Review #29: Ray's Drive In - Lufkin, Texas

On a rare visit to east Texas a while back, I found myself starving for that precious cuisine that inspired me to start this website.... the mom and pop burger. A colleague of mine knew that I was going to be in the vicinity of her hometown in Lufkin and strongly encouraged me to try out Ray's Drive In. I had also received eight emails from readers encouraging the same. When I drove by Ray's, I was immediately impressed by the drive in. You don't see many drive ins like this that don't have a Sonic sign out front. And Ray's was a busy drive in too... another good sign. Immediately upon walking inside Ray's I was greated with another good sign... lots of locals seated in very plain - non-flairy booths. It was late in the day and I was starving for a good greasy burger. Would Ray's deliver or fall flat? Would I be glad I ate here instead of grabbing a cardboard burger at Micky D's? There was only way to find out... order up!!

IMPORTANT: If you haven't already, please read the Texas Burger Guy terminology post. That will help you understand the terminology I use in this review.

Ray's Cheeseburger Review
Having reviewed 29 burger joints now and having eaten at way more than that... I'm discovering that another litmus test that can be applied to determine if a burger joint will be good or not is if they are utilizing a huge wall size Coke or Dr Pepper menu with the snap in letters/numbers. Seems like everytime a place is using one of those things their burgers turn out awesome. Ray's uses one of these style menus. After wading through the long list of items, I decided to stick with the cheeseburger for this review. As usual, I ordered the onion rings and fries to get a taste of both for the review.

After placing my order with the waitress and paying at the counter, I took my paper number and gazed around the dining area of Ray's to find a seat. As I settled into my yellow booth, I noticed several locals that walked in and ordered the usual. This sight only added to my anticipation of eating my very own Ray's Cheeseburger.

A few minutes later and the highly anticipated moment had finally arrived... they called my number. As I walked up to the counter to retrieve my little red plastic tray carrying the food I so longed for, I couldn't help but wonder if I had just met the burger that would dethrone the Boondock's monster as my number 1 burger of all time.

Here is how I see the Ray's Drive In Cheeseburger ranking in the TBG categories:

Oooze Factor
At first glance, I could tell the Ray's Cheeseburger would rank high in the Oooze Factor category. The white paper they had wrapped it with was turning transparent from all of the oooze seaping through the paper. Thinking it odd for me to tear into a wrapped burger, I controlled myself long enough to unwrap the burger and take a look at this beauty. Much to my pleasure, the burger was ooozier than I expected. My first bite confirmed what my eyes were telling me... this was one ooozy burger. Overall - a good healthy oooze factor score.
Oooze Factor Rating: 9



Click to enlarge

Herd Killer
This burger wouldn't exactly strike fear in the heart of a cow. I have had plenty of average size burgers that were awesome. Ray's was good, but it wasn't the best one I had before. The seasoning on the burger was a little heavy with pepper for my taste. It may have just been an overzealous pepper shaker in the kitchen that did it, but pepper was a little too dominant a flavor for my taste. The mustard and vegetables on the burger definitely created a very good flavor. I just wish they had added a little more meat and had seasoned it differently.
Herd Killer Rating: 6


Click to enlarge

Handling
While not huge, the Ray's burger is not to be eaten with just one hand. They put this burger in front of you with a good size bun as well. You can try one hand but you'd get it all over you... better to use at least one and a half hands.
Handling Rating: 7



Click to enlarge

Bling Bling
I didn't feel ripped off at Ray's. I went in there with an appetite and left with a full belly for reasonable amount for fries, onion rings, drink and 1/2 pound burger. I was very sastisfied with the value.
Bling Bling Rating: 8

Click to enlarge

Gravedigger
While I didn't make a call to my attorney to make sure my will was updated, I did feel like eating one of these burgers every week would chop a few months off my life. The oooze alone was enough to make me worry... but I'm not losing sleep.
Gravedigger Rating: 7 Shovels

Overall - I was happy with my visit at Ray's. The food was really good... the atmosphere was awesome and the side items were great. I probably enjoyed the atmosphere more than anything else. You really don't see the old fashioned drive ins being used very much. It was a pleasant departure from the usual format. My recommendation is if you are in Lufkin and looking for a good burger that will fill your belly and make you glad you stopped in... go to Ray's. You'll be glad you did.

