The Burger Palace — Restaurant in Houston

I had a pretty poor experience. Most of the reviews say the burgers here were the best they’ve ever had, which surprised me, but I think i’ve theorized why: this business was bought out or had a different distributor prior, because the food looks completely different in the pictures than in real life. There are three things I need to address:

Atmosphere. As soon as I walked in, it reeked of air freshener, as if it was emanating from the bathroom (not too much of a raise for concern, but a bad first impression to make on your costumers). Another strange observation I made was the pattern of the booth cushions and chairs, which were iridescent, which is odd for a burger place. They were scratched up, and clearly tattered (again, not the worst quality a restaurant could have). The lighting in this restaurant was just off, and the walls were this awful yellow that matched with just about nothing. But enough of the atmosphere, let’s focus on the core elements of a good restaurant:

The service The service was… strange. There was a high-top table with no seats placed in the middle of the restaurant with a menu on it, in which you would order your food, but not where we sit. Main dishes and sides were brought separately depending on what time the food was finished.

The food I’m not sure I can make a single good comment about the food. For context, I ordered an American burger, fries with parmesan and rosemary, and a vanilla shake. The shake I ordered had a watery consistency as if it crystallized in the freezer and melted again. The fries were obviously frozen, and lacked any flavor at all (it’s fine if fries are frozen but I shouldn’t be able to tell). My burger, which I didn’t have a chance to get into, was hot at the bottom. This suggests it was microwaved, but I won’t say for sure that I know it was.

Additionally, I noticed the restaurant uploaded an AI generated image of one of the items on their menu....

I guess everyone has different experience at this place looking at many of the reviews!!! Sorry for making mine a bit long, but it's just how it happened....

I was in town for few days due to work and decided to go to this place for dinner with another friend of mine. Everything was good, service, accommodation, timing...on par...

Then came the out of the ordinary....The burger I had ordered...OMG, I ate at that place like 3 years ago and I can still taste it in my mouth...So, far hands down the best burger I've had anywhere...and my friend loved it also. One of those foods that you can't just describe the taste, it's just good.

Next morning we were flying out, and went back to that place for breakfast...looked at the menu but couldn't decide, just the usual stuff...

Then they showed their hospitality toward customers (they could've easily said NO and I would totally understand)...I requested to make a sandwich...not only that it was not on the menu but it probably was not something that any restaurant would do to go out of their way...No, I was not being picky :) lol...using the same ingredients like egg/bread etc..

When the sandwich came out, it looked great and it tasted even better. And you know what, they did not charge me crazy for the customized sandwich either...I think it was less than $10 or something...I thought it was gonna be more than double that, which I still would've paid for the taste of it

If I ever go back to that area, I will definitely try to have a meal or two at that place again...

I don't remember their names, but I believe it was a lady (prob the owner) and the chef, who actually came out to know how I wanted my sandwich done...I'm sure they don't even remember this...

The upscale Houston Galleria area sports more than one upscale burger establishment, and The Burger Palace on Sage has occupied this niche for several years. “The Palace” features Kobe-style Akaushi beef (pronounced ah-ka-oo-shee), which has a higher fat content than normal beef. Their menu includes a variety of specialty burgers, chicken sandwiches, sliders, and hot dogs; something for everyone in the family to enjoy.

Though the Spicy Vietnamese burger with cilantro, cucumbers, jalapeno, and Sriracha looked interesting, I chose the French Connection burger with brie, crimini mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach. Lunch mates chose the chicken sandwich and the Ultimate Grilled Cheese with bacon, which is a comfort-food favorite. A glitch in the kitchen meant my burger was last to arrive, but “Good things come to those who wait!”

Classic flavor combinations like bacon and cheddar or mushroom and Swiss cheese are a known-quantity around here, and venturing outside that comfort zone paid off. The creamy brie cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and earthy mushrooms went together beautifully. I’ve long been a big fan of the sweeter taste of baby spinach as well. My burger was cooked nicely, and the pillow-top bun didn’t fall apart (kudos). The Akaushi beef had a very nice flavor and was juicy from beginning to end.

The service at The Burger Palace was a little lacking, and pay no attention to the forgettable tempura battered onion rings. But if you’re on a mission to find great burgers in Houston, The Burger Palace...