I have had similar experience with a few dandelion plants. Some individuals do well in good garden soil. Especially some of the cultivars that have been grown in gardens for a long time.
They grow big and tasty in those conditions, but I have the best germination rates and the most resilient plants growing in gravel. The ones in the garden sometimes die young. Sometimes they suffer from over harvesting. They are tasty but not as reliably in my own experience on my own property.