Overall Ray's Cheeseburger Rating: 7

Restaurant Review
Not to focus on it too much, but the thing that makes Ray's unique is the atmosphere. When the waitresses are splitting duties between helping people inside the restaurant and the people parked in the stalls... well that's just cool. The huge menu that greats you is a welcome site. If I had the opportunity, I'd try some of the specialty burgers listed on the menu. There was a Ray's special which you know is good.

The other menu items I tried... the onion rings and the fries were both very good. The onion rings were the dry - fried variety versus the soft and greasy type. They were good but I prefer the soft and chewy ones. The fries were natural cut which was great. Good flavor on both items.

Restaurant/Atmosphere
Without question, the lasting memory I'll have of Ray's is the atmosphere... both inside and out. Inside you'll find lots of the classic style booths. In addition to the many booths, there are several tables. This place has to be a place that locals hang out in the morning to solve all the world's problems. It has a cozy feel to it. It was obvious that Ray's had been in this place for a long time and judging from the amount of business... it didn't look like they were going anywhere for a time to come.

The waitstaff was very helpful and polite. I think I freaked out one of the waitresses when I took my pictures for the review. Sorry!


Click to enlarge

Directions
Ray's is located just off Highway 59... or North Timberland if you are a Lufkinite.

Address
420 N Timberland Dr
Lufkin, TX 75901
(936) 634-3262

Map
Ray's Drive In Map

TBG Overall Rating
Ray's provided a great dining experience. There are always things that I would change pretty much everywhere I go... Ray's is no exception. I'd move Ray's closer to Houston so I could eat there more. It's a good place with a long history. If you are ever in Lufkin - stop in and give Ray's a try.

Overall TBG Rating for Ray's Drive In: 7

Review #28: Wallbangers - Corpus Christi, Texas

Recently, I found myself in Corpus Christi on business. As I was checking into my hotel, my stomach started speaking to me. I glanced over to a rack of brochures. There, sitting on the rack was a brochure for a local mom and pop burger joint named Wallbangers. The name intrigued me and the pictures on this brochure intrigued me as well. It seemed like a good find but I wanted confirmation. I checked with a friend of mine who grew up in Corpus and he concurred. The hotel concierge also concurred. Wallbangers is a well known producer of big nasty burgers. That was it - my mission had been changed from visiting the original Whataburger (Corpus is where Whataburger was started) to visiting Wallbangers. In just a few short hours I wanted to find myself seated in the Wallbangers restaurant chowing down on some Corpus Christi bovine. It wasn't long after this that turned into the parking lot of Wallbangers. Nestled at the end of a strip center... Wallbangers was unusually busy for my 2:30 pm arrival. It was simple on the outside. Good sign. It was busy. Another good sign. It was recommended by the locals. Yet another good sign. Things were looking good but there is only one way to find out if Wallbangers is worthy of a good TBG review or if will go down as just another burger place.... let's eat!!!

IMPORTANT: If you haven't already, please read the Texas Burger Guy terminology post. That will help you understand the terminology I use in this review.

Wallbangers Cheeseburger Review
As I gazed upon the wall size Wallbangers menu, I quickly noticed how "custom burger" seemed to be the theme of this place. It smelled to me like a Fuddrucker's copy. One look to my left where I discovered the place where you dress up your burger (ala Fuddruckers) and I had cracked the code on this place. It was a Fuddruckers model. Now don't get me wrong - I LOVE Fuddruckers but Fuddruckers model works for Fuddruckers. I have been to 4 other burger joints that have desperately tried to perfect the Fuddrucker's experience but have sadly and in some cases WAY WAY missed the mark. Nevertheless - this was a new day and a new burger joint. I remained hopeful - although skeptical at the outcome of this experience. I loved the way the menu was laid out. You select your patty, how you want it cooked, your cheese, your sauce, and any add ons like bacon, mushrooms and jalapenos. It was all I could do to stick to ordering the standard TBG Cheeseburger for my review. My coworker ordered one of the "Stuffed Burger"... more on that later. I ordered onion rings and fries as well. Have to try it all out.

