It's been a while since I posted anything here so I thought I would just post a few shots of the great burgers I've been enjoying.

This is a pretty good list of great burgers. A few are on the Texas Monthly Top 50 Burgers in Texas. Also, a few are from the rapidly growing list of great burgers right here in Katy.

Enjoy!

Chris Madrid's (San Antonio)

I've been to Chuckwagon BBQ & Burgers a few times now and I think the burgers are getting better every time. The burger starts with a soft bun toasted lightly with butter and then is layered with a nicely cooked beef patty, pepper jack cheese, bacon, and fresh veggies of your choice. It is served with a choice of sides. Of course I chose the mac & cheese.

I present The Double Classic with cheese. A new contender for best burger in Houston. And the fries are just as great. The fries are hand cut and fried to a perfect crisp outside with a soft center. Awesome!

The first in a series of "funky" dogs. This one created by Chef Randy Evans. The Colombian Dog is a Wimmer's Red hot dog in a toasted King's Hawaiian roll, topped with bacon crumbles, pineapple relish, garlic, mayo-ketchup, queso fresco, green onions, and crushed potato chips.

I really liked this one. It has a nice snap from the casing of the dog, sweetness from the pineapple, savoriness from the bacon, and a nice crunch from the potato chips. A perfect balance!

The Grove Donutz is tucked away into a small strip center on the edge of the suburbs in Southwest Houston.  Alongside of the normal glazed donuts and kolaches they offer a long list of made to order specialty donuts.  And cronuts also!  

I couldn't resist the Banana Cream Pie Cronut. A large cronut piled high with banana pudding, banana slices, whipped cream and crushed vanilla wafers.  It was like eating heaven on a cloud!

My son was obsessed with his Minion donut.  He was so excited that he just sat and looked at it for a very long time.  Then he bit the head off!

It's ways from the city lights but totally worth it.

I used the drive thru window at a new little funky hole in the wall joint today. And it was really authentic Cajun. Seafood on the Geaux opened recently on Mason Rd just South of I-10 West. It is a tiny building with a walk up window and only a few outdoor covered and uncovered seats.

Offering the usual Cajun fare, I chose the Shrimp Po'Boy. It was served on warm crusty French bread with a Cajun mayo, lettuce and tomato. It was totally legit.

Check them out at www.seafoodonthegeaux.com

With crawfish season upon us again, I made the trek over to LA Crawfish. The Crawfish Phó had a deep, spicy and flavorful broth accented by the Cajun spices. The downside was that the crawfish were small as it was very early in the season.

Excellent braised lamb shank over chive mashed potatoes from Ray's Gourmet Country in Fulshear, Texas.

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Grilled Cheese Cheeseburger at Black Walnut Katy.

One of the best little burger joints in Houston started as a family owned local grocery back in 1961.  As the years went by the little deli meat counter started serving hot food in the shadow of downtown in the 1st Ward District.  Eventually this small neighborhood landmark became Stanton City Bites.  Today they have an extensive burger menu with a few other things like sandwiches, salads, and various snacks.  They have also amassed a large selection of craft beer to enjoy with your burger of choice.

http://www.stantonscitybites.com/

J-Dubs Burger Barn recently opened in Old Town Katy. They are serving up burgers with fresh ground beef and hand cut fries out of an old house.

I ordered the Jalapeño Burger which came piled high with mustard, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and jalapeños topped with pepper jack cheese on a jalapeño bun.  Served with hand cut fries and a drink for only $8.82 plus tax.  That's a deal!

I had the shrimp corn dogs with Tabasco remoulade for starters. For my main I chose the Gulf fish and head on Gulf shrimp offering. This night the fish was Mahi Mahi. They were served with a butternut squash purée.

I chose the Royale with Cheese. A traditional style burger with grass-fed Texas Akaushi beef, sharp cheddar, hydro bibb lettuce, roma tomatoes, and house made pickles on a wheat bun. I paired it with a Karbach Brewing Barn Burner.

The veggies were fresh and the burger was cooked a perfect medium. I'll be back real soon.

Caramel Corn Crusted Pork Belly - Root beer-braised Black Hill Ranch pork belly, pistachio caramel corn and celery root puree.

This day I chose the Texas Melt. A wagyu beef patty between a cheddar roll bun, then topped with applewood bacon, peanut butter, and jalapeño jam. It was an interesting combo with the salty bacon, spicy jalapeños, and peanut butter. It was a hot, sticky mess! And that is a great thing.

Bang Mi truck was recently set up at Katy Mills Malls along with Coreanos food truck , Pi Pizza Truck, Happy Endings food truck and a few others.

I ordered a "The other red meat" Bang Mi with kimchi and a fried egg. It was a great as expected.

Mary's Lamb Burger is a blend of lamb and angus beef, feta cheese, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and Mary's yogurt dressing.

Today I checked out Kurbside Eats for the first time. They offer burgers, fries, tacos, and egg rolls with an Asian twist.

Crispy Taco Belly – Seasoned pork belly slices on paratha with kim-chi, fresh lettuce, shredded jack and sharp cheeses, homemade creamy cilantro, spicy mayo, and fresh cilantro and lime.

Kurbside Fries – Seasoned fries with melted cheese, Asian marinated rib eye, kim-chi, shredded jack and sharp cheeses, homemade creamy cilantro, spicy mayo, and fresh cilantro.

Had a few burgers recently. Some were good and some were not so good. I found good burgers at places where I was expecting a below average burger experience. And then when I was expecting a good burger I was disappointed.

Loaded up the family and made the trek to the newly opened Jerry Built Homegrown Burgers.  From other reviews and looking at their story I had very high expectations and I left very disappointed. In short, the Jerry Built burger looked way better than it tasted.

Very good burger experience at Steak n Shake today. I have not been very impressed with them on a previous visit.

Fuddruckers claim to be the World's Greatest Hamburger. Today my burger was very good but I'm not ready to declare it great.

The bun was fresh made and was just the right size for the patty. The patty was a 1/2 lb and precisely formed by a machine or press. Even so the patty was cooked with a nice pink center just like I like it. The topping were fresh cut and tasted like it.

Bo Luc Lac (Shaken Beef) - Filet Mignon, marinated red onions, grilled jalapeno, watercress, Vietnamese mayonnaise on a Vietnamese baguette with a fried egg. Nicknamed "The Vandalizer".

Overall not a bad experience but when I eat BBQ I expect so much more than was delivered.

On my first visit to The Hay Merchant I chose the Sweet and Spicy Crispy Pig Ears. As advertised they were mostly sweet with a touch of heat and fried to a golden brown crispiness.

My visit was mainly about the beer but I also sampled the Black Pepper and Smoked Honey Glazed Chicken Wings. They were less than stellar than the pig ears in my opinion but still good. The skin was not crisp and that is a requirement for any chicken wings to my liking. The wings had a pronounced black pepper flavor that integrated well with the honey glaze.

Overall a great experience for me and I look forward to my next visit. For my next visit I have my eye on the Crispy Lamb Sweetbread Po'Boy or Momma's Fried Chicken.

For more information about The Hay Merchant follow the intrawebs to http://www.haymerchant.com/.