Now that’s a Proper Burger

Thursday, March 7, 2025 —

Following a year-plus of chronicling my Houston-area burger exploits—including more than 30 individual burger joint reviews, and one of the more comprehensive ratings spreadsheets you’ll find—I was flattered and humbled to be asked to attend the soft opening of Proper – A Burger Spot, the new burger concept at Finn Hall in Downtown’s iconic art-deco masterpiece, Jones on Main (712 Main St). 

Conceived of and launched by in-house Finn Hall chefs Joe Murphy, who was previously Executive Chef at Nobu Houston, Nobu Vegas, and Culinary Director of The Finn; and Michael Collantes, owner of Michelin-star-rated Soeseki Modern Omakase in Orlando, FL, Sushi Saint, and more; Proper boasts an extraordinary pedigree that naturally led to outsized expectations.

And boy, did they deliver. 

With smashburger purveyors in anything but short supply, it’s become increasingly challenging for a patty slinger to introduce a unique and delicious concept, and I’m thrilled to report that Chef Murphy and Chef Collantes have done just that.

The soft opening featured three options: The Proper Burger; Mushroom & Swiss; and Blue Cheese & Bacon. Longtime readers will recall that I am obsessed with the blue cheese & bacon combo, and it’s one you seldom—if ever—see among a sea of American Cheese-draped smashburgers throughout the scene. 

The mere concept of indulging in a Blue Cheese & Bacon smash alone was enough to activate my salivary glands—truly, I’m hard-pressed to think of a single smashburger joint that offers one in regular rotation—but then I received this work of art and chomped down on it. And I was whisked away to a charred-tastic juicy nirvana.

The Blue Cheese & Bacon comes standard with two 2.5-ounce patties delivered on a potato bun, the aforementioned eponymous toppings, plus smoked romaine lettuce and A1 Bone Marrow Sauce. Fairly certain I’ve never had the latter before, and now I want it on everything. 

The beef—an 80/20 brisket and chuck blend—was exquisitely seasoned and cooked to perfection, with beautiful char ringing the perimeter. If you like your smashburgers bursting with juicy flavor—a difficult feat considering a common critique of the very act of smashing would seem to diminish excessive succulence—Proper is your new go-to.

I also tried the Proper Fries, which were thick-cut and smothered in bacon, American cheese, and their signature Proper Sauce, comprised of a mustard-mayo-ketchup amalgam adorned with mustard-green-pickles (also known as takana).

Proper is an early contender for top new burger in all of Houston for 2025, and not just because I was invited to preview it. You just don’t find Bacon & Blue Cheese smashburgers on many menus, nor burgers crafted this expertly. There’s an elevated level of polish, sophistication and care in the ingredients, preparation, cooking and presentation that not many can match. Extremely, highly recommended.

An easy 5 out of 5. 🍔 🍔 🍔 🍔 🍔