Houston Food Blog

​The downtown Spec's Wine and Spirits (2410 Smith) houses a deli that offers a variety of cold-order sides as well as weekly specials. When we visited, the weekly special was a hamburger. Nadine, my courteous help on the other side of the deli case, began to ask me questions.

"What kind of bread would you like? What kind of cheese would you like? Would you like an order of fresh-to-order onion rings? They are great!"

The options kept coming, and we ended up with a hamburger on onion bread topped with havarti cheese with a side of onion rings.

​If you're ever headed to Kingwood or to Bush airport, it might be worth a round-about drive to Pete's Burger Place for one solid, two-handed, very balanced hamburger.

At 24626 Loop 494 in Porter, just north of Kingwood and 11 miles northeast of Bush airport up U.S. 59, the place doesn't look like much. It's just a white shack by the road across from some train tracks with a few tables outside.

Inside, Pete's has clearly had some renovations and it's a spic-and-span place, but it was sunny so we sat outside.

The burger was of medium height and above-average width, a two-hander for sure. Strikingly, all toppings precisely matched the size of the bun and didn't shift around -- each bite had everything in it.

​We seem to have an affinity for truck-stop fried chicken, convenience-store hot dogs and bowling alley burgers. On a recent late-night trip to Palace Lanes on Bellaire, we fancied a cheeseburger from the "snack bar." It's the same thing with airport bars - we're attracted to these places like a moth to a light bulb.

We were eating a cheeseburger with a side of Frito pie when it occurred to us to pour the puddle of velvety cheese- and chili-covered corn chips onto our burger like a topping. We feel this could become a fad. Soon, you'll see the commercials on the television in between Top Chef reruns: Burger King's new Bowling Alley Burger, two all-beef patties topped with Velveeta, Chili and Frito's.

​The manager at Lucky Burger, at 1601 Richmond, doesn't know why the greasy spoon she runs looks like a giant blue pickle barrel, or why it was built that way (painted orange) when it opened under its original owners in 1975.

But the shop -- with its thin lunch counter facing an unremarkable stretch of Richmond and a clump of tables to the side -- can have any shape it wants. The food is what matters, and it's pretty good.

To be honest, the first time we stopped by (to grab a to-go order of the special, a $7.39 bacon-burger-with-fries, and some $2.99 fried zucchini), we were disappointed. We'd recently stopped by Stanton's, and by comparison the beef patty was thin and tough, though the bun, lettuce and tomato were surprisingly fresh and flavorful. The zucchini disks were wide, with thick breading, but mediocre.

Our second stop was better.

​A Kobe beef burger for less than seven bucks? I rushed out to Logan Farms, a spiral-cut ham and sandwich boutique on Westheimer just past Beltway 8, as soon as I learned about this "hidden gem" from "staceface," who left a comment on my blog about Hodad's.

The flavor of the ground meat was excellent, and so was the architecture of the sandwich. Too bad the kitchen help cooked the Akaushi burger well-done. I am willing to bet the sandwich-maker also squished the patty with a spatula in an effort to get every drop of Kobe fat out of this hamburger patty. Somebody arrest this guy -- well-done Kobe beef is a crime.

Photo by kaoru-h

​After reading a few dozen passionate online reviews about the Bellaire Broiler Burger, a local legend, we decided to swing by Bellaire and Bissonnet, where BBB is tucked away in a time capsule out of the '70s. Smoking was allowed there until not too long ago, but now, only the burgers smoke - on a real grill where real bacon is prepped to top off the bacon cheeseburger.

Our companion was so intimidated by the solemnity of the occasion that when he ordered, he asked that all condiments come "on the side," as though this joint was devoted to ladies' luncheons. But the counter help - infamous for surliness - complied nonchalantly.

​I had a salchi-burger at Brisa Cocina Mexicana on San Felipe yesterday. What a lovely example of restaurant fare inspired by street food. The hamburger was topped with a thin slice of ham, jalapeño sausage slices, and melted cheese, and served on a toasted bun spread with refried beans and spicy mayo. Condiments included tomato, sliced onion, lettuce and avocado.

Photo by Robyn Lee

​It started with a simple Tweet. Aimee Woodall, owner of Black Sheep marketing/publicity firm, was a fan of the mushroom burger at Little Bigs, a slider stop in the Montrose area (2703 Montrose, 713-521-2447). She was disappointed when she stopped in at the eatery one day only to find the mushroom burger gone and replaced with a black bean slider. A lot of back and forth on Twitter, Facebook and other social media ensued, and pretty soon Woodall and associate Lindsay Bosslet found themselves planning to lead a tongue-in-cheek lunchtime protest today against Little Bigs, complete with protest signs, handfuls of black beans to throw at the restaurant's owner, and a free lunch courtesy of their firm Black Sheep.

