The Original Hubcap Grill

Houston is a great burger town. Ask ten different Houstonians where the best burger in Houston is and you’ll likely get ten different answers. Read ten articles written by ten so-called experts and you still wouldn’t find a consensus “best burger”. Take ten people with you to The Original Hubcap Grill for burgers and you’ll likely have ten new votes for Hubcap Grill as best burger in Houston. There burgers are THAT good.

Nestled between the towering skyscrapers of Downtown Houston, the small — and we mean small — burger joint more closely resembles an auto garage than a restaurant — I mean there ARE hubcaps hanging outside the building. But the Hubcap Grill is not interested in pleasing their customers with the unapologetic aesthetics of their establishment… they’re interested in stuffing your face with damn good homemade burgers and fries.

Step into Hubcap Grill and you’re met with a super-sized menu filled with some of the most unique burgers that you’ll ever come across — try to wrap your head around a burger topped with peanut butter and bacon (the Sticky Burger) or one topped with cheetos (appropriately named the Cheeto-Burger). See more of the Downtown Hubcap Grill menu here.

I decided to take on — and perhaps laugh in the face of cardiovascular stoppage — the Triple Heart Clogger. A burger topped with a smoky wiener split on the grill and thick-cut bacon? Um, yes, thank you! You can actually add chili to the burger as well, creating the ominous, Quadruple Heart Clogger. I wanted it… but… I was scared. Add an order of their twice-fried, make-sure-you-get-these-because-they-are-absolutely-delicious french fries and a bottle of root beer and lunch was served!

Although there are several highly imaginative burgers on the Hubcap Grill menu, the common link to all of this deliciousness is the 1/3 lb  never-frozen, hand-formed, beef patties. Seasoned well and grilled to perfection, the burger patty stands up to any topping and remains the star of the dish.

A few lessons learned from this MHLer’s visit to the Hubcap Grill… (1) They only accept cash. They have an ATM but avoid the additional generic-ATM-fee and get cash beforehand. (2) Seating is very limited, especially during lunchtime. Grab an order to-go. And speaking of lunchtime, (3) Order ahead of time! Unless you actually want to wait around for a good while.

If you don’t generally find yourself in the Downtown area during the afternoon, the Hubcap Grill has recently opened a new location on Washington Ave. with patio seating and a great beer selection. Look out for a MHL feature on that location in the near future!

Next time you’re in Downtown though and craving a burger, you definitely need to check out the Original Hubcap Grill location. Let us know if their burger ends up being one of your favorites!

[ Hubcap Grill — 1111 Prairie St — Monday – Saturday 11am to 3pm ]

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