For the Love of the Burger

We love us a good burger. Although we've been dieting for our river trip this weekend, we admit to indulging in a good burger or two, going halfsies when the itch hits us to save on calories. 

A few months ago, actually, we went on a quest with a few friends to find the best burger in town. It's a long time coming, but we'll post our adventures on here soon enough.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of the better burgers we've shoveled into our mouths lately:

-Hubcap Grill's Frito Pie Burger-

 Located in the heart of downtown, Hubcap Grill is housed in an unlikely little hole-in-the-wall that serves up some of the best and most interesting burgers in Houston. The Greek, Muffalletta and Philly Cheesesteak burgers are some of the more inventive burgers on the menu. If you're feeling adventurous, try the Sticky burger; it's made with peanut butter of all things!

A lot of love goes into each one of Hubcap's made-to-order burgers. Their patties are never-frozen and hand-crafted; their buns and fries are all made in-house. 

There's always a line out the door come lunchtime, so be prepared for a wait. And don't forget that it's cash only! We ordered the Frito Pie burger with chili, cheese, grilled onions and sliced jalapeños.

-SmashBurger-

"Tasty burger" is not the first thing that comes to mind when we think about chain establishments. But for most rules, there are exceptions, and SmashBurger certainly makes an exceptional burger.

It's true. A SmashBurger joint looks a lot like a Game Stop store on the outside. Yet we can guarantee that you'll never find burger patties smashed onto a flat-top grill to sear in every last drop of juicy burger goodness, at a Game Stop.  Not a chance. 

The add-ons at SmashBurger are outstanding: applewood-smoked bacon, chili, fried eggs, guacamole, haystack onions, or garlic-sautéed mushrooms. Our favorite burger is the Spicy Baja, boasting pepper jack cheese, guacamole, chipotle mayonnaise, a chipotle bun and fresh jalapeños. Yes, fresh jalapeños, not grilled or sautéed jalapeños. It's a bold move, but rather than overwhelming your palate with heat, that spicy jalapeño bite is tempered by a wash of cool guacamole. 

Spicy Baja burger with an egg on top.

Smash Fries: Garlic, olive oil and rosemary fries.

On another note, we've been given the Versatile Blogger Award!

As a condition of accepting this award, we must do the following:


1. Thank the person(s) who gave us the award:

*Raven of Lipstick & Lumber

*Ela of Everything's Herbed

*Joy of Joy's Misadventures

2. Share seven tidbits about ourselves:

1. We watched all three seasons of Avatar: The Last Air Bender in one week.
2. Our favorite all-time band is the Beatles.
3. Val's secret talent is her ability to defeat anyone at a game of HORSE and/or arcade basketball. 
4. Mani's a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan.
5. We're going to New Orleans for Halloween this year.
6. Mani has a tattoo on his left arm that says "Latifi" in Persian. Val has a tattoo on her right shoulder blade of a Chi-Rho.
7. Val hates cilantro and Mani can't stand American cheese.

3. Share this award with bloggers who you think are fantastic:
*Jill of JillKrasny.com: Writer, foodie and music hipster extraordinaire.
*Kevin of KevinNuut.com: Engineer, graphic designer and artist.
*Teresa of Invasionista: Almost-attorney, fashionista and foodie.
*Koci of La Kocinera: College student and aspiring chef.
*Harmony of Dreaming of Kumquats: Writer and foodie.
*Mitch of Chile Underground: Ph.D and food explorer.


We'll see y'all next week, folks. We'll be floating down some river with a beer in-hand somewhere in San Marcos this weekend. Don't forget that Gorillaz tickets go on sale at Friday, 10 a.m. We'll be first in line on the Interwebs, so we dare you to beat us to the punch ;). Have a great weekend!