Jay's Burgers and More on North Main

 

The Marigold Cafe off of 290 - Burgers! - A John Nechman Discovery

 John writes: "Many thanks to my beautiful friend Belize Love (Raimey), who will one day again be preparing her incredible Belizean dishes for Houstonians if my wishes are granted. Raimey suggested I try sweet little The Marigold Cafe (7676 Hillmont), located within an office building that looks non-descript from the outside but is of a very unique design inside. The cafe is run by a wife/husband team, and the dishes feature a delightful Caribbean flair, from the spices used on the fries (frozen, but they are sensational with the spices coating them), the curry in several of the dishes, and offerings such as "Island Spice" pancakes and waffles made with cinnamon and nutmeg.

I went with an excellent bacon cheese burger, cooked fresh to order, and a heaping side of those wonderful spiced fries. The highlight of the meal was the green power smoothie, a potent blend of kale, spinach, mango, banana, pineapple, and ginger. I definitely felt invigorated after that one!

If you are up on the NW side of town, exit off 290 at Hollister, go south to Hillmont, then hang a left till you see this building. This hard-working, kind couple will make you glad you did. "

Hamburgers - Could This Be The Best Hamburger Value in Houston?

 

The burger is huge. And it has just about everything you could want. Even chopped pineapple, and ham, and cheese, and a double patty, and, I think, guacamole! Only 9 bucks.

And they also specialize in the giant quesadillas, known in Mexico, as "Machetes" because of their shape.

Taquería La Super "Hueva" is a food truck at 10146 Westheimer, parked in a Shell station. Go there.

Buzz 'n Bites Coffee (Burgers) on Blalock in Spring Branch - A John Nechman Discovery

John Nechman Writes: Our friend Jay P. Francis posted a pic today of a burger so miserable and meager that he'd received at Shake Shack that I could hear Clara Peller bellowing from Cyber Heaven, "Where's the EFFING BEEF!?!?"  

(Note from Jay: Man, I pass by this place every time I head up to the spectacular Cambrian Coffee on Hammerly at Blalock. I thought it was a coffee place, thus, I would have felt like a traitor to Cambrian to stop for a coffee there lol)

(Note from Jay: Here is that sad looking lukewarm Shake Shack burger with the sad, lukewarm, frozen french fries):

So for Jay and everyone out there in search of burger heaven, I post what we enjoyed at what has become one of our favorite stops for breakfast, lunch, and dinner-- Buzz n Bites Coffee Shop (1444 Blalock in Spring Branch).

Behold the Breakfast Burger. But better not hold it--use fork and knife lest your shirt take on the appearance of a Jackson Pollock painting. This masterpiece is composed of a buttered, toasted, fresh-baked bun stuffed with a thick, hand-formed patty, plenty of cheese, lettuce/tomato/onion, and an all-important soft-fried egg with a quivering yolk ready to cascade over everything. It is magnificent and comes with a side of fresh-fried tater tots. Richi had the Luau Burger, made with a slab of pineapple. I love pineapple, but never on pizza and rarely on burgers--the one here is one of those exceptions.

I posted before on the scrambled eggs here--the fluffiest, most perfect eggs I've had in Houston, and I think they only serve them on a croissant sandwich. They are expanding their menu, however, and I can't wait to see what's coming next."

Michael Shum writes:

"If we just go to a fraction of the eateries that our dearest friends John and Ricardo recommended, we will be able to fill our schedule for many years. When I saw John mention a place twice, that's all the signal we need to rush to Buzz N Bites for brunch with Baby this weekend.

The vibe is just right when arrive, both the customers and staffs are friendly. Baby meets a new girlfriend, a small poodle named Sophie, but he is playing hard-to-get when Sophie tries to initiate play with him. The diversity of the people at this place brings a smile to my face. We made friends with a family seated next to us on the patio who is from Oaxaca and El Salvador.

John's recommendation of The Classic Croissant is spot on, made with simple ingredients of Scrambled Eggs, Tomato, and Swiss Cheese. He was not exaggerating about the fluffiness of the Scrambled Eggs, with melted Swiss Cheese folded inside, it's like biting into a pillowy cloud of savory egginess. 

Being the Burger sluts that we are, we had to try their new burger menu. The staff recommends The Hive, as the closest to a traditional Cheeseburger which I prefer, consists of Avocado, Arugula, Cheddar Cheese, Tomato, homemade Butter, Dijonnaise, on a Brioche Bun. The Beef Patty is ordinary but nicely seasoned, cooked medium-well. I find Arugula is a good balance to the sweetness of other ingredients. The Tater-tots that accompany are as crispy as they can get and still maintain moisture inside. A totally formidable burger that satisfies our craving.

