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Elevation cheeseburger with red pepper relish, cheddar and balsamic mustard. Photo by Alison Cook
Burger packaging at Elevation follows a blue-and-white theme. Photo by Alison Cook
I've had such ill luck with the latest crop of premium burger places in Houston that I held out no great hopes for Elevation Burger, a franchise operation out of the D.C. area with snappy blue-and-white trade dress and the usual promises of quality, quality, quality. But surprise: I liked my first visit a lot. Here's the deal.
*PRICE:$6.99 Elevation burger with cheese; $2.79 french fries; $4.50 chocolate shake.
*ORDERING: Step up to the counter and place your order, then find a table. They'll bring your food to you if it's not too busy; otherwise you fetch it from up front when they call your order.
*ARCHITECTURE: It's a build-your-own-burger proposition here, picking from the assorted condiments and vegetables on offer. and here's how my standard Elevation cheeseburger stacked up, with salad stuff on the bottom. On a toasted bun went a swipe of balsamic mustard, a scattering of hot pepper relish, some thin raw onion rings, a very thin slice of tomato and an iceberg lettuce leaf. Then came a quarter-inch patty topped with a square of cheddar cheese, followed by another quarter-inch patty topped with a second square of cheddar. Over and out.
Inside the Elevation cheeseburger. Photo by Alison Cook
*QUALITY:The expansive flavor of the fresh-ground, grass-fed beef really made this burger. They cook to the upper end of medium here, yet the patties retained their juices and had a nicely coarse crumb to it, with a decent sear. The taste was compelling enough that I could have eaten the burger plain, with absolutely no adornments, and been reasonably happy.
But that wouldn't have been nearly as much fun as the racy flavor profile I got by combining the tart heat of the red-pepper relish with the sharp, subtly sweet edge of the balsamic mustard and the savory bloom of raw onion. I admired the way the thin-cut tomato and modest amount of lettuce didn't take over the sandwich; and the way the melty squares of cheddar delivered a serious cheesy pop, Last but by no means least, I approved of the way the modestly proportioned bun provided adequate support while remaining in the background. Elevation takes a risk by keeping its meat-to-bread ratio this high. (At a certain point, the bottom bun could compress to a vanishing point, but it didn't.) To my mind, the risk pays off.
French fries cooked in olive oil at Elevation Burger. Photo by Alison Cook
*OOZE RATING: good.
*GRADE: solid A.
*BONUS POINTS: Good, thick Blue Bell shakes with a list of semi-preposterous add-ins that are included with the price. (Tempted by the thought of black cherry in your chocolate shake? Don't be: the too-sweet syrup involved just muddies the waters.) And the skinny French fries done in olive oil are surprisingly effective: crisp, hot, and clearly fried to order.
The dining room at Elevation Burger. Photo by Alison Cook
*LOCAL COLOR:The remake of a little Thai restaurant on Kirby near the Southwest Freeway has transformed the space into a sleek but antiseptic box with the air of a college cafeteria. It's pleasant enough, with its selection of regular tables, high bar-type seating and informal picnic tables, but the factor that warms everything up is the friendly, caring service. It's the best I've ever encountered in an upper-end burger joint. I wasn't surprised to see customers from students to middle-aged professionals being greeted like regulars. I felt like one by the time I walked out the door, vowing that I'd come back on my own dime.
Elevation Burger on Upper Kirby near the Southwest Freeway. Photo by Alison Cook
Elevation Burger, 3819 Kirby Drive, 713-524-7909.
Thanks Alison for this review. I pass by this place on the way to work. I was wondering however, if the beef is grass fed, do they at least remove the stems and seeds?
I tried Elevation Burger in south Florida back in 2010. My experience was pretty much the opposite of yours. At the time, I had a better burger from (gasp!) Five Guys. I didn't think EB's burger was anything special. The service was mediocre at best. Perhaps it was the location? I guess I owe them another try since this is their first restaurant here in Houston.
