Update: We sample Chef Simmons's new menu

One of this burger lover's saddest days of 2010 was the day that Tesar's Modern Steakhouse closed in the Woodlands.  Tesar's Magic burger had become the thing of local legend; to this day I've been searching for a burger that comes close to that remarkable creation.

But good things have followed for those involved with Tesar's.  Chef Jeromy Robison landed the exec spot at La Colombe d'Or's popular new CINQ restaurant, and has been on everyone's short list of talented young chefs.

The other member of the dynamic duo, Chef Austin Simmons, was recently promoted to Executive Chef at Hubbel & Hudson, the hot gourmet market and bistro in the Woodlands.  Austin and I talked burgers on numerous occasions at Tesar's, and I was excited to see how he'd influence the already excellent burgers at H & H.

So I was pleasantly surprised not only to learn of Chef Austin's promotion, but to be invited to sample some of his new dishes on the winter Hubbell & Hudson menu.  And I was hoping a burger would be one of the offerings.

After rolling out several new dishes (which will be written about soon) a burger appeared.

Wagyu Burger at Hubbell & Hudson

I smiled when I noticed that instead of one of H & H's excellent buns, Chef Austin had selected an English Muffin as the foundation for his burger.  The half-pound patty was hand-formed Wagyu beef, from an American breed of cattle that produces Kobe beef in Japan.  Instead of bacon, crispy prosciutto di Parma was artfully arranged.  Fresh arugula and a unique tomato remoulade were piled atop a sunny-side-up egg.  No ordinary condiments were to be found.  These prime ingredients do not result in a bargain burger - served with the excellent house cut double dip frites, the cost of the burger is $25, not an insubstantial sum.

(I hate to second-guess a chef, but I'm not an egg-on-a-burger guy.  When I mentioned this, the burger was whisked into the kitchen, and reemerged in short order without the egg.)

I bit into the burger, and it was a revelation.  Front and center was the lush, beefy flavor.  The wagyu had been expertly ground; so many times super premium beef doesn't stand up well to grinding, but in this case it had been handled expertly and cooked to a perfect medium rare.  The juicy ooze was in full force; this was a rare case where wagyu beef delivered fully on its promise.

The tang of the tomato chutney was a delicious counterpoint to the swaggeringly rich beefy flavor, and this is coming from someone who typically doesn't like tomatoes on a burger.  The smooth, almost sweet flavor of the cured prosciutto provided balance, and the subtle crunch added textural interest.

This could very well be the best burger I've ever tasted.

Chef Austin is still fine tuning the burger.  He's contemplating a version replacing the egg with one of Hubbell & Hudson's artisan cheeses.

I shudder to think about the difficulty in resisting the result.

Hubbell & Hudson Bistro | 24 Waterway Ave, Suite 125 | The Woodlands, Texas 77380
281-203-5641 | hubbellandhudson.com

Hubbell & Hudson Bistro on Urbanspoon

As a high school student, one of my favorite hamburgers was a Wendy's double.  From the iconic square patty to the much-better-than-McD's toppings, Dave Thomas's chain served the first burger that caught my attention.  But over the years new competitors appeared on the scenes, and Wendy's never really made improvements.  The awesome burger of my youth became one I would only order in an emergency.

But now there's something different.  Wendy's is upping their game.

Called "Dave's Hot 'n Juicy Cheeseburger", it is the first upgrade to Wendy's hamburger offerings in several decades.  From thicker patties to better quality toppings to a new toasted, buttered bun, Wendy's has responded to both the Better Burger competitors like Five Guys and SmashBurger, and to the higher-end burgers rolled out by McDonalds.  The advertising photos look very promising.

Dave's Hot 'n Juicy Cheeseburger - The Promise

I was anxiously anticipating sampling this big deal that Wendy's just released, so I stopped by a local Woodlands-area Wendy's to see whether it lives up to the hype.  I was immediately put off by the rather dated look of the store - other than new signage, this restaurant could be a Wendy's from 1990.  But I'm here for the food, not the atmosphere, so I ordered my benchmark double, and waited for its appearance.

