Lankford Grocery | Hamburger Best in Houston Texas

In A City of Great Hamburgers…

Houston does not lack for excellent hamburgers. Some of the best in Houston are those served at Lankford Grocery.

Delicious Roadfood Ambiance

The place itself is a Roadfood joy . Here you find some of the lumpiest upholstered booths anywhere. You’ll walk across one of the most uneven wooden floors in any restaurant. Tables are blanketed with vintage rose-pattern oilcloth. Plastic that covers menus peels off the ancient paper documents like skin off salted peanuts. In lieu of napkins you get a roll of paper towels. Coffee comes in mismatched souvenir mugs from the Austin Museum of Art, New York City, and K-Lite radio. The first time we visited, ours came in a cup that declared, “After 50 Gravity Takes Over.”

About That Burger

Can you see why I love this place? If not, let me describe the hamburger. It just might be the best in Houston. And that’s saying a lot in a city with high hamburger consciousness. Each patty is a gnarled, uneven circle with crunch to its crust and juices that ooze the moment that crust is severed. It is deliciously beefy – not an effete gourmet burger, but neither a skinny lunch-counter patty. American cheese on top makes it better. Thick, crunchy bacon strips are better yet. Those of unlimited appetite may avail themselves of double meat burgers, even triple meat burgers. When I ordered a triple meat bacon cheeseburger, the waiter broke out into a big grin. “It’s hard to keep a straight face when someone thinks they’re going to eat one of those,” he said.

Really, there is no decorous way to eat it. No human could put any significant section of it between his or her jaws. I consulted with the staff, as well as with several customers at nearby tables. They suggested tackling it with fingers, knife, and fork, tearing off portions as I went.

The variety of burgers on Lankford’s menu could send an indecisive eater into a state of panic. Beyond burgers and cheeseburgers, you can have a Cuban burger, a Buffalo hot burger, a Frito pie burger, a Greek burger, or a Philly cheese burger. On the side, hollow your cheeks trying to Hoover up a thick milk shake.

Breakfast, Too

Burgers take center stage, but breakfast is no afterthought. Fork into a beautiful plate of chilaquiles — a Mexican casserole of cheese, hot salsa, and strips of tortilla topped with fried eggs. On Saturday, hot biscuits come from the kitchen blanketed with hunky sausage gravy. There’s even avocado toast.

It’s all good, for sure. But best-in-Houston hamburgers are what have put this infinitely charming out-of-the-way former grocery store on the Roadfood honor roll.