This week’s Friday Burger Adventure brought me to Stack Burger, located somewhat surprisingly in south Midtown just past 45 on Louisiana (703 St Joseph Pkwy, to be exact). I say surprisingly because despite the fact that Midtown is frequently a giant pain to navigate, this is still a pretty prime location for a burger joint in a freestanding building. I have to imagine one would need to sell a LOT of patties to keep up with the rent—especially when an establishment is closed on both Saturdays and Sundays!
Based on my experience today, however, that shouldn’t be too much of a problem for Stack. Their straightforward burger sandwich is mostly no-frills, featuring the basics of lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, mayo, and cheese. Customization options are sparse—which longtime readers know is not my favorite as I like to pile my beef concoctions to the sky—and limited to an egg and bacon—but with a strong focus on the beef, you can see how it works. I couldn’t fund anything online about the beef blend or seasoning, but there was an artfulness in the flavoring and cooking of the patties that leads me to believe someone back there knows their way around a grill.
The composition of the sandwich is comfortable, kind of like putting on an old sweater or the nostalgic analogy of your choice. And I really enjoyed the eggs—I’m not sure I’ve ever been served a burger with what appeared to be scrambled eggs instead of sunny-side-up or over-easy, and the texture and thickness really rounded each bite out with a little something extra.
Stack Burger originally hit my radar via Instagram, and not too soon after I saw a local influencer post about it being one of their favorite burgers in Houston. Between that, and the fact that, at 4.5 on Yelp and 4.6 on Google it’s the city’s 4th-highest-rated smashburger place (Stack Burger itself doesn’t call its burgers smash burgers, but the visual evidence doesn’t lie 😊)—and will actually rise up to 3rd after Star Sailor tragically closes after this weekend—it had been near the top of my to-do list for a while. And I’m glad I finally tried it.
Burger Stack is probably not in my top 15 burgers in Houston—and that’s certainly no knock, as the competition is fierce—but it might be top 20.
My never-ending quest to find the tastiest burgers in Houston finally led me to Gastrocraft, a northside Houston food bus owned and operated by the legendary Dennis Feray and his wife, April.
They’ve been slinging delicious comfort food since 2019, but it wasn’t until I began chronicling my burger adventures in earnest that I caught wind of Dennis’ smashburger, which is so visually appealing it should have its own IG account. And this is one smashburger that absolutely lives up to its mouth-watering appearance and then some.
I ordered up the 1-Star Double Smash, which comes with two smashed all-beef patties, American cheese, grilled sweet onions, and burger sauce on a toasted brioche bun. I added a third patty as I was feeling extra hungry, and of course, jalapeños.
The beef is 73/27, and without knowing I guessed that it was seasoned with cayenne and paprika (among a few other spices), and was delighted to learn from Dennis that I was correct. Their patented burger sauce is mayo-based with ketchup, mustard, sriracha, black pepper, and pickle juice.
Let me tell you—this thing is a spice-forward beef hedonist’s dream come true! I’ve been loving dusting my own homemade patties with paprika and cayenne, and haven’t come across too many in the professional world with a similar heat-friendly mindset, so I was smitten from the get-go. Nor have I frequently encountered options with such a generous proportion of fat (how often do you see it in the 20s!). The heat from the spices was the perfect complement to the exceptionally expertly produced patties, cooked to charred precision and bursting with a saporous harmony of savoriness and umami magnificence.
Dennis has truly created an all-time singular Houston great with Gastrocraft’s smashburger—an offering that is among the most unique burger-consuming experiences I have had during this journey. The combination of spice, sauce and technical execution are beyond reproach, and the vast majority of Houston restaurants should be insanely jealous that they don’t offer this exquisite ode to beef consumption on their menus. The only downside is the relative level of difficulty in acquisition. I’d have checked them out much sooner if it wasn’t considerably further flung than the circles I usually travel in—their rotation of landing spots is generally in Humble/Atascosita and the surrounding areas. Petitioning now for a Gastrocraft outpost in Katy, please.
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.
Monday, February 24, 2025 — Being the insatiable beef animal that I am, with my birthday on a Friday this year—effectively resulting in a full-on weekend-long birthday celebration—I couldn’t resist the opportunity to knock multiple spots off of my to-do list.
First up, I chose Il Bracco for my birthday lunch burger. Careful readers know I favor burger specialty joints, but my interest was piqued on the heels of Eater’s most recent list of its “Best Burgers in Houston right now” (updated January 2, 2025), which made a point to mention this Galleria-area Italian restaurant’s hamburger in its sister restaurant Balboa Surf Club’s blurb.