What greeted me on the tray was this:

Dave's Hot 'n Juicy Cheeseburger - The Reality
The new Wendy's "masterpiece" was visually unimpressive.  The machine-formed patties were slightly thicker than I remembered, but they were extremely dry and totally ooze free.  My guess is that the patties were cooked a while ago, and had been sitting under a not-too-effective heat lamp.  So much for the "juicy".  And the patties weren't warm enough to melt the cheese.  So much for the "hot".  The vegetables were of higher quality than I remembered, but the bun was impressive in its ordinariness - Wendy's has offered better buns in the past.
And the flavor was... bland.  It was a generic mass-market, fast food burger, with slightly fresher veggies on top.  This is what Wendy's is excited about?
I was completely underwhelmed with Dave's Hot 'n Juicy Cheeseburger.  It was neither hot nor juicy.  It didn't approach the quality of the newest McDonald's offerings, much less that of fast food burgers from What-a-burger or Culver's.  To compare it to Five Guys or SmashBurger would be ludicrous.  
I admire the intentions behind Dave's Hot 'n Juicy Cheeseburger.  But intentions alone do not make a great hamburger, or in this case, even a good one.
Back to the drawing board, Wendy.

I returned to Coal Burger on Thursday.  After eating a superlative burger, I was eager to sample more from the menu.  Unfortunately they were closed; problems with the ventilation system meant that the restaurant was too smoky when the coal-fired oven was operating.

But I did have the pleasure of meeting more of the people behind the restaurant, including one big surprise that explained a lot of things.
Chef Bradford Thompson is the corporate chef at the Grimaldi's organization, working behind the scenes on the food at Coal Burger.
Chef Bradford Thompson
(Photo courtesy Culinary Vegetable Institute)
Chef Thompson is the James Beard Award-winning chef who has numerous other accolades to his credit, including a AAA Five Diamond Award (at Mary Elaine's in Scottsdale), A Wine Spectator Grand Award, and multiple recognitions by Food and Wine Magazine.

Thompson also worked with the legendary Chef Daniel Boulud in Manhattan, helping plan and develop both Cafe Boulud and DB Bistro Moderne.  Chef Thompson also was in charge of private dining at New York's famed Restaurant Daniel.

What is a chef of this stature doing working for a small burger chain?  Developing the menu.  I spoke with Chef Thompson about his participation, and his enthusiasm was palpable.  Here is a man who has built a superb French kitchen in Manhattan, but he is pouring his heart into creating a superlative burger concept, one that can both deliver a $4 burger and be run in a socially responsible manner.
Listening to the chef talk about why the burger was designed as it was, and the other myriad decisions that went into creating Coal Burger was like taking a master class in designing a burger joint.  Clearly, Chef Thompson knows his burgers, and those of us who eat at Coal Burger are the happy beneficiaries of his knowledge and skill.
The chef spoke in detail about why the burger features quarter-pound patties instead of the larger ones favored by many steak houses.  (It's all about the multiple layers of char.)  He detailed the benefits of Niman Ranch beef and the other ingredients he selected.  He even talked about the decision to make Coal Burger an environmentally conscious restaurant, but not to overwhelm the customer with a "green" message. 
Clearly, the vision of a world-class chef has resulted in a very impressive product.  But his knowledge of the entire restaurant business is shaping Coal Burger to be considerably different than its competitors in the burger arena.  His culinary knowledge is a formidable secret weapon.
Unfortunately, Chef Thompson isn't going to be overseeing the Woodlands Coal Burger on a daily basis.  He'll be back in Manhattan, at the helm of his West Village Jamaican restaurant, Miss Lily's Favourite Cakes, and no doubt continuing his contributions to Food and Wine, Gourmet, Art Culinare, and the New York Times.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

UPDATE: We learn the secret behind Coal Burger

Coal Burger | 20 Waterway Ave | The Woodlands, TX 77380 | 281-292-6385
coalburger.com

Coal Burger on Urbanspoon

The man had more cool in his pinky than four dozen hipsters have in their entire bodies ...

