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When hunger strikes, few dishes fill the need like a juicy burger laden with cheese and paired with crispy French fries and a cool milkshake. Fortunately, Pearland is home to plenty of places creating burgers for all tastes and budgets. Find some of the most outstanding burger selections in the list below, and check out the Visit Pearland website for more must-try locales. 

Bayou Grill, 1635 East Broadway: Debbie Lam opened this casual hangout four years ago, and locals have flocked there ever since. The burgers are some of the most popular items and come with a variety of toppings. Each has a six-ounce, hand-formed patty that is seasoned with a special spice blend and then grilled to order. 

In addition to hamburgers and cheeseburgers available as singles and doubles, patrons can select from seven house specialties. Choose from the top-selling Bacon Ranch loaded with house-seasoned bacon, Hawaiian Burger with ham and pineapple, Philly Cheese Steak Burger with Swiss cheese, grilled onions, mushrooms and sliced steak, and Sunrise Burger topped with hash browns, cheese and a fried egg. Each is made with a butter-toasted sweet Hawaiian bun. 

There are onion rings and specialty fries, too, such as sweet potato, Buffalo (with a Buffalo sauce and ranch topping), Cajun Spicy topped with heat-packing seasonings, Parmesan and jalapeños, curly fries and Steak & Cheese Fries topped with chopped beef, melted cheese and a drizzle of sweet Asian barbecue sauce. Bonus: add specialty fries to any order and get a free drink. The menu is available for dine-in and takeout.

Big Horn Barbecue, 2300 Smith Ranch Road: Find more than succulent barbecue at this multifaceted, family-owned destination that features a filling station and a gift shop in addition to full-service dining. 

Choose from 11 burgers that include classics, along with more extravagant options laden with hearty toppings available alone or as a meal with fries and a drink. Of the latter, the most popular is the Smoked Brisket Burger — a thick, charbroiled patty topped with saucy smoked brisket, onions and pickles. The Bacon Cheeseburger features Texas Smoked cut bacon. The bacon comes smoked but uncooked, so the staff bakes it in-house, resulting in an extra-rich flavor. 

All burgers are lightly seasoned with a secret family spice blend developed to enhance the natural flavors of the meat. As for the bread, guests can choose from a classic round-top bun or change things up with a sourdough version. Both get a smear of butter before toasting. 

Big appetites can opt for the BBQ Burger, loaded with four thick onion rings, bacon and barbecue sauce, or the massive one-pound “THE HOSS”. There is even a vegan patty available. There is entertainment, too, with live music on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 to 9 p.m. Order the full menu for dine-in, takeout and delivery; large orders are welcome for delivery, and can be prepared fully dressed or with toppings provided separately.

Good Vibes Burgers and Brews, 1329 East Broadway: Big appetites are no match for the generously sized, chef-driven menu at this cool and casual beach-themed spot. Burgers are prepared with choice of an Angus brisket blend crafted by Stone Cold Meats in League City, and made from midwest and Texas beef, locally sourced Wagyu from R-C Ranch in Angleton or the Impossible plant-based patty. The brioche buns are local, too. These are baked by Cake & Bacon in Houston, and Good Vibes toasts the buns before serving.  

As for toppings, choose from 10 combinations. The Good Vibes Classic American Burger is a half-pound patty with American cheese, butter lettuce, vine-ripe tomatoes, Texas sweet onion and dill pickles. Creative twists are available, too, such as the Backyard Burger with BBQ pulled pork, pepper jack cheese, pickled onion and fried jalapeño, the South Coast with applewood-smoked pepper bacon, roasted green chili, pepper jack cheese and roasted garlic aioli, and The Kraken, a fresh cracked pepper-crusted burger topped with sautéed sweet onions, mushrooms cooked in garlic, shallots and white wine, Muenster cheese and peppercorn-cognac sauce. 

Alternatives include a fried portobello burger, turkey burger, chicken sandwiches and a BLT. Customize with cheeses such as blue, smoked gruyere and white cheddar, or add bacon, mushrooms and hot peppers. All sandwiches come with a choice of classic, Cajun or sweet potato fries. Dine-in or choose pickup for orders of all sizes.

Hubcap Grill, 5627 Broadway: Ricky Craig opened a location of his Houston-grown burger chain in Pearland last year. Hubcap Grill gets its name from the hubcaps placed over burgers on the grill to fuse the patties with their respective toppings. Craig’s burger approach is to use fresh, never-frozen “straight old-school, old-fashioned beef chuck” — seasoned on the outside with his proprietary Hubcap Burger Dust — American cheese (his childhood favorite and go-to for melting) and high-end, locally baked buns that are delivered fresh each morning and finished in the oven onsite. (The buns have a bit of a following, too, and Craig notes customers consistently praise their ability to hold up to the burgers from first bite to last.) 

