Inside My Table #67 | Restaurant listings
Buns of Gold
The best hamburgers in Houston range from the sloppy, hand-crafted monster patty residing between processed white bread buns at the forlorn Lockwood Malt Shop in the Fifth Ward to the picture-perfect version at Taste of Texas in suburban west Houston. Yes, there are many restaurants in Houston, nice and otherwise, where you can get a good burger. What might be surprising to some is that the many of the best burgers are found at Inner Loop neighborhood bars and low-volume African-American eateries that serve just their communities. With apologies to Bubba’s Texas Burger Shack, Pappas Burgers, Goode Co. Burgers & Taqueria, Baba Yega, Christian’s Totem and several others that make notable burgers, below are the city’s top 14 hamburgers, listed alphabetically.
ADRIAN’S BURGER BAR, 5311 Sonora west of Lockwood & south of I-10, 713-674-1488. The adage that things are bigger in Texas rings true at Adrian’s Burger Bar. The regular burger here seems to be at least one full pound when cooked. Moist and flavorful, the enormous patties are cooked all the way through, probably the result of some time in the oven. The kitchen has a heavy hand with the yellow mustard, even for such a large amount of meat. Be prepared to make a mess. $
BELLAIRE BROILER BURGER, 5216 Bellaire at Bissonnet, 713-668-8171. In a spot that is seemingly nearly unchanged since the Eisenhower era, the relatively thin patties here are grilled and are the basis for an excellent burger. These are your basic all-American style burgers. Messy, greasy and nothing fancy, these are nonetheless very satisfying. $
CAHILL’S ON DURHAM, 903 Durham south of Washington, 713-864-9400. Cahill’s on Durham is primarily a neighborhood bar that gives no sign that the kitchen is so proficient. The burgers are large and juicy, made with choice ground chuck beef with the right amount of fat, and grilled over an open flame with a deft touch. The buns are large, right-sized for the patties and top-notch, and the toppings are plentiful. $
CAJUN’S PATIO & GRILL, 14507 S. Post Oak bet. W. Orem & W. Fuqua, 713-434-1100. A few miles south of Meyerland, this 20-year-old takeout Cajun eatery also makes a wonderful, quarter-pound burger featuring a greasy, very flavorful hand-crafted patty. For just $3.45 you can upgrade to a half-pound of meat with double burger; $3.75 with cheese. $
FARRAGO’S, 316 Gray at Bagby, 713-523-6404. The only hamburger offered at this proficient Midtown restaurant is worth a trip in itself. The juicy half-pound patty, cooked to order, is bedded in a high-quality dark-wheat bun and served with sauteed and nearly caramelized onions, a judicious dollop of gorgonzola, and a house-made steak sauce for an interesting and distinctive combination of flavors. $
GUY’S MEAT MARKET, 3106 Old Spanish Trail bet. Highway 288 & Almeda, 713-747-6800. Burgers are available only Tuesday through Friday from 11 am to 1 pm, while they last, and these do sell out. The seemingly basic burgers feature a juicy half-pound ground beef patty with a well-portioned 10 percent amount of fat, and are finished in a hickory-stoked smoker for an unusual and very flavorful result. A drawback is that this is strictly a takeout operation, and the burgers will not be as good if you wait until you get home to consume. $
KENNEALLY’S IRISH PUB, 2119 S. Shepherd bet. Westheimer & Fairview, 713-630-0486. In this convivial neighborhood bar that is known for its thin-crust pizza, an excellent, flavorful burger is also served. An approximately quarter-pound patty is expertly cooked to have a thin, crisp crust and is accompanied by properly crisp lettuce, onions and a nice bun. $
LANKFORD CAFE, 88 Dennis near Bagby, 713-522-9555. In this throwback near the nexus of Midtown and Montrose, the burgers are juicy and unpretentious. These are not the designer-style burgers, but the basic version that you wish you could consistently make on the backyard grill. They begin with handmade patties about a third-pound in size that are grilled to order, and are served with a slice of tomato, white onion and an ample-sized leaf of iceberg lettuce on sufficiently-sized buns. $
LOCKWOOD MALT SHOP, 5410 Mulvey at Lockwood roughly one-third mile north of I-10, 713-671-2706. This dumpy Fifth Ward takeout operation is the self-proclaimed, “Home of Big Daddy’s Old Fashion Burgers.” These consist of a hand-crafted half-pound (or more) patty of ground beef with the proper ratio of meat to fat that is then cooked on the grill. What comes out is a plentiful oozing mess of delicious charred ground beef between buttered and toasted processed buns. $
MARKET SQUARE BAR & GRILL, 311 Travis across from Market Square, 713-224-6133. This is an attractive tavern on Market Square where the food is a draw. The burgers are made with seven ounces of high-quality ground chuck, served on a fresh sesame seed bun with romaine, roma tomatoes and red onions. Unlike the case with many burgers we’ve had, the lettuce is resplendently verdant, the tomato slice juicy and flavorful — great compliments to the excellent patty. $
RUDYARD’S, 2010 Waugh bet. Fairview & West Gray, 713-521-0521. This is another neighborhood bar (and live music venue) where the burger is surprisingly excellent. A cooked-to-order half-pound patty that arrives with a slight crust and juicy interior sits between excellent buns. Melted cheddar makes for the even better burger, as do the fresh and crisp lettuce and tomato. $
STAMP’S SUPERBURGER, 7590 W. Belfort east of Fondren, 713-771-5077. The inevitable long wait at the neighborhood joint that is Stamp’s will be worth it, as the prepared-to-order burgers are juicy and quite satisfying. Advertised as a one-pound patty, it is seemingly not nearly as large as the ones at Adrian’s, but it should be more than enough burger for most. $
TASTE OF TEXAS, 10505 Katy Freeway just inside the Beltway, 713-932-6901. One of the best deals in town, they serve a gorgeous half-pound Certified Angus Beef burger topped with plentiful cheddar cheese, plus lettuce, onions, and tomato. Sautéed onions and sliced jalapenos are easy additions. It is served with top-notch, thick French fries, all for only $6.95. $
TOOKIE’S, 1202 Bayport Blvd. (Highway 146 at NASA Rd. 1), Seabrook, 281-474-3444. Relatively small but very tasty, charred, thin patties are the core of these very good, straightforward burgers at Tookie’s, which has been a popular stop near the Kemah Boardwalk since 1975. Get the double-meat for just an additional dollar, if you are at all hungry. $
