Trying my best to stay on the burger course, but it’s been tough lately.  Work, church, more work, and chores around the house have been consuming all of my time.  Had to go to Houston this weekend for a wedding, but somehow managed to tackle one of Texas Monthly’s 50 Greatest.  It’s slow going right now, but it’ll get done…eventually.  For those of you new to The Burgervore landscape, about a month ago, I decided to tackle all the burger places in Austin, Houston, and Dallas on Texas Monthly’s greatest burgers list as kind of a side project.

Not only did I get to enjoy a delicious burger, but I got to eat for free courtesy of my brother-in-law!  He recently got a paid internship and was gracious enough to treat me and his sisters to lunch at Becks Prime.  Well…maybe we coerced him…just a little.  The ladies didn’t actually join us at the restaurant, so it gave us a chance to catch up and talk about church, life, and Longhorn football!  Okay.  Maybe it was just me talking about UT football, but he was kind enough to listen.

Introducing TM’s ninth greatest hamburger in Texas – the Bacon Cheeseburger at Becks Prime.

It was nice to get back into a place with a comfortable atmosphere that specializes in burgers.  The outdoor patio was filled with families enjoying a nice Saturday lunch, and they all seemed quite satisfied with their burgers.  I would soon find out why.  Becks Prime grinds their Angus chuck roast daily on-site and hand cuts their fries.  They believe in using fresh, high-quality ingredients for their made-to-order burgers.  They do have a freezer in their kitchen, though – it’s used to keep their beer mugs nice and frosty.  🙂

The bacon cheeseburger was comfortingly delicious – a 1/2-lb Angus beef patty, crisp bacon, cheese, mayo, pickle, onion, lettuce, and tomato all served on a sesame seed bun.  When they say crisp bacon, they’re not kidding.  So many times when I get bacon on my burger at other places, it’ll come out soggy and ends up detracting from the burger.  Not the case at Becks Prime. Smoky, salty, crunchy, porky perfection. The burger also benefitted from a liberal application of pickle slices, bright and sour but not in excess as to overwhelm.  The bun held up nicely to the burger juices, and the sesame seeds imparted a nutty earthiness to the experience.  But the star without a doubt had to be the beef patty.  Obvious answer?  I guess so, but what’s not to like about a burger that’s been grilled over mesquite wood coals?  Armed with a side of their hand-cut Idaho fries and tall ice cold beverage, I was ready to do what I do best…eat a burger.

Now I’m not a slow eater by any means, but as I was finishing up the first half of my burger I watched in amazement as my brother-in-law took down the last bite of his meal.  How in the…???  I was impressed.  If only he lived closer…I could recruit him on some of my burger outings.  Not to be outdone, I quickly polished off the second half of my bacon cheeseburger and was fueled to sit through a Catholic wedding mass.  Maybe “sit” isn’t exactly the best word.  It was more like calisthenics – stand, sit, stand, kneel, sit, stand, sit…  I had no idea a wedding could be so much work.  But in all seriousness, it was a great time of celebration and the bride and groom couldn’t have looked happier.

Will I be going back to Becks Prime?  I can only respond with a most resounding YES!!  How I hadn’t been there before after living in Houston for over 20 years, I’ll never know.  My BP burger experience in three words…simple. succulent. satisfying.

Location:  1202 Dairy Ashford St, Houston TX

The 50 Greatest Hamburgers in Texas (burgers eaten)

9.  Bacon Cheeseburger (Becks Prime, Houston)

30.  Half A** Burger (Roaring Fork, Austin)

37.  Hamburger (Mighty Fine, Austin)