With Balboa being the one of the two that actually made the list, I had a tough decision to make, but Il Bracco’s topping combination of Calabrian chilies, aged provolone, arugula, fennel, and red onion sounded too good to pass up. Let’s be real, Il Bracco had me at Calabrian chilies. Il Bracco also had a slight edge in the ratings (4.4 to Balboa’s 4.2 on Yelp), so that also helped seal the decision.
Il Bracco itself is a winning place for a meal; the interior decor is cozy and elegant, but not too stuffy—it felt like a great sue of the former California Pizza Kitchen space. As for the burger — it’s definitely a flavorful retardant burger, with the Calabrian chiles providing a pleasant heat to a very juicy and flavorful patty. The burger is on the tinier side, and in some regards could almost be seen as a slider or appetizer. That’s not a knock on the actual burger itself, though I don’t know that it exactly seared itself in my memory.
However, I’m glad that my warm-up burger wasn’t one of my typically enormous offerings, as I knew I had a classic Larry hedonistically consumptive experience awaiting me at my second burger of the day for my birthday dinner.
Sure enough, my selection for birthday burger #2 was about as diametrically opposed an experience from Il Bracco as you could probably get: Twisted Turban (2838 S Texas 6 B, Houston, TX 77082), which is on south Highway 6 just past Westheimer.
Me being the savage that I am, I had to go with their Diablo Burger—which is comprised of a Serrano-stuffed patty topped with sauteed onions, pickles, jalapeños, jalapeño pepper jack cheese, jalapeño chips, their Diablo sauce, and a jalapeño popper—and of course added a second patty plus bacon and egg.
Talk about hedonistically consumptive. This wonderfully seasoned delicious grass-fed Halal ode to beefy excess absolutely screams “Larry Burger” at anyone who will listen, and was a most worthy selection for my birthday dinner burger.
We also went with the Loaded Tots as our side, which was a bit inconsistent but interesting in its own right, sitting on a bed of queso . All in all, this was a delightful experience, and I’m surprised that Twisted Turban is “only” ranked at 4.5/4.6 (of course; these are exceptional grades in their own right, with nearly 400 reviewers on Yelp and almost 1,000 on Google — I think I was just slightly surprised to not see them at the very top with the best of the best).
Lastly, for birthday burger #3 (don’t worry, this one wasn’t also consumed in the same day—spaced this one out for Sunday evening), we landed on PINCHO (2710 W Grand Pkwy N Suite 100, Katy, TX 77449). This Miami-based mini-chain (six locations in Florida and 4 in the Greater Houston area) has a TON of options on its menu, from burgers to kebabs, bowls, salads, plates, chicken sandwiches, and hot dogs.
I opted for the Black Magic Truffle Burger, consisting of a 100% fresh angus beef patty and topped with swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms, grilled onions, and black garlic truffle aioli. I added a second patty, fried egg, and applewood smoked bacon—though much to my chagrin, there isn’t a jalapeño in sight on the menu.
Unfortunately the burger was overcooked and completely devoid of flavor. and it wasn’t just me — the six adults at the table all thought their burgers were mediocre. Mushroom and Swiss isn’t a combo I go for too often, but I was really intrigued by the truffle sauce. Sadly, none of it tasted like anything.
I always feel bad slamming a place, but PINCHO was a tremendously underwhelming experience overall. 4.0 on Yelp and 4.5 on Google are generous, and I’m not sure you could do worse in a pinch.
Thankfully, the latter opted to rebrand to the far more Google-friendly Loaded Burger, and readers may recall I checked it off the list last fall (and enjoyed it!).
As I surveyed the Hamburger Joint category for my next Friday Burger Adventure, I discovered that M & M Hamburger was the highest rated I hadn’t yet tried (4.6 on both Yelp and Google), and so it was finally time to give it a go. Unfortunately, this was the first local burger expedition in a minute that failed to live up to expectations.
For starters, the menu is seriously confusing and there are a lot of options. The three that struck my fancy were the Bacon Cheeseburger, Double Cheeseburger, and Crazy Burger, though the descriptions were all virtually identical, and so it wasn’t clear what the differentiators were—especially with regards to what made the “Crazy Burger” deserving of that appellation.
I opted for their double cheeseburger—which comes standard with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo, and added bacon and jalapeños. I’m sad to report that while the meat was substantive (no smashburgers here!) this was a rather dry affair and didn’t taste particularly well-seasoned to me. There was a sauce of some kind dripping from the sandwich, but because the descriptions were so minimal I have no idea what it was. Additionally, the toppings weren’t evenly spread out—I finally got a taste of jalapeño about 3/4 of the way through, but it was too little, too late.
