Burger Guys

Well since moving downtown about 6 weeks ago we have ventured out and about to take in as many places we can for lunch. let’s just say that I was expecting a WHOLE LOT MORE from this place. The girl behind the counter was really nice (could have put on some shorts that fit but that may be what the boss wants) but we real informative on the menu and my buddy and I picked burgers and split fries and we both had drinks (ok the soda drinks are good… real good and I usually don’t drink the sodas– all real sugar and fizzy). I should have gone with the first recomendation of the bluecheese and bacon burger but my upbringing led me astray with the sound of hatch green chilies… sounds good but the burger and the chilies were tastless… no zip or zing at all… that led me to try their array of sauces… strike two… listen bro whataburger ketchup and tabasco is better than any of the lovely aiolis that were offered. I would say that the overall the place isn’t bad but for a $ 30 lunch for two guys I expect better… hubcap is worth the walk…:D

I was referred to Burger Guys by a co-​worker. The duck fat fries caught my attention. the Hatch burger got my appitie ready… then the let down… the prep of the hatch Chilis was not good at all. soggy and greasy, smothered in cheese. no flavor of spice at all. the meat was good, but what was the point i wanted a flavorful spicy burger.
upside they had a bevey of cola options and home made sauces.
All of our group had issues later from their choice of burger i can only assume, egg, pinapple and a captain crunch-​berry milkshake will do that anywhere you go.

I’m cheap, so $ 10/​burger is expensive, but the Burger was excellent.
Sonoma: apple-​wood smoked bacon, cheddar, avocado, arugula, aioli
Plenty of Bacon flavor, enough cheddar to notice, but the Avocado and Arugula where barely visible and not tasted at all. My friend said the Hatch was unnoticeable for his sandwich (but he picked a hand-​written menu item). Medium-​Well was completely Done (0 pink)
Having a variety of aioli (Mayo) styles is neat but the ‘standard’ flavors would also nice.
The fries were ok, as I don’t like crunchy skinny fries but good to use to sample the different aioli.
The place is clean but in mid-​construction with high ‘club’ ceiling and an unlit room off to the side. The restroom door/​hallway is not prominently labeled on the rear-​right & several people go to the left into the kitchen.
Didn’t try to sugar-​cane sodas, trying to save the 2 $s&lbs. Cashier was super-​friendly and gave suggestions about what to try but take the first offers as eventually all the burgers are awesome :).

I LOVE the Westheimer location but I left the downtown location feeling underwhelmed. Shelby at the front counter was very friendly and welcoming. The beef was high quality, as expected. However my burger (ordered the standard «medium») was practically raw and the assembly seem lazy. I sent it back and they got it right the 2^nd go round. The cooks seem to rush things, dont have time to clean up the tables and were generally out manned. Perhaps I caught them on a bad day. I do recommend this place, but I urge you to make the trip out west if you can. An overall better environment and experience.

3.5 stars
OK, here’s a place you can only afford to eat once a year, and I mean that in terms of your wallet and your waistline. You can certainly get more burger and fries at Barnaby’s, but the Burger Guys’ was pretty fantastic. My duck fat fries were way too salty, which was a huge bummer and the main reason why I wanted to make the lunchtime trek from the Med Center.
The space leaves a lot to be desired, but it is a downtown eatery. Everyone should eat here at least once and take a break from fast food burgers.

Nom Nom Nom!
Okay… No, I won’t eat here again, but the burgers are AWESOME! I’m a poor law student so I can’t really afford $ 16 lunches, and I think it’s ridiculous that burgers don’t come with fries. $ 10 for a burger, $ 3 for fries? No. Thanks.
Anyway, I don’t regret spending the $ 16 (this time) because I haven’t had a burger in months, and this was just fabulous. It was a tad greasy, but I don’t mind a little grease. It was cooked perfectly! Also, the sauces are great! I tried the homemade ketchup and chipotle. Yum. Yum. Yum. The fries are also great. However, they got REALLY salty towards the end.
Seriously, this place would be perfect if they brought down the prices. Until then, I’ll rely on Beck’s for my burger cravings!

