The Eating Our Words Burger Bracket: The Sweet 16

• ddd

• Lankford set Houston up as a burger Mecca and it is about 30 blocks from Lucky's.

• The reason that more OTL burgers weren't selected is simple: Eight of the 16 burgers selected (that's half) are outside the Loop. But not by too much. Why? Because the Final Four burgers have to travel from their restaurant to Lucky's (in downtown) for the Burger Championship. It's not fair to pit burgers that will have a really long travel time (say, The Woodlands to downtown) against those that can get there in 10 to 15 minutes.

• Who said it was the <i>top</i> 16? That's not how brackets work. You should stick around to see which burgers advanced this week - then your panties will REALLY get in a twist! ;)

• Houston press- writing articles while high as a kite yet again. This bracket is not even close to picking the top 16 burgers in Houston. I guess that's not what you set out to do. Why not throw in McDonalds vs. Wendy's to stir up some controversy. Fail.

• While Beck's is a fast food place (albeit an upscale one) the burger they serve is clearly a steakhouse-style burger. Don't confuse burger styles with the class of restaurant that serves them.

• Some very good choices, and some curious ones. The obvious omissions are Beaver's, Christian's, and Lankford, all of which are often mentioned when talking about the best burgers in town. Alison Cook's recent rave over the burger at Ninfa's makes me think they belong on the bracket, too. Lucky's, Roznovsky's, Plonk, and Jonathan's all seem far less deserving than those mentioned above. And the bracket completely ignored the great burgers being served in the northern Houston area: Hubble & Hudson's, Jasper's, and Mel's. I guess the bottom line is that it's tough to narrow down the list to sixteen when you're talking burgers in Houston. It'll be interesting to see how the judges rate the burgers.

• i guess no one else loves bubbas the way i do...

• This is probably the best comment burger bracket thread EVER.

• there's nothing fun about burgers ,.,, crazies !

• they be hit and miss--- used to get my breakfast burger there when I was local . Certainly an institution

• Beck's quality of meat will stand up in this competition. Their steaks are great. I like being about to have a steakhouse quality steak and not have to pay the stupid steakhouse price.

• Shilcutt, the way I read the Hamburger Today categories, they are for the most part defined by the type of burger and not the place that serves it. They blur the lines in a few of their descriptions, but each one (even the steakhouse category) defines the burger by the burger itself. The selections in the bracket above seem to have forced some burgers into regionals that they may not belong in, many which have already been pointed out by commenters. That's my only beef. That and at least one of the judging teams selected by CM sucks. :) ps- 103 comments into this thing and nobody suggested Block 7's burger. I had it and Branch Water's last month and Block's is superior in several ways. I would add my opinion is totally objective and not to be questioned, but you guys probably already know that. Peace out.

• Damnit Shilcutt. I just scratched another notch in my desk next to "EOW uses 'just for fun' to defend post." Nearby on the desk, I also have etched "EOW tells commenters that work is purposeful and they are proud of it," but there aren't that many notches. Mostly just from NLH's work. ;)

• Becks Prime - Their slogan is THE WORLD’S FRESHEST FAST FOOD- Right off the menu, the TV ad, and the radio spot I heard on the way into work this morning. Totally in the wrong category, and thus don't stand a chance in their bracket. had they been placed in the fast food category, coulda had a decent showing.. -- sorry Becks Prime.

• no

• MAAAAAN, you guys are some angry lil' commenters. You realize this is about burgers, right? B-U-R-G-E-R-S. The decision of which restaurants to include will not affect your health or the health of your family, although it's clearly affecting your sanity. I mean, burgers are serious bitness in my house, but my god. Y'all are acting like the continuation of the human race is at stake here. Chill. Eat a burger. Have a beer. Get a grip. It's all in fun.

• MAN petrol station has got to take top honors. Best burger in Houston by far

• Sunny, love you, but nooooooo on sliders.

• WOW!! its so good to see were all not alike and have so many choices for burgers! we all have choices thats why they call it the usa!! and yall have a good night and Kathrine get some rest, ur doing great!

• Gotta say, if you did include sliders then Lucky Strike Lanes should be included. As much as I think that place is the opposite of what a bowling alley should be, the sliders are deericious.

• Oh, man. Cliff's. My dad used to take me there, great burger.

• Two cents: Beaver's and Sparkle Burger should be on here. Call me crazy, but I think a round of 32 would work.

• I am also very surprised that Rockwell Tavern was not included, easily one of the best in Houston. Still, a great idea, and I am looking forward to the results, since I have not tried 3 of the 16 on the list (yet!!).

• Stanton's Grocery deserves to be included in this category.