"The [mushroom] burger was my favorite. The black bean burger is just really average and really dry. The mushroom burger was stuffed with three cheeses and then fried. It was just amazing. I brought it up on Twitter, and people started responding - with a lot of passion.

"I actually follow Bryan Caswell, the [co-owner of Little Bigs and Reef], on Twitter and I asked him, 'What's going on? Why did you pull the mushroom burger from the menu?' and he said, 'Oh, it's complicated.' I started making jokes that we were going to start a petition and that we were going to protest until he brought it back. I started talking about that on Twitter, and people responded saying to count them in."

​Five Guys Burgers and Fries, which started out in Arlington, Va. more than 20 years ago, is opening another restaurant in Houston today.  

The latest is at 1150 Fry Road, another one of 50 stores its parent company, TCH Restaurant Group, has planned for Houston. This one will be open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.

As we told you back last January, there is a definite etiquette to burger building in the Five Bros. chain.

You walk in and order your food. There are only eight menu items: hamburger, hotdog (always Hebrew National), grilled cheese, veggie sandwich, French Fries in regular size and large size (which feeds four) in regular or Cajun-spiced versions and a beverage. All the burgers are cooked well-done.

You can get the burger in "regular," which is two 3.3-ounce patties ($4.69) or "little" ($2.99), which is one patty. Then you select one or all of the 17 toppings (pickles, onions, mushrooms, etc.).

Photo by J.C. Reid

​Seems like every year about this time there's a flurry of blog posts and buzz about an "undiscovered" burger joint called Stanton's City Bites (1420 Edwards St.). Of course, Stanton's has been around forever, but it seems to keep a relatively low profile in the ongoing Houston burger wars. Hardcore Houston burger fanatics swear by it, and it always seems to place well in the Best of Houston® awards (this year it won the Reader's Choice award for Best Burger).

Stanton's consistent placing in the Best of Houston® awards may explain its yearly blast of publicity. I'd never been there so I decided to check in and see how the highly regarded Stanton's bacon cheeseburger ($3.99!) stacked up to the competition.

Stanton's environs are well-documented - it's probably the shabbiest burger joint in Houston, with little parking and no tables, but a friendly and accommodating owner behind the counter. The first time I try a new burger I always get it "dry," i.e. no mayo or mustard. I want to get an uncontaminated taste of the burger meat and bun.

Photos by J.C. Reid

​Hubcap Grill has garnered both critical acclaim and a dedicated following of downtown office workers/burger fanatics. But the tiny space on Prairie Street has a few quirks -- the "dining room" has only a few tables, and the adjacent patio is uninhabitable during summer months. Additionally, closing time is at 3 p.m., limiting visits to lunch time. For what it is -- a small burger joint cranking out some of the best burgers in Houston for a downtown lunchtime crowd -- Hubcap has been very successful.

Fortunately, owner Ricky Craig has decided to build on the success of the original location by opening a new spot on South Main near Buffalo Speedway (9591 South Main). And he has listened to the recommendations of his customers -- the new location is several times larger with many more tables, and it is open until 7 p.m. Not exactly late hours, but just enough time for those with a Hubcap craving to pick up a to-go order for dinner. Craig says he will see how business goes and then adjust the closing time accordingly.

Photos by Robb Walsh

​Grass-fed sirloin hamburger steak is downright delicious. No doubt grass-fed beef raised without antibiotics and hormones is better for you too. Grass-fed sirloins lack the marbling that makes for tender steaks. But grind it up, and you get all the bold herbaceous flavor without the tenderness and texture problems. My hamburger steak was a little dry -- after all, the meat is something like 95 percent lean. But if you ground up this grass-fed beef at home, and added a little bacon, you'd have one helluva burger.

Georgia's Grass-Fed Beef is produced by Georgia Bost in Waller County. A renaissance woman, Georgia Bost is an ethnobotanist and wetlands biologist, with multiple degrees from Rice. She is responsible for hybridizing hibiscus varieties from the swamps of East Texas and adapting them to landscape applications. After learning about the medicinal properties of the plant, she began making teas, culinary vinegars, and other products using hibiscus and selling them in local Houston venues. When she started an organic farm to grow hibiscus, she got into grass-fed beef as a sideline.