The Iced Buzz Lavander Latte, made less sweet, is strong enough as an Espresso beverage with a hint of Lavander. We're so content with our meal, and Baby is happy to meet new friends, some called him "thick". With satisfying food and beverages, a nice patio for pets, and a generally good vibe, we can see this place easily included in our regular rotation. I feel the place might be Asian-own too, which gives me more reason to support them.

Hangar Kitchen - A Darn Fine Burger

They grind their own meat for the burgers and hand form them just so that they hold together, but still create the crunchy bits. Too many places are clueless about this technique, resulting in a dense, hockey puck mess of a burger. Not Hangar Kitchen, though. 

Excellent burger. And the elote fries, the tater tots, and the chili and cheese fries are great.

Highly recommended.

Prince's Hamburgers

There is only one remaining Prince's Hamburgers in Houston and it is located at the Sharpstown Golf Course, just off Bellaire Blvd. and near Gessner. Prince's is a Houston institution. Originally a fleet of drive-ins around town with carhop service. Throughout the 40's and through the 60's, these were a great way to have an excellent burger with fries, shake, onion rings. But their menu was more than that. For me, the treat was the open steak sandwich with a big batch of onion rings. My parents defaulted to the fried shrimp platter.

You see, there's 14 years difference between my sister and me. So when I was just getting into my teen years, she was still a young 'un. My parents had to choose wisely where to eat because, you know, babies. So we dined on Tex Mex at El Patio on Telephone Road once a week and at Prince's at the Scott at 45 location once a week. Sometimes more, as we really loved the food. 

Those onion rings!

Here is some more history from the site. The current owner/manager/chief cook and bottle washer is John Broussard, who is keeping the Prince's legacy alive with its one location at the Sharpstown Golf Course.

"   It all started with Mr. Doug Prince back in the early 1920's when few people even knew what a hamburger was. He discovered the hamburger at the State Fair of Texas and decided to make it his life. He opened a small little "drive in" on Lemmon Avenue in Dallas. A virtual one man show. He would come out to the car, take your order, return to the kitchen, prepare the food and deliver it back out to the car.

In 1932 he took a trip to Houston and decided that it was here that he would build his empire. He purchased a small Weber's Root Beer stand on Main Street and quickly changed the Houston restaurant scene for years to come.

Mr. Prince was a real innovator. He not only produced an outstanding hamburger but his art of promotion was far ahead of it's time. He made everything from scratch, even his own Root Beer (we still do). Truly, a book could be written on all of his accomplishments.

Mr. Prince along with Fairmade Baking Company, (now known as Rainbo Baking Company) developed the round hamburger bun. His recipe for fried shrimp won him annual awards from Houston restaurant critics. Perhaps his finest achievement was having his Prince's Drive In featured in Life Magazine.

Throughout his career Mr. Prince and his family opened some 20 drive ins and restaurants. He expanded to other Texas cities including Beaumont and San Antonio, but his true love was Houston. It was here that he had 18 units, usually strategically located near a High School where the kids could "hang out".

Prince's continued to prosper and expand through the 1960's. After Doug Prince's retirement the company was guided by his two sons , Buck and Charles Prince. The two brothers formed a new company , Prince Food System Inc. (PFS).

PFS specializes in the operation of in-house dining facilities for many of Houston's largest employers. With the new direction for the company and the advent of air conditioning, the days of the drive in were coming to an end.

Elizabeth Flores, a former car hop and long time employee was given the task of operating the original, and last remaining Prince's Drive In, on Main Street. As the restaurant scene in Houston began to change, with large franchise operations moving in, the area on South Main began to deteriorate.

One of her vendors, the afore mentioned John Broussard, expressed interest in keeping Prince's alive"

The thing that impressed me so much on my recent visit was the quality of the hamburger meat. I don't know if they grind their own, but, I tell you, for a $6 burger and $4 onion rings, it is one of the best quality bargains in town. And the onion rings were as close to what I remember from my youth as could be.

John Broussard. in the kitchen. making some burgers from scratch.

Outside the Loop - A Great Hamburger Find on N. Mason Road - Joy Love Hamburgers

I loved the burger here. For me, I've often been heard to say "It's all about the bun".
And the bun here is soft and just perfect for a burger. I recommend this place highly.