the wait is over

Favorite Houston burger joint fires up Memorial opening date

This week brings good news for Memorial and Spring Branch-area diners. A new location of The Burger Joint opens this Thursday, February 26.

Located just north of Memorial City Mall at 1016 Gessner, it’s The Burger Joint’s fourth location. Designed by Burger Joint owners Shawn Bermudez and chef Matthew Pak with support from Cisneros Design Architects, the 4,300-square-foot restaurant has a 1,500-square-foot patio that offers plenty of room for Memorial-area families and neighbors.

Photo by Becca Wright

The Burger Joint's new location opens this Thursday, February 26.

The restaurant will serve Pak’s menu of classic American burgers, fries, and shakes, including signatures such as the Smoke Stack (topped with pulled pork, mac & cheese, and a fried egg), the Kimchi (kimchi, fried egg, cheddar), and the Vietnamese coffee shake. Chicken sandwiches, bowls, and hot dogs provide plenty of non-burger options. Match them with fries, sweet potato fries, or onion rings.

Pak and Bermudez founded The Burger Joint as a food truck in 2015. Since then, it’s grown to locations in Montrose, the Heights, and Baybrook. A location near Rice Village is expected to open later this year.

They duo also operate The Taco Stand, a fast casual restaurant that serves street-style tacos. A new location of that restaurant will open next to The Burger Joint in April.

“Our team is excited to expand our brand to Memorial,” said Pak. “We’ve been looking forward to serving our fans in this neighborhood for some time, and we can’t wait to see families enjoying our burgers, shakes, fries and more on our patio for years to come.”

openings news-you-can-eat burgers

A federal case

Houston restaurant known for meatloaf and bourbon sets River Oaks opening date

Courtesy of Federal American Grill

Matt Brice is bringing Federal Grill to River Oaks.

The countdown is on for the next location of Federal American Grill. The upscale comfort food restaurant will open its River Oaks-area location on March 20.

Located in the former Eloise Nichols space at 2400 Mid Lane, the new Federal Grill will follow the restaurant’s winning formula of pairing classic American fare with an extensive beverage program.

Federal Grill River Oaks sign The sign is up at Federal Grill's new location.Courtesy of Federal Grill

Founded by Matt Brice in 2013, Federal Grill serves an wide-ranging menu of comfort food that includes steaks, salads, shareable items, and seafood. Signature dishes include cheeseburger egg rolls, bacon-wrapped scallops, Janice’s Meatloaf, and braised short rib with bacon and mushroom risotto. It has five existing Houston-area locations on Shepherd Dr., Hedwig Village, Katy, The Woodlands, and a downtown restaurant that opened last year.

In addition to its food, Federal Grill is known for its extensive whiskey list that offers more than 500 selections, including exclusive barrel picks. Its cocktail and wine lists are similarly lengthy.

The new location will feature happy hour daily from 3-7 pm and private dining spaces for celebrations and corporate events.

Federal Grill touts its customer-first approach to service that it defines in press materials as “yes is the answer, what’s the question?”

“Our goal has always been simple... to create a place where every guest feels like family,” Brice said in a statement. “River Oaks is such a vibrant, iconic neighborhood in Houston, and we’re excited to become part of its hospitality community.”

news-you-can-eat openings