Southwell’s Hamburger Grill

The music and vibe here is great. They play music like Bob Dylan, Led Lepalin… the burgers are big-​they even have vegetarian burgers. The fries could not be better – fresh cut, orgasmic. The side salad here is only around 2.90 and if you get it with a sandwich its only 2.35 and it is verrrry big-​bigger than any other place. Sanwiches/​burgers are about ⁶⁄₇ $, fries 2.20 $, drinks i dont recall. They dont always make your order perfect but when you tell them they fix it with a smile instead of getting mad at you for telling them.

Heard about how good Southwell’s was and tried it several years ago. Not impressed. Have tried it several times over the past 10 or 12 years and was disappointed each time. I recently decided to try it once more. Still not anything special, just a so-​so burger and fries. Done with it.
Going back to Cliff’s on Fountainview.

I’m on a quest to find Houston’s best burger and Southwell’s, this afternoon, was my first stop of the quest.
My burger choice: Jalapeño burger (add bacon, I forgot to add cheese! Super bummer)
I got my burger with everything other than the mayonnaise and mustard which I put on the side because if a burger is good enough it shouldn’t need condiments of any sort, especially with the bacon. They did put them on the side in very large containers and staring at those large plastic containers of mayonnaise and mustard made me question how much they actually put on the burgers. The friend I was with got just a regular bacon cheeseburger and said they didn’t put too much on though.
I’ll start by saying the value of the burger is incredible. I don’t remember exactly what it was but I think it was just above $ 6 after I added the bacon. Most places nowadays are slinging $ 12 – 15 so it was nice to see.
The bun was excellent. It was buttery and crispy on the edges and outside and soft in the center. It wasn’t soggy in the slightest and kept the whole burger together.
Other than that though, the burger was maybe a hair above average for me. It wasn’t particularly juicy or flavorful and the wonderful tomatoes that were used ended up dominating the flavor of the sandwich. The bacon was very crispy which I prefer and there were enough jalapenos to add some spiciness and sweetness. That being said, I could’ve done this burger at home.
I got the waffle fries and my friend got the regular fries. The waffle fries were fantastic. They were extremely flavorful and not too salty. The flavor reminded me of the curly fries from Arby’s but they were cooked to perfection. They had a nice crunch but were soft and oh so hot on the inside. I tried my friend’s regular fries and they were just awful. At over $ 2 for the rather small order, I probably would’ve asked for my money back for the regular fries if the burger wasn’t such a good value. They were tasteless and after adding salt I still had to use ketchup (which I hate doing) and after I had maybe five or six of them I decided it just wasn’t worth it.
The ambiance of the place is cool. It’s small and open. The blue music is always playing at a solid volume. They had one TV but the conversation with my friend was good so I didn’t really pay much attention to it. The service was quick and they were all very friendly.
With «C» being average:
Burger — C
Waffle fries — B
Regular fries — D
Ambiance — C+
Service — B
Value — B
Milkshake — n/​a (I didn’t have one but my friend did and said it was really good)
Overall: C (average)
I don’t see myself going back. Not that it was bad but just because there are so many other places and it didn’t stick out to me. If I lived closer I’m sure I would be back though but if I’m going to make the 30 minute drive for a burger in Houston, it’s probably not going to be here.

Honestly, I really want to like this place, and after a few visits, I’m just not moved. Burger questing is a favorite pastime of mine, so don’t get me wrong; the burgers aren’t bad, they just don’t knock me out as much as some of my other favorite burger spots in town. Ok for when you’re in the mood for a «regular burger». Good fresh cut fries and waffle fries. (Note: I really miss the burgers from the original Otto’s on Memorial, the Old Abbott Schoolhouse, and the original Roznovsky’s on Westcott).

The food is just fine if they get it right. 4 times now they’ve gotten my order wrong. When I call in my orders, I repeat them, just to make sure they get it right. And they get it wrong, again and again. I don’t know what to do but stop going.

Amazing burgers and super cheap! 5.45 for a cheeseburger. Regular fries aren’t that great. Go for waffle fries! The waffle fries are amazing here!
Do note there is a minimum of $ 10 if you pay with card.
Also there is free refills!

Solid little hamburger joint with good food. Definitely worth trying before going to The nearby Panda Express or Subway. I felt as if the hamburger was a over average along with the onion rings I ordered.

Don’t be fooled. This place is a complete letdown.
They have a variety of burgers that all taste the exact same, but sound very different. You can make a better burger in your backyard at home with minimal effort, blindfolded.
The so called owner and higher ups came in during our visit and an obnoxious woman yelled, «Here he is. The owner of Southwell’s.» What an embarrassment.
They proceeded to walk around the restaurant and gawk at pictures on the walls, while leaning over our table and not even caring to notice that we were trying to eat our shitty burgers.
We both walked out and left our barely eaten disgrace on the table.

Environment was nice I expected it the food to be a little bit better it was just okay not something that I would drive across town for but overall a good visit

We’ve always passed by on our treks to Target. Burger cravings were high for dinner last night so we decided to stop by here
Ordered two bacon cheese burgers and an order of fries and waffle fries
Burger was good. Nothing to complain about. Started getting soggy towards the end of the meal and probably too long of a conversation but that’s normal
The issue was with the fries. Both kinds. I’m surprised to see so many comments about soggy fries because ours we’re totally opposite. Not sure if they’ve seen these soggy fry comments and tried to change it with our order last night but they were crispy so crispy you could almost say burnt. It was a sad addition to our burgers.
I’d come back, just hope that they pull them from the fryer a teensy bit sooner

Love the setting and atmosphere! Delicious grilled chicken sandwich. Mediocre salad. Sad they use Styrofoam cups.
Overall great experience!

