An Upper Kirby burger institution will return to service this week. Becks Prime will reopen its original Kirby Drive location this Thursday, December 22 (2902 Kirby Dr).
First opened in 1985, the Kirby location needed a refresh after 37 years of continuous use. Changes include an all-new, 48-seat patio and a digital menu for drive-thru customers. Inside, customers will find wooden tables, new wallpaper, leather banquettes, and framed photographs from the restaurant’s history.
“Our classically designed restaurant had remained frozen in time for 37 years since first opening on Kirby in 1985 so it was time for a refresh while still holding onto reminders of where we started,” Becks Prime president Molly Voorhees said in a statement. “We have missed our neighbors in River Oaks and cannot wait to welcome everyone back just in time for the New Year.”
Becks Prime serves burgers made with beef that's ground fresh in-house and grilled over mesquite. A diverse menu that also includes salads, steaks, and sides like queso and guacamole has allowed the company to grow to nine Houston-area locations. In an appearance on CultureMap’s “What’s Eric Eating” podcast, Voorhees credited part of Becks Prime’s success to the restaurant's willingness to tailor an order as to suit each person's tastes.
"Something like 50 or 60 percent of the people who come in our doors customize some part of the meal . . . If you want two pieces of bacon, mustard on the top, prime sauce on the bottom, I want to put a hot dog in that sandwich instead of a burger, it's okay," she said. "Most of the time it comes out exactly as our customers like it. If it doesn't, bring it back to the counter, and we'll fix it. Becks does that well and always has, and our customers expect us to keep doing it, so you better not change a darn thing."
Beginning Thursday, the restaurant will be open daily from 11 am-10 pm. It will close at 4 pm on December 24 for Christmas Eve and be closed on Christmas Day.
Photo by Kirsten Gilliam
The restaurant is known for its mesquite-grilled burgers.