While this is more of a me problem than an M & M problem, it also didn’t help that it’s located close to 30 minutes east of Uptown. I’m not shy about driving far to experience greatness, but when the destination is a bit of a hike and also carries robust ratings, there’s an inherent assumption that it will be worth the ride.
Despite my quibbles, I actually think M & M Hamburger probably does put out a fine burger sandwich. Appearance-wise it looked tasty. Maybe I went on an off day. This one’s a 3.5 for me.
In some regards it almost feels like this was put on a tee for me—a restaurant that only sells its burger during one meal service a week, on Fridays at lunchtime? A match made in heaven for a Friday Burger Adventure™️.
The official name of the sandwich is Wild Game Burger Friday, where the star of the show is a delicious blend of elk, bison and ribeye. While anticipation was already high heading into the proceedings, I am delighted to say that Rainbow Lodge wildly exceeded my expectations.
For starters, I can’t say I’ve ever had a patty blend containing these three ingredients—a truly savory and exceptional meat-consuming experience. But that was only the start. The burger comes standard with a chef-inspired topping each week—today it was pimento and pepper jack cheese—and smoked creole mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions.
What they don’t tell you on the menu is that you can add a slew of extra toppings, which for this burger-stacking obsessive absolutely made my day. A fried egg, bacon, and fresh jalapeños immediately entered the equation, and lo and behold, I found myself staring down a behemoth akin to the meat towers I make at home.
All of the components sang in perfect harmony, and the bun was generous enough to (mostly) keep everything together. Though as is my wont, several toppings did start falling out as we crossed the halfway mark. Even so, I was impressed with the integrity of the bun.
I’ve been favoring spots that specifically specialize in just burgers during the majority of my Houston Burger Exploits, and so it’s been a minute since I ate at a regular establishment that also has a notable burger (that I was also wowed by), but I have to say—Rainbow Lodge’s Wild Game Burger Friday might be the best restaurant burger in town (as a reminder, I categorize my burger reviews in several buckets: Hamburger Joints, Smashburger Places, Restaurant with a Notable Burger, and Food Trucks).
And thus, Houston’s burger scene continues to absolutely slay. It boggles the mind that we have a seemingly endless number of incredible options. I have no idea how Rainbow Lodge only has a 3.9 on Yelp—maybe the flavors of the components of the rest of the menu aren’t as endorphin-releasing as that burger?—but this was pretty easily a 4.75 for me.
Boy am I glad I finally made the effort. Chunk’s is another entry in what I would call the “no frills” category. Thankfully there are some quality customization options for the burgers themselves, but generally speaking what you see is what you get: from the no-nonsense exterior with the tiniest parking lot you’ve ever seen to a sparsely decorated cozy dining room, the experience of being physically inside of Chunk’s reminded me of Loaded Burger, Hippo Burgers, Old School Burger, and several others.
But you’re not here for decor evaluations. On to the burger—I ordered the Double Bam Burger, which comes with two patties, bacon, cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mayo, mustard, and is served on a generously sized bun. And I of course added jalapeños, because spice is life.
The name of the game at Chunk’s is juiciness! Right out of the gate upon unwrapping the sandwich, the entire concoction was dripping with juice! While Chunk’s doesn’t explicitly refer to its patties as smashed, I would almost call what they serve a hybrid — they weren’t quite as thin as a traditional smashburger, but they also weren’t enormous. In some regards they were the ideal size — with some smashburgers I still find myself famished even after a double, but this meat delivery vehicle did not need a third patty to slake my insatiable hunger for beef. The patties themselves were very flavorful and perfectly cooked, and the toppings all came to play — though the star of the show were the jalapeños; not sure the flavors would have come together for me in quite the same way without that extra kick.
In some regards the visual composition of the sandwich felt like a bit of a throwback and reminded me of Champ‘s wonderful burger—if Champ did thinner patties and was covered in juice. I also ordered the loaded chili fries (and also added jalapeños) and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Overall, Chunk’s delivered on the promise of ranking as Houston’s 4th-best hamburger, and I would strongly recommend all local burgerheads check this one off your list. For me, I’d give it a 4.5 out of 5.
When I pulled up to Hotline’s unmistakable freestanding pink home at 8880 Bellaire Blvd (one of two local locations; the other is at 1585 Highway 6), I was greeted as warmly as could be by Phil (how he introduced himself). He mentioned being impressed by how I customized my burger (saying something to the effect of “I knew that was a pro order”), and so things were already off to a fantastic start.
