There's a new player on the fiercely competitive Houston burger scene, and it's one that's worth checking out. So we trekked down from the Woodlands to Holcombe Blvd. to find out more.
Called JerryBuilt Burgers, it's a new fast casual chain that does things a bit differently than other burger joints. We were invited to for a preview dinner a couple of days before the grand opening, and here are our impressions.
First, the building. Entering the lofty, airy space you'd never guess that the building was previously an abandoned WaMu bank that was never completed.
The interior designers did a remarkable job, and thoughtful touches are everywhere. On one side of the dining room is a large mural featuring numerous Houston landmarks.
There is even a unique feature - an automated handwashing station in the dining room. Alex, our 13-year-old, actually washed his hands without being cajoled, and he pronounced the automated machine "cool". We concur.
But you don't read this blog for our architectural critiques - you're interested in the food. Jerry Built isn't trying to be a health food restaurant, but there is a focus on quality ingredients. They're proudly displayed on the wall, right beside the eye-catching mural.
From Niman Ranch beef and Buddy's Natural Chicken to organic veggies to Blue Bell ice cream and (be still my heart) Three Brothers Bakery buns, the focus on quality ingredients impressive. It's part of an overall attention to detail that's rare anywhere in the restaurant business, much less in the fast casual sector.
All these quality ingredients are great, but unless they're combined with skill and care, they're wasted. Fortunately, that wasn't a problem. After we ordered at the counter from the well-trained staff, our order appeared very quickly, and attractively packaged.
Looking inside the well-designed recyclable packaging, we found a truly gorgeous burger, char-grilled over an open flame with just the right amount of melty cheese, and fresh, crunchy veggies.
The result is a stunningly attractive burger, artfully arranged between the freshly sliced Three Brothers Bakery bun. We enjoyed this burger, but we're reserving final comments on its flavor until we can sample a few more examples. Oh, the sacrifices we make for our readers.
We're looking forward to returning to JerryBuilt Burgers after they've opened to the public to sample more of their offerings, and to enjoy the stylish, comfortable environment they have created. With the attention to detail that was already displayed, we predicted great success for this new, home-grown burger brand.
(We were happy to learn that they've already begun construction on a second location that's located in the Woodlands. They're aiming for a March opening.)
JerryBuilt Homegrown Burgers | 3501 W Holcombe Blvd | Houston, TX 77025
713-664-2874 | jerrybuiltburgers.com
Lately Houston has been the recipient of some notable Austin imports. On the moderate end, the insanely popular Torchy's Tacos opened their first Houston location to rave reports from diners. Today we were fortunate enough to take a look at an even more exciting Austin import.
Uchi, the modern Japanese restaurant building a national reputation for its innovative takes on sushi and other Japanese dishes, has opened a Houston outpost. Located in the old Felix Mexican Restaurant location on inner Westheimer, the team from Uchi has converted a revered house of Tex-Mex into a lovely and serene Japanese dining experience. How does the innovative cuisine of chef Tyson Cole survive the trip down Highway 290? We wanted to find out.
We were invited to sample several of their dishes at a recent media dinner, and while this isn't a formal review, we wanted to share our impressions.
Approaching the building, we noticed how the new building doesn't eradicate the old architecture of Felix's, but rather pays homage to it. The iconic curved windows remain, and their shape is echoed in the striking new entryway. The result is urban and modern, but with respect for the past, a theme that was echoed throughout the evening.
Entering the restaurant, we were startled at the transformation. Gone was the Felix experience, and in its place was a stylishly rustic Japanese setting, with clever details everywhere we looked. One of our favorites was a large communal table, handmade in Austin and lovingly assembled.
With this much attention and respect paid to the setting, we couldn't wait to sample Tyson Cole's food. Before being served, we browsed the traditional preparation area, and took in the mouth-watering displays of fresh fish and other ingredients, all under the watchful eye of Uchi's kitchen staff.
Watching these masters wield their tako hiki and santoku was like watching surgeons at work. The speed and precision evident in their work was remarkable.
