Travel + Leisure Magazine did their annual survey of America's Favorite Cities, and H-Town was on the list. Visitors and Houston residents agreed... Houston has the best burgers in the country.
 |
| Double Cheeseburger at Hubcap Grill - One of Houston's Best Burgers |
Houston was also in the Top Five for Affordable Hotels, Business Hotels, BBQ, and Luxury Stores.
Also worth a look - a handy tool to compare cities. We had to check to see how Houston compared to Dallas. (Spoiler: Very well, even with Fort Worth thrown into Dallas's corner.) Houston also compared favorably overall with such other Sun Belt cities as Los Angeles, Miami and Atlanta.
Why? Houston has some incredible home-grown burger joints, like Hubcap Grill, Beaver's Ice House, Zelko Bistro, Christian's Totem, and Beck's Prime. The proprietors of these places raise the bar for burgers in Houston, and other restaurants follow suit by upping their game. Hungry folks all over Houston are the winners.
 |
| Beaver Burger at Beaver's Ice House - One of Houston's Best Burgers |
It wasn't all glory, though. Houston was rated among the worst in terms of Summer, Public Transportation and Pedestrian Friendliness, and Weather.
We recommend dealing with these less pleasant facts the way that every life-long Houstonian does: Get in your air-conditioned car, and go grab a burger.
Burgers are hot in Houston, and another California-based chain is trying to grab their share of the market. The Counter® Custom Built Burgers, a premium burger concept known for offering more than 300,000 possible combinations, will open first Texas location in Houston on September 27, 2010.
Their announcement:
The Counter brings mouthwatering, premium burgers and “The Counter Culture” community to hungry diners in Houston. Nearly 80 percent of The Counter’s customers choose the “Build Your Own Burger” option and get creative with hundreds of thousands of possible variations. Upon arrival, guests receive a clipboard to create a custom burger or choose from Signature Burgers, Signature Burgers in a Bowl, Sandwiches and Starters.
Guests can select from three sizes of proteins – one-third, two-third and one-pound – made from all natural, humanely raised and handled fresh Angus beef that is ground daily, grilled chicken, turkey or house-made veggie and an array of 12 cheeses, 33 toppings, 21 unique sauces and four types of buns. Alternatively, guests can choose a bun-free Burger in a Bowl. Sample toppings and sauces include: dill pickle chips, roasted green chiles, corn and black bean salsa, fried egg, honey cured bacon, basil pesto and chipotle aioli. Additionally, The Counter in Houston will offer ice cream shakes, malts and floats, as well as a diverse selection of handcrafted beer and wine.
The Counter in Houston features 4,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor space that seats up to 160 burger-hungry guests indoors and on the spacious, sunlit patio. A mix of classic rock, hip-hop, jazz and top hits provides the soundtrack within the sleek and industrial-designed restaurant. The artwork on the walls captures the uniqueness of Houston life and culture by showcasing photography by Gary Copeland. All artwork displayed at the restaurant will be available for sale.
The Counter Custom Built Burgers in Houston is located in 4601 Washington Avenue, Houston, Texas 77007. Hours are Sunday – Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday – Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight. The restaurant can be reached directly at (713) 966-6123.
---
Fox Charlotte interviewed Matt, of the Counter:
We've heard good things about The Counter from our west coast friends, and we look forward to sampling the menu at this new spot.
Update: More burgers added. You know what to do.
OK, Burger fans. We've got an adventure for you. Together with Foodspotting.com, we have put together the Houston Burger Challenge, a list of the twelve burgers that we feel every Houstonian who loves burgers must experience.
The challenge takes place primarily inside the loop, but for the adventurous, there are treks far OTL into the hinterlands of the Woodlands and Tomball.
How do you participate? Sign up on Foodspotting.com. Then travel to each location, and photograph your burger. Log the event on Foodspotting to share your experience with burger lovers everywhere. (If you've got an iPhone, there's a cool Foodspotting app that makes it even easier.)
Lots of folks say they're serious about burgers. Are you up to the challenge?
Houston Burger Challenge (Foodspotting.com)
A short film by hamburger expert George Motz
The Kemah Boardwalk is the closest thing the Houston area has to an amusement park, and it has the added benefit of no entrance fee. The downside, for many of us, is that the dining options are all Landry's restaurants - if you're not a fan of that conglomerate (and we're not) you won't be happy with the food choices.
We were pleasantly surprised to run across The Burger House, a small, casual burger spot located right by the Boardwalk's parking lot. Located just outside the border of Landryville, the Burger House offers a cost-effective alternative to the mediocre offerings that Landry's does so well.
We parked right in front, and climbed up the ramp to the restaurant. It's a counter-service place, so we walked up, and after perusing the big board, we placed our order. The focus clearly is on the homemade burgers, and the friendly counter person suggested that we try the onion rings. We sat down, and in short order, our burgers arrived.