I ordered the Jalapeño Burger, which comes with two crispy 100% halal beef patties, ranch sauce, fresh jalapeños, swiss cheese and pickles. I added a third patty—because the only thing better than a double smashburger is a triple—jalapeño relish, grilled onions, and bacon. Phil asked me if I liked heat (as if I wasn’t already delighted enough by my experience) and gave me a container of the even-spicier version of Hotline’s sauce.
Let me tell you—Phil’s take on the smashburger is outstandingly delicious, and almost belongs in its own category of excellence. The beef was seasoned and cooked to beyond perfection, and the amalgamation of toppings and methodical integration of meat and veggies elevated the experience to a savory and indulgent euphoric nirvana. Oh, and my primary complaint about smashburgers is that they always leave me hungry, but not so with Hotline—I was completely satiated. I know I keep saying “I prefer regular-sized patties over smashes,” but considering my #1 New Burger of 2024, Clutch City’s Clutch Burger, was a smash (not to mention smashes accounted for three of my top 7) I may need to rethink that position.
I added the Smack Fries, which are drenched in Smack Sauce, grilled onions and American cheese, and they were the perfect complement to this hedonistic beef consumption experience.
Honestly, had I consumed Hotline prior to publishing my year-end favorite burger list, it 100% would have made the roundup, and ranked quite highly—maybe even at #1.
As it stands, Hotline has a most well-deserved spot on Eater’s The 22 Best Burgers in Houston Right Now, and I would be shocked if it doesn’t start popping up on numerous other top burger lists around town before long.
Saturday, November 30, 2024 — As a person who loves chronicling the things he’s obsessed with (I’ve been publishing “My Favorite Beers I Drank in a Given Year” lists for 13 straight years now), I’m delighted to present my latest roundup: My 2nd Annual Top Burgers in Houston rundown.
Those reading this blog know I’ve been on a mission to try as many new Houston-area burgers as I can in any given year, and I knocked quite a few off my to-do list in 2024.
(The hero image, as well as above, are both my homemade concoctions 😊)
While the meat is of course the most important component during my evaluations, I also love smothering my burgers with an excessive amount of toppings, and with that in mind I tend to favor establishments that offer a wide range of customizable options, with the end result being as massive a sandwich is possible to the point where people question how I physically consume the darn thing.
My criteria for these lists is that the burger has to be from an establishment I hadn’t previously visited prior to this year, enabling my burgers of the year list to be comprised of entirely new destinations (though I’ll add a Power Rankings list at the end, for those interested in my favorite overall spots).
5) Fusion Grill 4) Bubba’s Texas Burger Shack 3) Lankford Grocery 2) Old School Burger 1) burger-chan
Without further adieu, here’s this year’s list of my favorite new burgers in Houston, expanded from 5 to a Top 7:
My Top 7 Houston Burgers of 2024
7) Burger Bodega: I was delighted to find that Burger Bodega exceeded my expectations, and delivered one of my most memorable consumption experiences of the year. I have gone on record numerous times stating that given my druthers I always prefer a normal-sized non-smashed patty, but then smashburgers keep showing up in my lists of favorites.
6) Kowbell Burger: This Katy Asian Town gem whips up delicious hamburgers infused with flavors from Asian cuisine, and the resulting fusion is a symphony of salivary gland-inducing saporous bliss on the palate. My recommendation: Fire on the Mountain Burger, featuring pepper jack cheese, caramelized onions, soy-pickled japaleños, and Akma sauce.
5) Big Burger World: Another bangin’ Katy hamburger joint; this one a bit of a hole-in-the-wall several miles up North Fry Road. Totally unassuming, this place unsurprisingly slings huge patties with plenty of topping options, and the beef is tender, juicy, and seasoned to excellence. If only it were a tad closer; I’d love to see more people know about and give this place the love it deserves.
4) Star Sailor: Owner Marin Slanina’s epic take on the smashburger is consistently rated among the city’s best, and is extraordinarily well-deserving of all of the praise it receives. Juicy, bursting with flavor, and painstakingly prepared, you can practically taste the care and attention that goes into every delicious burger crafted at Star Sailor.
3) Champ Burger: Champ’s as old school as old school gets, with 60-plus years in the business. Rather than search for new adjectives, here’s what I wrote about Champ after devouring it last January: “The Champ burger was, at the risk of overstating things, about as hedonistically thrilling a consumptive experience as one can hope to attain. Everything about this sandwich screams love, deliciousness, indulgence, excess, and yet still care and attentiveness. The patties are expertly seasoned and the 81/19 Chuck beef blend is melt-in-your-mouth exquisite (do yourself a favor and get the double, you won’t be sad that you did), the cheese perfectly gooey, and the toppings — oh, the toppings! — elevated the entire composition to an ethereal level.”
