Foodie News

The cheesiest sandwich of all: Where to find the best grilled cheese for thisnational holiday

The Grazing Mind
Cheese Sandwich

If you search the Internet, you'll find that every day has been assigned a random food holiday. If you have bad luck, like I do, your birthday falls on something super lame like National Mustard Day (sorry, mustard fans) instead of a holiday celebrating pastries or burgers or doughnuts or, yum, pie.

I'll put National Grilled Cheese Day — celebrated on April 12 — as one of the good food days. What is more simple and more delicious than the combo of melted cheese and toasted bread? That's something to celebrate.

Of course, not all grilled cheese is created equal. Here are our five favorites around town:

5. Shepherd Park Draught House

The mixture of cheddar and Swiss on the Grilled Cheese O.D. really takes me back to the sandwiches of my childhood, with a creamy tomato bisque on the side.

4. Bernie's Burger Bus

It's hard to hit up the bus and not order one of the incredible burgers, but Bernie also offers a grilled cheese dubbed the Recess, made of sourdough bread and cheddar cheese with optional add-ons like tomato, avocado, mushrooms, caramelized onions or a fried egg. Who needs beef?

3. Pinewood Café

If you want a grilled cheese done right, you've got to design the perfect combo yourself, which is why the make-your-own grilled cheese menu at Pinewood Café inside Hermann Park is so genius. I'm partial to a jalepeño cheddar bread with chicken, pico de gallo, pepper jack and cheddar cheese.

2. Max's Wine Dive

Thick brioche toast goes toe to toe with oozy gruyere and provolone in a battle to win over your taste buds, with a hint of heat from red bell pepper pimiento. The cup of tomato soup on the side is great — grilled cheese and tomato soup go together in a comfort food duo like cookies and milk.

1. Ladybird Food Truck

If you are going to name something after yourself, it better be awesome. Luckily the LadyBird grilled cheese, made of cheddar, Texas goat cheese, Brooklyn ricotta, green tomatoes and a side of pickled okra remoulade, does not disappoint. Oh, how it does not disappoint.

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two days of bbq

2 Michelin-rated barbecue joints holding can't-miss pop ups in Houston

Courtesy of KG BBQ

KG BBQ is bringing its Egyptian-influenced barbecue to Houston.

Two of the Texas barbecue joints to earn Bib Gourmand recognition in the Michelin Guide will be holding pop ups in Houston this week. One is visiting from Austin, while another is a Spring favorite with a one-day-only menu.

On Saturday, December 14, Austin’s celebrated KG BBQ will be serving at Axelrad in Midtown. Part of Texas Monthly’s 2023 list of the Top 25 New and Improved BBQ Joints in Texas, KG BBQ has earned wide acclaim for pitmaster Kareem El-Ghayesh’s Egyptian-influenced take on Texas barbecue.

The menu will include many of KG’s most popular dishes, including brisket rice bowls with smoked Mediterranean rice; smoked lamb chops; sumac-and-cinnamon-rubbed lamb shoulder, and sides such as pink buttermilk potato salad and Baladi salad.

Service begins at 10:30 am. Preorders are available online with a minimum order of $60.

In a statement, Axelrad co-owners Adam Brackman and Monte Large say that KG will make more visits to Houston in 2025. El-Ghayesh adds that he’s a fan of the Houston bar that’s known for its spacious backyard with hammocks, a stage, and a wide-ranging menu of beer and cocktails.

“Since the moment I stepped foot in Axelrad, I loved their culture, their vibrant colors and artistic flare, their attention to detail and hospitality and love for entertainment makes this place perfect for bringing back my nostalgic memories of hosting pop-ups like how I started in Austin,” he said. “I’m proud to bring what I have created to Houston. From how diverse the city is, its beautiful variety of ethnic foods, and large Egyptian community, it has so much to offer. We are excited to serve up some Egyptian BBQ to the Houston community through our pop ups over the next year at Axelrad.”

On Sunday, Spring’s Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q will trade its usual offerings for a special menu of dishes made with smoked whole hog. The menu will include whole hog plates, whole hog sandwiches, whole hog-and-parmesan polenta cakes, and whole hog served over cheese grits with a New Orleans-style barbecue sauce as well as sides and desserts. Service will run from 11 am until everything sells out, likely sometime between 2 and 3 pm.

“The whole menu is filled with specials and cool items we don’t do everyday at the stand,” co-owner Jordan Rosemeyer writes in an email. The motive, beyond exercising some creative muscles, is to raise money for Hogs for the Cause, an annual event that raises money for pediatric brain cancer research and the families who are fighting it.

Like KG, Rosemeyer is also a member of Texas Monthly’s 2023 new and improved list. Located at 2111 Riley Fuzzel Rd., the humble trailer has earned acclaim for its weekly specials, housemade ice cream, and well executed barbecue staples.

news-you-can-eat barbecue pop ups kg bbq rosemeyer bar-b-q