First up are the sliders. They're larger than usual, and not limited to the traditional slider toppings. Alex, our 11-year-old son, chose to dress his with ketchup and pickles, and they were served over a bed nicely seasoned waffle fries.
The sliders got a "thumbs up" from Alex. We can see why; the patties are hand-formed, the cheese a nice thick slice of American, and the pickles were fresh, with a nice snap. We didn't get a chance to taste the sliders - they were devoured before we could sneak a bite.
Next up was the hamburger. A nice, third-pound hand-formed patty, topped with American cheese that was slightly melted. The bun was dense and slightly chewy, a nice surprise. And the vegetable toppings were very fresh. Biting into the burger revealed only minimal ooze and a flavor that was good but not great; we think the burger was more than a little overcooked, and the cheese was added too late in the process. But it was still a respectable burger, and something we'd pick over the generic seafood being served across the parking lot.
Earlier we mentioned that the onion rings were suggested by the helpful staff member, and it turns out that this was a great suggestion.
The sweet rings of onion were heavily breaded and fried perfectly; the breading was crispy and not at all greasy, and the onion flavor infused the crust nicely. These rings are more breading that onion, but the result was outstanding.
We liked The Burger House, and would come back, especially considering the other choices in the area. Our trip to the Kemah Boardwalk just got a lot more tolerable.
The Burger House - 600 6th St.- Kemah, TX 77565 - (281) 334-1600
We'd been hearing good things about a new burger place that opened south of the Woodlands on 2920. Called Jax Burgers, it's not associated with the longtime Houston favorite Jax Grill.
We drove over, and discovered a clean restaurant in a strip center. Parking was easy, and we walked in and ordered.
(This was our first post with a video segment, shot and edited on the iPhone 4. We think it adds to the review - what do you think?)
UPDATE: We've visted Jax several more times, and it's even better.
Hubcap Grill, one of downtown Houston's best burger spots, has a new way to extend its reach. Following the lead of successful cooks in Houston and Austin, they've gone mobile, with the Hubcap Grill Burger Truck.
The truck will be circulating around town, hitting the Montrose, Washington Avenue, and Heights areas. They'll be working both lunch and dinner.
We make no secret that we think Tesars is one of the best restaurants in the Houston area, and that it stands head and shoulders above its competitors in the Woodlands. But we have to confess a problem: We are so taken with Tesars fantastic burgers that it's tough for us to sample other offerings on the menu. But that changed last Sunday.
We'd heard that Tesars was serving brunch, and we were very curious to see what Executive Chefs Jeramie Robison and Austin Simmons would offer for this popular meal. So we made our reservations (always a good idea) and headed down.
We were seated, and relaxed enjoying the view and their wonderful iced tea. Shortly after, our appetizer appeared.
We're generally not big fans of cool soup, but Chef Robison has put a very interesting twist on the classic Spanish Gazpacho. Centered in the sea of moderately spicy tomato/onion/garlic soup was an island of tangy housemade ceviche - shrimp, fish, several different mild peppers, avocado, and onion. The flavors danced around each other, each being highlighted while still working together to become greater than the sum of their parts. This is a superb Gazpacho, and the one by which we'll be measuring others we sample.
After the refreshing soup, we were ready for more traditional brunch fare. We started south of the border, moving from the Catalan coast to the border towns of Mexico, and delved into the Tesars version of Huevos Rancheros, the staple of the Tex-Mex breakfast.
The presentation was one we'd not seen before. A base consisting of quadrants of of black beans, pico de gallo, roasted pepper salsa, and guacamole (all housemade) was covered by a crispy corn tortilla, and topped with two fried eggs. The combination was a study in balance; the rich, earthy flavor of the beans contrasted beautifully with the sharp, fresh taste of the pico, the slow, smoky heat of the salsa, and the smooth, creamy guacamole. The composition of the dish reflected the kind of care that we've become accustomed to at Tesars; clearly these two young chefs are sweating the details.
Next up was a traditional American breakfast - eggs, breakfast meats, grits, potatoes and toast. On paper, it sounded similar to the full American breakfast that you can get anywhere. But what showed up pretty much sums up what's so special about Tesars:
The artfully composed plate included smoked ham, two different types of smoked link sausage, applewood smoked bacon, perfectly prepared eggs, chopped breakfast potatoes cooked with a melange of peppers, coarse-ground cheese grits, and grainy whole-wheat bread. It was plenty of food for two people, and each component was considerably more interested than we dared expect.
It's as if the chefs at Tesars view every item on the plate as a composer views instruments in a symphony - they must stand alone and yet work together, playing off each other to create a piece that the audience will remember long after the performance. We've enjoyed many American breakfasts, but we can't recall when we've devoured one where we were singularly impressed by each component on the plate. We left very happy and very full, and can't wait to try the brunch here again.
