Adrian's Local Cafe

Last week my work took me to the downtown area of Houston. I asked the employees where I was working if they knew where I could get a good burger. They recommended a local restaurant not too far from where I was working. They recommended Adrian's Local Cafe, located at 1730 Jefferson Street. The restaurant is actually located in a building of a local union, so it was a little hard to find at first. After making a few passes right by it and not seeing the restaurant, I finally saw it on the south side of the building and went in. I ordered their single patty hamburger with bacon and cheese. Their regular burger runs you $4.75 and bacon and cheese about another $1.50. I was previously told that I wouldn't be able to finish the burger because it was so big. I had to see it to believe it. When I received my food, I couldn't believe it. It was the single most biggest patty I have ever had. It's bigger than the burgers I make at home, and I make them big. I asked one of the ladies there and she told me that their patties are ONE POUND before cooking them! I can believe it with how big the burger was. The fries aren't fries at all, but potato wedges with some cajun seasoning. The patty was well seasoned, however, I found that there were pockets of dry patty and not a full juicy burger. The fixings were plentiful and when I was done, it looked like I had eaten a salad with all the lettuce that had fallen out of the burger. Were it not for the pockets of dry meat I would've given this burger a 10, but instead, Adrian's Local Cafe gets a 9.

J*A*X Burgers, Fries, and Shakes

Saturday, January 23, I treated the family to a hamburger dinner at this new restaurant that recently opened in Spring, Texas called J*A*X, located at 4334 FM 2920. I read about this restaurant in my local newspaper and immediately decided I had to visit it for my blog. I checked out their website and reviewed the menu before going to eat there and my choice on my usual bacon cheeseburger. Here though, they add jalapenos and call it the Baja Burger. I went with that burger and also ordered cajun fries. They have several types of fries, including garlic fries, regular fries, or J*A*X fries, and even sweet potato fries. And as the name suggests, I had to get a shake to go with those fries! They serve your standard chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla, but also an orange swirl and my selection, mint chocolate chip. Their website advertises angus beef, but I asked the owner and they serve an 80-20 chuck. The patty is 1/2 pound and does not lose much weight after cooking. The patty was well seasoned and very, very juicy. The juice would come out every time I took a bite. The cheese melted heavenly and the cajun fries were fantastic. The shake washed everything down nicely as well. The bacon was crispy. There wasn't one thing I found I didn't like. As a result, on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being The Perfect Burger, I give J*A*X Burgers, Fries, and Shakes a 10.

Check them out http://www.jaxburgers.com/.

The Backyard Grill

It's been a month, but with the holidays and trying to get back to normal, it's taken me a while to post an entry. So, without further delay, here I go...I visited The Backyard Grill back on December 23, the night before I started my Christmas vacation. Me and my wife decided to eat here since it was a Wednesday night and kids eat free at this restaurant. Also, if you join their mailing list and provide your birthday, they will send you a coupon in the mail for a free meal, up to $15, during your birthday month. Me and my wife signed up ourselves and the three kids, so we get to eat good at this restaurant at least five times a year! This restaurant is located at 9453 Jones Road in Houston. It's almost right next door to my wife's work, so I've visited this restaurant a few times before, but I had never had their hamburgers. That night though, I was excited about the holidays and going on vacation, so I decided to have their "gimmick" burger called The Big Daddy. It consists of two 1/2 pound patties, and I think that weight is post cooked, four slices of bacon, two slices of cheese, sauteed mushrooms, jalapenos, and your usual lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and onions. So, yeah, it's one big burger! It comes with fries, which I didn't even touch. As you can imagine from the name of the restaurant, the patties are grilled. They're well seasoned and cooked throughout. No pink here. The bacon's crispy and the fixins add a nice flavor, especially the mushrooms, of which I'm not a big fan, and the jalapenos. The burger is huge and I had a hard time eating it at first. After a few bites though, you can get the size down to where it's manageable. I suggest using a knife and fork, but I think that's the easy way out. I started out pretty good and got most of it down quickly, but after about 15 minutes I started to get real full. I continued on eating though because I wasn't going to let it beat me and another 15 minutes or so later I was finally done. Our waitress was nice enough to say that I finished it in eight minutes, and I got my picture on their wall! I can't say I'll ever do that again, unless I hadn't eaten in like, a week, but it was nice giving it a try. By the way, if you're feeling adventurous, they also offer what they call The Granddaddy, which is made with FOUR 1/2 pound patties. I don't think I'll ever try that one! On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being The Perfect Burger, I give The Backyard Grill a 9.

