The Year in Culture

Burgers take over Houston: All hail the unstoppable food force

Bernie's Burger Bus
Branch Water Tavern's BWT burger got props from Bon Appetit
Photo by Kimberly Park
The Sydney Burger at The Burger Guys
Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller

I think it all started at the end of 2007, when a local critic named Hubcap Grill as one of the 10 best new restaurants of the year.

It caught many by surprise, not because Hubcap's burgers aren't good — they are — but because in a busy (pre-recession) year, it was almost unheard of for a delicious dive in a glorified crawl space downtown to steal a prestigious spot from a traditional white tablecloth contender.

But no more. Upscale dining and lowbrow tastes have become so intertwined that it's impossible to sort one from the other. At the center of it all is the once-humble burger, whether enjoyed as a trio of sliders, with a patty of Wagyu beef next to truffle fries or on a picnic table from a wax paper wrapper. Whether it's a function of economic hardship or an indulgent rejection of a dining scene that's becoming more health conscious, in 2010 burgers simply ruled.

First came the fast food invasion, led by Smashburger from Denver starting in 2009 and followed even more feverishly by D.C.'s Five Guys Burgers & Fries. By the end of the year the Houston burger establishment were expanding their operations, too, with both Christian's Tailgate and Hubcap announcing new locations to come in the Heights.

Of course the mobile food trend had its own share of burgers, too, with both the Hubcap Burger Truck (the best way to discover Hubcap's strangely good Cheeto burger, since it's the kind of thing most sane people would only order after midnight when a couple sheets to the wind) and the tasty and nostalgic Bernie's Burger Bus tooling around town.

In-and-Out might have snubbed Houston for the Dallas 'burbs, but we did get a California import when The Counter launched on Washington Avenue this fall. With steep prices and high-end ingredients (Danish blue cheese, applewood smoked bacon), The Counter was the ultimate symbol that the burger was no longer just street food, even if in execution the results were less gourmet and more meh.

RDG, Tony's, Tiny Boxwood's — these days there's nary a high-end resto that can avoid including a burger on the menu (or at least the lunch menu), infusing upscale taste by fashioning the patty from organic Kobe or Wagyu beef, or substituting buffalo or lamb instead of the pedestrian bovine.

Among my favorites? The Back to Cali burger, with smashed avocado, sprouts, bacon, pico de gallo, cheddar cheese and a brisket patty at Byrd's Market & Cafe, Queen Vic's Indian Kabob burger of spiced ground lamb on naan and the BWT burger (Kobe beef, white cheddar and bacon) at Branch Water Tavern.

Burgers aren't going away anytime soon — I'd mention the daily sliders at BRC Gastropub, but they are always sold out when I order them — but they've got some new competition from another backyard barbecue favorite.

The new standard in burgers might be The Burger Guys, taking the gourmet burger concept and adding a local element — the much-heralded Houston burger is topped with onion bacon jam, Saint Arnold's Fancy Lawnmower Ale mustard, bread and butter jalapenos, and Maple-smoked cheddar. But despite the name, The Burger Guys also showcase a quartet of gourmet hot dogs that seem to be just as popular.

And new hipster haven Moon Tower Inn skips the burgers altogether and focuses on hot dogs made of locally sourced buffalo, venison, rabbit, duck and more.

Is the hot dog the it dish of 2011? We'll see. But until then, all hail the burger.

Editor's note: This is the 13th in a series of articles CultureMap will be running this last week of 2010 on The Year in Culture. The stories in this series will focus on a key point or two, something that struck our reporting team about the year rather than rote Top 10 lists or bests of.

cheers to that

Texas bourbon named one of 2024's top 10 whiskies

Still Austin Whiskey Co. Red Corn Bourbon Whiskey

Still Austin Whiskey Co./Facebook

Now if only we could snag a bottle...as a Christmas gift, of course.

Three cheers for Still Austin Whiskey Co.! The distillery's Bottled in Bond Red Corn Bourbon Whiskey was recognized as one of Whisky Advocate'sTop 20 Most Exciting Whiskies of 2024.

Every year, Whisky Advocate's expert panelists rank hundreds of whiskies based on their quality, availability, value for the price, and "X-factor," meaning an excitement-inducing component like a unique flavor or an innovative idea. An international panel also reviews contenders through several blind taste tests without knowing each whisky's producer, origin, age, or price.

The magazine ranked Still Austin's five-year Red Corn Bourbon No. 7 on the list with a prestigious score of 94 points. The Red Corn whiskey, which was released in June 2024, has mash bill consisting of 36 percent Jimmy Red corn, 34 percent white corn, 25 percent rye, and 5 percent barley.

According to panelist Shane English, tasting notes start big and bold with cracked pepper, dusty leather, and cocktail cherries, before moving on to a palate of chile pepper, caramel, and buttery cornbread.

"Each sip is electric — the pepper gives this whiskey a zing balanced by poundcake and glazed doughnuts," English said. "Charred oak fades to chocolate, coffee, and pecan pie on the finish."

Still Austin had the only Texas product on the list, which was fitting given the brand's recent boasting that it could match any Kentucky Bourbon. As a game day stunt when the Texas Longhorns played the Kentucky Wildcats in November, Still Austin refilled empty Kentucky Bourbon bottles with its own Cask Strength Bourbon for just $1.

When the brand isn't playfully antagonizing Kentucky fans, its Red Corn Bourbon sells for a retail price of $85 per 750-milliliter bottle, falling nearly in the middle of the price category out of all 20 bourbons on the list, with eight others priced for less.

For additional context, none of the top five bourbons fall under a $100 price tag. In fact, the most expensive bottle on the 2024 list is the Angel's Envy 2023 Cask Strength Port Wine Barrel Finished Bourbon, which ranked No. 12 and retails for $230 per bottle.

"Our top 20 whiskies represent a curated collection that deserves your attention. Each whisky on the list stands out for its superb taste, representing the pinnacle of a year filled with remarkable tastings," said executive editor David Fleming in a release. "This list features whiskies offering exceptional value, leaders in their respective styles, and superbly made expressions that are well worth seeking out."

Whiskey Advocate's 2024 Whiskey of the Year is Laphroaig Elements 2.0 Cask Strength Scotch Single Malt, which earned 95 points and retails for $165 a bottle.

whiskey bourbon distilleries awards lists