Take a bite out of these top Houston burgers

FM Burger with tots at FM Kitchen near Washington Avenue, chef Ryan Hildebrand's casual-cool patio joint, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) FM Burger with tots at FM Kitchen near Washington Avenue, chef Ryan Hildebrand's casual-cool patio joint, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, in Houston. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: Karen Warren, Staff Photo: Karen Warren, Staff Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Take a bite out of these top Houston burgers 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

BURGERS

Bernie's Burger Bus

Angus burgers with homemade condiments, hand-cut fries and stupid-good shakes (Salted Caramel Apple Pie - would we lie?) shine at this joint. 5407 Bellaire, Bellaire, 713-349-9400; 2643 Commerical Center, Katy, 281-394-9006; 2200 Yale, 713-867-8600; berniesburgerbus.com. SW, W, Inner Loop

Burger Palace

Creative and deftly seasoned Kobe beef burgers are the reward for folks not put off by languid service. Promise it is worth the wait. 2800 Sage, 713-877-9700; burgerpalacehouston.com. SW

The Burger Joint

Located at the epicenter of Montrose cool, this stamp-size restaurant with a Texas-size patio is the perfect spot for a lazy afternoon of beer and burgers. 2703 Montrose, 281-974-2889; burgerjointhtx.com. Inner Loop

Christian's Tailgate

This locally owned chain of sports bars hasn't forgotten its roots: a gloriously juicy, three-napkin burger. ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons is a famous fan. 1012 Congress, 713-229-8449; 2820 White Oak, 713-863-1207; 5114 Kirby and two other locations; christianstailgate.com. Inner Loop, W

FM Kitchen & Bar

The 4-ounce patties here are near-perfect specimens, making this Washington Corridor neo-icehouse one of the city's best burger newcomers. Great patio. 1112 Shepherd, 832-804-6006; fmkitchenandbar.com. Inner Loop

Hubcap Grill

Consistently one of the city's best burgers. The patties are shaped by hand from fresh beef. The condiments are neither skimpy nor overloaded. The ambiance is trailerlicious. 1111 Prairie, 713-223-5885; 1133 W. 19th, 713-862-0555; 800 Bradford, Kemah, 281-339-7116; hubcapgrill.com. Inner Loop, SE

Sam's Burgers, Fries & Pies

Owner Sam Crosser takes pride in that everything from the never-frozen burgers to the mile-high pies that are made in-house from scratch. 1017 Dairy Ashford, 281-496-4052; samsbfp.com. SW

The Spot

Top-it-yourself burgers are served in a casual, family-friendly setting that includes unfettered views of the Gulf and Galveston's bustling Seawall. Good fried seafood, too. 3204 Seawall, in Galveston, 409-621-5237; islandfamous.com. SE

Stanton's City Bites

This homey restaurant grew out of the Fong family's grocery store located in the shadows of downtown. Pair your choice of burger from the joint's varied list with loaded waffle fries. 1420 Edwards, 713-227-4893; stantonscitybites.com. Inner Loop

Stomp's Burger Joint

Fresh, never frozen Angus beef are the foundation for the burgers served in this homey cafe just blocks from the Kemah Boardwalk. 3107 Texas 146, Bacliff, 281-339-0785; stompsburgerjoint.com. SE

Tookie's

For more than 30 years, this little Bay Area joint has set the bar for burgers. Try the Squealer (beef blended with bacon) with the giant housemade onion rings for a memorable meal. 406 Texas, Kemah, 281-942-9334; tookiesburgers.com. SE