Its an unforgiving, small no holds barred burger joint. Granted, with their astronomical prices, i won’t be frequenting this place as often as i’d like, but the burgers are outstanding. Everything on the menu sounds delicious and the patty itself if flavorful and abundantly greasy. You don’t like a greasy burger? Go eat a salad. Seriously folks, it’s a f-​ing burger. The greasier the meat, the sweatier the cheese the better.
The bread is some gourmet butter bun that compliments the meat well. The selection of sauces is good — I enjoy the specialized ranch to spread on the burger and go to town. The fries are nothing to sneeze at — dip em in the sriachi sauce. You won’t be disappointed.
The only downside is the price. This ¼ burger and fries meal will run you 10 – 11 bucks. That’s without a soda. They have specialty MAINE sodas on their machine — i’ve tried the ginger ale one and it was quite good. Did someone here complain about the napkin machines? Wow, go back to your golden palace of a home and lay under your comforter lined with gold and platinum and tears of children.
It’s just a dispenser. Its convenient.
For what it is, if you’re in the mood for some guilty pleasure, do it. DO ETTT. :)

A few weeks ago, my team noticed this new, seemingly hot spot on Main street as we were going to lunch at Brown Bag. There was a line out the door and as we glanced at the gourmet options on the menu, we made a mental note to definitely come back and try out Burger Guys.
When we finally made our way to Burger Guys today, I was impressed with the menu selections. The gourmet options offer variety that your Beck’s Prime or Fuddruckers don’t have. The service was quick as we ordered at the counter, seated ourselves, and had the food out within 10 minutes. The beverage selection is limited to products from Maine Root, which is good if you want a sugary drink, but doesn’t offer the equivalent of a Diet Coke or Coke Zero. The guys on the team noted that the diet cola option was way too sweet.
I ordered the Sydney ¼ pound burger with fries, which was more than enough to stuff me for a Friday lunch. I’m a fan of fried eggs (as most have probably noticed in other reviews I’ve written), so I was pretty satisfied with my choice. The fried egg helped to cut out the saltiness which everyone else in my group seemed to notice in their choices. We all agreed, however, that the french fries were way over salted and left us all feeling incredibly dehydrated after our meal.
For the ¼ pound burger with fries, not including a soft drink, you’re looking to pay about $ 10. For a good regular burger downtown at the same price, I’d stick with Beck’s or Fuddruckers, which are in the tunnels. If you can do an off campus lunch and want the variety that Burger Guy’s menu provides, I’d check out Refinery.

You ready to drop $ 20 on lunch?
And really, its just ok. Fancy ingredients and all that, but I’d rather go to Fuddruckers over this… ok…I have a childhood fondess for Fudds, but with ET and Niko Nikos (have you ever tried their athenian burger?) and Hubcap grill, this place is just way overpriced.
Even if you do get fancy organic sodas at the fountain.

Very good burgers with lots of interesting options. Fries are amazing. The paper towel dispenser things are ridiculous & annoying however. They are like you see in bathrooms. Wave hands, get strip of paper, repeat. Crazy. Penny wise & pound foolish? Food is indeed expensive, so have a $ 20 bill hand if you get a burger, fries and a drink. You see my annoyance at the cheapo napkins?
If you have a need for a decadent burger, you can get that here.

This place is a total addiction for me — hands down my work gang’s favorite lunch right now. The beef is just amazing, and I crave the fries all week. The char they get on the meat is just perfect, even if you order it medium.
I go to the downtown location (only open for week day lunch, 11 – 3) and they usually bring out each item you order as it comes up. So you nibble your piping hot, skin-​on cottage fries (finished in duck fat) and your burger comes 5mins or so later.
Like Torchy’s, they carry the cane sugar fountain drinks like Mexican Cola. Unlike Torchy’s, they have the Mexican Diet Cola I prefer for some reason. It foams up angrily and takes a long time to fill a cup, but I can’t get enough of the stuff.
Also — a warning if you are looking for a burger joint to bulk up for cheap — this is really a more of a gourmet restaurant than a burger dive. I suspect they use Akaushi beef (almost $ 10/​lb), I know they use duck fat, and all the sauces are obviously made daily. You pay for that. To those who are put off by an expensive lunch, one of the best cheap-​ish burgers in town is Bellaire Broiler Burger — try it!

