Chip’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers is located on the Lover’s Lane near the Dallas Tollway. (Spencer J Eggers/The Daily Campus)

The hamburger is arguably the most essential summer food. Sure, we eat them all year, but there’s just something about the season that makes a burger sound even better.

Unfortunately, we’ve still got a few more weeks until it’s officially summer.

But with Texas getting a head start on the hot weather, naturally a compilation of the best burgers should ensue.

These three restaurants, all within a five minute drive from campus, serve up a burger worth talking about.

The shining star on the menu at The Porch is the much talked about Stodg burger.

A hefty half-pound of beef is topped off with cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayo and finally, a fried egg.

For those of you who don’t always eat fried eggs on your burgers, which should be the vast majority of the population, don’t let it scare you off.

The egg is a surprisingly great addition. Eggs go with well with each of the ingredients individually, so why not with all of them at the same time?

It is no coincidence that “stodge,” distinguishable from the name of this burger only by the ‘e’ on the end, defines a heavy and filling food.

Eat one of these and you definitely won’t have any room left for side dishes or desserts.

The Stodg burger may cost more than you’re used to paying for a burger but for such a large portion, the price is almost justified.

Located on Upper Greenville, the patio alone at Ozona’s Grill and Bar is enough to pull you into their restaurant.

As the weather warms, it’s nearly impossible to resist their split-level deck and hole-in-the-wall décor. And it doesn’t hurt that they make a pretty mean burger too.

A great facet of Ozona’s burger menu that helped put it on the list is the wide variety of ingredients available. Ozaona will perfectly tailor a burger to your tastes.

Begin by choosing from three bun options – sourdough, jalapeno cheddar or wheat.

Then there are six cheese options, including a the classics as well as bleu and jalapeno jack.

The meat isn’t the most flavorful out there, but it is never dry and is consistently cooked to perfection. A cheeseburger and fries costs a comparatively reasonable $8.45.

If outdoor eating doesn’t hold any appeal for you, Keller’s Drive-In will let you eat inside – inside your car that is.

While Keller’s doesn’t have anything truly remarkable about their burgers, there is undeniably a nostalgic draw to eating a meal at a drive-in diner.

The actual burgers are not unlike what you would find at a fast-food restaurant. There is, however, a marginally more authentic flavor profile.

Keller’s, located off of Northwest highway, East of 75, has a certain grittiness that seems to appeal to a less-than-ritzy crowd.

But if you can get past appearances, Keller’s doesn’t do too bad for a $2.00 burger.

The last winner on the list is from a place you’ve likely driven past many times without giving much though to.

Chip’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, located at the Northeast corner of Lovers and the toll road, has been in business for 33 years.

Just last year, however, Chip’s received a new owner who has made some fantastic changes to the place.

Brent Tipps sought to give Chip’s a face-lift by lowering prices and building a patio for additional seating.

The outdoor patio is painted in bright, festive colors and, though enclosed, allows for a soft breeze to blow across the room.

Tipps also took measures to improve the quality of the food at Chip’s.

Surprisingly enough to Tipps, the food was “pretty good” to start with. Few recipes have changed, but the general preparation of the food has improved.

These changes were enough to give Chip’s a great boost in business.

On a Saturday afternoon it is not uncommon to see a line beginning to form at the door. Fortunately, things stay moving and there generally isn’t much of a wait.

Besides being in business longer than most, Chip’s is one of very few burger joints in Dallas that uses 100 percent certified Angus beef for their burgers.

The result is an incredibly lean burger, ready for pairing with Chip’s popular poppy seed bun. Of course, other options are available, but they’re known for the poppy seed.

The best part is that a cheeseburger will cost you $4.99.

If an inexpensive, low-maintenance burger is what you’re after – look no further than Chip’s.