After a brief wait, my number was called and I made my way to the fixins bar where I dressed my burger up just the way I like it. Upon returning to my seat I looked at my coworkers burger and felt "Outwhataburgered". Man that thing was awesome looking. My burger didn't look all that shabby either. But... looks aren't everything... how would it rate???

Here is how I see the Wallbangers Cheeseburger ranking in the TBG categories:

Oooze Factor
Hidden underneath this monster homemade bun was the main course... my patty. It definitely had the shine going on from the oooze in it. I have seen many shiny burgers that ended up being dry inside the patty. This one turned out to be pretty good. I didn't have anything running down my arm - just an excess of trimmings I piled on the burger by mistake. Overall - about average oooze.
Oooze Factor Rating: 7


Click to enlarge

Herd Killer
This burger would strike fear in many a cow's heart. It was nice and big. I knew I would have trouble getting it all in my stomach. The big question mark for me was would it have good flavor. After my experience at Arnold Burger in Amarillo - I am very aware that the bigger the patty - the more seasoning is needed to avoid a tasteless burger. Well - they didn't quite hit the mark as the patty was so big - it just didn't have a lot of flavor to it. The trimmings made up for some of it - but you can't really replace that sought after meat flavor. It was big - but just not as tasty as I like em.
Herd Killer Rating: 6


Click to enlarge

Handling
Hands down a two handed burger. The patty itself should have its own Handling rating of 10 or 11.
Handling Rating: 7

Bling Bling
Given the amount of food you get complete with unlimited refills on your drink, I paid a good rice (don't have exact amount) for my burger. It was around 6 bucks for the burger combo. I wasn't too alarmed at the price.
Bling Bling Rating: 8

Gravedigger
Maybe not my burger - but my coworkers burger would receive a high Gravedigger rating. My burger was big and mean - just not as scary as some others that I have had. Maybe its me - but a Fuddruckers burger just doesn't scare me any which is what this burger reminded me of.
Gravedigger Rating: 5 Shovels

Overall - it was OK. I enjoyed the burger and the side items. I enjoyed the atmosphere more than the food I think. The Fuddruckers model works good for Fuddruckers. The burger was good - but not great. If you are in Corpus and have a hankerin' for a good homestyle burger - Wallbangers is a safe bet... just don't expect too much.

Overall Wallbangers Cheeseburger Rating: 6

Restaurant Review
One of the things that makes mom and pop burger joints great is their creative menus. Wallbangers had on their menu a "Stuffed Burger" which I had never seen before. I encouraged my coworker to get one of those things just to see what it's all about. His burger is shown below in the pictures. It looked like an explosion of meat, cheese, mushrooms and bacon. My heart ached at the site of it. After a few bites he commented that it was really good. Their onion rings were good. I always enjoy loading up my plate with melted cheddar cheese at Fuddruckers. Wouldn't you know it that Wallbangers also had melted cheddar cheese. I loaded up my plate and enjoyed their onion rings which to me were just OK. Nothing special. The fries were curly fries which I like. I bet if they had chili and cheese on the curly fries - they'd have a winner. If you like your heart and want to see your grandkids grow up - you also have the option of making your own salad at the 60 item all you an eat salad bar. The bar sits on its own 1 acre lot... or so it seems anyway...

"Stuffed Burger" with Mushrooms, Bacon and Swiss Cheese

Click to enlarge

Heart Attack on a Plate

Click to enlarge

Restaurant/Atmosphere
In a town known as the home of Whataburger, Wallbangers delivered an enjoyable experience. The inside of Wallbangers is cozy. They have high backed wooden booths around the perimeter and tables in the middle of the restaurant. Lots of tables. They also have video games which would make this a cool place to hang out if I had the time... All in all - the name Wallbangers is creative. The menu was creative. The atmosphere was just right. My only complaint was the burger was just so so and the Fuddruckers model that they were following. Besides that - its a great place. The staff was nice and extremely helpful. Great atmosphere!


Click to enlarge

Directions
Exit Staples Drive off South Padre Island Drive. Go south on Staples.