When I cook my burgers at home they do not taste anything like this fantastic Krabby Patty. So like Sheldon J. Plankton I want to discover the secret behind how they make such a delicious concoction at the Krusty Krab. Er, I mean Burger Guys.
As alluded to in my review of Elevation Burger my chief frustration with Burger Guys downtown is that the Unilocal app claims they are open weekends, but as both Steve C. and I have uncovered in past weekends, this is simply not the case. It is rather rude of them to deny the burger eating populace a chance to eat a burger-​with-​jazz-​hands over the weekend, leaving a burger eater with the option of Hard Rock Café or driving to another zip code. Years ago I had whined and complained about how downtown needed a Fuddruckers for a fantastic burger lunch for men who lunch downtown — with this, we achieved the same objective of adding in a great lunch spot during the week.
It’s housed next to the disappointing vestiges of old Ziggy’s (meow a boring chain with bland food — total opposite of Ziggy’s.) It is directly across the street from the Flying Saucer so as you bite into a burger you can stare across Main at the people drinking their lunch. Hah, joke is on them, this burger is delicious. Neither of us will be getting any work done the rest of the afternoon since I will have the Itis and they will be drunk, but no matter, that is someone else’s problem. The booths inside are orange. I like it, it’s kind of a diner retro feel without going tacky.
The burger options are numerous. I went with the Syndey because pineapple. Also because fried egg. It made me feel like I was back in California with Fatburger and always electing to get the fried egg on top because hashtag yolo. They offer a sensible ¼ pound option with a side of fries for $ 10 or you can throw caution to the wind and get the full size burger for $ 10 and add on a side of fries for $ 3. I went with the ¼ pound selection — it’s sensibly sized for you to feel like you made a smart new years resolution, but it is still big and juicy enough that it is filling. It is of suitable substance for a heavy lunch without it feeling like you blew your entire diet for the month by eating this one meal (which is the opposite of the feeling you get after you polish off an entire pizza by yourself at 2am.)
The Sydney from the bun upwards just works like Captain Jack charm. The bun is spongy and soft, deliciously so, and draws in so much attention to its good qualities you forget you are eating a hamburger for a moment. It is so good it is like a Fuddrucker’s roll. The grilled pineapple is a large piece compared to the burger and the grilling unlocks all of the magic of a pineapple house underneath the sea that I lived in for a brief period of time. The cheddar cheese has a subtle brilliance that it is a small piece but has so much flavor — I typically don’t even like cheese on a burger, like at Elevation I don’t want any. But here? It is a quinceañera in my mouth.
The fries were meh. Like Matthew L. I found them to be exceedingly salty and omgah cottonmouth (because of the fries, mother) and uncomfortable. I pride myself on liking nearly all french fries I put into my mouth. But these did not make me a raving fan. I was perfectly happy to take them in tandem with the ¼ quarter pound burger. But all other things being equal, I would not order them as a $ 3 side. I would rather put extra fried eggs on my burger because they are tasty.
The soft drinks are Maine Root organically sweetened sodas. Black Cherry tastes like a cheap knockoff of Dr. Pepper tbh. Vanilla Cream was alright. Orange Drank was the clear winner though — I should have started there. There are so many hotels I stay in around the country that the vending machines are sold out of my precious orange sodas that I had hesitated to taste this elixir, to be brought back to my first magical orange soda experience. Their Mexicane (as opposed to their Mexican’t Diet Version) is also a winner and likely more broadly applicable to soda drinkers than my atypical orange soda mancrush since it’s Mexican Coke and the hipsters, foodies, and sophisticated drinkers of things from glass bottles can appreciate that.
It’s a busy place at lunch so downtown people know about it know. Apparently there are some noobs to downtown dining since 15 — 20 minutes was just too long for a woman who angrily wanted the cashier to explain why no food was on their table yet. The cashier lady was nice though, to me at least. But yeah, this is a sit down downtown place. Expect 20 minutes for your food. If you can’t manage that, then go to Whataburger in the tunnels. Just don’t complain about waiting for food — this is not heatlamp treated McDonalds, this is a way better burger and it costs more. $ 13.54 with the soda. Worth it once a week, or to celebrate your triumphant return to the downtown lunch scene after many fortnights on the road or stuck in an office on the other side of town.

