Friday, April 26, 2024 — Burger Bodega, at last! Perhaps the 2nd–most–hyped Smashburger joint in Houston after Trill Burger, I’ve had Burger Bodega on my to-do list for some time, but as my burger compendium kept expanding with locations rated higher than BB’s still-respectable 4.2 on Yelp, I ended up backburnering it for some time.
Boy, was that a mistake! Burger Bodega delivered on everything I want from a Smashburger place these days.
I ordered the Double Smash — debated going triple, but decided I’d get my third patty in the Chopped Fries :) — their signature burger which comes standard with cheese, grilled onions, pickles, and Bodega Sauce on a potato roll. I also added jalapeños, habaneros and spicy mayo, because heat is life. I hate to go back to the Trill comp for a third time (though in fairness it’s kind of hard not to do so, given that they both launched within several months of each other; are basically a straight 10-minute shot down Shepherd from each other; and specialize in smashburgers), but this was another key differentiator for Burger Bodega: freedom of customization is almost a non-negotiable point for me when selecting a burger joint.
Given how dressed this burger was I wasn’t able to pick up on anything specific flavor-note-wise on the seasoning or beef blend, but I did think the patties were well-prepared and flavorful. I was glad I added toppings and also happy that I went with the Chopped Fries to get that extra beef hit in — the Double Smash is not a tony burger by any stretch, but even with extras, it still didn’t quite pack the herculean heft of several of my favorite monster burger sandwiches. And that’s not a ding! Just an observation. Not every burger I consume needs to be enormous (Editor’s Note: Oh really?).
Lastly, I loved the overall vibe and decor of the restaurant, which pays full homage to New York City bodegas, all the way on down to branded cereal boxes, laundry detergent canisters, and more adorning the walls. As a New York City kid, I obviously have a deep affinity for the bodega, having grown up patronizing them daily. And my former NYC-based beer project, Third Rail Beer, famously (we were in The Wall Street Journal!) paid homage through our Bodega American Pale Ale, a lower-ABV (5.8%) all-Citra gem which was considered generously and aggressively hopped for its era — especially at that point in the NYC craft beer timeline (2014-2016 era).
My great friend Chris was kind enough to brew a modernized version of the Bodega recipe in tribute back in the fall of 2022, and he absolutely knocked it out of the park. The only downside was the batch was so tiny that only a very small handful of folks got to enjoy it. Maybe one day we’ll have an opportunity to run it back again.
In any case, as far as the Houston smashburger hierarchy goes, I’m not sure I have Burger Bodega in my top three — which is currently comprised of burger-chan, Star Sailor, and Clutch City Grill — but it’s almost certainly #4, and can hang with any of those cats on any given day.
My Burger Bodega rating: 4.5 out of 5 patties.
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