We make no apologies for loving a great burger, and have driven all over creation to find the best ones. From skinny smashburgers to thick steakhouse burgers to elevated chef-y burgers, we love them all. Burgers are the quintessential American dish; from humble and affordable to extravagant, they satisfy hunger for just about everyone.
One thing we’ve learned in our burger adventures is that you never know where you’ll find the next great burger. (We recently found a killer burger at a Tex-Mex place!) So when we hear about a great burger, we drive to check it out, no matter how unexpected the destination.
We got an insider tip about a creative new burger at a new restaurant that we’re already big fans of: Charm Taphouse & BBQ. Serial restaurateurs Adam and Wannalee Gorelick teamed up with seasoned pitmaster Jonathan Rodgers to bring a touch of Thailand to Texas Barbecue, and we’ve loved the barbecue that they’ve created together.
Jonathan was previously pitmaster at Tejas Chocolate & Barbecue. One thing Tejas was known for were their smoked burgers, which are some of the very best burgers we’ve ever enjoyed. Here at Charm, he’s been given leeway to flex his creative muscles. How will he do?
Here’s Chef Jonathan’s approach: He starts with a house grind of USDA prime brisket seasoned and accented with a hint of basil. It’s then cured and cold smoked. Apparently it’s a substantial cold smoke, as witnessed by the lovely red color the patty displays. After the patty leaves the pit and rests, it’s seared in smoked beef tallow, and draped with aged fontina cheese. That should be enough for anyone, right? Not Jonathan.
The Chef then adds a touch of kewpie mayo, green and red onion, chiffonade basil, and a light Thai jim jeow with fried shallots. The resulting creation is perched atop a Flour House Baker’s Pain au Lait bun.
Great beef. Smoked then seared. Dressed nontraditionally in a very creative amalgamation of American and Thai ingredients. Here’s what we see:
So how does it taste?
Stunningly good. Holy crap is it good.
We love smoked burgers, when they’re done properly, and Jonathan’s decision to cold smoke was genius. The patty takes on just the right amount of smokey flavor without overcooking, so it remains juicy, ready to be finished with a quick sear on the flat top. The burger is presented beautifully mid-rare, allowing both the rich beefy forward notes and the kiss of the oak smoke to dance harmoniously. These rich, earthy flavors are balanced by the subtle creaminess of the fontina and the mayo, and the staccato zing of the onions and jim jaew provides the acidic notes that are so hard to get right. Chef Jonathan got them right. This burger lights up taste buds that we didn’t know we had.
Rich. Savory. Smoky, Creamy, Acidic, Spicy. This burger hits all the notes. This may very well be the best burger in the Houston area. I can’t think of a better one.
2025 has been a tough year for Woodlands burger lovers. With the closing of Killen’s Steakhouse and Tris, we lost two of the very best burgers that were available around these parts. We were bummed. But the first half of 2025 has seem a steady progression of new burger spots: Bamburger, with their excellent smashburgers. Trill Burgers, bringing Bun B’s central city fireworks to the north side. Nacho Padres, surprising us with a killer smashburger on their happy hour menu.
And now Charm Taphouse & BBQ, with a phenomenal elevated burger than brings a Thai accent to the best smoked burger we’ve ever tasted; it may very well be the best burger in the Houston area.
Watch out, burger folks. The times are changing. There’s never been a better time to be a burger lover in the Houston area.
