Review #12: Clay's Restaurant - Houston, Texas

A good friend of mine and a regular reader of TexasBurgerGuy told me about Clay's. All he told me was that Clay's had a good burger. He didn't tell me anything else about it. When we drove up to Clay's - my wife and especially my 3 year old daughter got VERY excited. Reason was it looked liked we hadn't arrived at your typical burger joint.. no... it looked like we took a wrong turn and were at the Houston Zoo... or at least a petting zoo. Clay's is kid friendly to say the least. I'll talk more about this later. While being kid friendy was a big bonus in my book - what really mattered was if the burger was any good. After receiving my burger - I discovered that not only does Clay's have a good atmosphere for families and kids, but they serve up a pretty good burger as well.

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

Clay's Restaurant Cheeseburger Review
As I walked to my table - I was trying to take a peek at the burgers that everybody else had ordered. What I saw was a pretty good looking burger. But - like I learned during my dating years - looks can be very deceiving. What matters is on the inside. After a short while - my cheeseburger was delivered to my table. I anxiously opened up the burger and peered inside. Again - everything looked OK but I just needed to get that first bite. Immediately after my first bite - I discovered that my burger was good - not perfect - but just a good burger.

Oooze Factor
The Clay's Cheeseburger is by no means a drippy get-your-shirt-wet burger. It was not dry though - just not super ooozy. I was less than impressed with the vegetables on my burger. The tomato was not ripe. It kindof ruined the first bite actually. I pulled it off because I didn't want to ruin the rest of the burger. The lettuce was good though. Another complaint I had about the cheeseburger was they put too much mayo on the burger. It messed up the whole chemistry of the burger. The mayo overpowered the flavor of the meat, cheese, bun, etc. If that was a little more under control, it would have been a lot better. Overall - the oooze is lower on this burger - but still a tasty burger.
Oooze Factor Rating: 6


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Herd Killer
The cheeseburger was 7 ounces which isn't huge. After eathing the burger - I wasn't completely stuffed or anything.. but I was full. The patty had a good beefy flavor. Not many seasonings applied to it and certainly no marinating had been done. Cheese did melt which is good in my book. Overall - not really big or really beefy - but good nonetheless.
Herd Killer Rating: 6

Handling
The Cheeseburger was a 1 1/2 handed burger. It was big - but not 2 handed stuff-is-falling-out size burger. Still a good sized burger though.
Handling Rating: 6

Bling Bling
The cheeseburger basket that you see below was $5.79. In my opinion - that isn't too bad considering you get a 7 oz. burger and fries for that price. If it was 5.79 for the burger - this might be the first rating of 1 in the bling bling category ever. But - given that it was a burger and fries for that price - this gets much higher than a 1.
Bling Bling Rating: 7

Overall Clay's Restaurant Cheeseburger Rating: 6


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Restaurant Review
For this trip - I took my wife, kids, and my mom. Since we had several people with us - we tried a lot of menu items. We tried the Grilled Chicken Hoagie, CC's Caeser Salad, kids grilled cheese, fries, and tots. Mrs TexasBurgerGuy loved the Grilled Chicken Hoagie. My mom wasn't overly impressed with the salad - but said it was OK. One of the coolest things Clay's did was bring my daughter's grilled cheese out well before our food was brought to us so we could get her started on her meal. Great idea!!! Very friendly waitstaff. I had heard good things about the Queso Burger but decided to stick with the tried and true Cheeseburger. Next time we go back - I'll have to try the Queso Burger. Overall - good standard menu. Not set-you-on-fire GREAT food - but good enough.


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Restaurant/Atmosphere
Clay's is VERY kid friendly. They have several horses that will let you feed them if you want. I actually got to help my daughter feed her first horse which was very cool for me. Then we got to pet some sheep, goats, and even a miniature horse. They also have emus which I wouldn't recommend feeding or doing anything with actually. They are not pretty animals. In addition to all of the animals - they have a huge sandbox that all the kids can play in. My daughter really enjoyed that as well. There are tables outside on a deck so you can watch all the kids playing while you eat. Clay's also has a party room that is available at no charge for the facilities. You just need to reserve it in advance. My wife was so impressed with the kid friendliness of Clay's that we went ahead and setup my daughter's birthday party at Clay's. Overall - Clay's has a great atmosphere. Kid friendly. VERY clean. Very neat.


