The Burger Guys bring their juicy goodness downtown
The flattop grill is virgin steel; never seared a single piece of meat.
But the Burger Guys are more than eager to break in the stove. They’ve been waiting for months to fire up the equipment at the newdowntown branch of their popularwest- side gourmet burger barn.
Some time within the next severalweeks, the Burger Guys— owner JakeMazzu and chef Brandon Fisch— will start flipping burgers for their first paying customers at the downtown location. The two promise they’ll be the most incredible burgers served — and that’s not limited to downtown.
“We’re not like anyone else. We can’t be compared,” Mazzu said. “There’s not one place in Houston, or anywhere in the country, that’s comparable.”
Sowhat gives the guys this confidence? It’s more than just being outrageously proud ofwhat they do. The proof, they say, is in the product.
The beauteous burgers are made with generous, hand- formed patties of Texas- raised Akaushi beef sandwiched in a Kraftsman Baking challah bun. Formany, this pedigree would be more than enough, but the guys gild the lilywith house- made pickles and aioli, and offer even more richness by cooking their fries in duck fat and churning shakes with indulgent housemade ice cream.
Such details can buckle the knees of even the most jaded burger aficionados. Mazzu calls these Michelin- worthy burgers. ( The partners have bothworked atMichelinstarred restaurants: Mazzu at the Fat Duck in England and Fisch at Restaurant Daniel in New York.)
“Allwe’re trying to do is make people happy,” Fisch said of their simple business credo.
But first, they had to make each other happy. Mazzu and Fisch met in 2009whileworking as line cooks at Reef.
“We tried to kill each other atwork,” Mazzu said. “Butwe realizedwe were friends.”
Whileworking at Reef, they began hatching the Burger Guys concept. Evenwhen they split up andwent to cook in different restaurants, they clung to the idea. The first Burger Guys restaurant opened in 2010 at 12225 Westheimer andwas an immediate juicy hit. Customers relished the inventive burgers, the special fries, the gourmet sauces and condiments, the hand- scooped milkshakes and the soda fountains squirting vintage fizz, including Dublin Dr Pepper.
Almost immediately, theywere beset by realtors offering to find expansion properties. The Burger Guys had always considered downtown, but they tested thewaters by opening a temporary satellite operation within Café Luz earlier this year. After seeing at least two dozen spaces, they settled on the former Korma Sutra at 706 Main.
The newstore will feature the full Burger Guys menu of burgers and hot dogs but also will include daily chef’s specials inspired by farmers market bounty and local fish. They’ll also have the space to do bigger batches of ice cream thatwill be sold by scoops and in pints. They also hope to offer some of their condiments for sale.
The BYOB space, wearing newpaint ( a quirky showdown between “butternut squash” and “Prince Charming Royal Purple”), feels good, the partners said. It just so happens to be the same location of Randy Rucker’s old LaidbackManor, throughwhich a number of great local chefs have passed.
“Considering all the peoplewhoworked here,” Mazzu said, “that gave us a good, positive vibe.”