Excellent, if expensive burger joint. I’ve only been once, but I really enjoyed it!
Got the sonoma burger, which was fantastic. Delicious and juicy, with both avocado AND bacon! Let me stress this again. Avocado AND bacon. Normally restaurants only place one or the other on a burger. Avocado? Healthy. Bacon? Not healthy. Put them together and… Unhealthy? Yes. Delicious? Double yes!
The duck fat fries, however, were a different story. The fries themselves were delicious and wonderfully crispy. Unfortunately they were overly salty — even for me, someone who doesn’t usually pay attention to sodium content much. They tasted delicious, but my mouth was unbelievably dry afterwards, even after guzzling down 2 glasses of water. I even developed a minor headache in the middle of my meal, and I had to deal with it until I got home from work. Not a good sign.
So, even though I’d rate this place a 4 – 4.5 based on the burger alone, the ridiculously salty duck-​fat fries has to take it down to a star to about 3 – 3.5.
I’ll most certainly be going there again — but next time, I’ll be asking for them to go easy on the salt.

Good burgers, too expensive for lunch

I really have found my favorite non-​chain burger joint in Houston.
I ordered the ¼th Houston + fries. So you get to choose from any of their burgers and fries for $ 10. It’s a perfectly sized burger. Especially for those complaining about giant burgers etc. I was immensely satisfied with their juicy patty and perfectly buttered almost brioche-​like bun. Had fun dipping into their numerous sauces.
Not a fan of their fountain soda selection — but hey — what’s wrong with water.
Side note: My friend got the Lancaster and this looked the «greasiest» from all of the selections I saw. Anything with something sauteed I think just oozes alot — thus the juice on your plate jumps right back on your bun when you lay it down. Avoid sauteed stuff if you don’t want a «greasy» burger. Else — go ahead! YOLO!

Contrary to the hours listed on the Unilocal page, the Burger Guys downtown is not open on Saturday. At least it wasn’t today when I went by. Their website also lists Saturday hours but does not differentiate between their two locations. I’m sure Westchase is open Saturday but downtown is not.

After crossing my fingers and hoping, Burger Guys finally opened downtown. A treat for my taste buds and blow to my belt line, I have the best burgers, fries, and milkshakes in walking distance from my office. To paraphrase Busta Ryhmes, so dangerous.
I have been singing the praises of their gourmet burgers since they first opened out in Westchase. From the Houston Burger (cheddar, mustard, jalepenos, and onion jam) to the Sonoma (bacon, cheddar, aioli, arugula, and avacodo), each burger is great. And the fries (in duck fat) with in-​house made sauces. Wow.
There can be a line, but a table usually opens up fairly quickly.
I really believe these are among the best burgers in town and really don’t cost any more than Beck’s Prime or any other quality burger in the area.