For this media dinner, small plates were passed by the attentive but unobtrusive staff, who were happy to answer any questions. Chef Cole circulated from time to time, delivering food himself and anxious to hear feedback from patrons.
First up was a cooked dish - bacon sen. Consisting of grilled pork belly, green onion, fish caramel, and bonito flakes, the result was a very restrained take on pork belly. Instead of the often overwhelming richness from this fatty cut of pork, the dish had a solid pork flavor, still rich but balanced by the sweetness of the caramel and the subtle crunch of the bonito flakes.
Next was our first bite of Chef Cole's sushi. Called machi cure, it begins with smoked baby yellowtail, presented on a small plank of edible yucca crisp, asian pear, marcona almond, and accented with garlic brittle. This dish was genius. The essence of the sea brought forth by the impeccably fresh yellowtail was firm without being chewy, and offset by the crunch of the yucca and the subtle snap of the almond. The flavors danced on the tongue - the rich tuna, the sharp garlic, the tang of the pear, the earthiness of the almond. The result was spectacular, and speaks to Cole's ability to balance flavor and texture while not compromising on the jewel-like presentation.
Another highlight was the playfully named Jar Jar Duck. Presented in a lever-sealed Mason jar, opening this clever package released a waft of rosemary-infused smoky duck essence. Digging into the jar revealed thinly sliced sweet kumquats, pickled endives, thinly sliced bits of roast duck, and crunchy duck cracklins. Again, the attention to detail is remarkable: The duck is layered so that the milder white meat is below the richer dark meat, so the heavy, flavorful juices marinate the breast meat. This dish evokes the cleverness of Grant Achatz at his best while leaving behind the fussiness that turns food into performance art. Again, it's about balance, and Tyson Cole pulls it off masterfully.
We sampled several other dishes that we thoroughly enjoyed, with interesting ingredients like flash-fried kale, toasted milk, and espelette, a mild French pepper not typically associated with Japanese cooking. This medling of ingredients brings a distinctively modern feel to Cole's Japanese cuisine. The respect for the past is evident, but the vision is through a distinctively modern lens. We're excited about Uchi, and we look forward to seeing what other delights Tyson Cole and his talented staff have in store.
(Other views on the event, from Almost Veggie Houston, CultureMap, Dr. Ricky and Hank on Food.)
Uchi | 904 Westheimer | Houston 77006 | 713-522-4808 | uchihouston.com
As the Woodlands has grown, we've seen explosive growth in the local restaurant market. Newcomers open every month, anxious to tap into the thriving economy by feeding hungry residents. Some succeed. Some fail. But all help the dining scene change and evolve into something more interesting.
Once thing we've bemoaned repeatedly is the lack of good BBQ in the Woodlands. While there are a smattering of BBQ joints, we've yet to run across a place that serves the kind of 'Q that we crave. Heck, most of the time when we're in the mood for BBQ, we hike down I-45 to Louetta and give Rudy's, the San Antonio import, our business.
So we were excited to hear from one of our Twitter followers about a new BBQ place opening up off Sawdust road. Called Corkscrew BBQ, it is an oversized BBQ truck/trailer semi-permanently located on Budde road, half a block south of Sawdust. Painted black with a bright pink roof, you won't miss the trailer when you drive down Budde Road, perhaps on the way to an Orwall little league game.
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| The Corkscrew BBQ Truck |
Corkscrew BBQ is new to the Woodlands, but the people behind it are not new to BBQ. Will and Nichole Buckman are the owners, and they have operated a successful catering business on the north side for years. Corkscrew BBQ is the result of their desire to serve a bigger market on a daily basis, applying their hard-won expertise in the catering field.
So how is the BBQ? As every real Texan knows, BBQ is all about slow-cooking meat with plenty of honest-to-Robb wood smoke. Corkscrew's wood of choice is oak, and they use plenty of it.
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| Native Texas Oak is the source of fire and smoke in Corkscrew BBQ's pit |
Unlike many urban BBQ places, Corkscrew's pit runs exclusively on wood - there's no gas involved at all. Oak was selected because it's a fairly hot-burning wood, and Will Buckman prefers not to overpower the flavor of the meat with the flavor of smoke, and a hotter fire shifts the balance in favor of the meat flavor.
