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    Five Out-of-This-World Burgers

    Houston's newest burgers feature serious chef talent and genius ingredients

    Eric Sandler
    Apr 25, 2016 | 2:12 pm

    For many Houstonians, burger Friday is as sacred an eating ritual as Sunday brunch or taco Tuesday. Social media fills up with posts of people dining at classics like Lankford Grocery and Stanton’s City Bites or fancier restaurant burgers at places like Hunky Dory and Vic & Anthony’s.

    All that insatiable burger lust inspires Houston chefs to keep innovating. To keep looking to capture the next burger sensation. One might suggest that the city has too many good burger options for a new one to garner attention, but the crowds who have flocked to The Burger Joint since it opened in November suggest that Houstonians are always willing to try the hottest new offering.

    With that in mind, here’s a look at four of Houston’s newest burgers from some of the city's most talented culinary minds. As a bonus, consider a can’t miss pop-up that's happening on Tuesday.

    Killen’s Burger
    Until it opens next month, Ronnie Killen is building anticipation for his new burger place with a weekly pop-up. Held at Killen’s Barbecue every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the Killen’s Burger setup is simple. Choose from a hamburger ($7) or cheeseburger ($7.50), then add fries; it even benefits from a separate line to avoid the barbecue crowd.

    The house-ground patty (a mix of chuck and brisket) comes topped with tomato, lettuce, dill pickle, and sauce. The chef is still testing exact proportions for the patty, trying to find the right french fries, and debating between a Slow Dough bun and a Shake Shack-style Martin potato roll, but, regardless of the specifics, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

    Kuma Burgers
    Already home to Greenway Coffee and the Rice Box, Greenway Plaza’s status as Houston’s coolest food court is cemented with the arrival of Kuma Burger. Opened by former Oxheart sous chef Willet Feng, the stand serves burgers and hot dogs with both traditional and creative toppings, all of which are house-made. Burgers start with an 80/20 chuck blend that’s ground to Feng’s specs and are cooked on a griddle to ensure crispy edges.

    Keep things classic with choices like the Texas BBQ burger (cheddar, bacon, onion strings, barbecue sauce, pickles) on a classic Sheila Partin bun or get more adventurous with toppings like sambal mayo and scallion aioli or the gluten free bun made with compressed grains of rice. Sides include fries, lotus root chips, and Feng’s surprisingly traditional take on Texas chili. Long lines may be a bit of an issue, but parking validations are available for those who make the trek underground.

    Toulouse Cafe & Bar
    The first restaurant to open in River Oaks District is attracting plenty of buzz thanks to French Cowboy Philippe Schmit’s full-time return to restaurant cooking and to its timeless decor. Certainly, diners can’t go wrong by sticking to classic bistro fare like mussels mariniere and Schmit’s signature bouillabaisse, but the burger is a winner, too. Available at lunch and dinner, the Black Angus patty sits on a toasted brioche bun and is stopped with bacon, swiss, avocado and sauce gribiche. The meat benefits from the crunch of the bun and the gooey, creamy toppings. Try it at lunch or while sitting at the restaurant’s bustling bar.

    Zimm’s
    Since Pax Americana opened in 2014, its companion bar has primarily served as a waiting area with cocktails, but things are looking up. Under the direction of recently hired bar manager Judith Piotrowski (formerly with Weights + Measures), Zimm’s has shed its martini bar heritage with a new selection of spirits and cocktails, and now the Pax kitchen is chipping in, too. As of last week, CultureMap Tastemaker Awards chef of the year nominee Adam Dorris has started serving a nightly burger that’s exclusive to Zimm's. When I stopped by, the burger consisted of two, quarter-pound patties on a toasted, longos potato bun topped with cheddar cheese, whole grain mustard and pickle spears. The meat has been ground in house, Pax makes the bun, and the condiments are all from scratch.

    Priced at $15 with a side of crispy potatoes, it’s even a bit of a deal for the quality and big, beefy flavor packed into every bite. Just go early. Only 10 to 15 burgers are available each night.

    The Burger Joint
    To kick off its Joint Venture guest chef series, the Montrose restaurant has invited Philippe Gaston from Izakaya to serve his take on a classic burger for one night only. Gaston’s creation is topped with poblano peppers and queso chihuaua that’s “smothered, fried El Galan style.” If that weren’t enough, the Burger Joint will also be serving Gatson’s riff on poutine with Japanese curry and Wisconsin cheese curds.

    It all happens Tuesday from 6 to 10 pm and a portion of proceeds will be donated to Recipe for Success. In May, Mike Potowski and Maria Gonzalez of Benjy's will take a turn, and Justin Turner from Bernie’s Burger Bus will be June’s guest chef.

    Newly opened Kuma Burger makes Greenway Plaza Houston's coolest food court.

    Kuma Buger Greenway Plaza
      
    Photo by Eric Sandler
    Newly opened Kuma Burger makes Greenway Plaza Houston's coolest food court.
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    BA hearts HOU

    Houston haunt earns only Texas spot on Bon Appètit best new bars list

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 2, 2025 | 4:00 pm
    Lee's bar interior
    Photo by Julie Soefer
    Lee's is one of America's best new bars, says Bon Appètit.

    A Houston bar is basking in the national spotlight. Bon Appètit has named Lee’s in Rice Village to its list of The 9 Best New Bars of 2025.

    Published last week, the list spotlights new bars in cities ranging from cocktail staples like New York and New Orleans to an establishment in Madison, Wisconsin that served a menu inspired by the Great British Bake-Off. “These places remind us why we go out in the first place: not just to drink, but to drink in community, creativity, and craft,” the magazine writes.

    Lee’s is the only Texas establishment to make the list. Open since January, it’s the companion cocktail bar to Milton’s, the nostalgic Italian-American restaurant that Local Foods Group opened last year. Just as Milton’s is named for LFG owner Benjy Levit’s father, Lee’s is named for his mother. The bar earned a CultureMap Tastemaker Award Bar of the Year nomination for its ability to blend a quirky cocktail menu with a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

    In its entry, Bon Appètit recognizes Lee’s for cocktails such as the Black Hat, a black Manhattan that’s also black in color courtesy of cuttlefish ink, and the Pale Blue Eyes, an Old Fashioned that’s blue thanks to a clarified blue corn syrup. “Much of the inspiration at Lee’s is understated, from drink names that reference the Velvet Underground to complex mixology,” the magazine adds.

    “I am extremely honored for Lee’s to be recognized on such a short, meaningful list by Bon Appètit,” Levit said in a statement. “The article describes a great bar as being about ‘mood, memory, effortless hospitality, and a sweet suspension of time.’ It’s everything we strive for at Lee’s and across all Local Foods Group concepts.”

    Shortly before Bon Appètit named Lee’s to its list, the bar made a quiet change in personnel when director of bars Máte Hartai left the company in mid-May. Hartai, whose resume includes both Refuge and Tongue-cut Sparrow, is the cocktail expert who created the menu that earned Lee's its award. In his place, the company has named former March bartender Chad Matson as the bar manager for both Lee’s and Milton’s.

    “The LFG team is grateful for [Hartai’s] contributions and wishes him the best in his future endeavors, which will without a doubt be fun and creative,” a representative tells CultureMap.

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