Review #15 -- Burgers, Fries, and Cherry Pies

My friend AM had a wedding coming up and wanted me to go out to see him in Midland beforehand. I agreed to do so, and, when I told him about Burger Quest, he started raving over this new burger place that Texas Monthly ranked very high on their list of burgers. He said Burgers, Fries, & Cherry Pies (“BFCP”) agreed to a deal which would create franchises all over the state, including Houston. For that reason, I decided to do a guest burger quest in Midland with one important caveat – this burger is NOT eligible to win the best burger in Houston award (which consists primarily of my praise).






I told the guy at the counter who was apparently the owner about Burger Quest. When he said he has the best burger in the country, I instinctively raved over In-N-Out. He countered saying that a guy walked into his store with an In-N-Out t-shirt, and the owner challenged the guy. The terms were this: if the customer thought In-N-Out was better, the owner would refund his money, but if the customer thought BFCP was better he had to buy a BFCP shirt and change on the spot. The owner said that the guy walked out in a BFCP t-shirt. He also said that his establishment was rated the #1 burger in the country. I have a hard time believing both of those stories after trying the food.








The owner told us the burgers are cooked with a french sauce (béarnaise perhaps?) soaked in the middle, dried, and then finished cooking. I’m pretty sensitive to flavors, and I tasted no such thing in the 1/3 pound burger. One compliment I will give the place is that the buns were toasted and quality. The meat consistency reminded me more of Backyard Burgers and less of a fresh, smooth burger. It did not have the distinctive flavor of anything really – it didn’t taste like Whataburger (as most do), it didn’t taste char-grilled, it didn’t taste broiled, it didn’t taste beefy, and it didn’t have that excellent fast food flavor (such as In-N-Out). I hate describing things by mentioning things that they aren’t, but I don’t know how else to approach it here. However, the bread alone justifies a slightly higher than average rating.

As for the other food there: the fries were ok, the tator tots were very good, and the chocolate cake was good. I also somehow managed to eat the fried cherry pie after all that (you’d think I would be full by then, but I wasn’t), and it was very good. I’d definitely go back to BFCP just to get dessert.


Burgers, Fries, & Cherry Pies final rating – 6

(For the record, AM gave the burger a 9.)

Review #14 -- Bubba's Burger Shack

Bubba’s Burger Shack recently stood as one of the final heavyweights of Burger Quest. People on internet forums routinely claim it’s by far the best hamburger in Houston, and it was one of the common suggestions by people viewing my Facebook page. When JW and I were at Champ Burger, he suggested that he’d always seen an old trailer literally underneath the freeway near a power substation. Because I’ve done my burger research, I knew he was talking about Bubba’s Burger Shack, so we agreed to go one night the following week.







Some of the reviews suggested that this place was too dirty to eat at. After seeing the small icehouse in person, I can’t say I disagree. I’m not sure most animals would be comfortable eating there, much less people. The inside of the restaurant was tiny and had only three or four tables. The outside of the restaurant had a fairly spacious deck/patio area in front, although they did allow smoking on it. If I haven’t said it before on this blog, I’ll say it now – I hate the smell of smoke. Nevertheless, we sat on the patio thinking the smoke would not interfere with the taste of the food.




Bubba’s Burger Shack doesn’t have fries. They opted to offer me chips instead, which I agreed to accept. However, when they brought my food, they didn’t bring any chips. They also didn’t bring ketchup, and they were rather stingy with it when asked. The guys working there were nice enough, though.


As for the burger itself, it’s another example of a review that probably won’t mean much to many of you. As far as aesthetics go, it was an average sized 1/3 pound burger.





The burger had an odd seasoning on it (part garlic I’m sure, but I couldn’t tell what else was in it). I managed to take a couple of bites, but I definitely was not a fan. I can see how someone who liked those seasonings would rave over this burger, though. If you like various unusual seasonings in your burger, you’ll love this place. I, on the other hand, abstain from such delicacies.


Final Bubba’s Burger Shack rating – 2

(For the record, JW gave it a 7.5)

Review #13 -- Jax Grill

It seems like everyone in Houston has been to Jax Grill. I know I’ve been there over a dozen times, but I’ve never ordered a burger. Instead I’ve always gotten fried shrimp or cheese dip there, both of which are above average for Houston.





SD was in town for summer break, and she requested we do a burger quest to Jax. SA was still in town and came along as well, but, as before, he did not participate by ordering a burger.





As Jax is known for, the food was ready seemingly instantaneously. The burger itself was probably between 1/3 and 1/2 of a pound, and it looked and smelled like it would have a quality char-grilled flavor. The burger did not disappoint on that end, as it tasted much like Two Rows, which I previously gave a 7 for its excellent char-grilled flavor. If I had to give the edge to one of the two restaurants, I’d say Jax was slightly better, though there was not much of a perceivable difference in taste. I was a bit happier with Jax because they didn’t leave all the fixings on the side (as I always order my burger plain) like Two Rows did. I suppose Two Rows is a much better place to take a date, though. Then again, I'm not sure ordering a burger on a date will get you very far.


The French Fries at Jax are lightly seasoned and heavily gross. It’s a good thing we’re not rating French Fries or Jax would take a substantial hit.


Final Jax Grill rating – 7

(For the record, SD gives the burger a 9) (CHECK)

Review #12 -- Triple A Restaurant

SA, an old friend of mine was visiting and wanted to try a new restaurant. About a week before, a guy at Barbeque Inn’s counter suggested that I try Triple A Restaurant, and we were in the neighborhood passing by. It’s pretty easy to see how this particular burger adventure started.

