Bernie's Burger Bus

It never fails: the pure joy of the moment I untie the white-tissue kerchief and the french fries from Bernie’s Burger Bus spill forth, stubby and deep-bronzed and crackly and hot. They may not be long and photogenic, but these handcut Burbank potatoes from the jaunty orange school bus, scattered with exactly the right amount of crunchy sea salt, have become my favorite fries in the city.
Even the triple digit heat we’ve been experiencing lately doesn’t diminish the pleasure I take in Bernie’s fries, which get acquire their magnificent texture from overtime-blanching on their first run through the fryer. I’ll happily wolf them at a shady iron table outside Inversion Coffee House on Montrose Boulevard, where Bernie’s often is parked for lunch. I’ll share them with friends I run into sitting and sweating on the porch at Lizzard’s Pub on an early evening, swigging cold beers from the bar inside and dipping the fries into Bernie’s made-from-scratch ketchup.

Handcut Fries and Ketchup

House-made ketchups can be a dicey business, but chef Justin Turner’s is a triumph: a sweet-tart potion with the tang of good chili sauce and a current of warm spices I can never quite pin down. That ketchup is symptomatic of everything Turner does in his brilliant little operation. Even his pickles have their own personality. They’re not quite dills, not quite bread-and-butter: piercing and tart with some sweetness underneath to soften the edge.
None of Turner’s obsessive need to concoct everything from scratch would matter if his burgers were not so fine. But they rock and they roll with an understated authority that is rare in the world of Houston burgers. The trend in recent years has been towards ever more flamboyant toppings, but no matter what the more classically-minded Turner layers onto his hand-formed patties, I’m always aware of the lush flavor of meticulously ground beef.
You know how bacon burgers are often all about the bacon? Well, even Bernie’s thick applewood-smoked bacon takes a backseat to his inch-tall patties, which he grinds every morning from a mix of 70 percent chuck and 30 percent brisket. There’s an easy 30 percent or more of fat in this mix, which accounts for the juiciness of these burgers even when they’re cooked (as they usually are) to a nice medium doneness, with just the faintest flush of pink at the very center.
Turner handles his patty mix gently, being careful not to compress the patties and drive out the air. So a 6-ounce Bernie’s burger ends up seeming larger, with a surprisingly light texture that seems to deliver more flavor per bite. They’re tucked into eggy challah buns from local Slow Dough bakery, and while the buns squish down a bit, their surfaces crinkling as they meet the heat, they are sturdy and delicious to the last bite, yielding a tactful ratio of bread to meat.
From there, the burger unfolds in carefully considered layers. Coarse-shredded lettuce and garlicky slow-roasted tomatoes (so much richer and more compelling than the pallid pink slices that are so common) make up the salad component, along with very thin rings of raw onion. Cheese keeps its place: whether it’s discreet crumbles of blue cheese or a slice of Texas Paragon cheddar that seems to melt away in the heat, leaving behind only a faint stickiness and a salty-milky punch of flavor.

If you prize a gooey ooze of cheese on your cheeseburgers, the Texas Paragon may disconcert you. But I find Bernie’s burger combos so satisfying that I never fail to buy into them. My experience tells me not to worry about what I choose among the nine or 10 variations. I love the Substitute (put together with blue cheese, bacon, burgundy-sauteed mushrooms and wonderful flaps of caramelized “tipsy” onions) every bit as much as I love the more baroque Homeroom, which involves bacon, cheddar, tipsy onions, chipotle aioli and a capper of a fried egg frizzled to a lacy bronze moonscape on the griddle.

