Texas Highways gives best burger crown to several Houston spots
One of the most unique things about Texans is how far they'll drive for a good meal . Luckily for us, Texas Highways has already done all the work. The travel magazine released its "Burgers Worth the Drive" list, highlighting seven Houston burger joints.
In its list of 50 burger joints, Texas Highways made sure to feature both traditional and trendy burgers, alongside unique iterations only found in Texas.
For burger purists, the magazine made sure to feature longtime favorite and burger OG, Lankford's Grocery . The former grocery store was praised for its Grim Reaper burger, which features habanero mustard, a sunny-side up egg and a scoop of mac and cheese. The burger diner, which boasts two Houston locations, was a favorite of celebrity chef and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives host Guy Fieri.
Trendier burgers, like Burger Bodega and Trill Burgers' smashed flat patties, also topped the list. Headed by influencer Abbas Dhanani (a.k.a Burger Bodega impressed the magazine with its adored smashburgers. The burger shop was previously featured in the New York Times for its innovative burger collabs. Houston favorite Trill Burgers received praise for its caramelized onion, Trill sauce-topped patties and its long list of celebrity fans.
The magazine also made sure to highlight unique, modern twists on the standard burger. Amid the top entries for Houston was Galveston's beloved Hubcap Grill and its famous tamal-topped burger. The unique burger features a seasoned patty topped with pork tamales from Pennie's Tex-Mex Takeout, adorned with queso fresco, cilantro, avocado, jalapeños and a mole sauce. In recent years, the popular burger joint has closed several of its Houston locations. Fans will need to drive down to Galveston for a taste, or hit up the new storefronts at Bush and Hobby airports.
Local taqueria Cantina Barba and Filipino burger joint Flip 'N Patties rounded out the list for unique burger joints. The magazine loved Cantina Barba's "recession-proof" burgers, which featured thin, yet fatty patties topped with house made "burger sauce", American cheese and hot pickles. Flip 'N Patties, located in the Energy Corridor neighborhood, got a shout out for its Pinoy twist. Longganisa and banana ketchup-aioli adorn its breakfast burger, which features pork butt and wagyu Puet patties on a siopao bun.
Other must-visits Texas Highways shouts out include the ever-popular Nancy's Hustle and Pearland's Killen's Burgers. Nancy's burger has long been a favorite among Houston's foodies, who love the double cheeseburger with fries. At Killen's, the magazine made sure to highlight a popular side dish not often seen in Texas: fried cheese curds. The Wisconsin classic is a must-eat for Killen's, which has been praised for its unique tempura style beer batter.
