A younger version of myself would have shook his head in disappointment at Robb Walsh, food critic for the Houston Press. But an older, wiser me admires his restraint here. What might be the best burger in Texas—at 105 Grocery & Deli in Washington, Texas—is also gigantic, he says, and he could only finish half.
I went with a double, double, pink in the middle, all the way. I could barely believe the size of the sandwich that was set in front of me. It came wrapped in tissue paper in a paper-lined blue plastic basket full of golden fries. The meat bulged out of the bun. It was unevenly shaped, with a lot of charred crispy areas along the edges. I am guessing that each patty was around two-thirds of a pound.
That burger sounds amazing. And, it uses both yellow and white American cheese. That's a touch of class, folks.
But what's more interesting about Walsh's article is his musing on why the best burgers in Texas seem to come from convenience or grocery stores. Paradoxically, it's because they don't take burger-making seriously.
... As the convenience store becomes more famous for burgers than groceries, it begins ruining the homemade quality of the burgers by borrowing bad habits from high-volume burger operations.
Interesting theory, and one I'm perfectly willing to accept.
105 Grocery & Deli
17255 Highway 105, Washington TX (map)
936-878-2273
I like that theory, a lot. I have noticed my local Whole Foods has started stocking jalapeno cheddar burgers in the meat case and while I've yet to try the beef version (the turkey ones were fantastic) I bet there is a lot of truth to his theory.
@christianne: I think the kind of grocery store Walsh is talking about is a small roadside grocery with an in-house grill—not a fancy-pants Whole Foods where you buy pre-shaped burgers and cook them at home. Like this kinda place.
What a hilarious topic, because I grew up down the street from Hruskas and never thought twice about how lucky I was!! Yet one more reason I love being from a small (read: nonexistent) town.
You people are why I love A Hamburger Today. I was so hungry when I first saw that luscious blue basket.
My friends and family have appreciation, but not the deep rooted passion I find here. The only mistake I've made on my burger endeavors has been not to take pictures to share the wealth.
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8 Comments:
I like that theory, a lot. I have noticed my local Whole Foods has started stocking jalapeno cheddar burgers in the meat case and while I've yet to try the beef version (the turkey ones were fantastic) I bet there is a lot of truth to his theory.
christianne at 8:24PM on 06/02/08
@christianne: I think the kind of grocery store Walsh is talking about is a small roadside grocery with an in-house grill—not a fancy-pants Whole Foods where you buy pre-shaped burgers and cook them at home. Like this kinda place.
Adam Kuban at 9:41PM on 06/02/08
Right you are Christianne--in fact here's what Hruska's burger looks like:
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2008/05/hruskas_grocery_bakery.php
Robb Walsh at 9:54AM on 06/03/08
What a hilarious topic, because I grew up down the street from Hruskas and never thought twice about how lucky I was!! Yet one more reason I love being from a small (read: nonexistent) town.
nichole at 5:06PM on 06/03/08
Is it wrong that I made the photo of the Hruska's burger my new wallpaper?
worldcupfever at 1:13PM on 06/06/08
I can't fault you. I stuck my face in it.
Robb Walsh at 5:04PM on 06/06/08
You people are why I love A Hamburger Today. I was so hungry when I first saw that luscious blue basket.
My friends and family have appreciation, but not the deep rooted passion I find here. The only mistake I've made on my burger endeavors has been not to take pictures to share the wealth.
mmakis at 11:30PM on 06/09/08
@mmakis: My motto is "ABS: ALWAYS BE SHOOTING"! Carry your camera everywhere and shoot all your burgs.
Adam Kuban at 8:04AM on 06/10/08