Free Killen's Burgers

Free cheeseburgers: Ronnie Killen makes amends with plan to give away 3,000 pounds of meat

One of these cheeseburgers could be yours for free.

Photo by Kimberly Park

No one holds Ronnie Killen to a higher standard than he holds himself. Even though Texas Monthly named his Pearland burger joint one of the 50 best in Texas after less than two months in business, the acclaimed chef has been relentlessly improving his offerings with recent additions like a full lineup of milkshakes created by Tastemaker Awards Pastry Chef of the Year nominee Samantha Mendoza and a patty made with ground short rib, brisket, and dry-aged brisket that earned a shout out from Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn.

Still, he knows that those first few weeks of operations didn't meet his standards. Some customers experienced long waits or overcooked patties. The negative reviews prompted him to bet $10,000 he could cook a better burger than one dissatisfied patron. It all got a little out of hand.

In order to apologize for past mistakes and invite people to revisit the restaurant, Killen plans to give away free cheeseburgers on October 8 (one per customer). It's basically Killen's version of a Shake Shack ShackBurger: a five-ounce patty served on a Martin's potato roll with a swipe of his Thousand Island-inspired burger sauce (see picture above).

"We will have 3,000 pounds of meat to give away," Killen tells CultureMap. "I might give away fries, also. We will definitely have free beer."

Even though he's turning his attention to his upcoming steak-meets-barbecue restaurant Killen's STQ, he's continuing to make tweaks at the burger joint by working with Martin on a custom, five-ounce version of its potato bun that will hold up to his beefy, 10-ounce patties. Take that, Shake Shack.

chefs burgers news-you-can-eat

Gourmet Grocer Debuts

Houston entrepreneur serves up Italian-inspired market in Rice Village

Rice Village shoppers have a new option for wine, coffee, and gourmet gifts — with a restaurant to follow soon. Mercato and Company will open this Saturday, December 14.

Located at 3642 University Blvd., founder Arlene Ventura created Mercato as a combination of the New York City bodegas she grew up with and the markets she experiences while living in Milan for eight years. After a trial run in Brownsville, she’s brought Mercato to her adopted hometown of Houston.

“The Brownsville location was our first opportunity to test the Mercato and Company concept, though it was tailored to that market as a convenience store,” Ventura tells CultureMap in an email. “While it carried the same name, it was more of a stepping stone toward realizing our larger vision. About a year ago, we closed that location because we recognized that to bring Mercato and Company to its full potential, it needed to be in Houston, the city we call home. Our new West University location represents the culmination of this journey — a space that combines authentic, gourmet products with a welcoming community atmosphere.”

The store offers a variety of gourmet products, including:

Coffees from Ella Coffee, a Houston-based, Italian-inspired roaster
Pastries, panini, and other food items prepared in-house
Cheese and charcuterie
Italian wines
European grocery items such as olive oil, chocolate, spices, and more

Mercato will host cooking classes, wine tastings, and other events to bolster shoppers' connection to the store.

Ventura recruited chef-partner Tatiana Perna to create Mercato’s menu. Perna, who is the chef at Podere 1384, a resort in Tuscany, is also creating the menu for Osteria di Mercato, an Italian restaurant and wine bar that’s scheduled to open in early 2025.

“An osteria is by definition a place that brings people together over good food and wine,” Perna said. “At Osteria di Mercato, that’s exactly what we intend to do. We’re using high-quality ingredients and traditional Italian recipes and practices to create meals that are simple and authentically delicious, all in an intimate, welcoming space.”

Mercato and Company’s hours of operation are 7 am to 9 pm daily.

Courtesy of Mercato and Company

Shoppers will find a selection of cheese and charcuterie.

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