Burger Favorite Closes

A Houston burger favorite suddenly closes: Is good food not enough anymore?

The Burger Guys, one of CultureMap's Top 10 burger spots, has closed its doors. Owner Jake Mazzu confirmed to CultureMap that the restaurant has ceased operations.

The Houston Press first reported the shuttering. Despite the widespread acclaim for the restaurant's akaushi patties, duck fat fries and hand-spun milkshakes, after three years the high-end burger concept simply wasn't attracting enough customers.

"Chasing a dream comes with a cost, and that has taken its toll."

"Due to low turn out, and a rise in number or restaurants, Houston has no room for us anymore," Mazzu wrote in a Facebook message. "Forever grateful for the three plus years we ran. We always tried hard, and went to work each day.

"Chasing a dream comes with a cost, and that has taken its toll."

This shut down follows September's closure of The Burger Guys downtown restaurant, an expansion of the original location. At the time, chef Brandon Fisch lamented that even highly touted restaurants can close to due to lack of support.

"I also believe that some of this is that when a place opens that’s small, we can’t forget about them after three months," Fisch said. "If we still tell our friends about them, I hope that we’re going there. I hope that we’re not just saying it and fluffing it up and never showing our face."

Mazzu declined to comment on his future plans, but the restaurant has started a successful run from a mobile trailer in his hometown of Beaumont. The restaurant had also been testing various smoked items. Perhaps the endeavor will be reborn as a Beaumont-based burgers and barbecue joint?

For fans of Houston's best cafe sua da milkshake, hopefully the answer is yes.

Sadly, this dark interior shows the current state of The Burger Guys Westchase location.

Photo by: CultureMap

Sadly, this dark interior shows the current state of The Burger Guys Westchase location.

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bring on barnaby's

Favorite Houston comfort food spot picks Garden Oaks for 10th location

Courtesy of Barnaby's Cafe

Barnaby's Cafe is coming to the Stomping Grounds this fall.

Earlier this week, real estate developer Bryan Danna promised “big news…very soon” about a new tenant for the former LuLoo’s Day & Night space at his Stomping Grounds development in Garden Oaks. That news is that Houston favorite Barnaby’s Cafe has claimed the space for a new location that will open later this year.

When a Barnaby’s decal appear on the restaurant’s door a couple of days ago, news of the restaurant’s imminent arrival spread quickly on social media. It will be Barnaby’s tenth location, joining outposts in Montrose, River Oaks, the Heights, and more.

The restaurant will occupy a 2,250-square-foot space at the Stomping Grounds. It will offer a to-go window for people hanging out in the development’s green space as well as a gated, dog-friendly patio. Houston artist Roberto Cervantes will contribute works to the restaurant’s interior.

Founded in 1992 by restaurateur Jeff Gale, Barnaby’s is known for its wide-ranging and affordable menu of classic American fare, including salads, sandwiches, breakfast items, and dinner entrees. Customer favorites include the Lebanese chicken fattoush salad, chipotle black bean burger, baby back ribs, and green eggs, which are scrambled with spinach and artichoke hearts. Dogs can snack on a special “puppy menu” of ground beef, sliced chicken breast, or scrambled eggs over brown rice.

Stomping Grounds green space A to-go window will expedite orders for people in the Stomping Grounds' green space.Courtesy of Stomping Grounds

“Bringing Barnaby’s to Garden Oaks and Oak Forest has been on my wish list for more than a decade, so I’m incredibly grateful that Jeff Gale and his team saw Stomping Grounds as the right fit,” Danna said in a statement. “Jeff and I go back to his first Heights location, which was one of Barnaby’s first big moves north of Montrose, and I have always respected what he and his longtime team have built. Thirty years in the restaurant business is a serious accomplishment. You do not make it that long unless you know how to take care of people, build loyalty, and become part of the neighborhood.”

When it opens this fall, Barnaby’s will be open daily from 11 am to 9 pm. It will join other restaurants at the Stomping Grounds, including Fat Cat Creamery, Tex-Mex restaurant La Mex, Bollo Woodfired Pizza, casual sushi restaurant Himari, Little Sister Cake Shop, and High Five Mini Bar. Earlier this week, casual Vietnamese restaurant Pho Prime announced that it had claimed the space formerly occupied by The Pho Fix for a new location that will also open this fall.

news-you-can-eat openings stomping grounds barnaby's cafe