You’re my boy, Bleu

The Bernie’s renaissance continues at Lupo with the revival of The Substitute—one of the best Houston burgers ever made

Programming note: I’m starting to compile my annual write-up of my favorite new-to-me burgers of the year (here are my 2024 and 2023 honorees; plus my current Top 30 Power Rankings). If there’s a place you think I need to check out that you haven’t seen me write-up yet (either here or on my previous burger blog), don’t be shy! I love receiving recommendations, so drop ‘em in the comments or email me at my name at Gmail.

I love blue cheese. Which means it will come as zero surprise whatsoever that I also love blue cheese hamburgers.

Despite Houston’s best-in-the-country hamburger scene, there actually aren’t an overflowing amount of options locally when it comes to topping patties with my beloved choice of cheese.

Last year I convinced my great friends at burger-chan to test out a limited-run bleu cheese burger, and it was everything I’d hoped it would be.

As mentioned in this space several weeks ago, beloved Houston institution Bernie’s Burger Bus had my favorite blue cheese burger of all time—The Substitute—on its menu before its tragic shuttering in 2020.

When I visited Lupo Burger—the new burger concept from Justin Turner, the genius behind Bernie’s last month, he teased that he might be reviving The Substitute before too long.

Fast forward to this past week, and there it was in his Instagram stories — the newly rechristened Bleu’s Burger—added to the menu at Lupo.

Like Bruce Wayne to the Bat Signal, I knew I had to once again make the trek out to Generation Park (I enjoy traveling for burgers that I know I’ll love, but even so—this is quite a hike from Katy).

Unsurprisingly, it was beyond worth it. Upon sinking my teeth in, my endorphins kicked into nostalgic overload as a triumphant and deeply satisfied grin plastered itself on my face. Bleu’s Burger is a note-perfect recreation of The Substitute, with its signature blend of its namesake cheese, bacon, onions and BBQ sauce. To this day I’ve yet to consume a burger that tastes precisely the way this one does.

I would eat this burger weekly if I could. Justin, I know we’ve talked about it many times now, but please find a way to make it back to Katy one of these days. We’ll make it worth your while.