2) Mean Burger: If we expand the definition of “Houston’s best burger” to include the surrounding suburban areas, the Humble-based establishment—located about 10 minutes northeast of IAH—might be the best hamburger around. A hugely satisfying experience, with monster patties and all the fixings you could hope to add—bacon, an egg, jalapeños, blue cheese, and on down the line—I’ve found myself looking for excuses to drive north even when I don’t have a flight. Another spot that would do exceptionally well if it had a more central location.
1) Clutch City: A most-deserving #1 Burger of 2024, Clutch City’s meat is beyond reproach. Tender, melt-in-your-mouth, deliciously seasoned and lovingly prepared, owner Omar Shaikh’s brilliant burger is everything you want it to be. From my May review:
“The Halal beef is exquisite, and Omar’s rub elevates the patties to the next level. It’s a simple BBQ rub consisting of cumin, salt and pepper (he didn’t say paprika or cayenne, though I felt like I was possibly picking some of those flavors up as well), but there’s an art in preparing burgers in just such a way where the finished product retains the key elements of the selected seasonings. And the clutch sauce — divine. Not sure I’ve ever had the precise combination of Cajun hot sauce, sweet pickle juice, pepper, mayo, mustard, and pureed onion, but now I want to put this sauce on literally everything.”
Really the only downside for Clutch is that, located in the airy Uptown Conservatory food hall—a very welcome addition to the Houston food scene—it’s also about 50 feet away from burger-chan, often requiring a decision not even Solomon himself would want to make.
Special Mention
KP’s Kitchen. I find myself favoring burger establishments over restaurants that serve a notable burger, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t give KP’s a shoutout. The smashburger is a special one, and I’d love to see them open a location further west of the Spring Branch outpost, in my neck of the woods in Katy.
Friday, November8, 2024 — Burganic Hub’s been on my to-do list for a minute—with a 4.5 on Yelp and a 4.4 on Google (one of the few instances I’ve come across where Yelpers like a place more than Googlers), it currently sits as the 11th-highest-rated burger joint in Houston on my list—but I think I subconsciously deprioritized it given its vegan-first leanings. Not that I have anything against vegans or vegan food! But me being the devout and dedicated carnivore that I am, I can’t say a burger place that markets itself first and foremost as plant-based screams “Larry, drop everything and go there ASAP!”
Situated literally just outside the Galleria Food Truck Park on Chimney Rock and Val Verde that I recently noted might be the most competitive location to sling patties in all of Houston (Crypto Burger, Bun Slut and newcomer Juicy Joint are all within roughly 50 feet of each other, plus burger-chan, Clutch City Grill, and Bubba’s are essentially around the corner), Burganic Hub plies its organic, grass-fed, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, halal wagyu beef and fake beef trade in a tiny space in a nondescript strip center.
I ordered their Fiery Jalapeño Burger, which comes topped with cheddar, grilled jalapeños, hot relish, and caramelized onions. And of course, I had to add a second patty, because double hamburgers are life.
Overall the burger was fine, though I came away feeling a little lacking. The beef was lightly seasoned, though too well-done for my liking. It wasn’t a hockey puck or anything, but minimally juicy for sure. The star of the show was the heat; even though the description doesn’t note any specific treatment for the jalapeños, I thought I detected perhaps a pickling of some kind. And the hot relish provided the extra heat I crave, while the sturdy-yet-soft bun helped tie everything together. Without those components, I’m sad to say I don’t know that this would have been all that notable an experience.
The bar in Houston is a high one these days. Earlier this year some of my buddies were teasing me that it seemed as though every burger I reviewed received rave remarks across the board. And to a large extent, that was true — the first half of this year saw me visit Katy’s Big Burger World, Burger Bodega, Clutch City, Star Sailor, Humble’s Mean Burger (which might be the best in the Greater Houston Area), legendary Houston institution Champ Burger, KP’s Kitchen, and Katy Asian Town’s Kowbell Burger all for the first time; and the lowest score of those eight exceptional destinations was a 4.5 out of 5. But the last few weeks’ worth new spots — Juicy Joint, Bunslut, and now Burganic Hub — haven’t quite met the elevated standard set by the best of the best.
Of course, things change, and I could be sitting here a year from now telling you that Burganic Hub has the best burger in Houston! As it currently stands, my rating is 3.75 out of 5 patties.
Best Burgers Near Me 