Address
4100 South Staples
Corpus Christi, TX
(361)855-8007

Map
Wallbangers Map

TBG Overall Rating
Wallbangers provided a good dining experience. I would have liked more flavor from my burger but I did get melted cheddar cheese with my onion rings so it wasn't a total loss! If I am ever back in Corpus I'll probably look for another place to try.

Overall TBG Rating for Wallbanger's: 7

Review #27: Health Camp - Waco, Texas

This review is the first of its kind. For this review – I am using the help of my Central Texas Affiliate. He and I both visited Health Camp on two different days and ordered pretty much the same thing. This review will combine our collective thoughts on the Health Camp experience.

Located on Waco’s famous Traffic Circle just off of I-35 N, The Health Camp, home of the famous ‘Healthburger’, is a Waco legend having served up many a burger, shake, and malt in its many years of operation. The Health Camp contains many of the elements of a quintessential TBG place – family owned and operated, great food, and nothing fancy about it by any means. Just good old-fashioned burgers, fries, malts, and shakes made to your liking. For this very reason, even if The Health Camp were to meet its demise someday, it will long live in Waco restaurant lore.

Driving up to Health Camp, I immediately got the sense that I was in the presence of something special. This little burger joint has been here for years and years. No place stays around that long without having a little something special for its customers. I was hoping it was the burgers. It turned out that the big draw has to be malts and shakes instead of the burgers.

IMPORTANT: If you haven't already, please read the Texas Burger Guy terminology post. That will help you understand the terminology I use in this review.

Health Camp Cheeseburger Review
It was with great anticipation that I placed my order for my cheeseburger, fries, onion rings and a strawberry shake. I figured I could use 3000 calories... why the heck not, right?!?! I chose to visit Health Camp during the weekday lunch hour and it was packed which is always a great sign. I dispatched Mrs. TBG to grab us a seat. After a bit of a wait, my number was called and I quickly made my way to the front to retrieve my order. Upon looking at what was on this little plastic tray, I must say I was a little disappointed. It was at that point that I realized why they have a giant ice cream cone on top of the building instead of a burger. The cheeseburger was pretty small. Much smaller than I like. I also discovered, much to my chagrin, that the patty was frozen. That's a huge no no in my book. Nevertheless - I was hungry and ready for a good burger experience. Would I be pleasantly suprised? Would this little bundle of joy pack a mighty flavor explosion in my mouth? All the suspense has to be killing you right? The answer is no it was a complete letdown. If it hadn't been for the shake, fries, and onion rings - I would have been really upset. After reading my affiliates review - we both agreed that the best thing at Health Camp wasn't the burger.

Here is how my Central Texas Affiliate and I see the Health Camp Cheeseburger ranking in the TBG categories:

Oooze Factor
The burger from The Health Camp definitely had some Ooze factor to it. However, it was not overly greasy but rather slightly above par with many other burgers I had consumed in recent memory. There was some oooze on the yellow paper it was wrapped in but not enough to score a really high Oooze Factor score. The meat did have a good flavor despite being so small and frozen.
Oooze Factor Rating: 7


Click to enlarge



Click to enlarge

Herd Killer
The Health Camp burger is a shade on the small side. My affiliate ordered the double cheeseburger and he said it was pretty good sized. Had it not been for the shake and the onion rings I would not have been very full when I left. I didn't have the achy feeling in my stomach like I do when I eat a monster burger. This was just a mild stomach ache so I'm going to give this burger a mediocre Herd Killer rating.
Herd Killer Rating: 5



Click to enlarge



Click to enlarge

Handling
At one point during the meal, I realized I was holding the burger with one hand and baptizing an onion ring in ketchup. That translates into a low handling rating as the burger isn't over bulky. My affiliate's double was a little harder to handle but overall - mediocre.
Handling Rating: 6



Click to enlarge



Click to enlarge

Bling Bling
My burger, fries and shake was a little over 5 bucks. That isn't too bad although I wish I had gotten more burger for the buck. If they had slapped down a 1/2 pound fresh burger with that good of a shake - I'd be all over it. A double with fries and drink runs 6.38 which seems to be a good price for the food your receive.
Bling Bling Rating: 6

Gravedigger
I hate to sound like a broken record, but had it not been for the shake, I would not have had any fears. The shake coupled with the ooozy burger and fries made me only mildly worried about my personal well being.
Gravedigger Rating: 5 Shovels

Overall - not really pleased with the burger. It was frozen which is a big no no in my book. It was small - yet another hit from me. It had good flavor and oooze which saved it from being a flop. The onion rings and shakes were awesome. My advice... if you go to Health Camp - order you onion rings and a shake. Eat it and be happy. Don't expect much from the burger.