Not impressed this time. For a kids burger for my son and a cheeseburger with evening did me. .his was a full size burger cut in half. .and mine came out with just meat and cheese. I told the girl, she took it to the back and a minute later returned with the same burger with a piece on an onion, 1 slice of lettuce, 1 slice of tomato, and one pickle… and the big was soggy :(The 2 stars ate only for the sweet potato fries, they were good and the honey mustard is amazing (must be sore bought). Oh, and for $ 14…I would have been better off going to Red Robin.

Very disappointed in this location… fries were terrible– greasy, limp, the burger tasted fine except for the overly soggy bun and the HUGE pile of pickles that were on it…
Overall a bad experience… I will try this location one more time and if nothing has changed I will drive to Echo lane location where there is a sense of quality control.

Really good burgers. Nice atmosphere and love the blues music being p k ayed while we eat.

Really nice local burger joint. The fresh cut skin on fries are heavenly. Nice snap as you bite and soft inside. Thinner than steak fries, but twice as thick as shoestrings. They don’t skimp on toppings. The blue cheeseburger was juicy, cheesy and delicious.
You have to wait for your food, but it is worth having it all cooked to order. Great blues music in the background.

Southwell’s is an old-​fashioned hamburger joint pumping out nostalgia in the Sawyer Heights shopping center.
Upon entering Southwell’s, you are greeted by a wall of what appear to be family photos, and a no frills environment in which to enjoy your burger. There is a counter at the back of the room, and a sea of tables in between. Now, Southwell’s does have options besides a burger, but, seriously, a place that is called a «Hamburger Grill» and you’re going to get a salad?
I generally go with a bacon cheeseburger. Their patties must be cooked on a flat-​top, because they get that nice crust on them that you can only get if they’re cooked on one. Cheese is standard American, and quite oozy, and the bacon brings a nice crispness and saltiness. The bun is a standard onion bun, and toasted nicely, and they have a full compliment of fixings (I’m a mayo and lettuce guy, myself).
If you order fries, and that is a must for me, you have to get the waffle fries. I would agree with others that their standard, shoestring fries are a bit on the soggy side; however, the waffle fries are crispy and well seasoned. Quite enjoyable!
Service here is hit or miss, but, I’m not expecting a lot from a burger joint. Overall, the place reminds me of the now-​defunct Charlie’s Hamburgers, which is a bit of nostalgia from my childhood. Go in and check out Southwell’s; they’re putting out a good product at a reasonable price

The burger was just ok. Nothing special. The fries were soggy, limp, flavorless and greasy. All in all I left feeling very unsatisfied. It was a waste of $ 23. The lady who took our order didn’t look happy and wasn’t very cheerful. Will not return.
Edit: I went to their website to the contact is, to let them know about the poor food quality, and not not received any reply.

Old-​fashion atmosphere in a ultra modern restaurant setting. My take is this burger is what every founder of every fast food burger chain intended their burgers to be from the start, but couldn’t stay true to their original convictions once they became huge corporations full of franchised restaurants focused on squeezing out every penny of profit at my expense.
This is definitely not your fresh formed patty burgers with every exotic topping known to man, it’s a simple old fashion style burger that exceeds the quality the big three fast food burger chains that still exist out of convenience and nothing more failed to be. Southwell’s will never sell billions and billions of burgers or be the self proclaimed burger king, or even have the most well known founder who displays a cute picture of his daughter on their company logo, but it does deliver on service and puts together a fresh made quality meal. So I think it’s a solid choice when you get the urge for a burger and can’t decide between a hand crafted burger and a assembly line production burger.

I find myself continually coming back to Southwell’s. It’s not for one particular good reason, but for many. Let me explain.
Firstly, the location is the epitome of a clean and well-​kept environment to eat. Plenty of seating with quality chairs, booths, and tables in combination with this make the dining area a treat. This is something that is easily overlooked in a simple burger joint.
Next, the menu doesn’t try to get too cute or fancy with its items. Southwell’s can rely on good old-​fashioned burgers to do its speaking, and don’t need to hide behind a bunch of wacky ingredients or names to impress. This leads me to the ingredients. The best word I can use here is «fresh». The veggies are crisp and flavorful, toppings like bacon or jalapeños are part of the overall taste of the burgers and not simply an afterthought slapped onto a generic burger. At least this is how it tastes.
The meat here is not of the gourmet variety, but that’s not really what they’re going for. Don’t expect the massively thick ground sirloin patty, but do expect something that is well-​seasoned and flavorful to the point when you regret eating it so fast. Just try it, and you’ll see what I mean.
I am also a fan of the fries. Crispy, seasoned properly, and plenty of potato.
Lastly, the service here is more than satisfactory. They do a good job of taking the order and getting it out to you in a reasonable amount of time. No need to clean up here, the staff takes care of that for you. Thanks.
Overall, not a lot to complain about here. If they can continue with this, I will continue my patronage.

Good old fashioned hamburger. Nothing too extraordinary no weird eggs on your burger, nor fois gras or house made curried condiments; just your simple down to earth hamburger bun, big meat patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and your accoutrements of choice.
Unlike like others I think their fries are pretty good, notably the sweet potato fries, but I do enjoy the waffle fries too — and again to buck the trend I’m glad they’re not heavy handed with the salt I enjoy the taste of potatoes more than I do sweating out salt for hours.
This place is a bit of a time warp back to a simpler time, they still value quality and good service, and good value — a concept long since lost on most restaurants and virtually all fast food establishments. The only restaurant that compares favorable is Mytiburger (see my review) — but they travel in very similar circles.
Good place to take the kid (s) too, definitely child friendly food and environment. This place is exactly what you expect, they’re also consistent the burger I ate the medical center location 10 years ago tastes the same as the one off I10 near Target does today, which is a testament to their commitment to quality food.
Highly recommended.