Lankford's - Bellaire — Restaurant in Bellaire

Have heard good things about Lankford's and finally got around to trying it. Wow, I wish we would have tried it long ago! Both of us got bacon cheese burgers cooked medium well. They were cooked to perfection! Nice and juicy. And the bacon, you could really taste it unlike a lot of places. I also got onion rings and they were likely the best onion rings I've ever had, and that's really saying something as I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to my onion rings. Everything came out within about 12 minutes and was piping hot and fresh! Even the temperature of the restaurant was perfect. There are only 2 minor things I can complain about: 1. As with a lot of places when you order at the counter and get ready to pay it asks you to tip (not something I do unless at a 'sit down' restaurant where the waitress/waiter takes your order. 2. It was pretty noisy, so much so that I had to turn my hearing aids all the way down. And it wasn't all that busy, it was just that they had the music a touch too loud (although they do play great music, classic rock) and with the music being too loud of course caused all the patrons to think they had to use their outside voices to talk over the music. Plus there is nothing to absorb sound inside. If they hung some burlap/cloth panels here and there it would greatly help. But we definitely have a new favorite burger place now!

EDIT 08/17/25 Unfortunately I have to remove 1 star. Not because of the food, it's still excellent, but because of the service today. 2 weeks ago on our very first visit everything, including the service, was amazing. Today on our 2nd visit the service was pretty bad. 1st there is a sign on the register stating if you give them a 5 star review that you get a free order of fries on your next visit. Now, I didn't give them 5 stars because of the free fry offer, but because our 1st visit genuinely was Excellent. However, today when I ordered I asked the girl taking my order about the free fries. She had no idea what I was talking about. I picked up the sign that was sitting right in front of her on the register and showed her as well as showed her my review on my phone. She had no idea how to handle this and started scanning around for help. I had already waited nearly 10 minutes just to get up to the register to order and wasn't really in the mood to wait any longer nor to keep the people behind me waiting as well so I said just forget the fries. Next I mentioned my veteran status to get a discount, she also had no idea about this (I know they do it as I got it on my first visit, and oddly enough by the same girl taking my order now). Again she starts looking around for help. Again I said I wasn't going to wait extra just for that so ring me up. Right then another employee, perhaps a manager, showed up and took care of it all. Now back to our table to wait for our food. 18 minutes after we ordered, my cheeseburger and onion rings arrived but not my wife's grilled chicken sandwich. Now, 18 minutes wasn't all that long considering how busy they were but to bring out only half of our order? We waited another 5 minutes and still no chicken sandwich. My wife goes up to check on it and was told they were 'making it'. About 2 minutes after she sat down her sandwich and our free fries arrived. There was a family of 4 in front of me at the register when we arrived and they were sitting at a table next to us. They didn't get their food until a few minutes AFTER we got ours and just like ours, it was brought out 1 or 2 at a time with a couple minutes between. Not sure what was going on with the kitchen. Will we go back? Absolutely as the food is amazing, just hopefully won't have such a bad customer service...

Had previously had some great experiences here but what I experienced today was so absolutely off-putting I will never be back, and I will forever encourage anyone I know to avoid this place like London in 1665. And it breaks my native Houstonian heart to say that.

Let me begin by saying that, I almost never feel compelled to write reviews at all, but I felt like I had to say something lest someone else be treated the way my family and other patrons were today.

My husband and I met up with my elderly parents who arrived slightly before us and had ordered an appetizer and drinks while they waited for us. I'll preface this with our waiter was fine, another server that assisted him was fine, but my main issue lies with the older gentleman who I believe I overheard refer to himself as the owner.

Service was quite slow, not unusual for a Saturday but strange in a semi-empty place, but we had no complaints as we were happy to sit and catch up with each other. Drinks went empty, no biggie, not a huge deal at all, they honestly just seemed understaffed.