The pit itself is a good-sized rotary shelf unit, with individual meats wrapped in foil to retain their juices.
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| The pit at Corkscrew BBQ |
Corkscrew smokes the traditional brisket, ribs and sausage, and also plans to go beyond the standards with occasional daily specials. On our first visit, we were in a bit of a hurry, and sampled only the chopped beef sandwich.
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| Chopped Beef at Corkscrew BBQ |
Chopped beef can tell you a lot about the philosophy of a BBQ joint. Some places use the least desirable scraps, hiding the poor quality behind too much strong sauce. Corkscrew's approach is one we prefer: Freshly chopped brisket, mixed with just enough sauce, topped with veggies. Crunchy sliced onions and pickles (and jalapeños, if you'd like) complete the sandwich, and we liked the not-overly-sweet tang of the housemade sauce.
We returned two days later, and talked with Will Buckman about how their first weekend went. They were very busy - apparently we weren't the only ones in the Woodlands who were hungry for a new BBQ spot. Will insisted that we try his brisket, and hauled out a slab.
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| Brisket at Corkscrew BBQ |
The brisket had a beautiful dark bark, and the grit of the house rub was plainly visible. A cut revealed a quarter-inch smoke ring in a nice, dark pink.
He sliced off a sample (an outside cut from the fatty end) and we dug in. The smoky flavor was subtle, but certainly present. We've had BBQ where the smoke totally overpowered the flavor of the beef, but that wasn't a problem at Corkscrew. The 'Q was slightly drier than we prefer, but a dash of the tangy housemade sauce addressed that problem, and added a nice bite to the flavor.
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| Brisket at Corkscrew BBQ |
Bottom line: Corkscrew's brisket is easily among the best to be had in the Woodlands.
Will had an enigmatic smile on his face, and handed me a small container. "It's our cobbler. Today's is apple." Never being one to insult a man with a hot pit and sharp knives, I opened the container and sampled the warm cobbler.
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| Apple Cobbler at Corkscrew BBQ |
Corkscrew's cobbler is superb. A soft, flaky, buttery crust balanced with the zest of the spicy apples, sweet but not cloyingly so. We're anxious to return and sample the other cobblers, including peach and seasonal berries.
The Woodlands has been in need of a serious BBQ joint ever since I've moved here, and Corkscrew BBQ is already filling that void. Between the tasty brisket and superb cobbler, we'll be back, and often. If you love BBQ, you will, too.
Corkscrew BBQ | Budde Road just south of Sawdust | The Woodlands, TX 77380
832-592-1184 | www.CorkscrewBBQ.com | Twitter: @CorkscrewBBQ
The Counter is a left-coast burger chain that specializes in offering the customer a chance to create his own custom-built burger. While many restaurants will let you customize a burger, the array of options at The Counter is truly staggering - there are 20 different sauces, and a dozen cheese options, for example. If you like to create your own signature burger, you won't be lacking for options at The Counter.
What arrived was... interesting. First, there were a LOT of onions. Easily 4x what would have been a generous helping. After removing the lion's share of the onions, I assembled the burger and bit in. The overwhelming sensation was odd. Front and center was the onion flavor, but these weren't any onions I'd tasted before on a burger. I don't know the variety, but the flavor profile was very different than a typical burger onion. The consistency was wet and slippery, and they tended to slide out of the bun. The beefy flavor was completely absent, so to remedy this, I removed even more onions, leaving only one or two slices, which was still enough. Finally I could taste the beef, and it was very mild and underseasoned, albeit extremely tender. The gruyere was lost in the mix as well. Perhaps this was just opening-night jitters, but the grill cook should consider visiting Samba Grille or The Burger Guys to learn how to season a hamburger patty. Without skilled seasoning, even the best meat won't shine.
I think that The Counter has an excellent concept, but some fine tuning is needed to the product's flavor. Perhaps the California palate is different from that of a Houstonian, but now I understand why The Counter has been getting mixed reviews. The burger is simply unlike any other premium burger I've experienced in Houston, and to my taste, not in a good way.
