HOUReview
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Burger Bodega
Included In
While Burger Bodega might resemble a millennial-smashburger fever dream, it actually pays a specific homage to the iconic bodegas around New York City, many of which are owned and operated by immigrants. But this is Texas. So Burger Bodega in Rice Military blends NYC bodega culture with Houston hip-hop, art, and our dedication to plastering the numbers 713 on just about everything—and then dresses it all in a spicy aioli.
There are only five things on the menu—three of them are versions of fries, one is a smash burger, and one is a chopped cheese—and all of them are nostalgic and satisfying. The smash burgers are surrounded by a caramelized lace of beef and smothered in house aioli, or bodega sauce. Addictive fries get dressed with grilled onions and melty cheese. There’s also a sauced-up chopped cheese, which, for the uninitiated, is a couple of chopped beef patties inside a hero roll with cheese and vegetables smothered in aioli. (We’ll take two.)
The nostalgia vibes run deep here, with artistically reproduced corner store household products—think facsimiles of laundry soap or cereal—displayed art-installation style, which initially feels a little corny. But after a few bites of the food or a couple sips of a mango lassi or Vietnamese coffee milkshake, you don’t really care what the inside looks like. Drop in with your friend or bring the whole family, hang out on the rooftop patio, or, in true bodega style, just take everything to go.
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Food Rundown
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Smash Burger
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Chopped Cheese
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Chopped (& Screwed) Fries
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Shakes