. Arguello is pushing boundaries and redefining the very essence of what a burger truck is.

“We want to create this awesome workforce,” says Arugello, “A lot of times restaurants are not owned by people that work in them… we’ve always worked in restaurants, so we know the struggle… at the end of the day, of course, we want to provide for ourselves and our family, but we want to create an environment where people can come in, have their part-time job but also work on their passion projects.”

GUSTO’S does not just sell burgers. Every day, Arugello shares his zest for life and love for his community through his truck.

I thought I knew what a scorching Texas day felt like. I am proved wrong the minute I hop into the back of the truck, with orders coming in at a pace I struggle to keep up with.

Photo credit: Anna Parker

Sporting a black logo t-shirt, a well-worn black apron, and a red rope hat, Arguello persuades me, after just a brief moment, that he can talk as he handles orders with ease. He flips patties at the speed of light while dodging flying grease bullets. The truck is a well-oiled machine, and the smile never leaves his face.

As he serves customers, he tells me how he got started. Working in marketing, Arguello yearned for more. He decided to leave and bet on himself. During the pandemic, he rented out a gas station kitchen for $400 a month.

He got the affirmation he needed to fully pursue on his business when he was cooking at a music festival. Australian singer-songwriter (and former vegetarian!) Courtney Burnette tried one of Arguello’s burgers and said it was the best she had ever had. It was a moment he had dreamed of. He went all in on the business, bought a truck, and relocated it to the Hotel Dryce, where he flourished before moving the truck to its current location.

Arguello said his biggest challenge has been keeping faith that he could truly thrive in the culinary business. Not only has he kept the faith, but he’s managed to stand out from other food trucks with his personal touches and charisma.

Aruguello says, “We’re trying to create simple menu items that are cooked correctly every single time and served with hospitality for a good value.” While hungry customers wait in line for their meal, Arguello keeps a positive and calm attitude. He’s thrilled to be where he is.

At last, the anticipated moment of my visit arrives. It’s time to taste the burger.

The patty with its gloriously crispy edges rests on a buttered bun. Best Maid pickles, ketchup, and mustard compliment Gusto’s special sauce. Arguello hands me napkins. I don’t use them. Grease drips down my wrists. This is a recipe I will forever strive to replicate.

Within a few bites, Gusto’s burger skyrockets to the top of my “Best Fort Worth Restaurants” list I keep in my notes app. Arguello has earned himself a dedicated fan.

Photo credit: Anna Parker

As I end my visit, Arguello shares with me his goal for the future. He wants to open multiple stores, all serving the same simple-but-damn-good food with his signature top-notch hospitality. “I’m just trying to create something that I wish someone created a long time ago that I got fed into. If we could create something where everyone gets paid, everyone gets to save a little, and everybody gets pumped up to do their thing, you would create the most loving space in the world.”

[Editor’s Note: Arguello is opening a brick-and-mortar just off Magnolia soon. Stay tuned!]

As I squeezed through Tulip’s alley, excited for what I might find on the other side, I never imagined I’d leave loving this person even more than the food he makes. But Arguello is a joy to be around. He has created not only the best smashburger I’ve yet to have, but he’s made a place filled with love and fun.

Gusto’s motto is, “You got to have fun, baby. Life is too short.”

After a trip here, I think I agree.

Anna Parker is a student in Sarah Angle’s feature writing class at TCU. 

The post You Gotta Have Fun, Baby! first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

I stopped by Thurber Mingus last week because I had been seeing so many posts about it on Instagram. The name of the restaurant has been intriguing me and I just looked up why they named it that. I found this on their site: “Thurber and Mingus are both ghost towns located on I-20. Thurber was once one of the larger cities in the state and at one time was the biggest brick producer in the Southwest.  Most of the towns in Texas, including Fort Worth, were built using Thurber bricks.  If you look closely at most brick streets in Fort Worth, you will see they are Thurber bricks.   If you drive West on I-20 you will see the Thurber Mingus exit…”

As you can see from the pic above, they have created a cool joint close to the Idlewild neighborhood on White Settlement Road. 

I could NOT make up my mind as there are some amazing choices, but settled on the burger with candied jalapeños, pickled onions, goat cheese and fried egg. I LOVED it. It’s definitely a cheat meal for me and I don’t ever want to waste calories on something that isn’t worth it. If you don’t like to mix sweet with savory, then this may not be the option for you.

I used to office on Magnolia until recently and my business partner and friend Lauren Foster and I would hit Paul’s Donuts regularly. It’s one of those Fort Worth places that has been around forever but you might have missed it because it’s tucked away behind all the Magnolia Avenue hotspots. It’s definitely a Fort Worth favorite though and their donuts and gyros are delicious. Tanglewood Dad Michael Zimpelman was the first person to tell me about their donuts as he would bring them for the kids during swim practice.

We would order the cheeseburger meal with onion rings or fries. It’s a no-frills tasty burger. You can translate that to kid-friendly. Some kids probably wouldn’t eat a tricked up burger, but that’s not the case here. So add it to your list of places the kids will EAT.

We’ve gone to Dutch’s for forever and before that when we were in college it was Jon’s Grille. I love going to Dutch’s with the family because I can order the sliders and divvy it up between all the kids and we all share the french fries and onion rings. Their fountain drinks are particularly good too. Some places have bad fountain drinks– I don’t know what makes the difference, but I always indulge in Dr. Pepper (my vice of choice) or root beer there.

Here’s the menu for Dutch’s. The last time I went I had the bacon bleu cheeseburger, but often get the bacon swiss mushroom burger too. The best part about taking kids here is their upstairs patio. It’s usually filled with college kids who don’t care if your kids are running around. Mine are all now 5 and older so we are getting past that retched age of foolish restaurant behavior, but it was always a good thing to know when we would go there with them.

Enjoy your next burger at one of these spots and feel free to comment below with your favorite Fort Worth burger joint!

xo, Victoria

The post 3 Tasty Fort Worth Burger Joints first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.