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Directions
If you are on the West side of Houston - make your way on over to Clay's.

Address/Phone:
17717 Clay Rd
Houston Texas 77084
281.859.3773

Map: Map to Clay's Restaurant

TBG Overall Rating
Overall Clay's is a great place to take the family for a Saturday afternoon lunch. You can kick back on the deck, enjoy some good food, and let the kids pet the animals. While the Clay's Cheeseburger at Clay's was good - it didn't blow my socks off. The rest of the food we tried was good too - but not great. BUT - when you factor in the overall experience - Clay's is a place that I would go back to again and again.

Overall TBG Rating for Clay's Restaurant: 7

Other Reviews of Clay's Restaurant:
B4-U-Eat Reviews

Review #11: PO's Burgers - Cypress, Texas

Over the years I have lived in Houston, I have made many a trip to PO's to get my burger fix. It helps that it is only a short 5 minute drive from my house. I almost feel like PO's is my hometown burger joint. Every time I go to PO's - I enjoy the experience. They have good ol' handmade burgers. The restaurant itself is your textbook burger joint complete with picnic tables inside and outside the place. Nothing fancy here - just good company, great atmosphere, and great burgers!!!

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

PO's Burgers Cheeseburger Review
Mrs. TexasBurgerGuy and I packed up my 4 month old son and made the short trip to PO's this week for a burger experience. Having been to PO's many times before, I tried my best to forget the past experiences and try my best to evaluate PO's as if this were the first time I set foot in the place. I actually ordered a little different than I normally do when I go in there. Usually I will get the 1/4 pound burger. Trying to do something different to make the experience unique in my mind - I ordered the 1/2 pound burger instead. When I went to pick up this baby - I was pleasantly suprised at just the looks of this burger. On the plastic tray - it was sitting next to Mrs. TexasBurgerGuys chicken sandwich and I smiled as I noted how much bigger my burger was than her sandwich. Here is how I see the PO Cheeseburger ranking in the TexasBurgerGuy categories:

Oooze Factor
Do yourself a favor and scroll down just a little and take a look at the picture of the cheeseburger. See the shine coming off the meat? That is oooze my friends. Good stuff too. The wrapper was pretty ooozed - had several greasy spots that only made me more happy about this burger. First bite was awesome too... very greasy, moist, great tasting burger indeed. No dried out no-oooze burger here...
Oooze Factor Rating: 8


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Herd Killer
PO's 1/2 pounder is one single big meaty patty. They don't do what some other burger joints do and pile on 2 1/4 patties - they just give it all to you in one big patty. I love that. The burger had pretty good flavor. Nothing really fancy about it. Doesn't taste like the marinade their meat in anything or add any special seasonings to it or anything like that. Seems like they just pack down a healthy portion of ground beef and throw her on the grill. While the patty had good flavor - the overall chemistry was a little messed up. I think whoever was running the mayonnaise that day we went was told they could go home after they used up all the mayo or something cause they piled it on. It was a bit much for my taste and it really overpowered the flavor of the meat too. My advice is to ask them to put it on the side or something like that. They also put mustard on the burger as well - so you get the mayo, mustard, vegetables, meat, and bun flavors all mixed together. The chemistry has to be just right and it was a bit off with my burger.
Herd Killer Rating: 7

Handling
Great burger! A 2 hander but not need to ask for help from anybody else to help you with this burger. It is "handleable" by one person only.
Handling Rating: 7

Bling Bling
The burger above was $4.19. I left PO's feeling pretty full - but not $4.19 full. For 4 bucks I better leave there wishing I had ordered a smaller burger. That wasn't the case. PO's does have lunch specials on Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday, if you buy french fries anda drink - the 1/2 pounder is half off which is a good deal.
Bling Bling Rating: 6

