Our most recent Burger Journey stops have included a place that looked like a classic Texas roadhouse, but served Sysco-style industrial burgers, a local chain that combined McDonald's atmosphere with a superior burger, and a charming little shop that was long on ambiance, and just a little short on taste.
Would we ever discover a place that combines the quirks and eccentricities of pure Mom and Popdom with a burger that makes you understand why the God of the Old Testament listed char-broiled beef as His sacrifice of choice?
This month, we may have found it.
Tornado Burger is a Local Joint. Plopped in the middle of an abandoned strip mall parking lot on FM 1092 in Missouri City, a stretch noteworthy for both its ridiculously heavy traffic and its Urban Wasteland ugliness, there is nothing about Tornado Burger that makes you think "this must be part of a chain."
The building is a mess of condiments, French's Mustard yellow walls with ketchup trim and a roof the color of sliced dill pickles. Signage abounds, much of it really wordy, and hard to read (one sign, touting Tornado's Philly Style Cheese Steak, featured the phrase "gettouttaheah!" in a weird, cursive script that looked at first glance like "gonorrhea!")
I must admit, I was worried.
We didn't get a good look at the interior; The Brain Trust had decided that for this visit, we'd order take-out and eat at home.
The menu is fairly sraightforward. There are some wrinkles -- the aforementioned cheese steak, a veggie burger, something (if I remember right) with lamb in it -- but for the most part, it's burgers, fries, and drinks:
Service was fast, and friendly. The brown take-out bags, telltale spots of grease seeping through the sacks, smelled delicious on the drive home. Things looked promising.
And they were.
The Spicy Triple -- three slices of cheese and three patties of fresh ground Angus, spiked with liberal amounts of Worcestershire, pepper, fresh onions, garlic and jalapenos, was piquant and oozy and altogether fantastic. The fries, fresh cut and liberally salted, were a worthy partner to the burger. This is one Triple that is clearly a Home Run! (That last line brought to you by the Amalgamated Union of Cheesy Review Comments, Southwest Houston Division.)
Don't take my word for it -- read on:
Debbie concurs:
This place has the BEST burger so far for me. It has that factor that the others have been missing.....the OOZE factor. I loved it! Juicy meat, grilled onions (I opted for those) and the cheese just came together so perfectly. I don't normally get a double meat cheeseburger, but I did this time. It was terrific. When the juices drop down your fingers after you take a bite, you know it's a keeper. I loved it and will definitely go back!
Sarah, who's liked 'em all, liked this one best of all:
Am I Will Rogers or who??? I have loved all of the burgers, but this Tornado burger was the best...so far. My idea would be to change out the fries (too soggy) with fresh fries from McDonalds. I've judged the six burgers so far. Tornado Burger is número uno.
Lynda begs to differ:
I like Tornado Burger's burger, but given that the place is known for their cheeseburgers and I got a regular 3 oz plain burger, I must say that I like the onion strings better than the burger. I also think they are generous with their fries. I will try a cheeseburger some day, but for this comparison, I always order a regular burger, and theirs is skimpy.
Erin took a walk on the spicy side:
The Tornado burger was truly delicious! I was brave and got the double spicy burger and loved it! It was juicy, tasty, and quite satisfying. The spice gave it a nice kick. The fries? Not so much. Again, am not a fan of limp fries. I think I will stick with onion rings next time.
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