Owner Hossein “Hoss” Taherzadeh in front of the Richardson-famous burger joint. Photo credit: Aiden Biddle
After 64 years and six changes in ownership, Del’s Charcoal Burgers is still serving juicy burgers to Richardson residents— even during a pandemic. According to owner, Iranian native Hossein “Hoss” Taherzadeh, the doors of this iconic local restaurant have been open for more than half a century.
Taherzadeh said that from the design of the restaurant down to the menu, very little has changed. In addition to traditional hamburgers, the restaurant serves sweet potato fries, salmon burgers, California chicken sandwiches and a veggie burger. The most popular choice among the patrons, however, is The Texas Cheeseburger, stacked with two beef patties, two slices of cheddar cheese, mayo jalapenos, lettuce, tomato and bacon. “Turkey bacon,” he said, which makes the burger halal, or confirming to the dietary customs of the Islamic faith.
When Taherzadeh first came to America he had big dreams. He attended the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business while working part time at a restaurant to pay his tuition.
“You meet people, you make your living, so what is better than that,” he asked with the broadest smile. “We are not going to give it [the restaurant] up. We are going to keep it for many generations,” he said
Taherzadeh remains confident the family owned restaurant he has run for 20 years will continue to have an impact on local residents.
A figurine of world-famous Bob’s Big Boy greets customers at the front counter of Del’s Charcoal Burgers, which has been in business for 64 years in Richardson. Photo credit: Aiden Biddle
“We have a lot of captive audiences that have been coming here even before I owned the place,” he said.
“I have one guy, his name is Melvin, and his wife is Mary. Melvin, who was actually the restaurant’s busboy, used to come to the restaurant when it had a jukebox. Melvin would put a nickel in the jukebox and dance with Mary,” Taherzadeh said
“I nicknamed them M&M, like the candy because of this sweetness,” he said.
When asked if he would transfer ownership of the restaurant to his sons Kevin and Andrew someday, he said he was open to the changes they might make to stay current.
“The restaurant business is like a fashion when you add something,” he said. “When putting [it] in their hands, time would require to put in different things. I’m not going to object to that.”
Referring to how he cooks his burgers, Taherzadeh said, “People always say that taste changes, but they always say ‘Texas aside,’” he said. “Texas is the only state [where] the food is ‘good and spicy.’”
Taherzadeh said that he gets many requests to expand the business abroad.
“I have people from the Middle East and Europe,” he said specifying Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar and England. “They want me to put a franchise just like it over there,” he said, acknowledging that he had considered the idea. “I’m going to call it, Del’s Charcoal Burger International,” he said.
Del’s Charcoal Burger, at 110 S. McKinney St., was established in downtown Richardson. The restaurant not only attracts local and international customers, but students from the Richland Campus of Dallas College as well.
“We get a lot of kids from Richland College,” he said. Both of his sons, Kevin, who is a computer science major, and Andrew, a business major, attended Richland for two years before transferring to the University of Texas at Dallas.
Taherzadeh said the sign outside proclaiming the restaurant’s 64 years in business brings in the customers.
“When you have a sign on the wall that displays 64 years [in business], everybody is like nostalgic. Even young people like to come to a place that is [so] old,” he said and started laughing. “It’s too good.”