Overall PO's Cheeseburger Rating: 7


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Restaurant Review
PO's has a great selection on their menu. (see picture below) They have some pretty wild choices when it comes to burgers. For example, you can get yourself an Ostrich, Buffalo, or Turkey burger!!!! I haven't tried either one but I bet they are good. A good friend of mine told me the Hot-Bob is a must have if you like fire in your mouth. They add jalapenos to the meat. He said it was a pretty messy burger. They also have a Veggie burger which in my opinion isn't a burger at all. If it is made of anything but meat - it belongs in the salad section of the menu - not the burger section. We tried the 1/4 pound cheeseburger, grilled chicken sandwich, cajun fries, tator tots, onion rings, and waffle fries. (not all in this one trip) All are good. Tator tots and regular fries are very plain. The cajun fries and o-rings are definitely worth the money. All in all - you won't be disappointed with many menu items at PO's.

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Restaurant/Atmosphere
PO's atmosphere is one of your typical mom and pop burger joint. Not many frills and fancy stuff here.. Just plain ol' mom and pop burger joint. They have picnic tables on the porch as you enter. That is a great place to sit when the weather is just right outside. On the inside - you will find more picnic tables as well as some regular tables. Note the full roll of paper towels on each table. I love that. It tells you they know their burgers are greasy and messy and you're gonna need some napkins. There are 2 TV's. One near the bar area and one in the far right part of the restaurant. You got around to the left to order at the counter. The person taking your order will yell out your order so be sure and order your wimpy veggie burger when there is nobody around, k? Overall PO's has a good hometown feel to it. You rub shoulders with the other people in the restuaurant. When PO's is real busy - you might find yourself sharing a picnic table with some new friends. Trust me - you'll enjoy the atmosphere at PO's.

Directions
PO's is pretty easy to find. Exit Telge Road off 290. Follow Telge around for about 2 or 3 miles from 290. PO's will be on your right.

Address/Phone:
12710 Telge Road
Cypress, Texas 77429
281.373.1588

Map: Map to PO's Burgers

TBG Overall Rating
A great hometown atmosphere with friendly waitstaff awaits you at PO's. It is no wonder that I have gone back to PO's so many times over the years. They simply have a great tasting burger in a perfect mom and pop burger joints atmosphere. Do yourself a favor and give PO's a try.

Overall TBG Rating for PO's Hamburgers: 8

Other Reviews of PO's Hamburgers:
None found

Half Burger/Half Hotdog: The Hamdog!!!

Ever wondered how you could end your life and go with a smile on your face? Well Chandler Goffin of Mulligan's Bar in Decatur, Georgia created 'The Hamdog' which is a hot dog wrapped in a beef patty that's deep fried and covered with chili, cheese, and onions served in a hoagie bun. If that wasn't enough to clog your arteries - it is also topped with a fried egg and two fistfuls of fries.

In addition to the Hamdog, Mulligan's also serves up the Luther Burger which is a bacon-cheeseburger served on a Krispy Kreme doughnut bun!!!! I am looking for a picture of this bad boy. If ANYBODY has one - send it to me!!!!

If you have sweet tooth, you can try Mulligan's mouth-watering fried Twinkie which is a Captain Crunch-coated Twinkie deep-fried and drizzled with raspberry sauce--YYYUMMY!!!!

Here are some pictures of the Mulligan's Hamdog:






Story Links:
USA Today Story
Dallas Morning News Story
My Way News

This story was submitted by: Tom from Cypress, Texas

Review #10: Chicken Oil Company - Bryan, Texas

Several weeks ago a good friend of mine told me about this place called Chicken Oil Company in Bryan-College Station. He swore up and down they had the best burger. Ever. Having heard that statement from nearly everybody that tells me about their favorite burger joint - I pretty much ignored it. Well... after having a Chicken Oil Burger today - it is definitely one of the best burgers I have had - but not THE best. Chicken Oil Company not only has a good burger - but it has a one of a kind atmosphere that will make this burger joint stick out in this burger connoisseur's mind for many days to come.

