GMA Burger battle

Bun B's Trill Burgers topple Houston cult-favorite in epic Good Morning America showdown

Bun B's Trill Burgers won the competition.

Photo by Nick Scurfield

Two of Houston's most acclaimed burger purveyors faced off in an epic battle on national television this morning. Good Morning America featured Trill Burgers and Burger-Chan on a Houston-centered edition of its “United States of Burgers” segment.

Filmed near downtown at Saint Arnold Brewing Company, a panel of three judges — Top Chef finalist and Olympian Dawn Burrell, ABC13 anchor Chauncy Glover, and former Houston Texans star Jonathan Joseph — evaluated both competitors for a chance to compete in New York City on Friday for a $10,000 prize. After sampling both burgers, the judges unanimously selected Trill Burgers to advance.

Trill Burgers served its OG Trill Burger, a double-patty cheeseburger with onions on a Martin’s potato roll. Rather than serve its own smash burger, Burger-Chan offered its Alison Cook burger, named after the Houston Chronicle restaurant critic’s order that she described in her popular Burger Friday column: a five-ounce patty topped with cheddar cheese, kimchi relish, sauteed onions, and sambal mayo.

Winning the judges’ acclaim is only the latest accolade for Trill Burgers, a smash burger concept developed by Houston hip hop legend Bun B in partnership with California-based restaurateur Andy Nguyen and Houston publicist Nick Scurfield. First introduced at the 2021 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, the concept has gone national by serving at events such as the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and the Coachella Festival.

Bun and chef Mike Pham will represent the restaurant in New York on the morning of Friday July 29.

“I couldn't be more proud to represent Houston in the biggest burger battle in America,” Bun B said in a statement. “I put this city on my back ever since we started UGK, and I am going to continue to carry it culturally, not just in music, but now in food. Let's go, baby.”

Burger-Chan is owned by chef Willet Feng and his wife Diane. First opened in Greenway Plaza (now closed), the couple opened a new location near the Galleria earlier this year. Chef Feng’s signature umami glaze helps set Burger-Chan’s burgers apart. Housemade sauces such as sambal mayo and scallion aioli allow diners to customize each burger to their tastes.

“It was probably a once in a lifetime experience to show our restaurant on a national level,” Diane Feng tells CultureMap. Later, she adds, “Even though we didn’t win, we’re really proud of what we put out there . . . It’s got the American part with the cheddar and the onions, and the Asian part that we’re really proud to showcase.”

Burger-Chan may have lost the competition, but the TV appearance has already boosted the restaurant’s profile. Feng says she received a phone call from a diner in Dallas who saw the segment and promised to stop by on his next trip to H-Town. Hopefully the appearance lures a few Houstonians, too.

Meanwhile, those who missed the segment may watch it below.

Bun B's Trill Burgers won the competition.

Bun B Trill Burgers Good Morning America burger battle

Photo by Nick Scurfield

Bun B's Trill Burgers won the competition.

burgers tv hero

say hey to Hypsi

Houston chef's hip new Italian restaurant now open in Heights hotel

Photo by Julie Soefer

Hypsi serves pasta and other Itaian-inspired dishes.

A new Italian restaurant is now open in the Heights. Located within the newly opened Hotel Daphne, Hypsi marks chef Terrence Gallivan’s return to professional cooking in Houston.

Known for his time as the co-execuive chef of The Pass and Provisions and owner of ElRo Pizza and Crudo, Gallivan brings strong culinary credentials to Hypsi. Although he isn’t known explicitly for Italian fare, he has significant experience making pizza, pasts, and other Italian-inspired dishes. After closing ElRo last year, the chef says that working for Bunkhouse Hotels, the Austin-based company that operates the Daphne, had a lot of appeal.

“My wife and I always made it a point to stop at their places whenever we’re in Austin. They know how to make cool stuff,” Gallivan says.

Hypsi’s menu includes updated takes on Italian fare begins with starters such as lamb meatballs, black truffle arancini, and Caesar salad. A selection of house-made pastas include squid ink radiatori with rock shrimp, butternut squash tortellini, and lumache with vodka sauce that gets a little heat from nduja. Entree choices include a roast chicken, pork Milanese, and roasted snapper with salsa verde.

The restaurant is also open for breakfast during the week and brunch on the weekends with items such as a panatone waffle, frittata, and breakfast sandwich. Lunch will follow in January.

“We took inspiration from tradition without being traditional,” Gallivan says. Later, he adds, “For me, it’s about balance. You try to please everybody. I want my mom to enjoy herself as much as a 25-year-old foodie. It’s important to hit as many marks as you can.”

One of the restaurant’s signatures will be the mozzarella cart that rolls through its dining room. Gallivan says he’s sourcing a mix of both American and imported Italian cheeses that will rotate every week or two. The cheese is served with a range of pickled fruit and vegetables, olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar, focaccia, and more. Of course, seeing a cart immediately grabs diners’ attention, making them want whatever is on offer.

“That’s the beauty of carts,” Gallivan says. “It’s a fun thing to do. I think sometimes we get a little too serious in restaurants. It’s supposed to be fun. People are here to enjoy themselves.”

All that eating and drinking takes place in a dining room that’s inspired by Prohibition-era speakeasies, according to press materials. Details include blueberry lava stone on the bar, vintage velvet chairs, and custom Carimate dining chairs by Vico Magistretti. An outdoor patio features brick pavers, mosaic tables, and sculptures.

Photo by Julie Soefer

Hypsi serves pasta and other Itaian-inspired dishes.

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