Photo by Robb Walsh

​The burger at the W Grill has a lot going for it. The half-pound Angus beef patty is nicely grilled and fairly juicy. There's a choice of white or whole wheat buns. The whole wheat bun I tried was dense and moist, though not very well toasted. There is nothing wrong with the lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles, but the whole sandwich is delivered in the deconstructed state so you have to put it together yourself. And that wouldn't have worked out very well, because there wasn't any mustard or mayonnaise provided. Luckily, I was taking the burger home, so I could remedy that defect with mustard and mayo from my own fridge. But when you are charging $7 for a burger, your customers shouldn't have to ask for sandwich spreads.

The W Grill is located in the space formerly occupied by Bright & Early Coffee on Washington Avenue. There are lots of breakfast items, and some of them, like the omelet in a cup, appear to be holdovers from the previous establishment. Maybe the folks who ran the coffee stand just expanded the menu and changed the name? The drive-though restaurant now offers Philly cheesesteaks, a Mexican club sandwich, a turkey wrap and a fried shrimp basket along with the breakfast fare. There are a couple of picnic tables if you want to eat on the premises.

Photo by Robb Walsh

​In this week's Café review, we eat burgers at Rockwell Tavern, a roadhouse on Telge Road in Cypress. The dense, moist and slightly sweet custom-baked rolls are the first thing you notice about these burgers. Then the never-been-frozen freshly ground beef grabs your attention. The meat is very juicy, and the patty wants to fall apart.

The "Instant Vintage" bacon cheeseburger, one of 13 burgers on the menu, is a stand-out. It comes with Swiss, jack and cheddar cheese and two slices of extra thick, crispy bacon, along with the usual lettuce, tomato, mustard and mayo. By the last few bites, the sweet bun, the three cheeses, and the moist, loose burger patty, all sort of melt together into a mess of goodness on your plate.

But the messiest burger we tried at Rockwell Tavern was the King Bubba, a bacon cheeseburger topped with a runny fried egg.

​You've had the fabulous "Baby Goat Masala Burger" at Indika, right? You know, the cabrito burger seasoned with masala and topped with goat cheese and watercress? How did Texas Monthly skip this masterpiece on its list of the 50 top burgers in Texas, while the messy bulgogi burger at Burger Tex in Austin got chosen? It makes no sense.

All in all, nine Houston burgers made TM's bizarre list. They were Beck's Prime, Max's Wine Dive, Mockingbird Bistro, Sam's Deli Diner, Dry Creek Café, Lankford Grocery, Goode Company and Speedy's. Do you see a pattern here? I don't.

My colleague at the Chron, Alison Cook, immediately went out and ate two burgers at Beck's Prime to make sure she wasn't missing anything.
In the June 5 edition of her Burger Friday blog series, also published photos of Lankford Grocery's "depressingly juiceless" burger patties. After sampling four of them on different occasions, she wrote, "It pains me to say this, but at the moment, I wouldn't care if I never ate another Lankford's burger." She must be really shocked that both TM and the Chron's food editor Greg Morago have singled out the Lankford burger for praise since she reported on its slide into mediocrity.

I found it very strange that Dallas had as many burgers on the list as Houston. I once asked Dallas Morning News restaurant critic Bill Addison to take me to the best burger joint in Dallas. We ate at Twisted Root, and the burgers were underwhelming. There are 20 burger joints in Houston that easily blow Twisted Root's over-compressed dried-out burger patty away. Wingfield's is the only Dallas burger worth eating, but it didn't make the TM list. (Is this because TM was afraid to send subscribers to the hood?)

Photos by J.C. Reid

Ricky Craig

In a previous post about taco burgers, I mentioned I had struck up a conversation with Ricky Craig, owner of Hubcap Grill, and offered my services as a taste-tester for any new burgers he might be working on. This week I got the call. Craig invited me and several other Houston food adventurers to join him for a complimentary sampling of his newest burger creations.

If you are not familiar with Hubcap Grill, it's a hole-in-the-wall burger joint right in the middle of downtown at 1111 Prairie. I'd say most Houston burger lovers have it listed as one of their top three burgers in Houston. It's garnered a lot of accolades and good press. I currently have it as my top Houston burger.

Even with his current success, Craig is not resting on his laurels. He'll be opening a new location on South Main in a few weeks with a bigger dining room and later hours. And he is constantly experimenting with new items to add to an already eclectic menu that includes muffaletta burgers, Greek burgers, and the infamous Quadruple Bypass burger.

On a recent Saturday, our group sampled four new creations from the mad scientist of Houston burger makers. The burgers are described below. Note that they're not on the menu...yet.