Some of you might have noticed that we are on a neverending quest to find superb burgers, no matter where they are. One thing that we've noticed on this quest is the gradual creeping up of burger prices in the Houston area. Fortunately, it's not gotten to the NYC/Las Vegas levels of insanity (there's a $36 burger at Daniel Boulud that we hear great things about) but it's not unusual to pay $10 or more for a burger these days.
But what if you're on a budget, and still want a serious burger? One choice is Mel's Country Cafe, the legendary restaurant between Tomball and the Woodlands. While Mel's is known for the insane Mega Mel, the non-linebackers among us will discover that Mel's does a very credible regular burger, and it starts at $2.95.
Our choice this visit was the Bacon Cheeseburger. It's a 1/3 lb patty, hand formed and griddled to medium well (Mel's doesn't do medium rare). It's topped with traditional American cheese, a lot of good quality bacon, and a plentiful portion of the traditional veggie toppings.
This is what a $4.50 burger looks like at Mel's. We think it's an excellent value. Mel's doesn't skimp on the bacon; took about half of it off the burger before we dug in, and enjoyed a very nice bacon appetizer.
The burger is very good; with a nice charred flavor to the meat. The buns are griddled, the cheese is slightly melty, and the veggies are fresh and crisp - onions are chopped, which is our preference.
The only downside was the medium well temperature of the meat. Serving it medium well minimized the ooze factor, and kept the burger from entering the upper echelons of burgerdom in the Houston area.
The cafe itself is delightful. It's a blast from the past, with local families filling up the tables and enjoying the big portions and reasonable prices. It's bright and clean, and the service is friendly.
You'll notice all those names on the wall. Those are the folks who've finished the Mega Mel (a pound and a half of beef, a pound of bacon, a quarter pound of cheese, and all the trimmings) in less than two hours, and who lived to talk about it. Some hardy soul completed this task in nine minutes. We're impressed, but it's a record we wouldn't wish to attempt.
For those of you who live Inside The Loop, Mel's is a half-hour drive into the northwest, out 249 to Tomball. But it's miles away from the slick burger joints in the city, both in its feel and its prices. Try it - we bet you'll like it.
Mel's Country Cafe
24814 Stanolind Road
Tomball, Texas 77375
281-255-6357
Mel's is CLOSED on MONDAY
Burger Fresh was ranked #13 in the state of Texas by Texas Monthly magazine, and we'd been meaning to check them out and see how they live up to the hype. So on a recent voyage to Conroe, we stopped in.
Burger Fresh is easy to find. It's located in a strip center a couple of blocks off I-45, right in the heart of town. Immediately you can tell that this isn't part of a big chain; the front of the store has a funky style all its own.
Upon entering the store, we were immediately met by the rich aroma of fried beef - not an unwelcome scent in a hamburger joint. Looking around the medium-sized dining room, we saw a space filled with folks of all ages and from all walks of life devouring burgers. Our kind of place.
Looking at the counter, we were overwhelmed by the huge variety of menu options. Burgers of all kinds, from a half pound all the way up to an insane triple of half-pound patties. Yes, if you're so inclined, you can order a burger with a pound and a half of beef. We weren't so inclined.
They also offer a wide range of exotic meats, including alligator and ostrich. Thanks, Crocodile Hunter, but we're hear for a cheeseburger, and that requires beef.
We decided on a #5 burger: A half pound of certified Angus beef with a single half-pound patty, double American cheese, and bacon. It was offered in a basket with sides, and the friendly counterman recommended the onion rings.
We grabbed a table, and waited for our order to come out. After about five minutes, a very soft-spoken waitress brought us our burger.
What appeared was a nicely griddled half-pound patty, which was unfortunately machine formed. The American cheese was moderately melty, and the bacon atop was good quality, but very mild in flavor. The egg bun wasn't griddled in any way. It was a prime example of a pretty good traditional burger.
We enjoyed the burger, but weren't blown away. The hamburger patty was dry and overcooked; all of the ooze present came from the cheese. And the bacon, while considerably higher quality than you'd find at any of the large fast food chains, wasn't as flavorful as we would have liked.
We'd rate the burger in the "Better Burger" category - better than the best offerings at conventional fast food chains, similar to what you'd get at the Five Guys chain. But it doesn't approach the rich flavor found at the best chains, like Beck's Prime or SmashBurger.
What did impress us were the handmade onion rings. Large, sweet onion slices, hand breaded and deep fried in a crispy, flaky batter. Not greasy at all, and very tasty. Some of the best onion rings we can remember trying.
All in all, we can easily recommend Burger Fresh. A good burger (with an amazing variety of options) and outstanding onion rings make for an enjoyable lunch in Conroe. We'll be back.
Burger Fresh
804 Gladstell Suite 110
Conroe, Texas 77304
936-756-4414
www.ConroeBurgerFresh.com