(Via @LettersOfNote)

OK, I feel better.  It's not just me.

Hubbell & Hudson's Bleu Cheese Burger

A new report released by food industry consultants Technomic revealed that Americans are eating more burgers, and better ones.  Nearly half of the Americans surveyed now eat burgers at least once a week.

(I think that they're all in line at Hubcap Grill when I stop by.)  That's up from 38% in 2009.

Another encouraging trend - consumers are willing to spend more for better burgers.  Taste and convenience were ranked ahead of price when choosing which burger to enjoy.  This bodes well for Houston's wide variety of better burger joints, from burger boutiques like Burger Guys to local success story / superlative burger chain Beck's Prime.

A fact that surprises some but doesn't surprise us: 99% of Americans surveyed say that they eat some kind of burger, even if only occasionally.

Source: Huffington Post.

When we visited Jax Burgers shortly after they opened last summer, we enjoyed the restaurant and its signature burger, but felt that it just missed the mark. The hamburger patty was a bit bland and unseasoned.  But we generally liked the place, and on a sunny late June afternoon we decided to visit again.

The restaurant was just as we remembered it - sparklingly clean and full of the aroma of grilled beef.  The Jax logo was prominently displayed all over the restaurant, and two flat-screen TVs were displaying a couple of different sporting events.

It was time to check and see how the burger had fared after Jax settled in.  We ordered at the counter, and our burger promptly arrived.  We bit in, and had a surprise...

A very pleasant surprise.

We're happy to report that the previous problem we had with the burger has been addressed, and addressed well.  The beef patty is still a half-pound of never frozen beef, but it's now sporting a lively seasoning of black pepper and just the right amount of salt.  The bite of the pepper is front and center, and it plays a nice counterpoint to the rich flavor of the high fat content beef.  There's a new swagger, and a bold, beefy flavor that is worthy of the lovingly hand-formed patty.  The difference is like night and day.

The patty was griddled to a nice medium - hints of pink were still present in the center.  The thickish slice of good quality American cheese was nicely melted, and the eggy bun also spent some quality time on the flat top, and the result was a gloriously oozy burger.  Veggies were fresh, but not terribly crisp.

Interestingly, the burger arrived upside-down - something we can't recall ever seeing before.

We're glad to find that the staff at Jax have improved this burger, and we welcome Jax into the upper echelon of Houston burger joints.

Keep up the good work, guys!

JAX Burgers, Fries, & Shakes on Urbanspoon

Behold the bacon cheeseburger at Five Guys on Washington Avenue.

I'd not been to Five Guys in too long, and I'm glad I returned.  This burger was very good:  Two nicely thick patties, cooked medium well but still oozing. Hand-sliced American cheese.  Thick cut bacon, slightly chewy. Mild grilled onions. Fresh lettuce.

For $6, this is an excellent value.  But is it the best $6 burger in town?  I'd rank Smashburger slightly ahead.  Burger lovers, what are your thoughts?

Five Guys Burgers And Fries on Urbanspoon

You know that great book you've got on the shelf that you've been meaning to read?  Or that film in your Netflix queue that you've meant to watch for months, but you keep putting off?  If you write a food blog, the same thing happens with restaurants.  I've got several that I've been meaning to try, but a variety of excuses keeps popping up.  "I'm on the wrong side of town."  "My bride won't like it."  "James Beard Award nominee Katharine Shilcutt just reviewed it, and I'll never get a table."

