Houston's 4th Burger Joint

Red-hot Houston burger joint and shake spot snatches up prime Kirby address for new West U location

The Burger Joint is coming to Kirby Dr.

Photo by Becca Wright

A popular Houston burger restaurant is coming to the Rice Village area. The Burger Joint will open its fourth location in the former Village Plumbing & Air space at 5403 Kirby Dr.

Located next to the second Houston location of Loro, the Asian-inspired smokehouse concept from Uchi owners Hai Hospitality, the new Burger Joint will occupy approximately 5,200-square-feet and will offer outdoor seating on a 1,600-square-foot patio. It’s expected to open in the summer of 2024.

“We have been searching nonstop for the perfect space in West University for several years, and believe we have found it,” co-founder and chef Matthew Pak said in a statement. “This location will allow us to bring our burgers, fries, and shakes to one of Houston’s best neighborhoods”

Founded by Pak and restaurateur Shawn Bermudez in 2015, The Burger Joint serves classic burgers, sides, and shakes. Some of its signature dishes include the Kimchi Burger (topped with Korean BBQ beef, kimchi, fried egg, etc.), a foot long hot dog topped with pulled pork, and a cheeseburger bowl with honey dijon dressing. It also runs a rotating monthly burger special

The Burger Joint has been highly successful, adding a Heights location in 2020 and a third near Baybrook Mall in 2021. It also spawned a sister concept, the Taco Stand, that has a location in the Heights with a second currently under construction in Webster.

In May, Bermudez told CultureMap that growing both The Burger Joint and The Taco Stand prompted him to sell Present Company, his cocktail bar on Westheimer. He also recently opened Roswell’s Saloon, a space-themed bar in the former Stone’s Throw space.

“We are expanding The Burger Joint. We have two more projects in the works,” Bermudez said. “We have four more Taco Stands in the works. We have two other full restaurants openings and a dessert concept opening.”

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2 staples shuttered

Downtown Italian restaurant and Upper Kirby wine bar suddenly close

Photo by © Chinh Phan/Fotowerk Group

Cru, seen here in happier times.

Inevitably, the end of the year brings a surprise closure or two, and 2024 is no exception. Both a staple downtown Italian restaurant and an Upper Kirby wine bar have quietly closed this week.

Sambuca closed after service on December 16, owner Kim Forsythe shared on Facebook. Open for 22 years in downtown’s The Rice apartment building, the restaurant was well known for its live music and lively atmosphere. While the restaurant had long been a staple for both downtown office workers and residents, it never fully recovered from the lingering economic changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In recent years, we've faced challenges that have tested our resilience,” Forsythe writes. “The changing climate of our city, with rising homelessness and crime, coupled with the lingering impacts of COVID and the resulting empty office spaces, has created a perfect storm that we could not weather. Though we fought with everything we had to keep our doors open, we're choosing to close this chapter with gratitude, carrying countless memories over the past 22 years.”

Crú Food & Wine Bar has closed its location in Upper Kirby’s Shops at Arrive development, according to a post former managing partner Annette Amaya on Instagram. In addition to the post about the closure, it is no longer accepting reservations via Open Table.

First opened in 2011, Crú earned a following for its eclectic wine list and a food menu that focused on familiar fare such as cheese and charcuterie boards and pizzas. Its location in The Woodlands remains open.

The Shops at Arrive have been busy this year with new openings. Staples such as Eddie V’s and Pondicheri have been joined by PostScript, a female-focused restaurant inspired by Dallas’ XOXO Dining Room, and Kira, an intimate hand roll bar from the team behind upscale omakase counter Neo.

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