Smashburger, the self-proclaimed "fast casual" burger import from Denver, has done well enough since its debut in Houston last December that three more restaurants are opening here.

Smashburgers are "one hundred percent Angus." They're "smashed on the grill to sear the meat and seal in the flavor." From personal experience they are also a bit of a delicious mess to eat, thanks to the glob of cheese and substantial amount of condiments on top.

Each Smashburger will open on a Wednesday later this month.

Photo by J.C. Reid

Two of Houston's best culinary traditions are taco trucks and burger joints. Houston food lovers like myself are often racked with indecision when choosing between the two for a quick lunch or dinner -- tacos or burgers? Which taco truck? Which burger joint?

On a recent lunch outing I came up with the perfect solution -- go to my favorite taco truck, pick up some tacos, then go to a burger joint and eat tacos and a burger together. Great idea. But then it hit me. Why eat them separately? The taco filling would make a great topping for a burger. It's a match made in heaven.

Putting the plan into action, I went to a favorite neighborhood taco truck, Tierra Caliente on Montrose near West Gray. I ordered my favorite, tacos de lengua. For non-taco truck aficionados, that's beef tongue tacos. It may sound strange but it's a standard menu item and very tasty.

I then headed to my favorite burger joint: Hubcap Grill downtown. I ordered a single-meat, plain, with cheese. The owner looked at me suspiciously but placed the order anyway. When the burger arrived I removed the bun and dumped the taco contents on to the beef patty. I added generous dollops of the red and green sauce that came with the tacos.

Photos by Craig Hlavaty

This past weekend, we visited the hometown of Whataburger, Corpus Christi. The burger chain is based there, but the center of operations will be moving to a bigger complex in San Antonio in the next few months.

The move is a sad one. The chain has been based in Corpus since 1950, when Harmon Dobson opened up its first location there in the middle of town off Ayers Street.

Corpus is teeming with Whataburger locations -- there are almost a dozen by our count off the main South Padre Island Drive artery alone, not to mention the ones in nearby Portland and the two on Mustang Island over the Kennedy Bridge. The chain even has burgers inside Whataburger Field, home of the town's own Double A baseball team, the Hooks, who are a part of the Astros farm club system.

Photo by Robb Walsh

The real reason I went to Pete's Fine Meats was to take a look at the whole cabritos. But while I waited for the counterman to look around in the freezer to see what he had, I figured I might as well have lunch. In the fine tradition of the Mexican carniceria, Pete's has a lunch counter and a grill, with tables and chairs set up in front of the meat counter. There are lots of deli meats to choose from as well as some barbecue in a glass display case warmer.

You'd think a burger served at a meat emporium like Pete's Fine Meats on Richmond would feature a gargantuan half-pound meat patty, but in fact the cheeseburger there comes with a petite little six-ounce disk. The sesame seed-covered bun is nicely toasted, and the lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions and mustard are all properly applied. Pete's uses 80-20 chuck, ground on the premises and never frozen, so the dainty burger still tastes pretty good.

By the way, I went home with a nine-pound cabrito.

Photos by J.C. Reid

Montrose has seen some exciting new restaurants open lately: Poscol, Little Big's and Feast. It's fun to discover something new. But there's also the opportunity to "discover something old" in the Montrose. For the last 15 years I've lived a block away from the intersection of West Alabama and Audubon Place. At the northwest corner of the intersection is an unassuming shopping center. Since moving to the neighborhood, I've driven, biked, walked, and jogged past it literally hundreds of times without taking notice of its shops. It is, in effect, hidden in plain sight.

That is, until this past week when one of the shops' signs finally registered: The Acadian Bakers. This old Montrose neighborhood joint may have been there all this time, but it was new to me.

Photo by Robb Walsh

Buffalo Gap is a hamlet outside of Abilene whose main claim to fame is the Perini Ranch Steakhouse. The current issue of Food Network Magazine claims that the Perini Ranch Steakhouse makes the best burger in Texas. I love the Perini Ranch and count Tom Perini among my friends. But read the menu -- it's not a burger, it's a "Hamburger Steak." It doesn't even come on a bun unless you request one.

The Perini Ranch Hamburger Steak is a half pound of quality beef, ground on the premises, and topped with cheese, green chile and mushrooms. This is what they called a "Top Chop't Steak" at Austin's old Nighthawk Chain, or a Salisbury steak elsewhere. It is a fine Texas tradition, but it isn't a classic Texas hamburger.