Here's what I've been avoiding.  Yes, I'm an idiot.
You know the drill.
Regardless, I was recently visiting with some friends, and the discussion of what to do for dinner came up.  Being the resident foodie, everyone looked in my direction.  We were on the northwest side of town, right by the Beltway, so I immediately thought of a burger place that I've been grossly negligent about trying: The Burger Guys.  Fortunately, the idea was a popular one, so we caravaned down Beltway 8 to Westheimer, then headed west to find The Burger Guys.
Even though it was plotted on our GPS, the store was tricky to find.  Why?  Because they have perhaps the smallest sign known to mankind, and Westheimer is not a street known for subtle advertising.
That, my friends, was what we had to find along Westheimer.  Fortunately, my eagle-eyed bride spotted the sign as we passed, so we did the U-ey and pulled into the lot.
Entering The Burger Guys was a challenge - the counter where you order doesn't have a lot of space near it; the open kitchen and the dining area take up almost all of the restaurant's space.  I let my friends order, then approached the counter.  I asked the charming, knowledgeable woman a couple of questions, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear firm, direct answers.  "The Sonoma over the Houston.  No question."  "The salted caramel shake is fantastic."  It's frustrating when the staff has no opinion, or offers the dreaded "Everything is fantastic!!!"  (You can hear all three exclamation points)  None of this was a problem at the Burger Guys, and that was a great start.
We ordered, then were lucky to discover that the first member of our party had staked a claim to most of the long counter facing the kitchen.  The Burger Guys isn't set up for large parties, so if you come with a big group, expect to be split up or to get very lucky, as we did.  We sat down, absorbed the aromas and the vibe, and watched the parade of burgers and sides coming out.
Houston can be a small town at times, but we were way outside the loop, so we were astonished to run into Vic and Anthony's Michael Fulmer, a man known to frequent only the finest restaurants and houses of ill repute around town.  I'd never seen Fulmer outside the loop, and I had assumed that he would turn to salt if he stepped outside the perimeter of 610... and here he was outside the Beltway.  "Trust me.  It's worth it" he prophesied, and with that, he was gone.  If Fulmer will make the drive to this place, I'm expecting great things.

While waiting, it was time to grab a drink.  We walked over to the dispenser at the back of the room, and this is what we saw:
Be still, my beating heart.
But wait... there's more.
Instead of the generic Coca-Cola (or, heaven forbid, Pepsi) slate of products, we saw remarkably unique soda choices, headlined by none other than Dublin Dr Pepper, the mythical version of Dr Pepper made with real Imperial sugar, and usually only available in the immediate vicinity of Dublin, Texas.  How did The Burger Guys get this beverage that isn't sold in Houston?
"They call me Bootlegger" laughed Jake Mazzu, one of the owners, and thus one of The Burger Guys.  "I drive up to Dublin, and come back with 3,000 pounds of syrup."  That's a 550 mile round trip, and fortunately, the DPS has not been called out to stop Mr. Mazzu, at least not yet.  I was floored.  I was previously impressed by Ricky Craig at Hubcap Grill, and how he only sells bottled soda because he won't tolerate the variations in the mixture.  Here is a kindred spirit; he's willing to personally drive across Texas to source the beverages for his restaurant.  This attention to detail is rare, and as my experience with Hubcap Grill has shown, it can lead to a fantastic burger.
Mazzu introduced me to Clint Wilkinson, his sous chef.  "A sous chef at a burger place?"  would be a reasonable question, but after experiencing The Burger Guys, it doesn't seem presumptuous at all.  These guys could succeed in any kitchen in town (Wilkinson is an alum of Randy Rucker's kitchen, and seems to have survived the experience with his sense of humor intact) and we're lucky to have them all under one roof sharing their passion for burgers.  Wilkinson concocted a milkshake for me, and this was no ordinary milkshake.  Salted Caramel was the flavor, the ice cream was made in house, and yes, it tasted like fresh caramel that had been chilled and salted to balance out the sweetness and creaminess.  My conclusion:  If Clint Wilkinson tells you that he has created a Tabasco and Durian milkshake, you'd be smart to try it.