Been one in Dallas for awhile. Not too crazy about it. They definitely need to offer a small order of French Fries because it's much too large for one person and too expensive for lunch.
It's dreadful. I tried it once. The burger was bland and tasteless (partly because grass-fed beef is just that way and partly because it wasn't cooked enough) and the fries were limp and cold. And the counter service was surley. I will never go back and I recommend that you not bother. They're are hundreds of better burgers in town.
After reading months of your Burger Friday reviews; my better half and I embarked on our own Burger Saturdays tour last Fall using your reviews as a primary guide. We've since had many friends chime in with suggestions. We've eaten burgers (and fries/onion rings) at nearly 20 places since then. Some of them have been outstanding; some surprisingly good, some disappointingly bad. We've spent as little as $18 for a burger, side, and a drink X 2; and as much as $70. Our favorites have usually been in the $30-40 range. We've been surprised at how much two people can spend eating a burger meal in Houston.
We have a couple more to go before we switch to something new like Fried Chicken Fridays perhaps or Pizza Saturdays - we're debating. When we wrap up the burger tour soon, I'll let you know our favorites. One thing this tour has revealed is just how awful most fast food burgers are in comparison. I'd like to think it's about the costs, but two people can easily spend $20 at Whataburger or Wendy's - and they both were barely edible after some of the great burger meals we've had around town for similar costs. Meanwhile, I'll just say that Elevation was a disappointment; though we tried it during the first week thinking that a chain should not need time to work things out. Perhaps we were wrong, and perhaps we'll give it another shot. Thanks again for your good work.
I look forward to your report.
I love the Elevation Burger in Austin and am excited to try the new Houston location.
My favorite is the triple with cheese and bacon with the sliced pickles only.
Now that's a good burger.
We like to try the new burger places as well. Wow - disagree wholeheartedly. No doubt the meat has a coarsely crumb texture and very thin, thus why you have to get two.I am not sure how you can "sear" it when the patty is absurdly thin. Burger was bland!! Fries were soft and greasy - super limp. Shakes used Blue Bunny ice cream, not Blue Bell - I looked after asking and the shake-maker shrugged her shoulders unknowingly. Poor shake - poor quality ice cream - super thin. Family did not finish anything... Never again, along with Jerry-Built, etc...
I visited Elevation Burger for the first time back in October. I enjoyed it quite well--I had a half the guilt burger. Very happy with the overall experience. The food is full of flavour, is NOT oversalted and the fries have that wonderful Olive Oil twang. Glad you finally got around to visiting them Allison--great review!
HankOnFood.com
http://www.hankonfood.com/2012/10/review-elevation-burger-kirby-drive.html
No mention of the cooking method used for EB's burgers, are they char-broiled or griddle-seared? Seems sacreligious to me for a gourmet burger place to griddle cook a burger.
My favorite go-to has been and still is Bellaire Broiler Burger at the "triangle" where Chimney Rock and Bissonnet meets Bellaire. No pretenses here, just an honest char-broiled burger like you'd cook on your own backyard grill. Support the local economy and give this family-owned/operated burger joint a try.
the best pure beef flavor for a burger comes from griddle cooking. not only does it leave out the smoke taste, but the greater contact area with the cooking surface gives you more maillard reaction yummy-ness.
char-grilling has a good taste, but it doesn't surpass a griddle. BBB is very good.
Alison ... glad you made to Elevation. Kuwait has two locations so far and others popping up in places like Bahrain, Dubai and Oman. Kuwaitis are actually going bonkers over this burger and rightfully so. However, I still prefer Shake Shack (3 locations in Kuwait alone) more.
I tried EB's burger a few weeks ago and in my humble opinion it was one of the worst burgers I have had! The burger was dry, the bread was tasteless and the seasoning was not existent. The fries were
soggy and ......
Cooking in OLIVE OIL??
Proven scientifically be hazardous to your health -- olive oil oxidized at t over 200 degrees and NOT good for you after that.