Overall Health Camp Cheeseburger Rating: 5

Restaurant Review
While not flashy, Health Camp gets the job done. It is located in an older building. It has a great mom and pops/50’s soda fountain feel to it and a corresponding atmosphere with pictures of it and Waco’s history adorning the walls. It exists on many repeat customers. The staff is friendly and courteous. The fries were marginal, and nothing to write home about. They were clearly of the frozen variety, and not home-made thereby detracting slightly from Health Camp’s overall rating. In addition to burgers and fries, Health Camp serves up a small variety of other foods for customers to choose from. You have your standard hot dogs, and chili dogs, as well as shakes, malts, and other similar type desserts to choose from. The shakes and malts are part of what has made Health Camp famous over the years. Its been said, but my advice is to order up some onion rings and a shake.


Click to enlarge

Restaurant/Atmosphere
Health Camp wins big in the restaurant icon category. It's the kind of place that your parents remember from their college days that is still around for you to enjoy during your college days. The people were polite and were generally helpful. It was a good place to hang out with friends and enjoy a shake.


Click to enlarge


Click to enlarge

Directions
Exit Valley Mills Drive off I-35. Go south on Valley Mills towards the circle.

Address
2601 Circle Road
Waco, TX 76706
(254)752-2081

Map
Health Camp Map

TBG Overall Rating
Overall, I enjoyed the atmosphere and the history that is Health Camp. Its been around since 1949. That is impressive. With that kind of success - you would expect a great burger. I didn't think they were all that great. I did enjoy the other food I had at Health Camp though. If you are ever in Waco and in need of a little walk down memory lane... give Health Camp a try.

Overall TBG Rating for Health Camp: 7

Review #26: Arnold Burger - Amarillo, Texas

Much like Christian's Totem in Houston, Kincaids in Fort Worth and Tookies in Seabrook... Arnold Burger was one of the first burger joints that surfaced when I started asking readers to send in their favorite burger joints for me to review. I responded to the review request telling the reader that it was unlikely I would ever make it all the way out to Amarillo. Well... lo and behold... I found myself in Amarillo and with an empty stomach. Good thing it was an empty stomach because Arnold Burger serves up some of the biggest burgers I have ever laid eyes on. It's been a long time in the making but here is in my long overdue review of Arnold Burger in the beef capital of the world... Amarillo.

IMPORTANT: If you haven't already, please read the Texas Burger Guy terminology post. That will help you understand the terminology I use in this review.

Arnold Burger's Cheeseburger
For me, one of the biggest events in doing these reviews is actually arriving at the burger joint. When I pull into the parking lot and see a building way way way past due for a renovation - I get really excited. Especially when the parking lot for the building is full of cars. Such was the case when I pulled into the parking lot at Arnolds. Arnold's building is simple and functional. No bells and whistles... just the way I like it. I didn't see Oprah's limo anywhere but I did see plenty of locals... among them a very popular Amarillo weather man. I heeded the advice of this weather man and the owner of Arnolds and ordered up a cheeseburger. I fully expected the burger to be your run of the mill small cheeseburger. Boy was I wrong?!?! This thing was HUGE! It immediately earned a Herd Killer rating of 10. Although the burger was huge - I did feel the burger could have used a little more seasoning. With that much meat - you have to load it up with seasoning otherwise the flavor is lost in all that beef. It was big - but just not as much flavor as I hoped.