Word of caution, come to this place HUNGRY and willing to eat a juicy, greasy burger and fries. It’s a good burger and it’s huge, not to mention a tad on the expensive side.
I ordered the Sydney and my boyfriend ordered the Buffalo and a basket of fries. Btw, they have «Dublin Dr. Pepper» here too! :) We had a couple sauces on the side, I think both of them were mayonnaise based but I forget the exact kinds we got. If they have a «siracha mayonnaise» then that’s one of the sauces we got. I must say, paying about $ 31-​$ 35 dollars for our meal was a tad more expensive than I would have wanted to pay but for the size of the burger, I guess it was «worth it.»
The fries. oh the fries. Crispy on the outside and cooked to perfection! I love french fries and Burger Guys could equally name themselves «Fry Guys» if they wanted to. Personally, I think it has a nice ring to it.
Now onto the burgers. Lemme tell you. These burgers are gigantic. I couldn’t even finish half of my burger with the amount of meat to bun ratio these burgers contain. Not to mention, my burger came with a fried egg! (Everything tastes better with an over-​easy fried egg). I bit into the burger and the oozing yolk+juicymeat+pineapple+bun combination was a positive overload for my senses. I probably attempted one more bite before I gave up and had to use a fork and knife to eat my burger. (My hands were drenched in greasy/​juice). I couldn’t finish even half of my burger and ended up taking it home. My boyfriend liked his bleu cheese burger and was absolutely bursting at the seams after he finished it.
This is a pretty good burger joint if you’re willing to spend «big bucks» for a burger. I think their niche is the plethora of sauces you can choose from and their sugar cane drink fountain. The burgers are good but a tad too greasy for my taste. I’ve had some pretty good burgers elsewhere at places like Smashburger and Five Guys for much less (plus I can add a fried egg onto my burger there too) and not have to worry about my burger bun being drenched in grease.

Burgers. French fries fried in duck fat with a variety of sauces. Cane sugar drinks. This is Burger Guys in a nutshell.
I ordered a Buffalo (just the style, not buffalo meat) burger, an order of fries, and a drink. $ 17. I wasn’t really paying attention to the prices until then, but how did that happen? The burger was $ 10 by itself; fries, drink and tax made up the other $ 7.
The fries came out first so let’s start with them. They’re thick cut fries with the peel still on them. They’re fried in duck fat, but I couldn’t really tell the difference. A good amount of salt on them. They have a bunch of sauces, including Chipotle Aioli and something with Siracha in it. Good sauces, but I think in the end I would have rathered ketchup (which they have as well).
The burger came out and it’s a good sized patty with the toppings on it, including fried onion strings and bleu cheese. This was one of the greasiest burgers I’ve ever had though, dripping all over the metal plate it came out on. After eating this I felt quite full and the burger was good, but not $ 10 good.
The drinks are all cane sugar, so no major name brands here. Doppleganger was a Dr. Pepper substitute, and most of the rest were various flavors of a cane sugar soda brand that I can’t recall now. The black cherry was pretty good as well.
Everything at Burger Guys was good, but I didn’t think it was great and I didn’t think it was worth $ 17. This probably won’t be a place I eat at very often; maybe once in a long while.
While we’re at it, let’s talk about the establishments Downtown on Main that some people believe make $ 17 alright. There’s the Flying Saucer, Jimmy John’s, Chipotle, Corner Bakery Café, and Café Express. Main Street for the most part is not high dining (Mia Bella probably comes closest). The former tenant of Burger Guys was an expensive Indian restaurant that nobody went to. There are some nice places downtown, but they’re not on Main Street.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. My favorite burger place in Houston is now open downtown and located less than half a block away from my office. No more having to drive 30 minutes for my burger fix. However, this is absolutely terrible for my waistline. If you dream about wet burgers, this is your spot. The patty is dripping with meat juices eviscerated from the perfectly created crust. The thick bun holds all the specialty sauces and toppings in place. There are many different types of burgers and I’m sure you’ll find one that tickles your fancy. The regular burgers are ½ pound for $ 10 but the downtown location has a ¼ burger & fries combo for $ 10. The crispy fries are finished in duck fat and run you $ 3 by themselves. Burger Guys also dispenses Maine Root organically sweetened sodas for your sugared pleasure.