Five Guys Burgers & Fries

Today my work took me to Conroe, Texas and for lunch me and a coworker visited this restaurant, located at 15250 Highway 105, near Lake Conroe. I must admit that I have visited this restaurant several times in the past and I have been waiting to get back to this location to review for my blog. Five Guys is kind of like Mooyah's in the sense that you can order your food with whatever toppings you want for free. For example, traditional toppings such as tomatoes, pickles, onions, lettuce, etc., but you can also have your onions grilled, fresh jalapenos, A-1 sauce, and more. You can order your hamburger with two patties, or the little burger, with one patty. I suggest going with two patties. You also have a choice of fries, Five Guys style, with just salt, or Cajun. I suggest going with the Cajun. The patties are prepared well done and are very well seasoned. Today I ordered my usual bacon cheeseburger with two patties. As I mentioned the patties were well seasoned. The cheese melted heavenly and the bacon was crispy. The fresh jalapenos, not pickled, added some nice heat. Every time I have been here I have never left disappointed. My coworker was also impressed with his first visit to Five Guys. Everyone I have ever brought there leaves with a good impression of the restaurant. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being The Perfect Burger, I give Five Guys Burgers & Fries a 10. It is most definitely the best hamburger I've had...since Tookie's that is.

Burger Barn- Dallardsville, TX

Yesterday my work took me to Livingston, Texas and along the way, I passed this little burger joint located at 8990 FM 1276 in Dallardsville, Texas. I figured even though I had just had a burger a few days earlier, I don't normally get to this area often, so I would go ahead and have another one. This restaurant is family owned and not heavily visited, at least not when I went. I was the only one there, so that was cool. I ordered my customary bacon burger with cheese with fries. I received my food and was immediately impressed by the size of the hamburger patty. In this case, it was not a case of "Where's the beef?" it was more of a case of "Where's the bun?" The hamburger patty overwhelmed the hamburger bun. It was also so big, the patty fell apart as I was eating it. I found out later it was a full half pound patty. While I liked the size, the patty was not seasoned as well as I'd like. The cheese was good. The bacon was not crispy though. The bun was a little overtoasted for my liking. The fries were overdone as well. They don't serve fountain drinks here, cans and bottles is what they serve. As you might imagine, you're going to pay a little more here at a locally owned restaurant. It was over $10 for my meal, but I don't mind paying a little more if it helps out the little guys. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being The Perfect Burger, I give Burger Barn a 7.

Buffalo Grill & Treats

Today I visited Buffalo Grill & Treats, located at 113 N. Washington in Cleveland, Texas. I just happened upon this place while looking for somewhere to eat. I first noticed the "Fried Pies" sign and as I passed, I next noticed that the windows stated they served burgers. Being that I hadn't had a new burger in a couple of weeks, I stopped here for lunch. I had my mind set that I was going to order a buffalo burger, being that this restaurant has "Buffalo" in the name. Of course, I ordered mine with bacon and cheese. They also serve a 1/3 pound or 2/3 pound Angus beef hamburger. I'll have to order that one next time! After a small wait, I received my order. As per my usual routine, I took my picture, and then I took a small piece of the patty to ensure whether or not it's seasoned. I wasn't disappointed. It was seasoned well and the cheese melted nicely. If you've never had a buffalo burger, I would suggest you try one. You really can't tell the difference between buffalo and beef. How can you tell whether or not you got buffalo? you ask. Well, buffalo beef is much leaner than cow beef and I squeezed the burger to ensure that no juices came out. None did, so I knew I had the buffalo. It's also a healthier beef, so you can feel good about yourself afterwards. The only thing I can say negatively about the burger was that the bacon wasn't fresh and was a little tough. There was also a little too much mustard for my taste. The fries are grade school crinkles and nothing special. On the way out, I just had to get some fried pies to take home. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being The Perfect Burger, I give Buffalo Grill & Treats an 8.

Burger Tex

I will admit that I've known about Burger Tex for quite some time. The original location is in Austin, Texas and they have multiple locations in the Houston area. I have been to the Austin location, as well as the Pearland, Texas location. Today, my work took me to La Porte, Texas, which is not far from Pasadena, Texas. The restaurant is located at 6918 Spencer Highway. I ordered my standard bacon cheeseburger. After a small wait I received my food and proceeded to the fixings bar. I also spoke with one of the employees about this particular Burger Tex and found out that they are all family owned. I helped myself at the fixings bar and loaded my burger with fresh, crisp lettuce, dill pickles, and jalapenos, with some A-1 sauce to boot. The hamburger patty was well seasoned and the bacon was crispy and flavorful. Everytime I've visited one of these restaurants, I have never been disappointed. Today was no exception. I'm sure if I visit any other Burger Tex location, I won't be disappointed. The fries are nothing special, your grade school crinkle cut fries. But no matter, the burger is what makes the visit worth it. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being The Perfect Burger, I give Burger Tex a 10.