Username
Password
Remember Me
(4 votes, average: 7.75 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
Please leave a comment with your vote
–
—
Lankford Grocery http://www.lankfordgrocery.com 88 Dennis Street Houston, TX 77006 (map)
Lankford’s Grocery… If only life were like Lankford’s Grocery. I really wish that we lived somewhere that we could just walk down the street and enjoy delicious home cooking from friendly people who are also our neighbors. This is the case here. Nestled inside of some neighborhood some where in Houston, lies this time warp of a restaurant. From the outside, it looks like an old house. The inside is no different. One thing you will notice aside from the sloping floor and sagging ceilings, is the festive decor for whatever holiday is most near, be it Valentines day, Easter, Christmas, St. Patrick’s day, July 4th, or tax day. This particular Burger Tyme was festive as well. A few friends from work joined me for some Tyme Travel as we were celebrating Friday, the greatest of days. We made our way over to Lankford’s early. If you’re not early to Lankford’s you are going to have a hard time finding a seat. Also, if you don’t know how to get to Lankford’s just drive around, you’ll find it. Fortunately for us, the weather was beautiful and they had some new picnic tables outside. We were greeted by our waitress who is a sweet older lady who has been there as long as I can remember. In fact almost everyone that works there has been there as long as I can remember. The menu is not terribly complicated, they have burgers, they have daily lunch specials (which are great by the way), and they have sides. Their burgers range from plain hamburger to the Soldier Burger (burger with a fried egg) to the Fireman’s Burger (more pepper’s than you can imagine) to the One and a Half Pound Wholey Cow Burger.
So our order was to be taken and what was I to get. I deviated from my usual only because you don’t get this option at most burger joints… The Soldier Burger. I love a fried egg on my cheeseburgers. It makes them messy, it makes them difficult for other people to watch, but it makes them GOOOOOD! So a soldier burger with cheese and a side of tots and a coke. I could hardly wait. While we waited we saw the tables inside and out fill up quickly. Seems like we got there just in time. Within about 10 minutes our order was on the table. This was not my first Lankford’s burger and it won’t be my last but as I bit in, all was new. Th first thing I noticed was that the paper that the burger was wrapped in was nearly transparent (usually a good indicator of how delicious a burger is going to be). The patty was big and pretty juicy. It tasted just salty enough but still had a dominant beef flavor not withstanding the cheese that was melted perfectly over the patty. This is a fried patty which I prefer to grilled. The bun was a fresh hamburger bun with poppy seeds. Though not made fresh at Lankford’s it was still an above average bun. The veggies were all fresh and delicious. Most notably the onions were fresh cut and still crisp. The tots here are my favorite tots in all of Houston! I’m not sure but I think they make them themselves.
If not, they should never reveal their secret supplier of perfect prohormones, for my health’s sake.
Now some may not like it, but the fried egg on the burger was great! It was cooked over easy so after my first bite the burger became really messy. Thankfully there was a full paper towel roll at the table.
Lankford’s Grocery is one of my favorite places for a Burger Tyme or an Any Tyme. Not only are the burgers good but their other dishes are good as well. There’s a very quaint feeling about the place that makes you feel like you’re part of the neighborhood. There burgers are a good value as well. Burger tots and a drink will run you around $7. Oh and CASH ONLY. One of the plain signs that Lankford’s is operating from a different era is you basically pay by the Honor system. They take your order, they bring you your food, and when you are ready to pay you go up to the counter and the find a ticket for your table but you always end up just telling them what you ordered anyway. It’s a great place!
Here’s a hint – If you like Chicken Fried Steak, go to Lankford’s on Thursday because it is their daily special and it is GREAT! I’ve heard that all of their specials are really good.
Here’s another hint – Get there early on Thursday because they will run out.
Other Reviews:
Cooks Tour
Texas Burger Guy
(8 votes, average: 6.63 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
Becks Prime http://becksprime.com
On a warm summer evening, my wife and I invited a few friends of ours to join us in a walk over to the Memorial Park Golf Club to have a Beck’s Prime Burger Tyme. There are many locations of this great burger place around Houston, including the tunnels downtown, but I had not yet been to this location. We brought our dog, Pearl the Australian Shepherd, along since we heard there was outside seating. After about a half mile walk or so we arrived at the golf club. Flanked on either side by a nice golf course, a driving range, and running trails, this was a very lively place for 8pm on a Thursday. We walked into Becks and were greeted by a very friendly guy behind the counter. He patiently took our order while my wife and dog found a table outside for us to sit. There are two places to order at this particular location, an inside counter and an outside window. The menu at Beck’s is pretty impressive. They have everything from Burgers to grilled chicken to steaks and milkshakes. Their burger variety is also pretty vast, from plain hamburgers, to hickory barbecue bacon burgers.