• Glad that sliders are NOT included. Sliders are pathetic excuses for burgers. Burgers are not meant to be little bity tiny snacks. Who wants to be hungry after eating? Burgers are meant to be complete meals. Anything with less than a 1/3-1/2+ pound of meat on it is not a burger. Sliders are a terrible fad that I hope goes away sooner than later. Death to sliders in all their tiny sissy forms!

• Better have a defibrillator on hand for the competition.

• When they started serving steaks.

• LOVE that everyone so passionate 'bout burgers!

• Chili's serves steaks, and we all know they are a steakhouse. Wait, what?

• I was seriously considering it for this year. I wish we'd had room for more than four brackets, but that would have meant a LOT more eating for our judges. Hehehe.

• oooo next year can there be a sliders cat?

• Just want my favorite burger joint on there :( but good luck to bellaire broil burger

• HUBCAP ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!!!

• Hubcap is not fast. Where is Millers?

• Pro

• In case it hasn't been done yet. Map with all contenders. http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&aq=0&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Houston,+Harris,+Texas&msa=0&msid=216321628951039244270.00049e87d4fa6cfccb60e&ll=29.907329,-95.410767&spn=0.494021,0.609055&z=11 b

• In a miraculous twist of fate, BBB and Roznovsky's destroyed each other in the bracket and were replaced with the Christian's Totem burger with the chicken-fried bacon on top. /bracketfantasies

• Why iz we fight? I can has cheezeburger now?

• Miss Katharine, I <3 you, but just because someplace serves steaks does not make it a steakhouse. :-)

• I'm not going to argue semantics with you. You and I both know that Kingwood, Willowbrook and Clear Lake aren't really in Houston.

• What is a Rockwell burger?

• Roznovsky's certainly knows what they are doing: freezing patties and then cooking them. The burgers are as one might expect, rubbery and tasteless. My parents swear it was a hot joint in the 70s, so maybe the burgers have gone downhill over the years.

• Prince's was my all time favorite burger until the last of the original locales closed in 1990. A few years later the Prince's brand was revived, but the burger lost it's mojo. The new Prince's still serves their burger on a poppy seed bun, but it does match the flavor of the original. If you want to go with an old school Houston burger Annies on South Post Oak is the one!

• You do realize that this isn't like a baccalaureate ceremony or something, right? These aren't the SATs of burgers. This is just for fun. ;)

• Of course there are pubs with executive chefs. They've even been given their own sub-designation: gastropub.

• Fair to all the burger joints in Houston. If they are voted on, the most votes gets you in the bracket.

• Fair to whom?

• Should have let fans vote in the best 16 places. Then it would be FAIR.

• This is SO funny...and SO in the spirit of actual BRACKETOLOGY. No one is ever satisfied...mission accomplished! Now let's have some fun!

• Agree, Christian's Totem isn't on here? What the heck?!

• and 24 hour Poppa Burger!

• We're gonna need a bigger bracket.

• No, they are very much open. I guess you are the idiot.

• "PUB's don't have classically trained Executive Chefs " Oh really, ever watch DDD on Food Network. LOTS of "Classicly Trained" Chefs working in all kinds of places. FAIL!

• october. i do like their shakes and malts, though.

• I like what they have laid out here. The format is cool (only alternative might be a Round Robin? Pun very much intended). Roznovskky's v. Bellaire BB will be "one for the ages". Don't dismiss either simply because they are vintage: they know what they're doing. Everyone will have their favorites that have been left out. Christian's has already been pointed out. I would also add Cliff's on Fountainview and Sam's Deli Diner, but the format inherently will leave some places out.

• Ahhhh nice comment Katherine, just pointing out the obvious! Isn't this forum designed to post comments? Maybe use these comments and make a better bracket next time, that's all i'm saying.

• Again, the judges have been given very explicit instructions on what to order. And I trust each team's judgement. And - most importantly - this is just for fun. Let's all take a deep breath. :)

• I believe not too long ago there was an article published in the paper on Houston's oldest institutions. Prince's Hamburgers was number 4 opening in 1934. Wish they were in this bracket!

• Houston Press, you guys and gals did a great job with this and I'm excited to see how this unfolds. This is a fantastic idea. I know it's tough to do your job on a daily basis and I'm not going to tear this apart like your other readers are doing. I'm going to be happy with this little experiment and watch the drama unfold.

• What's a "standard burger"? Cheese? No cheese? Mayo, mustard? Both? Ketchup? Beck's Prime as a steakhouse and Branch Water are as a pub are pretty glaringly inappropriate.

• Beck's serves steaks. And they have a great burger. I didn't want the steakhouse category to be entirely composed of upscale, expensive steakhouses; again, mixing it up a bit.

