HOUSTON – Here in Houston, you can trigger unrelenting cravings in an instant with two simple words: Trill Burgers.
Rapper Bun B’s local fast-casual concept has drummed up much enthusiasm in recent years, cultivating a following through pop-ups. In July 2022, “Good Morning America” dubbed its burgers the best in the country, propelling them to a buzzy, must-eat status. A popular vendor at the 2023 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Trill Burgers served more than 41,000 burgers in just 20 days and earned a coveted Gold Buckle Foodie Award for best classic fair food.
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Trill Burgers opened its new brick-and-mortar location Wednesday to immediate crowds: It has a reputation in the city for its meaty, cheesy smashburgers.
Rapper Bun B, who’s real name is Bernard Freeman, co-owns Trill Burgers with California restaurateur Andy Nguyen, publicist Nick Scurfield, and chefs Mike Pham and Fernando Valladares.
“It’s been a dream for us, and it’s actually coming true,” Freeman said in a statement. “It’s been our sole goal to open up an establishment where we can serve you guys Trill Burgers consistently at a high level on a daily basis. And now we’re ready to do it. We are now officially open for business, ready to serve you.”
Eager to try the award-winning wonder and experience the spectacle Trill Burgers seemed to inspire wherever it materialized, I traveled to Montrose. I braved the parking lot, the site of much honking, hollering and mayhem as drivers desperately sought to secure a spot (I witnessed a fender bender), and the line, which trailed outside and wrapped around the restaurant on a 95-degree day, and was rewarded mightily for my efforts.
Trill Burgers’ new outpost offers a short burgercentric menu in a boxy black-and-yellow space on South Shepherd Drive (a former James Coney Island location).
Essentially, there are two burgers at Trill Burgers. The OG Burger, the eatery’s signature smashburger ($11.29), consists of two griddled patties, smashed thin and cooked crisp on their edges, served on a potato roll with melted cheese, caramelized onions, pickles and Trill Sauce. Its companion, the Vegan OG Burger ($14.29), is nearly identical, though vegan. For more meat (or meat substitute) to maw on, try the Triple OG Burger ($13.79) or the Vegan Triple OG Burger ($16.79). French fries are $3.99.
Simply for atmosphere, Trill Burgers was an enjoyable place, (notwithstanding its overloaded lot). Service was welcoming. Customers were excited and their enthusiasm was infectious. There was a shared sense of camaraderie among those who had surrendered their lunch break to the frenzy of the smashburger.
Queued in the slow-shuffling line, my anticipation, and appetite, grew enormously. Through the crowd, I caught tantalizing glimpses into the smoky kitchen, where small balls of ground beef were placed atop the griddle. I watched as a cook smashed the beef into the griddle, spreading it into a rough patty large enough to overhang the edges of a bun. The patties were scraped, flipped and topped with cheese. It was a mesmerizing process.
Once I reached the counter, about half an hour after I arrived, my resolve to be somewhat virtuous and eat light (well, relatively) had weakened. Without hesitation, I ordered the Triple OG Burger combo ($17.78). I wish I had the forethought to order another while I had the chance.
I do want to preface my findings with this disclaimer: I love burgers. And I do mean love. Probably to a fault.
And so, my judgment of the Triple OG Burger: Very good.
After my first bite, I thought “Wow, this is an awesome burger.” I didn’t trust myself, and dug in again. Once more, I thought, “Wow, this is an awesome burger.”
It was superb, the meat charred, tasting faintly of salt, garlic and pepper, covered in melted cheese, paired splendidly with the Trill Sauce, a kind of garlicky mayonnaise ketchup flavor enhancer. The caramelized onions were a delight, sweet and intensely flavored. Everything came together in satisfying bites as juicy as the restaurant’s vibe.
It was a creation so perfect in its simplicity, I was at a loss for how it could be improved upon. The fries, though crisp, well-salted and munchable, were weaklings beside it.
For the sheer gluttony of it, I strongly contemplated rejoining the line to get a second helping. Somehow, I managed to talk myself out of that particular insanity.
Trill Burgers is open daily, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. However, the new 3,236-square-foot restaurant is temporary, serving “as an extended pop-up location for six months while Trill Burgers searches for a permanent home in the Houston area,” per a release.