Everyone placed their orders and I placed mine for the usual cheeseburger with everything on it, a large order of fries for the table, and a lemonade (it’s summer time). I headed out to join the rest of the group and was able to enjoy the nice weather and the scene of golfers futilely trying to improve their game (I recently started playing golf and I’m terrible). After a pleasant couple of minutes our orders were ready. As you can see, the burgers at Beck’s Prime are h-u-g-e! The patty is supposedly a half pound but I think it was a bit more. They are flame grilled which I usually don’t prefer, but this patty was very juicy and flavorful. The bun was lightly toasted and fresh. The veggies were adequate but not outstanding. Obviously the focal point of this burger was the meat. The fries were very good in my opinion although a few people at the table didn’t agree. They were fresh cut and fried in grease that was maybe a little to hot making them crispy on the outside and a little underdone on the inside. Again, I liked them.
Beck’s Prime was one of the best flame grilled burger’s I’ve ever had however these are not cheap burgers. Burger, fries, and a drink will run you around $10+. Another thing to note is that I’ve eaten at four Beck’s Prime Houston location multiple times for both lunch and dinner, early and late. They have all been consistently good burgers with friendly service. While I didn’t get a milkshake for this Burger Tyme, I’ve had them before at Beck’s. It was almost too much of a good thing. Their milkshakes are great but should be treated more of as a desert to be shared rather than a drink as they are very large and thick. While all Beck’s Prime locations offer outside seating I would also have to say that the Memorial Park location is my favorite because was very peaceful out there that night. All in all, Beck’s is a great Burger Tyme.
(4 votes, average: 6.50 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
Please leave a comment with your vote.
Joe’s Grill and Cafe 734 Crabb River Road Richmond, TX 77469-5608
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, my wife and I made the short drive to Richmond, TX to visit my brother and his family. He had mentioned that there was a pretty good burger near his house so we decided to give it a try. So on Crabb River Rd is a shopping center and in that shopping center is Joe’s grill. Amongst a video game store, a Chinese restaurant, and fast food pizza, Joe’s Grill stands out. We made our way in and were greeted by a guy in a do-rag who I think was Joe. He seemed pretty friendly. He was from San Francisco and talked to my sister in law about living on the west coast while we decided what to order. The menu at Joe’s Grill is pretty impressive. There was many sandwich, salad, and burger options to choose from. We were there, however, for Burger Tyme.
I place my order for a regular cheeseburger with everything on it, a side of fries and a chocolate shake. After about 10 minutes our orders were brought out to us. The spread was pretty basic and was a decent amount of food. The burger was fresh. That’s the best word I could use to describe it. The patty was thin but filled out the entire bun. The veggies were fresh and crisp. The bun itself was a plain white hamburger bun but it was very soft and held the burger together well. Overall, no one item in the burger stood out as really good but together they made for a pretty good burger. The fries were pretty crisp which is how I like them. The milkshake was a little on the icy side. It most likely was soft serve ice cream that they blend Hershey’s syrup and milk into. It wasn’t bad but it was not the best milkshake either.
Joe’s Grill was a pleasant surprise down in Richmond,TX. While I would have to say the burger is slightly above average, the variety on the menu indicated to me that there is more than just good burgers at this place. What I really liked about Joe’s Grill was how friendly “Joe” was. While we waited I noticed that a lot of the people who were coming in and placing orders or picking up orders knew the guy in the do-rag ( I think I even heard them calling him Joe). He was very friendly with all of them and even helped an old man who was taking his granddaughter to lunch to his chair. I was really impressed that he knew many of his customers well enough to joke with them, and was extra helpful to the old man.
(2 votes, average: 6.50 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
Champ Burger http://champburger.net 304 Sampson Street Houston, TX 77003
Thursday came and I was craving a burger. The weather was really nice in Downtown Houston and was perfect for a Burger Tyme. One of the founding members of Burger Tyme suggested Champ Burger. It was not far from downtown so I rounded up four other Burger Tymers and headed out. We made our winding way to 304 Sampson Street between Harrisburg & Canal, south of downtown. When we arrived I noticed that Champ Burger was an outside walk up burger establishment that had a park like seating area connected to it. The manicured trees and clean sidewalk gave it quite a charming atmosphere given the surrounding warehouses and industrial buildings. Champ Burger has been around for 40+ years so I was getting a little excited for a burger that has lasted that long. The menu was full of many options including the highly touted “Texas Steak Sandwich” which is basically chicken fried steak on a bun. As good as that sounded I was here for a burger! There was a number of people coming and going at champ burger. That’s a good sign for a place that is a little off of the beaten path.