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

Snuffer's Cheeseburger Review
Four very good friends of mine made the 1+ hour trip to College Station from Houston with me today. I had been looking forward to this roadtrip with my buds for a while. I guess I had been focusing so much on the trip because I hadn't even thought about the burger we were going up there to try out. When my Snuffer's Special Cheeseburger was delivered to me... I quickly remembered why we made the trip. Just looking at the burgers physical attributes - it was clear this burger had size and oooze. It was reasonably priced. All that remained was to try this big burger's taste. After taking my first bite - I quickly understood all the hype about the Chicken Oil Company burger. Here is how I see the Snuffer's Cheeseburger ranking in the TexasBurgerGuy categories:

Oooze Factor
When a burger joint has the word "Oil" in the name of the place - you know their burger has to have some good oooze going on. Well the burger didn't disappoint. It didn't have the oooze of a Mel's Cheeseburger but it had enough oooze to keep the burger moist. I didn't have any oooze running down my arm or anything - but I did have to use a few napkins to clean up after eating this burger. The patty was very tasty. Not a whole lot of oooze... just right.
Oooze Factor Rating: 8


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Herd Killer
The Snuffer's Special is a 1/2 pound patty. Chicken Oil Company also has a 1/4 pound burger as well as another 1/2 pound burger that has 2 1/4 pound patties. The Snuffer is a 1/2 pounder single patty. The patty on the burger was not a frozen patty by any means. You could see that it was clearly 100% beef and it looked very fresh. They will cook the burger medium if you don't ask for anything special which I think is just about right. If you cooked this more - it would be too dry. Medium is just about right. Overall the patty was very tasty. One thing that Chicken Oil Company does on the Snuffer is they add 2 pieces of cheese!! One on top of the patty and one on the bottom of the patty. Man oh man whoever came up with that idea should be given a raise cause that was AWESOME!! I love cheese and this burger had it going on and then some. The size of the patty was pretty good - not too thick to where the meat doesn't get cooked very well but not too thin to where you miss the flavor. All in all it was just right. Pretty good herd killer rating for the Snuffer.
Herd Killer Rating: 8

Handling
The Snuffer Cheeseburger was a 2 handed burger. It was big but it wasn't so big that you'd have to ask your friend sitting next to you to help you out or anything. But - it is a 2 hander - that is for sure.
Handling Rating: 7

Bling Bling
The Snuffer Cheeseburger Special is what I ordered. It comes with a 1/2 pound burger, fries, and a drink. All of that was about 7 and half bucks. Not too bad considering after I finished it I was pretty dang full. It isn't the value of a Christian's Totem burger where you pay 2 or 3 bucks for a burger that makes you full the rest of the day - but it is still has good bling bling.
Bling Bling Rating: 7

Overall Snuffer's Cheeseburger Rating: 8


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Restaurant Review
Chicken Oil Company had the typical menu. They had chicken fried steak, chicken fried chicken, buffalo chicken burgers and a grilled chicken salad that is supposed to be one of the best around. Nobody in my group tried any other things on the menu but the burgers and fries. The fries are the plain variety. Nothing really special. They weren't bad - they just didn't stand out in my mind as being great. We were going to get the Onion Rings - but they were a little pricey for my taste (4 bucks) so we passed. If you’re looking for something lighter, try our famous grilled chicken salad – it may be lighter but won’t leave you hungry! Every Monday after 4 pm, Chicken Oil company offers burgers at half price so if you are in the area and looking for a good burger at a very good price - I'd stop by Chicken Oil Company.