Here is how I see the Arnold's Cheeseburger ranking in the TBG categories:

Oooze Factor
Two things the Arnold's Cheeseburger did well was Oooze and Herd Killer. The owner figured out who I was before my burger was made so I think she knew I would be looking for Oooze and Herd Killer. SHE DELIVERED! This thing was ooozing all over the place. Its too bad that the oooze was probably carrying away the seasoning because the flavor was just not there in this monster of a burger.
Oooze Factor Rating: 8


Click to enlarge

Herd Killer
The second I laid eyes on the monster - I knew it was going to be a Herd Killer of 10. Nuff said...
Herd Killer Rating: 10

Handling
Between the Oooze flowing all over the place and the sheer size of the burger, I had a hard time handling this thing. Its a monster that requires the help of a friend to shove it into your face.
Handling Rating: 8

Bling Bling
I paid 3.37 for the cheeseburger. That's an absolute steal.
Bling Bling Rating: 7

Gravedigger
Yet another category that this burger nailed. It seems like everytime I go to Amarillo, I leave there fearing for my heart. Arnold's continued the tradition of putting the fear of the Almighty in me.
Gravedigger Rating: 8 Shovels

Despite this burger nailing almost all of my categories, my overall rating is going to be a little lower than usual. Reason being the flavor just wasn't there. I haven't encountered this before with other big burgers. I think Arnold's could add some spices to their burgers and nail it.

Overall Arnold Burger's Cheeseburger Rating: 7

Restaurant Review
Between my two brothers and I - we ordered quite a few items from the menu. I didn't get a picture of their burgers before they sunk their mouths into them otherwise they would be pictured as well. We did order fries, onion rings and cheesesticks as appetizers. Little did we know that appetizers were not needed because of the huge burgers that were our main course. You just gotta love a place like Arnolds. It has character and pizazz.. just the way I like it. The food was good. The burger needed more flavor. Everything was reasonably priced. The staff was fantastic. The owner took my picture and its not on Arnolds website... http://www.arnoldburger.com/.

Fries, Onion Rings & Cheesesticks

Click to enlarge

The Making of a Monster Part 1

Part 2

Click to enlarge

Step 3

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

Restaurant/Atmosphere
Arnold's may make itself to the top of my favorite burger joints in Texas. It has the atmosphere complete with a rather simple building, extremely polite owner and a very unique menu. I absolutely loved the atmosphere and everything about Arnolds. The burger had its issues but overall - I loved Arnolds and would love to go back again.


Click to enlarge

Directions
Exit 69-B off Interstate 40.

Address
1611 South Washington Street
Amarillo, TX 79102
(806) 372-1741

Map
Arnold Burger Map

TBG Overall Rating
Overall, I really enjoyed Arnold Burger. It was well worth the trip. Great big huge burgers. Oooze capital of Texas. Good thing Amarillo is the beef capital... Arnolds may be putting a strain on the beef supply with the burgers they are putting out there. Disappointed in the flavor of the burger... other than that - really enjoyed it.

Overall TBG Rating for Arnold Burger: 8

Review #25: Southwell's - Houston, Texas

Well TBG readers... I've been on a bit of a hiatus for a month or so... To answer your e-mails... no I am not quitting TBG... just overwhelmed with my regular life lately.. that's all. So... it's back to blogging and back to TBG we go!!!

Southwell's is a hop, skip, and a jump from my office. I had driven by it many times but just waited on doing a review. One Friday, some coworkers of mine asked if I was in the mood for a burger... ofcourse I was. So - away we went to Southwell's. I was really hoping Southwell's would be a great place... seeing as how it is so close to the office. Well.... not so much. Despite Southwell's possessing many characteristics shared by good mom and pop burger joints like a regular crowd, plain chairs and tables, no fruity items on the menu.... it just flat out missed the mark when it came to the burger itself which to me is absolutely essential to get a good review from me...

IMPORTANT: If you haven't already, please read the Texas Burger Guy terminology post. That will help you understand the terminology I use in this review.