I walked up to the window and placed my order for a Champ Burger with cheese and everything on it. The Champ burger is a 1/3 lb fresh ground patty. I also ordered fries and a medium chocolate shake. Many of those I was with ordered the onion rings. We were given our numbers and were able to find a picnic table that was in a nice bit of shade. After a short while our numbers were called and we were each given our orders in individual white paper bags. I unpacked mine and beheld one of the larger burgers I’ve had. Now this was due mainly to the size of the bun. The patty filled out in the bun but at the expense of thickness. This made the patty not particularly juicy. The bun was fresh but seemed like a basic store bought burger bun. The same was for the veggies. They were fresh enough but not particularly great. Fortunately this was an instance where the whole was greater than the sum of the parts. The flavor of the burger overall was pretty good. The fried was pretty good too. My fellow Burger Tymers also really enjoyed the beer battered onion rings. The milkshake was quite good and provided a good, sweet contrast to the savory burger and fries.
Champ burger has been around for a long time. The overall experience showed me why. The service was friendly, the dining area was nice, and the food was good. Fortunately this was an instance where the whole was greater than the sum of the parts. The flavor of the burger overall was pretty good while the ingredients weren’t wonderful. The portions were huge and by the end of everyone’s meal, we all needed a nap. I think that any one near the area should definitely give Champ Burger a try.
Hint – If you like Orange cream soda, orange push-pops (ice cream treat), or dreamsicles try the Orange Milk Shake! It’s amazing!
(4 votes, average: 7.00 out of 10)Register to vote.Loading...
Little Bigs http://www.littlebigshouston.com 2703 Montrose Boulevard Houston, TX 77006-2732
It was getting late on Monday night and my wife and I had not eaten yet. We decided to run our wonderful Australian Shepherd around Memorial Park in Houston, TX and by the time we were done we were too tired to cook. I suggested we try out Little Big’s based on a few recommendations from some people at work. She thought that was a good idea so we cleaned up an headed to the corner of Montrose and Westheimer. There amidst the other brightly lit signs in the area stood a large black and white sign of a giant hamburger being lifted by a little man. It was night time and the weather was amazing! It was cool, not humid, and there was a slight breeze. Fortunately, Little’s Big’s has a very large outdoor patio which was made from Resin Bound Kits and it has plenty of picnic tables and a TV that had the Bulls v Celtics game on. Another good sign was that the place was busy, even at 9pm. I was really getting excited. We made our way inside and got in line. The food menu was simple. 3oz Sliders… Beef, Chicken, or Mushroom…. with or without cheese…. “4 minute fries”. That’s was it. You order their sliders typically in threes but you can get them individually too. Their drink menu was much, much larger. Fortunately for our decision making time and my wallet, we don’t drink, so we ordered a soft drink and chocolate shake.
I placed my order for a trio of all beef sliders and “four minute fries”. We were given a number and found ourselves a picnic table outside. Did I mention how nice the weather was? The Little Big’s employee who brought everyone their food was basically running from table to table bring out everyone’s orders. It was interesting to watch because she was busing the tables at the same time without delaying bringing out the orders. It was pretty impressive. She brought our orders out it was a sight for hungry eyes! A whole row of cute, little burgers. Before I could enjoy them, however, I took them over to the toppings bar where I added lettuce, small slices of tomato, ketchup, and mustard. The patties, though small, were very juicy and tasty! Every burger comes with sauteed onions which were especially good. The buns were a yeast bun similar to a dinner roll. They were soft and nicely chewy. Though these burgers are small, three 3oz patties is more than 1/2 lb and was plenty to fill me up. The fries were very good too. They were hand cut and fried to a nice crisp. The Milkshake was also one of the best I’ve ever had. It was a “fluffy” milkshake, if that makes sense. It wasn’t to heavy or thick.
Little Big’s was great! All the elements combined that night to make it one of my favorite Burger Tymes! It helped that I was really hungry, it helped that the weather in Houston was AMAZING! It helped that the NBA playoff game was an Overtime, Nail biter. But what helped it the most was that these little burgers were really good! I definitely will be returning and bringing more Burger Tymers with me.
Hint – When ordering your trio of sliders, you can mix them up and get one of each kind, beef, chicken, and mushroom! and get a milkshake!