The Principal

Indeed, so fond am I of these burgers that I do not even flinch at ordering them using their cutesy theme names. (That’s a first for me; ordinarily I will go to any lengths to avoid having to articulate such phrases as, oh, “I’ll take the Johnny Depp Special” or “Give me the One if by Land, Two if by Sea.”)
I am perfectly content to ask the friendly faces at the window of Bernie’s Burger Bus for the Principal, which to my mind may be the best “basic” burger in town: garnished with judicious amounts of house-made mustard, mayo and ketchup; laced with a couple thick slices of pickle and skinny crisp rings of onion; and mounted on a modest bed of shredded lettuce and oven-roasted tomato. It’s a marvel of balance and discretion.
Turner, the man behind these qualities, spent the last six years as Rockets player Shane Battier’s personal chef. When Battier sensed he might be traded soon (as came to pass), he asked Turner if he wished to come along or stay in Houston. Turner had acquired a Houston fiancee and enough ties to the area to want to stay. Yet when he applied to some high-profile local restaurants, he was told a private chef’s skills weren’t suited to the rigors of a restaurant kitchen.
So Bernie’s Burger Bus was born out of necessity, as are many food trucks whose proprietors don’t have the capital or the resumes to either launch a restaurant or run one.
I wondered when the first ambitious new-era food trucks began appearing on the scene last year whether some of them would pan out to be serious contenders — operations that would be able to thrive and turn out great food, all while navigating the briar patch of Houston regulations, the vicissitudes of our subtropical climate and the uncertainties of simply staying mobile and powered up.
I’m starting to feel sure that the answer is yes.
In 2010, it was an easy call for me to put Sean Carroll’s tiny Melange Creperie stand on my list of the year’s 10 best new restaurants. If I had eaten Turner’s food last fall (he opened Bernie’s Burger Bus in October), he’d have made the list, too. To me, both mobile vendors rate two stars on the basis of their food and willing service alone, regardless of the fact that there’s no seating other than what diners can scrounge up at participating locations. Both Melange and Bernie’s are that special, that essential to the local food picture.
Turner has had to adapt to changing circumstances. When I first tried his burgers in January, he was using all-natural grass-fed beef. But with success came supply problems; eventually he couldn’t always purchase enough grass-fed product to grind the 250 patties he plans for each morning. He has had to refine the methods, such as Twitter and Facebook, he uses to let his fans know where he’ll be parked from day to day, whether it be Inversion or Lizzard’s or Sugarbaby’s Cupcakes, each of which has its own particular symbiotic relationship with the bus. Inversion furnishes beverages and killer mocha freezes; Lizzards cold Abita Ambers; Sugarbaby’s a dessert fix.
He still finds himself wondering in the morning if the short orange school bus he rehabilitated will actually start. (Ricky Craig, proprietor of Hubcap Grill and author of my other favorite Houston burgers, recently gave up his burger truck in disgust, defeated by mechanical and staffing difficulties.)
But Turner is thinking about adding a second bus to his stable. And he’s keeping an eye out for brick-and-mortar sites inside the Loop, maybe in Montrose. When and if that happens, he’ll have reason to be thankful that those top-notch restaurant kitchens turned down his services last year.
Sweetest of all, he’ll be the Horatio Alger of our city’s fledgling food truck scene.

I bring exceptionally glad tidings, Houston burger connoisseurs. They come to us in a bright orange school bus superintended by Justin Turner, a cheerful young man who was the personal chef for Houston Rocket Shane Battier’s family until he decided it was time to strike out on his own. And boy, am I ever glad he did. Let’s have a look.

"The Principal" at Bernie's Burger Bus. It's a basic burger with lettuce, roasted tomato and all the usual condiment suspects.Photo by Alison Cook

*PRICE: $7 for The Principal, a hefty classic burger with lettuce, roasted tomato and all the usual condiment suspects; $3 for hand-cut French fries and house-made ketchup.

*ORDERING: Step up to the bus window and either place your order with the head that pops out, or ring the bell for assistance. (It is helpfully labeled “Ring bell for burger.”) Your order may take about 10 minutes to produce, in which time you can wander about, socialize, or purchase drinks at the venue where the bus is parked. Turner actually came looking for me, sack in hand, when my order came up and I wasn’t waiting out front. Over and above the call of duty.

*ARCHITECTURE: On a toasted bun goes house-made mayonnaise, shredded iceberg, hunks of roasted tomato and some thin-sliced onion, followed by a half-inch-thick patty of grassfed Angus beef, and a scattering of the chef’s bread-and-butter pickle slices. The top bun is swiped with mustard and ketchup, both made from scratch.

*QUALITY: I cannot say enough about the pure joy of eating this burger. All the painstakingly assembled ingredients knitted together so well, and delivered such vibrant flavors, that it wasn’t until I finished that I realized I had forgotten to ask for some Texas cheddar on my burger. It didn’t need it.

The organic Angus beef patty (a blend of 3 different cuts) had a fine charry sear on the outside and a clear, forthright flavor. Every element of the sandwich was balanced; nothing–not the mustard, not the delightfully sweet/tart pickles–was applied with too heavy a hand. The roasted tomato was so much sunnier than the usual pallid tomato slice. The slightly sweet bun stood up to its task without buckling. I tell you, I was in heaven.

I didn’t specify how I wanted my burger done, by the way, and nobody asked, but it turned out a nice medium that was pink at the center. (Another burger I ordered turned out pretty much well-done, so I’d speak up if you want your meat on the rosy side.)

*OOZE RATING: fair; mostly condiment-based. The grassfed beef is relatively lean but moist.

*GRADE: A+. Judged purely as a sandwich, in which the parts should mesh into something greater than the whole, this burger is a stunning success.

*BONUS POINTS: The hand-cut French fries were so good I almost wept. In fact I can’t remember having a batch of fries I liked more in Houston. They were perfect, from the crisp skins-on surface to the slick, soft interior, with just enough coarse salt crystals to set them off. They radiated earthiness, thanks largely to those skins, and they scarcely needed the rather lovely, gingery house-made ketchup that came with them. I’ve had some artisanal ketchups that just made me long for Heinz; this was not one of them.

*SUPER BONUS POINTS: Turner told me a blue cheese burger called The Substitute was his biggest seller, so I ordered one out of curiosity. Wow. Blue cheese can have a domineering effect on a burger, but the Bernie’s version weaves it into the whole very gracefully, so that bacon, mushrooms sauteed in burgundy and so-called “Tipsy onions” each chime in without elbowing each other or the beef patty. Like The Principal, this sandwich is a tour de force. It’s eight bucks and, in my opinion, it’s worth it.