Southwell's Cheeseburger
Upon entering Southwell's, I was pretty excited to see the large lunch crowd that had congregated. That is usually a really good sign. The second thing that caught my attention was the menu... its written on a big chalkboard at the back of the restaurant. Simple... which to me is a good thing. If things like the ordering process and the restaurant environment is simple... yet the place is packed... you know the people are there for the food. Atleast that is what I thought. After ordering and receiving my Cheeseburger... I was pretty let down. Southwell's delivered on the atmosphere, but they missed the mark on the burger. This is how I see the Southwell's Cheeseburger ranking in the TexasBurgerGuy categories:

Oooze Factor
Usually the first thing I look for when I get my burger is the Oooze Factor. If its dripping wet or at the very least shining with oooze... then I know the burger has a chance of being great. Missing that and right away I know I am in for a less than enjoyable experience. Unfortunately... the Southwell's Cheeseburger just didn't have the amount of Oooze required to get a good Oooze Factor rating. It's one saving grace was that the cheese was melted very nicely over the patty. But... that wasn't enough to save it in this category...
Oooze Factor Rating: 5


Click to enlarge

Herd Killer
One thing that really gets me angry is seeing a mom and pop burger joint go with a frozen patty. That to me tells me they want to be a good burger joint... they just don't want to give the effort or spend the money to deliver a fresh hand packed patty to its patrons. Southwell's uses a frozen patty which probably explains the lack of Oooze. The Cheeseburger is a 1/2 pounder but it just loses so much size and quality when it is a frozen patty.
Herd Killer Rating: 4


Click to enlarge

Handling
Southwell's Cheeseburger for all intensive purposes is a sizable burger. I think they must flatten the 1/2 pound patty to make it cover the big buns they use. It was big, but not as big or hard to handle as some others I have consumed...
Handling Rating: 6

Bling Bling
I paid 4.25 for the 1/2 pound Cheeseburger. I REALLY wish it came with fries, but it didn't. To me, 4.25 is too much. I would have happily paid 3 bucks for it but given the above mentioned problems with the burger... 4.25 seems too steep.
Bling Bling Rating: 4

Gravedigger
Despite the fact that most burgers are not good for you, I didn't leave Southwell's with a desire to get myself right with God... so it must not have scared me too bad. It was far from a scary experience.
Gravedigger Rating: 5 Shovels

Overall Southwell's Cheeseburger Rating: 4

Restaurant Review
As I scanned the menu options at Southwell's, I found a few things on the menu that told me we were in the Galleria area of Houston. I wouldn't be caught dead ordering something called a "Bleu Burger" or an "Avocado Burger". There were other things on the menu that sounded good... like the chili cheese fries, beer battered onion rings, and a chili burger. It was missing some of the special names that mom and pop burger joints come up with... I am thinking of Chris Madrid's crazy names... or Tookie's Squealer. No such creativity taken here at Southwell's. My two coworkers and I ordered a good selection of the menu items. Between the three of us, we ordered the cheeseburger, double meat cheeseburger, chili burger, fresh cut fries, and beer battered onion rings. The fresh cut fries were awesome! I really love fresh cut fries. The onion rings were OK. The chili burger (see below) looked good and it was pretty messy. The double meat cheeseburger looked ok.. just a larger version of what I had ordered. All in all - the food was good... not great.... just good.

Southwell's Menu

Southwell's Double Cheeseburger


Click to enlarge

Southwell's Chili Burger

Click to enlarge

Restaurant/Atmosphere
From the outside, Southwell's looks like a good burger joint. It has a simple awning with its name. Nothing fancy. Inside... more of the same. Simple tables and chairs... the big menu on the back wall... it all looked so simple and plain... just the way it should be. You place your orders at the back. They take your name... they messed up my name despite me correcting them... twice. The food came pretty fast despite them being pretty busy with the lunch crowd. Overall... I won't be going out of my way to get back to Southwell's. It is a good alternative to the fast food burger joints... but it isn't a great mom and pop burger joint.


Click to enlarge

Directions
Exit Loop 610 West on San Felipe. Travel west on San Felipe 3-5 miles. Southwell's is just pass the intersection of Augusta and San Felipe. Southwell's will be on your right.

Address
5860 San Felipe #F
Houston, Texas 77057
(713) 789-4972

Map
Southwell's Map

TBG Overall Rating
Overall... not impressed with Southwell's. It looks like a good place. I REALLY wish it had a good fresh burger. No such luck... I was disappointed.

Overall TBG Rating for Southwell's: 5