Burgers ‘n fries: The Cougar’s staff picks

Houston has a slew of grills competing for the hearts and stomachs of the Bayou City’s burger aficionados. Which one has yours?

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At Bernie’s Burger Bus sky-high sandwiches are filled with any Tex-Mex topping under the sun – “The Principal” comes with garlic tomatoes, “Homeroom” is topped with a fried egg and “Fire Drill” boasts spicy guacamole and tortilla chips. Bernie’s also makes detention sound like a good thing: Its “Detention” burger uses bacon grilled cheese sandwiches as the bun. 5407 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire, TX 77401

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Hubcap Grill’s greasy, tender burger is consistently seen on the tops of Houston’s best burger lists. It has one of the juiciest burger patties in the city, and the grill’s outdoor patio is the perfect place to chow down like it’s your last meal. 1111 Prairie, Houston, TX 77002

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Barnaby’s Cafe is more than just a burger joint, but its tasty bacon cheeseburger will have you running back for lunch as often as you can. 414 W Gray St.,
Houston, TX

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You have to be of-age to get into the Westheimer craft bar Hay Merchant, but its Cease and Desist burger is better than any cocktail you’ll have on your 21st. It’s named after a lawsuit that was filed against them by In-N-Out (originally, the burger was called the Double Double), and it’s made with farm-fresh beef in partnership with Underbelly’s award-winning chef Chris Shepard. 1100 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77006

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What’s a good burger recommendation without any sides? These fries are unconventional but distinctly Houstonian.

• Happy Endings’ queso kimchi fries: UH, if you haven’t tried Queso Kimchi Fries yet, then you should be ashamed of yourself. Kimchi is a probiotic, which helps aid in digestion. It’s a perfect counter-balance to the queso, which definitely doesn’t. Click here for the food truck’s schedule.
• Fat Bao’s avocado fries: Not all fries are potatoes, people. As the name of the restaurant implies, these are FAT slices of avocado breaded and deep fried. They’re the perfect marriage of creamy and crunchy goodness. 3419 Kirby Dr., Houston, TX 77098
• Andes Café’s salchipapas: Salchipapas are a classic South American street food with cut up hot-dog, tomatoes, peppers, onions, fried bananas and brown gravy. And while they’re great on any occasion, we know that they’ve cured many hangovers. 2311 Canal St. #104, Houston, TX 77003
• La Boheme’s Bankgok style french fries: We’ve always throught that French fries needed pork shoulder and peanuts. 307 Fairview St., Houston, TX 77006

“Coogs Choose” is a special section produced by The Cougar in collaboration with the Center for Student Media that spotlights students’ favorite places and activities around campus and Houston. Pick up the magazine at campus newsstands until April 22.