Restaurant/Atmosphere
The atmosphere at Chicken Oil Company has to be probably the most memorable part of the visit. It is a wooden building that looks sortof like a shack. (see pictures) Inside the walls are decorated with every type of animal imaginable. Definitely not the place that PETA should hold their next convention. There are also tons of posters and just random stuff decorating the walls. Kindof creates a pretty laid back "Texasy" atmosphere if that is a word. They also have a fireplace that when we were there didn't seem to be working very well. They had started up a fire but I think they left the plume closed because the place was filling up with smoke. They allow you to carve stuff into the tables. They are covered with stuff that people have carved into them. I like seeing stuff like that - it adds to the uniqueness of the restaurant. The wait staff was very friendly. I actually put them to the test - although not intentionally. I originally ordered the 1/4 burger - I have no earthly idea why. I went back and changed my order and the waitress I ordered with did not make a fuss about it - she changed the order and took care of it without making me feel like a schmuck for doing so. Big Kudos.

Directions
Chicken Oil Company is probably 2 or 3 miles down College Avenue from the campus of Texas A&M.

Address/Phone:
3600 S. College Avenue
Bryan, Texas
979.846.3306

Map: Map to Chicken Oil Company

TBG Overall Rating
Overall Chicken Oil Company left a good impression on me. The Snuffer's special is a great tasting burger. The atmosphere at Chicken Oil Company is really something to behold. I had asked on the Aggie message board for recommendations for burger joints in the College Station/Bryan area. All of them said Chicken Oil Company was a must try. My friends that went to A&M backed up their recommendation. I am glad I took their advice and went. Chicken Oil Company is a great place to go visit - you are guaranteed the Texas atmosphere and a good tasting Texas sized burger.

Overall TBG Rating for Chicken Oil Company: 8

Other Reviews of Chicken Oil Company:
None found.

This Week's Review: Burger-Tex

Well folks - this week's review was supposed to be Burger-Tex. I went to this place a few weeks ago and was writing my review today when I started doing a little more research on the place. Turns out that Burger-Tex is not a mom and pop burger joint after all. It is actually a franchise. They have a website with the ugly F-word (franchise) in the left column. http://www.BurgerTex.com. I am sticking to my guns on this one - if you want to be reviewed by me - you gotta be a mom-and-pop hole in the wall burger joint. Period. No websites. No franchises. Just good ol' burgers in a no frills environment.

Since I was duped by Burger-Tex.... I am headed to College Station tomorrow to try out Chicken Oil Company. I'll post my review of Chicken Oil Company tomorrow night.

Review #9: Sam's Deli Diner - Houston, Texas

This past Saturday - Mrs. TexasBurgerGuy and I were trying to decide what burger joint we wanted to go to. There was one that I wanted to go and check out but I decided instead to go hit a burger joint that was submitted by a reader. I scanned my review requests and found one submitted for Sam's Deli Diner located in west Houston. We made the drive down to Sam's and when it came into site... I got very excited because I knew we had found ourselves a good ol' mom and pop burger joint. Sam's is in a little shopping center. It's a very small place that would be easy to miss had we not been looking for it. As we walked up to the door - we were met with the unmistakable smell of onion rings and other fried goodies. I got really pumped then. That was just the beginning to what became a pretty memorable burger joint experience.

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

Sam's Deli Diner Cheeseburger Review
Sam's is probably the smallest burger joint I have been to since starting up my site. I was worried that this small burger joint would turn out a small burger. I glanced around at the burgers everybody else had ordered and saw that there was no need to worry. They were not small at all. I confidently ordered a cheeseburger and waited for my order to be ready. We were there at 2 pm on a Saturday and the place was packed. This built up even more anticipation as I realized all of these people would not be crammed in this place for a poor tasting burger. Once my burger was ready and I took my first bite - I realized there was a reason for everybody being there well after the normal lunch hour.