As if on cue, the food started to appear.  First came the fries.  Normally, I'd be miffed if everything didn't come out at once, but here the fries seemed more like an appetizer.  They were freshly cut, fried in duck fat, nicely crisped outside and tender inside, and flecked with kosher salt.  They were also right out of the fryer, and were hot to the touch.  
Direct from the fryer's duck fat to you
Going beyond Fancy ketchup (detect a trend yet?), The Burger Guys offers a wide variety of housemade dipping sauces, and our group sampled many of them.  Their take on the traditional ketchup grabbed me; it was sweeter than usual, with tangy undertones that I couldn't single out.  I'm not a huge ketchup fan, but this stuff is addictive.  All in all, the Burger Guys produce a top-quality fry, and enhance them with a wide variety of unique dipping sauces.  Again, they go above and beyond.
Now the main course arrived.  All the burger guys burgers carry geographic names appropriate to their blend of ingredients.  I'd chose the Sonoma; I felt it was closest to the basic cheeseburger that I use as a benchmark to compare burger joints.  I did have them leave off the avocado (very Sonoma county, dude) and the aoili, because I am not a fan of mayonnaise on burgers, even if it is housemade.
Superlative ingredients prepared by an expert chef
All burgers start with their beef, and The Burger Guys again go beyond the pale.  They source Akaushi beef, the Texas breed of waygu cattle.  The best steak I've ever eaten was an Akaushi ribeye I enjoyed at Tony's, and I believe that there is no finer beef to be found in America, but I digress.  I was skeptical about its use in a hamburger; I've had several burgers purportedly made from Kobe beef, and none have lived up to the high expectations of this expensive meat.  My theory is that the fatty marbling that makes Kobe so delicious in a steak is ruined in the grinding; it separates from the muscle tissue and boils off on the griddle.  
"We worked with Jonathan Jones (executive chef at Beaver's) and Chris Shepherd (executive chef at Catalan), experimenting until we got the grind just right." Mazzu explained.  I believe that Beaver's makes one of the best burgers in Houston, and Chris Shepherd is renowned for his knowledge of meat and butchering, so putting together this beefy dream team to help get the patty right is a rather impressive accomplishment.  Jake Mazzu is used to working with the best -- in a previous life, he worked at The Fat Duck, Heston Blumenthal's English temple to molecular gastronomy, and one of the most creative kitchens in the world.  The source of Mazzu's high standards and willingness to go to extremes was coming into focus.
But back to the burger.  The half-pound Akaushi patty was expertly griddled; lightly pink in the middle, with a feisty char top and bottom.  Seasoning was restrained; a bit of salt and pepper were all I could taste.  A slice of mild cheddar melted into the top of the patty, and two thick slices of peppery Applewood-smoked bacon hung over the sides.  The bun was an eggy challah-based foundation; fluffy and yellow, with the bottom absorbing much of the delicious ooze that seeped from the patty.  The mouthfeel of the beef is soft and smooth, a characteristic we've noticed every time we've enjoyed Akaushi.  The seasoning was spot on - a nice bold, beefy swagger accented by just enough salt.  Even with the bold toppings the beefy flavor never plays second fiddle.  This is an example of a Burger Perfect Storm:  Superlative ingredients, expert handling, and creative flair balanced by respect for the classics.  Getting any two of these right typically results in a great burger; rare is the restaurant that can pull off all four.

In short, Mazzu is a grandmaster of the grill; here is a brief video of him seasoning and starting a phalanx of burgers.

He makes it look so easy.  I would no doubt be on the receiving end of third-degree burns if I tried this at home.

