Home to the original “Texas Size Steak Sandwich,” this no-frills, old-fashioned walk-up burger institution in East End has served Houstonians for over 50 years with third-pound patties made from prime ground chuck. Order your burger how you like it, and that’s just what they’ll serve. Locals who visit Champ on the second Saturday of the month will encounter a celebration, with special Champ Burger-themed face-painting and free beer from 8th Wonder Brewery while supplies last.

This Austin import has quickly become an industry favorite for its laid-back atmosphere, extensive and dependable cocktail list, and one of its most popular food items — its “world-famous” double sliders. Diners can enjoy this double smash patty with cheese, fried onion, mustard, and pickles on a steamed bun for $7 and make it Texas-sized for roughly $1 more. Go between noon and 3 p.m. for one of Nickel City’s best deals: the #1 combo comes with a cheesy double slider, a beer, a shot, and fries for $17.26.

Though this East Downtown gem is known to rotate its menu items, its cheeseburger is a mainstay. Nancy’s brings breakfast into the mix, serving the double cheeseburger on a brioche English muffin, then topping it with American cheese, pickles, and red onion for a slight twist that still feels classic and easy to eat. Make it an extra happy meal with hand-cut fries served with aioli and a cider or a glass of wine from its extensive drinks list.

Stanton’s, an old-school charmer open since 1961, serves up an impressive array of 13 burgers made with a half-pound of fatty, smoky beef topped with house-made condiments. The Cowboy Brunch burger — its patty, fried egg, grilled onions, bacon, house-fried pickles, and cheeses piled onto Texas toast — is a can’t-miss dish. If bacon is a must, go for the Miss Piggie, which comes with sweet-savory candied bacon.

While this Heights spot may be known for tacos and margaritas, the Cantina Burger is a sleeper hit. The quarter-pound burger is adorned with a slice of American cheese, house-cured pickles, and its own burger sauce. Diners can make it a double and add bacon for added flavor. Dine there after 8 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday and slip into the on-site speakeasy Mijo for mezcal-fueled drinks.

Hosted in the Houston Farmers Market, the last remaining Underbelly Hospitality restaurant offers solid burger options, including its 44 Farms Angus Burger and R-C Ranch wagyu burger, which come with two all-beef patties, American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and house sauce. Vegetarians can go for the homemade veggie burger, with a patty that deftly combines black bean, brown rice, and beets, and is topped with avocado, lettuce, and corn relish. Upgrade to a combo for $5 and add the ranch-seasoned potato fries.

After decades in Houston, Lankford’s is still dishing out some of the best burgers, fries, and milkshakes in the city. The Grim, a beefy patty topped with macaroni and cheese, jalapeño, bacon, cheddar cheese, and a sunny-side-up egg, is a regular’s favorite. Like spice? Make it hot and order the Grim Reaper, which adds cayenne butter and a habanero sauce. The Red, White, and Blue burger, topped with ranch dressing, blue cheese crumbles, and roasted red peppers, is a sleeper hit. Non-beef eaters can sub out the red meat for grilled or fried chicken, turkey, salmon, tilapia, a black bean burger, or an Impossible patty.

Though this newer Museum District restaurant is a bit more upscale with rib-eye steaks, beautifully plated Texas redfish Pontrachain, and a ritzy bar area, it gets surprisingly messy with its can’t-miss Granger’s Cowboy Burger. This robust, saucy burger is topped with creamy guacamole, crispy jalapenos for added crunch and spice, cheddar, bacon jam, and sambal mayo. Served with a side of garlic fries, it’s certainly meant to be eaten with your hands, so dig in and enjoy with a refreshing cocktail, like its Tequila Mockingbird.

Once only served during happy hour, chef-owner Ryan Lachaine’s butter burger sliders are now a mainstay on the menu at his modern American restaurant. The simple smashed beef patty is made more decadent by sweet caramelized onions, American cheese, and, of course, a fair amount of butter. Two come in a serving: just enough to indulge in the richness but leave you wanting more.

With its unique decor modeled after a New York bodega, this Heights burger joint has become a go-to for many Houstonians’ burger cravings. Order the classic smash burger with grilled onions and the creamy Bodega sauce, or the show-stopping chopped cheese: diced beef patties, cheese, peppers, and onions on a hoagie roll. Other options, like fries piled high with beef and cheese sauce, are also available. Don’t forget the milkshake, which comes in vanilla, chocolate, mango lassi, and Vietnamese coffee flavors.

Bun B’s burger restaurant has taken the city by storm since its 2023 opening, drawing in celebrities and long lines for months. Now that things have calmed down somewhat, stop in to order a one-, two-, or three-patty burger, composed of smashed beef patties with a hint of crisp topped with American cheese, pickles, caramelized onions, and the creamy Trill sauce. Vegans will be delighted by the vegan version, which is topped with vegan cheese and vegan mayo. Waits can be made a little easier by ordering through its drive-thru, which is open until midnight on weekends.

Putting a seafood restaurant’s burger on this map feels a bit bizarre, but Balboa Surf Club is deserving. Known to make nearly all of its ingredients, the Post Oak Boulevard restaurant offers a patty made with beef chuck ground in-house, topped with jack cheese, crisp lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and its Channel Island sauce. For an equally tasty burger with a different spin, head to its sister restaurant, Il Bracco, located across the parking lot in Post Oak Plaza. Toppings, including aged provolone, Calabrian chilies, and a refreshing padding of arugula, fennel, and red onion, ensure the beef in it truly shines.

This neighborhood spot has been serving up classic all-beef smash burgers for more than 30 years, and needless to say, they’re pros. Spring for the double-meat burger for $6.20 — only a dollar difference from the single — and load up on your choice of sauces and fixings like crispy bacon. Drink down a hand-blended shake or the homemade lemonade, and don’t forget a side of onion rings.

Though a clear departure from the inventive Vietnamese cuisine she's better known for, this sandwich shop by MasterChef winner and James Beard Award-nominated chef Christine Ha is a Spring Branch neighborhood favorite. The Belly burger is no exception: made with two smashed beef chuck patties, this burger comes stacked with caramelized onions, American cheese, pickles, and its signature Stuffed sauce on a toasted potato bun.

Chef-owners Philip Kim and Thomas Jarrow have been slinging smash burgers since 2019, first at Downtown’s Underground food hall and now at two locations, including in Asiatown, where there’s no fuss walk-up service. The crispy-edged halal beef is best showcased in the namesake Hotline Burger, with two patties, grilled onions, pickles, American cheese, and the signature Smack sauce. Don’t ask for lettuce or tomato. They don’t have them. What they do have, though, is fancy fries. Get yours covered in garlic parmesan, a Ranch or a spicy seasoning, or load them up with Smack sauce, grilled onions, American cheese, and a combination of seasonings.

This mom-and-pop restaurant has served the Stafford area since 2007 and has become a staple for Philly cheesesteaks, gyros, and burgers. The spicy double-meat burger is the way to go for heat-seekers — garlic, onion, jalapeno, and other spices are ground into the patty. Every burger comes stacked with lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo, but diners can add on and customize the baseline style in any way they please. Lines stay long, but true to its name, service is speedy.