Oooze Factor
When I think of the Sam's Deli Diner Cheeseburger - oooze is not the first thing that comes to mind. What comes to mind are the vegetables and the mustard/mayo combination slapped on the bun. Even though it wasn't really ooozy.. it still was a good juicy burger. The vegetables were fresh - you could tell that the tomatoes and lettuce were store bought vegetables that somebody had sliced up. That gave this burger its good homemade flavor. I didn't feel my heart clogging up while I ate - so I know this one had a lower oooze factor than some of the other burgers I have had the pleasure of eating. Lower oooze factor - but still a tasty burger.
Oooze Factor Rating: 7


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Herd Killer
While there was no herd that was killed for this burger - there was plenty of meat on this bad boy to fill me up. I opened up the bun to take a look at the patty and the vegetables. I think that the patty might be a frozen patty as it didn't have that "natural beef" look to it. The cheese also hadn't completely melted on my burger. For me, a good burger has a good beefy patty with cheese completely melted into the meat. Despite the patty being frozen and the cheese not being completely melted - this burger still had very good flavor and left a good impression with me. Overall - not big and beefy - but good and tasty nonetheless.
Herd Killer Rating: 7

Handling
The Cheeseburger was a 1 3/4 to 2 handed burger. It was big - but it wasn't so bulky or awkward that it required 2 full hands to hold it. Still a good sized burger though.
Handling Rating: 7

Bling Bling
After being completely stuffed and satisfied by eating this big Cheeseburger - I went back and checked the price. I was amazed that it was only $2.75!!! I couldn't believe it was so cheap. Not many places can you get a good tasting burger like this one and only have to pay 3 bucks! Definitely a GREAT value!!
Bling Bling Rating: 9

Overall Sam's Deli Diner Cheeseburger Rating: 7


OK - No - these people in front of Sam's are not friends of mine... they just wouldn't move. :) SMILE - you're on TexasBurgerGuy!!!
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Restaurant Review
Sam's Deli Diner has a pretty substantial selection on the menu. As is usually the case when I take my family with me - we tried out quite a few menu items. Mrs. TexasBurgerGuy ordered the Fish Sandwich (I dunno why). She said it was really good. We also tried the onion rings which were FAB-U-LOUS! Sweet momma they were good!!! We tried the regular fries which were good - but they needed a little doctoring (read salt and ketchup) before they were really good. We also tried the seasoned fries (pictured above) which were really good. I love a good seasoned fry and these hit the spot. Sam's also has Blue Bell ice cream which is an automatic point added to my review. I LOVE Blue Bell ice cream. They even had peppermint which is one of my favorites. Overall - great menu and great food.


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Restaurant/Atmosphere
I know I have already mentioned this in the intro to this review but Sam's is a pretty small place. I think I counted about 10 tables total and they are pretty small tables at that. I get a little worried about disturbing people when I take my pictures for the reviews and there were just a lot of people crammed in that place so we elected to get it to go (you may have noticed that the pictures of the burgers were taken on top of the console in my truck). Sam's is nice though - the perfect mom and pop burger joint. It has been in the same building for 20 plus years. My advice if you want to go is to have a park picked out where you can take your food to eat it in case Sam's is experiencing a rush of people like they were the day we were there.

Directions
Sam's is not a place that sticks out. You need to check the map and be looking for it or you'll probably drive right by it.

Address/Phone:
S. Kirkwood & I-10
Houston, TX 77043
281.497.8088

Map: Map to Sam's Deli Diner

TBG Overall Rating
Overall Sam's has a pretty tasty burger. The reader that sent me the request said he grew up going to Sam's as a kid. I suspect that there are lots of people that go there today probably have been going there for years. That is one of the coolest things about mom and pop burger joints. They not only serve up food - but they rekindle some old memories as well. Sam's is a great little place with a good tasting burger. With any luck - Sam's will be there for many years to come.

Overall TBG Rating for Sam's Deli Diner: 8

Other Reviews of Sam's Deli Diner:
CitySearch

NASA Discovers an Interstellar Astro Burger

Ever wonder what those engineers at NASA do with all that cutting edge technology? Apparently they are looking for a mom and pop burger joint.... in space! They managed to spot what they are calling Gomez's Hamburger. This interstellar astro burger is actually a sun-like star nearing the end of its life. It has expelled large amounts of gas already which confirms that it probably has a significant amount of oooze. :)

Here is a pic of the Gomez Burger...



This story was submitted by: Tom from Cypress, Texas