Lankford's Grocery & Market

Smack dab in the middle of rows and rows of townhomes and apartment complexes, Lankford Grocery & Market occupies a corner of Midtown nearly untouched by the relentless onslaught of modernity. And it serves really great food. Breakfast is pretty simple, but the burgers are where Lankford's gets a little wild. 

Lankford’s menu is what you might expect: a handful of different egg and meat combo plates for breakfast, then burgers and sandwiches for lunch. You can order a regular cheeseburger here, but you shouldn’t. Instead, try the Grim burger stuffed with macaroni and cheese and pickled jalapeños, or the Midtown with a thick onion ring underneath a BBQ-sauce-slathered patty. Other burgers come with toppings like cayenne butter, pineapples, and Frito pie over thick beef patties topped with even more cheese. Each burger sinks like a lead bomb in your stomach, but they are so satisfying you won’t be able to stop eating until the whole thing disappears. 

photo credit: Liz Silva

The small red and white building, which can only really be described as a ramshackle country shed, has a few patio tables out front. The inside is similar, resembling a diner and a dive bar smashed together, with a giant garage door and a few tables and built-in booths. No one dining there looks like they work in, live around, or even know where the Midtown neighborhood is. Servers here call you “honey” and “sweetheart” and know what you mean when you ask for a half-and-half iced tea.

Show up alone for a quick lunch, or go with someone you are eager to impress with both your knowledge of Houston institutions and burger-eating prowess. The original Lankford’s in Midtown is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the weekends, but you can hit up the other, newer location in Bellaire if you have a dinnertime burger craving during the week.

photo credit: Liz Silva

photo credit: Liz Silva

photo credit: Liz Silva

photo credit: Liz Silva

photo credit: Liz Silva