*LOCAL COLOR: The bus, which Turner named for his late grandfather, has its own colorful presence, enhanced by graffiti-style lettering, a retro portrait of a guy I take to be Bernie, and sundry visual quirks scattered over its bright ocher surface. There’s that “Ring bell for burger” sign that cracks me up; and a door full of smart-aleck bumper stickers that’s good for several minutes of lollygagging. Turner, with his open face and his pirate’s bandanna, sets a friendly tone that puts a newcomer at ease.

The setting and seating arrangements vary according to where he sets up shop. I caught him outside the Inversion coffeehouse at the Art League of Houston, 1953 Montrose at Willard St., where he dispenses burgers every Wednesday between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. (“I sold 60 burgers between noon and 12:45,” he told me somewhat wonderingly this past Wednesday, his first day at this new venue. “I’ve never done that before.”) The Art League will be an even better site as the weather warms up, because there’s an attractive dining patio with lots of tables, chairs and informal benches.

In the evenings, Turner parks the bus at Lizzard’s Pub, at 2715 Sackett Street near River Oaks, on Wednesday and Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., and from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday.

Of course his schedule could change on a dime–that’s both the beauty and the frustration of a food truck–but the chef is wired into Twitter (@BerniesBurgers), and a website that you can follow via RSS feed, so it’s fairly easy for his fans to keep up with him. When in doubt, you can call or text him at 281-386-2447.

review by ALISON COOK –  view original article

(possible changes some weeks do to catering, sorry for any inconvenience)

Justin Turner - Bernie's Burger Bus

Sometimes I question whether or not I have gone overboard on the whole artery-clogging burger scene in Houston. Then I remember how tasty hamburgers and their accompanying sides really are and all doubts go away. Either that or I mention my doubts to someone and they slap me back into reality. A friend of mine heard about Bernie’s Burger Bus through Twitter and passed along the details. No need to tell y’all, I was interested; very interested.

Justin Turner made his way to Houston from the Chicago area and, before opening Bernie’s Burger Bus, was the personal chef of Houston Rockets star, Shane Battier. He decided to go it alone and converted a small school bus into a burger-making machine. The name is a tribute to Justin’s grandfather. Sadly, he passed away before seeing his grandson’s business completed.

I visited the bus at Lizzard’s Pub on a quiet Wednesday evening. My wife and I were in the mood for a burger and there’s no better time to try a new place than on a hungry stomach. Justin was waiting at the window, patient as we tried to decide on what to get. The naming convention for the menu doesn’t shy away from the truck’s overall theme. Burgers get names like “The Principal” and “The Bully” while sides are called “Extracurricular Activities”. My wife ordered “The Principal” and I went with “The Substitute”, a burger topped with bacon, caramelized onions and bleu cheese. We couldn’t pass on sharing a serving of sweet potato fries as well.

It took only ten minutes to hear my name being called to pick up our order. The burgers and fries were piping hot, served in paper jackets, and came with a homemade chipotle aioli and homemade ketchup

Both burgers had just the right amount of time on the flat-top, coming out with a perfect char on the outside and a juicy center. The bun was light, yet didn’t collapse under the deluge of juices from the burger. The bleu cheese on my burger had just the right pungency to complement the sweetness of the onion, though the thing that tipped the scales on my burger was the bacon. It was a expertly cooked, just thick enough, piece of pancetta that made my mouth water.

My wife’s burger, “The Principal” came with all of the toppings you would expect on a cheeseburger, but with a slight twist. The house-made pickles were not dill, but bread & butter instead. The tomatoes were roasted with garlic, giving them a slight sweetness. Don’t expect the normal, savory flavor you’re used to when enjoying a burger. Instead you’ll be treated to a burger that has a few hints of sweetness from these different elements, making one tasty dinner.

The fries – oh, the fries – were delicious and the homemade aioli was a fantatastic, slightly spicy way to top them off. They had a great crunch and a moist, flavorful center. In general, sweet potato fries usually lose a lot of flavor in the cooking process but Justin has somehow perfected preparing them without losing that taste we all enjoy.

Overall, I was very happy with Bernie’s Burger Bus. The only small qualm I had was with the size of the patty. It seemed a little small for the bun and in certain bites I ended up with a mouthful of bread and toppings with no meat to be savored. Justin has the flavors down and fries perfected. If I had to give one suggestion, it would be an adaptation of “The Principal” that focuses on the savory rather than going the sweet route.

If you’re out and about the Upper Kirby or Washington area, then a stop at Bernie’s Burger Bus is the route to take. The one burger I wish I had tried but didn’t during my visit was that evening’s “Field Trip”, or daily special. On this particular night it was a burger with sundried tomato goat cheese and applewood smoked bacon. See, it’s making you hungry isn’t it? When not serving burgers outside of Lizzard’s, Bernie’s Burger Bus is in the parking lot of Walter’s on Washington. But even that isn’t 100%. Your best bet is to follow them on Twitter or Facebook to get their location on any particular night.

Review by Stephan –  read the original article