Photo by Robb Walsh

Rare hamburgers are considered dangerous by food safety experts. You can take your own chances with a burger cooked medium-rare, but you better think twice before you serve any burger cooked to less than 160 degrees F to others, as I was recently warned by microbiologist. When I said I thought it was okay because I ground my own beef, she laughed and asked me how often I sterilized my meat grinder and what kind of bleach solution I used on my cutting board.

I was about to give up, until she mentioned irradiated ground beef. If you buy irradiated ground beef and don't contaminate it, you could eat a rare burger safely, she said. So where do you find irradiated ground beef in Houston?

Photo by Robb Walsh

Calvin Trillin once said, "Anybody who doesn't think that the best hamburger place in the world is in his home town is a sissy." I think the best hamburgers places in the world are all in my home state. Here's my list of the 10 Best Burgers in Texas.

Photo by Robb Walsh

Hollister Grill on Hollister St. at Long Point is a neighborhood diner specializing in comfort foods like meatloaf, pot roast and chicken-fried steak. Its hand-formed eight-ounce burger comes with lettuce, tomato, purple onion and pickles with mustard and mayo on the side. The fries are of the chunky, steak-cut variety. The ground beef is a little short on seasonings, and it could be crunchier with more char, but overall, it's a damn good burger.

The question is: Do you put this burger in the same category as the ones you get at neighborhood burger joints like Lankford Grocery? Or is this a fancy restaurant burger like the one at Cafe Annie? I'm thinking it's on the cusp. But to tell the truth, if I went back to Hollister Grill for lunch today, I think I'd order the pot roast -- it's served in a hollowed-out round loaf of bread, and it looks awesome.

Photos by Robb Walsh

Should you find yourself hungry while passing through Aggieland, I recommend a stopover at the original Koppe Bridge Bar & Grill on Wellborn, just south of FM 2818, for a burger basket. The restaurant buys fresh-ground 80/20 chuck and has it delivered daily from a local meat market. The kitchen crew hand-forms the patties. The standard size is half a pound, but there is also a quarter-pound version for dainty eaters. The bun is expertly toasted, and condiments are fresh. Add some bacon, pickled jalapeños and mayonnaise from the list of extras to a cheeseburger all-the-way, and you've got yourself a world-class burger experience. The fresh-cut french fries served on the side are exceptional.

The restaurant also serves one of the best corny dogs anywhere, but if I am not mistaken, it is only offered on the children's menu. Restaurants generally frown on adults eating kids' meals. So tell the lady at the counter you promised junior you'd bring a corny dog home, and take it to go.

Photo by Paul Knight

Where: Bubba's Texas Burger Shack, 5230 Westpark Dr., 713-661-1622

What $7 gets you: Your pick from ten burgers made with beef or buffalo. Bubba's has a long list of other menu items, like a bowl of chili or patty melt, but it's no chili shack.

Any place that has "Bubba's," "Texas" and "Burger Shack" in its name, along with a location that's pretty much underneath a highway interchange, makes us wonder, What the hell goes on in there?

The "shack" part is not a joke, and while there are tables inside, there isn't much space to eat. We sat down at a table to wait for our burger but had to move so an employee could open a storage door.

The patio makes up for any shortcomings on the inside, and Bubba's would work great for a few after-work beers. During weekday afternoons from two to seven, beers are $2.25, and the selection goes deep into the Saint Arnold's playbook.

Photo by Robb Walsh

The only authentic pineapple burger in town...or not.

Love the hamburgesa estilo D.F. at Tortas Las Llardas -- bacon with pineapple is a truly wacky burger topping. The bun is toasted, and the patty is big and juicy too. I may not want to eat one everyday, but it's an interesting change, especially with a lot of pickled jalapeños.

On its new website, Tortas Las Llardas claims the sandwich shops are a "new concept" offering Houstonians the famous, authentic tortas of Mexico City. A new concept? Seems like Mexico's Deli, 100% Taquitos, and a host of others have been serving authentic Mexico City tortas in Houston for many years.

Photo by Robb Walsh

In this week's Cafe review, I visit Tortas El Angel and other torta shops around town looking for the perfect hamburger torta. The problem with all the ones I tried was the hamburger patty -- it was too thin. In the end, I made the best hamburger torta at home on the grill. I started with telera bread from El Bolillo. Telera makes an exceptional hamburger roll. Be sure to buy it the same day you plan to make the burgers, or keep it in the freezer -- it goes stale very quickly.

Getting your hamburger patty to fit the oversize talera bread roll is the big challenge of making tortaburgers. Most torta shops flatten the ground meat very thin. Of course, they are trying to save money. At home, you can just make a big honking burger patty. Use the cheese-stuffed burger patty if you like.