Dugg’s  build-your-own menu has over 20 options to customize a meal. Photography by Kathy Tran

“Simple done exceptional” is the mantra Scott Terraciano-Spence and his business partners Jeff Braunstein and Martin Hennessy used to create Dugg Burger.

After working in the corporate restaurant industry for years, they cultivated their own restaurant and came up with Dugg Burger, a build-your-own, go-down-the-line-style of building a burger.

The family-friendly joint offers options for everyone. “Even though our menu is simple, we have something for burger and chicken lovers, salad eaters, gluten-free dieters and vegetarians,” Spence says. “We even have chalk available for kids to draw with on our brick wall.”

The restaurant hones in on simplicity by doing a few things but doing them well.

Customers start by choosing a brioche bun or carb-friendly option, a bowl of mixed greens. Next comes the protein: beef, crispy or grilled chicken or a portabella mushroom. Next, customers can choose between five types of cheese and more than 15 options of condiments and vegetables.

They offer a unique no mayo chili-lime slaw and a custom Dugg Sauce. It is Thousand Island base mixed with roasted garlic, capers and shallots.

“One of our employees once described it as being ‘more like Ten Thousand Island dressing’ when he had it the first time,” Spence says.

The name Dugg comes from the unique aspect of the burger. The top of each bun is “dugg” out, so all of the toppings stay on the burger. Dugg uses the leftover bun to make its homemade bread pudding.

The first location opened in Casa Linda in 2015.

“We’ve had great success with our original unit in Casa Linda. We’ve become ‘the neighborhood place’ there and felt that Preston Hollow offered the same opportunity,” Spence says.

Spence opened a second location in Preston Hollow Village amid the coronavirus pandemic. While it’s been challenging to get the word spread about the new restaurant, Dugg modified its system to cater to customers despite restrictions.

“We retooled the operation to focus on delivering food to people’s cars so they could minimize their contact with the outside world,” Spence says. “And of course, we have become maniacally focused on sanitation and safety.”

The restaurant is locally owned and operated and strives to be neighbors in its business areas.

“The people in Preston Hollow are proud of their neighborhood and support local businesses that offer great products and service,” Spence says.

The restaurant itself is a local business supporter.

“We rotate our beer, but right now we offer Dallas Blonde, Mosaic IPA, Blood & Honey, Shiner Bock and Local Buzz. We also buy wine from a local producer, Times Ten Cellars. Other local products we buy are our buns from Empire Bakery and ice cream from Henry’s that goes in our hand-spun shakes,” Spence says.

Spence aims to make the location a Preston Hollow staple by doing what they do best.

“No gimmicks. Just consistently good food served by nice people,” Spence says.

As for future locations around Dallas: “Nothing on the horizon, but we always have our eyes open for the next Dugg,” Spence says.