Others in our group sampled a variety of burgers, and were patient enough to indulge me and let me photograph them as they came out:

Not surprisingly, once the burgers came out (and were photographed) things fell silent in our group, with the exception of occasional happy sounds coming from the full mouths of the assembled burgerphiles.  
Everyone agreed that The Burger Guys creates a fantastic burger, and that the same meticulous attention to detail shown in the burgers extends to the fries, the shakes, and even the fountain sodas.  They have burgers ranging from creative takes on standards to exotic creations with toppings like shredded papaya, roasted beets, daikon, and housemade kimchee.  Remarkably, all cost $8, which is a bargain considering the quality of the ingredients, nevermind the time that goes into each burger.
So where does The Burger Guys fall in the pantheon of Houston burger joints?  Clearly it's one of the rare places at the summit; it's a worthy competitor to Samba Grille, Beaver's, Hubble & Hudson and Hubcap Grill.  But which one is best?
That is a decision that I cannot make for you.  Each of these establishments serves a truly superlative burger.  We in Houston are lucky to have them to choose from.  My suggestion:  If you can't pick, try 'em all.
The Burger Guys | 12225 Westheimer Road | Houston, Texas
281-497-GUYS | TheBurgerGuys.com

Burger Guys on Urbanspoon

My first rule of dining is to order what a restaurant specializes in, or is known for.  That rule rarely steers me wrong, so I tend to follow it almost every time.  But recently I broke this rule.

Samba Grille is a new restaurant downtown, one I've visited before.  I really enjoyed their churrascaria; as a devoted carnivore, a variety of freshly grilled meats is something hard to pass up.  They also have some tempting seafood dishes, many of which I've yet to sample.

But I was on a quest.  One of the partners in Samba Grille is Nathan Ketcham, who happens to be a friend of mine.  Nathan and I used to eat lunch together frequently when he lived in the Woodlands, often at the late, lamented Tesar's Modern Steakhouse, which was home of one of the state's great hamburgers.

Nathan shares my passion for burgers, and he knows a good one from a bad one.  Now that Nathan is helming his own restaurant, I had to sample his hamburger.  Of course, his place specializes in the cuisine of South America, so my expectations weren't too high... but I figured Nathan wouldn't disappoint me.
So on a recent Friday, I picked up my lovely bride at her downtown office, and we drove over to Samba for lunch.  Parking was a snap (often an issue downtown) and we entered and sat down.  After a brief perusal of the menu, we both ordered burgers.  While we waited, we snacked on Samba's addictive cheese rolls.  In short order, the burger appeared.

Samba's burger has a strong Latin flair.  It's made from grilled sirloin, no doubt trimmed from the steaks they butcher in-house.  The beef is blanketed with buttery Spanish machego cheese.  To this they add crisp, smoky bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, and aji aioli, a spicy garlic sauce made with Peruvian peppers.  The burger was built on a soft, slightly sweet bun.  I'm a bit of a burger purist, so I vetoed the avocado, but I decided to try the aioli.

Biting into it, I was immediately impressed by the smooth mouthfeel and the balance of the burger.  Front and center was the flavor of the meat - a robust beefy swagger that really hit the spot.  I've eaten some very good burgers lately, but none have nailed the beefy flavor quite like Samba has done.  The counterpoint of the buttery machengo cheese added smoothness, and the heat from the aji aioli popped in a moment later, adding a spicy Latin counterpoint to the flavor profile.  Not only has Samba created a great burger, they've done so with South American flair.

The choice of ingredients was masterful.  The bacon's flavor was subtle, and the slight crunch was a nice contrast to the smooth feel of the beef and cheese.  The difference between good and great is in the details, and it's obvious to me that Nathan and Chef Cesar Rodriguez spent the time to sweat the details.

This is the burger I've been waiting for since Tesar's shut down.  Thank you, Nathan.

I came to Samba expecting to enjoy a good burger, but instead I found one of Houston's very best.  If you love burgers, go check 'em out.

Samba Grille on Urbanspoon

Copyright 2023 Nurick + Associates