Our burgers finally arrived, and the older gentleman was immediately extremely curt with us asking who had ordered what and slamming down our trays. My parents had ordered an appetizer and it hadn't yet come out with the entrees, so my father asked about it only to be met with "this isn't enough food for you?" and a pat on the shoulder. Allow me to explain why this was immediately infuriating to me. My father is admittedly on the heavier side and I myself have struggled on the opposite end of the spectrum with disordered eating. What an absolutely vile and inappropriate comment to make to someone who merely had the audacity to politely ask about their order. My father, bless him, said nothing to that comment and merely said "no worries, we're ok with what we have". But I could tell he was deeply insulted and I myself struggled to eat my burger that could be generously described as mediocre at best anyway.

I can excuse a great many things. I worked in the service industry and I know how it goes. Bad days happen, chaos happens, people call out, and some customers just suck. But I cannot abide by sheer undeserved rudeness to patrons who had no other desire than to just enjoy a meal with their friends/family.

I wish I could say that one comment was all, and I wish I had not observed further insults by the same man just during our visit: -Complaining about another patron's service dog loud enough that I could hear it across the restaurant. The man ended up putting the dog outside afterwards, I don't know the reason but I think I can guess. -Rudely demanding that someone leave immediately after asking for a cup of water. -Ignoring other patrons who had asked and waited for service and then being angry in general when they dared to ask in the first place. -When my mother had the "audacity" to later ask about our to-go order and was met with "Well it WAS ready and then you wanted it differently." A blatant and bizarre lie as she never changed a thing, merely placed the order.

For a place that is an offshoot of a restaurant that has been around my entire life, this location is absolutely beyond disappointing and my family and friends will never ever insult it again with...

Here is a story about a restaurant as old as time itself. Sit back, relax, grab some popcorn, and hold on to your family and friends because this is going to be a wild review. Think about something, got it, good (I just wanted you to start thinking). This restaurant is the diamond in the rough (Aladdin knows what I am talking about). When you go, you really need to try the fried oreos, they are de bomb, seriously they caused many explosions in my neighborhood. Over all the oreos are pretty fire, but this is where the fighting really started. I, myself, decided, hmmm I would love to be plastered. So I put two of the most important employees in the ring to decide who’s margarita was the best. The two men were, the bald legend of time, also the owner, Paul, and the handsome and talented manager Trace. (I mean is there really a comparison here). First I tried the old recipe for margaritas from Trace, one sip and it was over, there was no way the new recipe could be better and I was right. When I tried the new drink I couldn’t even find it in myself to take another sip. In the end the man, the myth, the GOAT himself, Trace, with the old recipe, was the best at making margaritas. (And if you want one I recommend you must ask for Trace by any means necessary. Even if you have to fight your way to the kitchen, you must ask for Trace). Now on to the next masterpiece, not only is Trace amazing at margaritas (the old recipe specifically) his milkshakes are like the Van Gogh paintings. (Yes I know you can’t eat them, but they look good enough to eat). Specifically I tried their chocolate milk shake, with a bit of booze, and could you not, the man had made another masterpiece again. This was insane and if I had the power, I would call the Thunderbolts themselves to recruit this man. But I know this humble manager would have to deny because how amazing his milkshake and margarita skills are. But lastly as this journey comes to a close I have to tell you the most important tale of them all, the state of the bathrooms. Me, who can’t handle their dairy well. (I know I just had a milkshake, but like I always say, enjoy life now, and endure the consequences later.) To my surprise when entering said bathroom, it was as clean as paradise itself. I knew this was my home away from home, the toilet was white, and unlike the sink in my home, there was no hair in it. (Bonus!!) I think I made a personal connection with that bathroom that day, and those secrets will never come to light. As I part with you on this adventure, I want like to leave you with two things. Always ask for the old margaritas by Trace, always, if you don’t the world itself might end. (Seriously no matter what day I come in, it cures the office blues away). Lastly the bathrooms are a lifesaver, they’re the cleanest bathrooms known to man, I could see my reflection in the toilet seat. (And I don’t like seeing myself everyday). Now get out of my back seat and get a move on, I have other places I...