• If you look up in the sky, do you also see some black helicopters following you? We sent them, because you figured out our big secret. Watch out!

• I also don't make reservations at RDG Bar Annie - I've had just a drink there... but you try and throw them in the PUB category and see what you get. Clever lil name and actual type of restaurant / atmosphere are two different things. PUB's don't have classically trained Executive Chefs - and scoop up the crowd at Rudyards on a Friday night at 8pm and flip it with the crowd at Branch Water Tavern... yeah, they're the same .

• The judges have all been given their instructions on what to order at each restaurant: a standard burger. That's it. :)

• That's funny, I just looked at the bottom of the page and noticed an ad for little bitty burger barn and they are in the competiton. Also saw one for the Burger Guys, guess it's just a coincidence.

• The Burger Guys is in "the 'burbs," Jonathan's the Rub is in "the 'burbs," even places like BBB, Roznovksy's, Petrol Station and Plonk are in "the 'burbs," depending on your definition of "the 'burbs." It's all relative.

• If I'd had a fifth category available for "roadside stand-style" burgers, Sparkle -- along with personal favorites Creamburger and Burger Park -- would have definitely been in there.

• Make your own damn brackets. No one is ever pleased in a situation like this. Just enjoy it for what it is, an alt weekly burger bracket. It's not the be all, end all to burgers in Houston. Chill the fuck out people.

• Beck's Prime should be in the fast food division. Branch Water Tavern should be in the Fancy Pants division. I also want to know if the same burger ordered at each place, I think it would be an unfair advantage to be served a specialty burger with fried egg, and someone else just get a regular bacon cheeseburger. All orders should be the stardard bacon cheesburger.

• AMEN KATHARINE!!!

• Beck's serves steaks. And they have a great burger. I didn't want the steakhouse category to be entirely composed of upscale, expensive steakhouses; again, mixing it up a bit.

• Who gives a fuck what Robb or Allison would say... they are HISTORY. Quit living in the past.

• Nope, they were made based on a mixture of inner and outer Loop locations, some old "institutions" and some newcomers, some unlikely candidates and some more obvious choices. Just trying to mix things up.

• Branch Water has "tavern" in its name, its bar area is as big as the restaurant and I've never made reservations there. May not be <i>your</i> kind of pub, but I find myself having a drink there as often as I'm there just for a meal. :)

• Were these selections made based on advertisement participation? Pretty confused about the selection process.

• Bernie's Burger Bus...yes please!

• FAIL! Christians Tailgate / Christian's Totem left off - And , uh, Branch Water Tavern as a pub? Really? Reservations and Venision Medalions common at most pubs? (eye-roll)

• I agree, Prince's definately got snubbed, I was there last saturday and had a Blue Cheese Bacon Burger, delicious! The one on Briar Forest is always good, fresh, and love the atmosphere.

• whataburger should be on here somewhere

• Rockwell is closed, you idiot

• screw Beaver's

• I like how all of a sudden Beck's is a steakhouse. Never been to a steakhouse with a drive-thru. I'll take the filet mignon.

• when was the last time you visited? Never had a problem once, and like I said, I have become a regular there.

• the last time i went, my burger had spent time relaxing off to the side pre-cooked, before being revived on the grill where any remaining juices were cooked out.

• Highly disagree, eat there 2-3 times a week, Buffalo Burger is great, PepperJack is great, and their Original with their Prince's Sauce is awesome. They won best burger at the Rodeo!

• Kingwood is HOUSTON! Willowbrook is HOUSTON! Clear Lake is HOUSTON! Look at a map!

• i think one of the requirements for inclusion was that you make a good burger. prince's doesn't.

• i respectfully disagree. whereas it had been my all-time favorite burger, it is now just very good.

• Can't believe Prince's Hamburgers got snubbed. They opened their doors in Houston over 77 years ago back in 1934. A hometown favorite getting snubbed, too bad!

• I ate at Rockwell's two weeks ago. The Instant Vintage was just like the ones I had when they opened. Yes, new owner, and less choices on the menu, but the burger was still great.

• you're incorrect

• I don't think you've tasted enough burgers.

• No, Table Seven is closed, not Table 7 Bistro, which is downtown in the Club Quarters hotel.

• This is the HOUSTON Press... right?

• HUBCAP GRILL ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• the only "modern standard" we should be acknowledging is deliciousness. if you can't recognize that trait in BBB, then you are beyond help. i bid you good day.

• if this contest were a year ago, yes. sadly, rockwell's is a shadow of its former self. its spirit and chef has moved to love shack. i encourage you to visit.

• Edit on Christians, on Washington. Not midtown.

TotalComments: 100