But if you've been searching for the burger of your dreams, and you've yet to come close, give The Counter a try. I have no doubt that they'll surprise you. Whether it's in a good way depends on you.
The Counter | Market Street | The Woodlands, Texas 77380 | 281-231-2147
We're always skeptical when a successful restaurant group branches out into a new type of restaurant. Too often we've seen incredibly successful organizations stumble when they try to translate their successful formula to an entirely different cuisine.
So we greeted the news of Coal Burger with a good deal of skepticism. This small restaurant chain (the Woodlands location is their third store, and their first outside of Arizona) is owned by the same group as Grimaldi's Pizza, the iconic Brooklyn pizza joint that has branched out into locations all over the nation (and not coincidentally, right next door to Coal Burger.) Would success in the pizza field translate into the highly competitive burger arena?
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| Half-pound Coal Burger, with cheese and bacon |
We aren't sure. But we love a good burger, and have a great deal of respect for the Grimaldi's organization, so we visited Coal Burger today, on its opening day, to see just what they are all about. It was a rainy Tuesday, so we headed down to Waterway Square in the Woodlands, and managed to snag a nearby parking spot. We zipped through a building to avoid the rain, and came out across the street from the Coal Burger location. There is no sign, but it is located on the back side of the same building that houses Grimaldi's.
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| Coal Burger in the Woodlands. That's the entrance at the right |
We crossed the street and entered the bright, airy restaurant. We saw plenty of green-shirted staff members being trained on opening day. Everyone was bright and friendly, and we learned quite a bit about the philosophy behind Coal Burger before we even ordered.
Coal Burger isn't an ordinary burger joint. There is a great focus on sustainable, high quality, healthy ingredients. The organization is green, but it's not pushed in the customer's face as a self-conscious selling point. We noticed that the disposable drink containers were compostable, the ingredients are from responsible sources like Niman Ranch, and little touches like LED light fixtures point to a thoughtful focus on the environment. We applaud this approach.
Orders are placed at the counter, so we walked up and gave them ours.
The woman at the counter was very friendly, and in short order we were headed to the table to await our Coal Burgers. On the way we grabbed a soda - no Coca-Cola or Pepsi products here, but rather a selection of Boylan sodas, all sweetened with real cane sugar. So we had to skip our beloved Dr Pepper, and instead chose Boylan Ginger Ale. A sip confirmed that real ginger is a prominent ingredient in this beverage.
After a short wait, the burger appeared, wrapped neatly in paper. Ours was a half-pound of all-natural Niman Ranch Beef, hand-formed into two patties, topped with American cheese, beautiful thick-cut bacon, shredded lettuce, and crisp sliced pickles. Only the bun seemed pedestrian, but we later learned that a Brioche bun is available upon request.
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| A half-pound burger at Coal Burger |
Biting into this tall, narrow burger was delightful. The first sensation was the crispness of the sliced pickles, which was quickly followed by a rich, charry, beefy burst of flavor. Following the Grimaldi's tradition, the burger patties are grilled in a coal-fired oven.
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| Coal Burger's coal-fired oven |
This magical device imparts a delightful char to the high quality beef. And it does so quickly, leaving a nice juicy ooze and a pinkish center to contrast to the dark brown exterior char.
The American cheese we selected was thickly sliced and high quality. The bacon had a slightly sweet, smoky bite. The result was a superb rendition of a backyard burger, typically grilled over charcoal. But this one was grilled over real coal, and the result was how one would dream a backyard burger would taste - no home cooked burger we've sampled has sported such an aggressive char and rich, complex flavor.
We realize that it's unfair to judge a restaurant on its opening day, but we were very impressed by the burger at Coal Burger. We were also happy to talk with Darien, the manager, and to see that he and his staff are very interested in feedback and focused on making the Coal Burger experience a good one.
We'll be back. Soon.
Coal Burger | 20 Waterway Ave | The Woodlands, TX 77380 | 281-292-6385
coalburger.com