Triple A Restaurant has been in the same location since the 1940s. The restaurant is definitely showing its age, as is the factory it’s connected to. We talked to the owner a bit as we came in, and then we walked to the seating area. Of note, if you go here, you’ll feel like a giant next to the bar and stools area. They must be no more than 2 feet off the ground.









The interior is very reminiscent of Barbeque Inn, which makes sense given that they’re pretty close to the same age. It was nowhere near as crowded as Barbeque Inn, though. Triple A had 2 flavors of burger, so I ordered both (I also got the fried shrimp to sample): the fresh meat patty that they make each day and the frozen patty that’s a bit cheaper. The fresh patty is about as thick as two frozen patties, so I ordered a double meat burger for my frozen part of the order.


Here’s a picture of the fresh meat:






And here’s a picture of the frozen meat:






Predictably, the fresh burger was a full point better than the frozen burger, though it was more texture that was changed rather than the flavor itself. The fresh burger tasted fresh and had a strong “ground beef” flavor. However, its ground beef flavor was rather bland. The frozen burger featured two 1/4 patties which tasted a good bit like a below average version of Whataburger. If you’re wondering, the shrimp wasn’t worth returning for – it tastes like another place I’ve had before but just can’t put my finger on. The French Fries were very average, but definitely edible. One thing I will say for this place is the waitress and the owner were both some of the friendliest people I’ve met on Burger Quest.



Final Triple A Restaurant Fresh Burger rating – 5

Final Triple A Restaurant Frozen Burger rating – 4


(For the record – SA had the pork chops and did not participate in this burger quest. Also for the record, I told the owner I would give her hamburgers 7s because I felt guilty…alas I cannot lie to the true followers of Burger Quest 2010.)

Review #11 -- Avalon Diner

Remember when my friend at the bar suggested Annie’s and claimed it was the best hamburger in town after we debated the quality of Lankford’s? One of the other places she considered top five was Avalon Diner. Combine that with the fact that people on various internet forums swear by Avalon Diner and you have another one of Houston’s burger heavyweights.






Avalon Diner has existed basically longer than 90% of the population has been breathing. The website, http://www.avalondiner.com (and menu) claims 1938 as the date it opened, but the shopping center and restaurant itself felt much newer than, say, Barbeque Inn, Bellaire Broiler Burger, and Triple A Restaurant. It really just didn’t give me the classic diner vibe. Top that off with difficult hours to visit for a burger (they’re only open until 4 PM most days), and I was already annoyed. That’s why a burger heavyweight only a few miles from my house fell into the double digit number of reviews.

Nevertheless, I finally found some time on the weekend that I could make it over to Avalon Diner. I was pleasantly surprised to see they serve breakfast all day, so I ordered French Toast to accompany my burger and fries.




The burger was a good size. I would say about 1/3 of a pound. It wasn’t too thick, nor was it too thin. One thing it was, however, was cut in half. The waitress informed me that they always cut their burgers in half old-time style. I’ll admit it did make the burger easier to handle, but I’m a purist and would have preferred a single patty.

Unfortunately, the burger’s taste did not match the quality of its size. This is one review, however, where I’ll say your own mileage may vary. The burger had a strong garlic flavor (stronger than Burger Shack, the first review). I was only able to take a couple of bites before I moved on to the French Toast and French Fries instead, both of which were decent but not stellar.


Avalon Diner Final Rating – 2 (I could eat it if I had to, but I definitely would not enjoy it)

Review #10 -- Champ Burger

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve updated this blog, and I have a ton of updates to make. However, before we get to those, it’s been announced (as predicted in April) that In-N-Out is opening locations in Dallas. Given that my informant said definitively that they would open locations in Houston shortly after Dallas, Houston will probably see In-N-Out within the next couple of years. This information likely makes Burger Quest obsolete, but I’ll continue on in the meantime.

A few weeks ago, I recruited my coworker JW as a new burger quest associate. After all, every adventurer needs a strong supporting cast. I anticipate JW will participate in many future burger quests. The locale we chose was Champ Burger, which is just east of downtown. Anyone who knows anything about Houston knows the area just east of downtown is a bit sketchy. That Champ Burger has survived there for 40+ years could have been proof of a quality burger.












To say Champ Burger was the most meager building in Burger Quest 2010 so far would be an understatement (although its reign as most meager would be short lived...). Champ Burger had no inside seating. Instead, it has a counter that you order and pick up food as well as a large patio area with both stone and wooden tables. The building itself is very old and worn. Also worth mentioning is that the only parking available for Champ Burger is street parking.

A couple of things before the burger review. First, the place is so popular that people call ahead to order and the line appears to be pretty steady with both people from the area and downtown. Second, JW requested that I mention how they ripped him off. I ordered a burger, fries, and a large drink, which was $7. He ordered a burger, fries, and a small drink, which was $7. After he was puzzled over this, he looked at the menu and added the price of the items together plus tax only to discover they overcharged him 37 cents in the interest of not giving change. Third, whenever people order To Go orders, they’re given the order in cardboard boxes, which we were amused by:







For a place that’s been around for 40 years, Champ Burger was remarkably average. It was a good sized 1/3 burger with a slight hint of a peppery beefy taste. The bun tasted very generic. The meat itself was smooth and tasted fresh. The fries were above average, but nothing special. If this burger were downtown, I might go in the interest of quickness, but it’s not worth the 5-10 minute drive from my office.









Final Champ Burger rating – 5

(For the record, JW gave it a 5 as well)