Hubcap Grill serves traditional standbys along with 16 specialty burgers inspired by Craig’s favorite dishes. The most popular of these is the Philly Cheesesteak Burger made with thinly sliced rib-eye steak, grilled onions, green bell peppers, Swiss cheese and special mayo sauce. Others include the Corn Chip Burger with corn chips, chili, cheese, grilled onions and jalapeños, Sticky Monkey Burger topped with crunchy peanut butter, bacon, American cheese and grilled bananas, and the Hangover Burger, which is practically brunch-on-a-bun as it’s loaded with bacon, grilled ham, American cheese, fries and country cream gravy. Fries are cut and prepped fresh daily, and are wildly seasoned, too, such as Stinky Fries doused with malt vinegar and garlic salt or Hell Fries kicked up with cayenne, chili powder, Sriracha mayo and jalapeños. Follow the Pearland location on Facebook to find out about off-menu specials.

JAX Burgers Fries and Shakes, 3320 Broadway: This family-owned burger joint has served Pearland since 2010, providing its loyal customers with friendly service and quality ingredients. (There are locations in Spring and The Woodlands, too, and a new one is  opening in San Marcos.) The kitchen offers eight specialty half- and third-pound burgers centered around 100% Colorado Black Angus beef and buns baked by Ashcraft Bakery in Stafford. 

The fan-favorite is the Baja Burger, made with double-hickory-smoked, thick cut bacon, grilled jalapeños, cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato, mustard and mayo. Other go-to combos include the BBLT Burger with blue cheese crumbles and bacon, Texas Burger with chili, grilled onions and cheese and BBQ Burger with fried onion rings and BBQ sauce. Choose from seven types of sides, including onion rings, tater tots and multiple kinds of fries, such as classic salt-and-pepper JAX Fries, Buffalo Fries tossed in wing sauce, Garlic Fries tossed in butter and minced garlic or Chili Cheese Fries. If you can’t decide, simply order the Half & Half, which comes with any type of fries with onion rings or two different kinds of fries. The menu is available for dine-in, takeout and catering via JAX’s two food trucks.

Killen’s Burgers, 2804 South Main: Multiple-time James Beard Award semifinalist chef Ronnie Killen made his name in Pearland with his eponymous steakhouse and has since expanded to a number of other ventures throughout the Greater Houston area. His burger joint opened in 2016 inside the renovated building that formerly housed the original Killen’s Steakhouse, and has a cool, 1950s soda counter vibe. The flair extends to the menu, too, with luxurious options such as the SRF Wagyu burger, RC Ranch Burger with Wagyu from R-C Ranch in Angleton, and 44 Farms Belly Blend, a mix of ground meats made especially for Killen. 

There are basic hamburgers and cheeseburgers, as well as eight specialty selections such as the Texas Burger with mustard, onions, lettuce, pickles and tomato, the Killen’s Double Cheese Burger with twice the meat and twice the cheese as the basic, and the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger. 

Many of the selections come with Killen’s Sauce, a creamy-savory blend of mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and pickles. Each burger is prepared with toasted buns from Royal Bakery in Houston. Don’t pass up the addictive fries, onion rings and handspun milkshakes, either. The latter come in classic flavors like strawberry, chocolate, vanilla and salted caramel, plus apple pie and banana pudding. The full menu is available for dine-in, takeout and delivery with catering options for large orders.

Peña’s Donut Heaven & Grill, 11601 Shadow Creek Parkway: Visit this family-owned and -operated shop popular for housemade sweet and savory bites for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Find classic and creative donuts available with a variety of glazes, sprinkles and fillings, plus breakfast bowls, tacos and more. 

Those who know, though, come for the thick, juicy, eight-ounce, certified Angus burgers, too. Choose from over 10 selections, including the best-selling Classic Cheeseburger topped with fresh, crisp veggies, or runners-up such as the Rooster Burger with egg and bacon, Philly Burger loaded with grilled onions, peppers, Provolone cheese or the Queso Burger drenched in housemade cheese sauce. Add-ons include jalapeños, bacon, avocado and more. Scratch-made buns get a brush of egg wash before baking to ensure gentle structure, and the patties are hand-formed from fresh-never-frozen beef. 

Brunch fans should try the Peña’s Donut Burger, which is simple and addictive: it comes with just meat and cheese tucked into a fresh-baked, glazed donut. (Customers can opt for a different donut, and owner Raymond Peña says the maple bacon could be interesting to try!) The Burgeritto is another inventive take on the standard, which includes a burger cut in half, laid inside a 12-inch flour tortilla alongside cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, French fries, mustard, lettuce, bacon and housemade chipotle mayo. 

There are plenty of sides, too, such as French fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings and tater tots. Visit on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when kids eat free with purchase from the adult menu from 4 to 8 p.m. (There is a per-visit limit of two orders from the kids’ menu, and kids’ meals are available for dine-in only.) The daily Cheeseburger Special comes with fries and a drink for under $10. Visit in person or order online for pickup and delivery via third-party vendors; large orders are welcome.

The Visit Pearland news blog is updated regularly, so be sure to bookmark the website link and check back frequently for the latest food news! You can also check out the Pearland Convention & Visitors Bureau on social media for the latest updates. Follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. There is even a YouTube channel with videos that take you right to the people and places that make Pearland a great food and drink destination!

Ellie Sharp