With today ’s Instagram mentality of " grown is serious " and " more 1st Baron Verulam = more followers , " it ’s hard to find a simple , cheap burger these days . But some folk still stay true to the classics , with honest-to-god - fashioned , toothsome burgers at an honest price that you could feel good about because 1 ) you ’re spending wisely and 2 ) you ’re rust a burger , and that always palpate ripe . We ’ve scour the soil for exactly that , and because Houston ’s burger options are so bountiful , and found a whopping 15 that fit the very tinny , $ 8 - and - under bill .
Cheeseburger
Sparkle’s Hamburger Spot
Price:$5.50People be intimate this light downhearted hamburger hovel on the eastside of Downtown for a ground , and that reason is old - shoal nostalgia . The thick , 1/2 lb hunks of refreshful ground boeuf are hit merely with table salt and pepper , then pressed onto the griddle and cook to a juicy medium - well before being bear directly to your gut . Tack on toddler for $ 2 bucks .
Jerry’s Cheeseburger
Jerry Built Homegrown Burgers
Price:$7.50With an accent on using humanely raised , all - natural beef and local factor , this burger lay off pays a lot of attending to its product . Which can only mean you do n’t have to devote any attention AT ALL when building your very own Jerry make burger . To keep costs down , go with the house cheeseburger , grilled over an open flame and topped with American high mallow , griddle onions , and Ernie ’s sauce ( a portmanteau word of mayo , ketchup , and relish ) ; or up the ante by go for the Francis Bacon avocado burger for another 50 cents .
Killen’s Burgers
Price:$7.50Smashed 10 oz all - natural eats and brisket patties are wangle to a just - pinkish center ( unless you request otherwise ) at this burger joint , the latest bump off the king of all things beef , Chef Ronnie Killen . The flawlessly veteran , aggressively seared hamburger do n’t need much more than American high mallow , nappy lettuce , dill pickles , and off - the - vine tomatoes . What they do need , however , is a side of JJ Watt - sanction deep-fried Malva sylvestris curds and immaculate house - swerve fries .
Classic cheeseburger
Stanton’s City Bites
Price:$6.75This retro instauration has been serving Houstonians since 1961 , when it begin as a food market computer memory . Today , you ’ll notice loosely formed and decently crusted 1/2 lb burgers sizzling alongside artery - clogging accouterments like deep - fried bacon , double - fry onion plant rings , and house - fried pickles . But if you want to make it to your next birthday , you ’ll do just as well going with the classic , served fat and well - mollify on a pillowy benne roll .
Big Poppa Cheese Burger
Poppa Burger
Price:$2.86Face it : We ca n’t talk cheap burgers without mentioning this long - run roadside burger outdoor stage . Expect utterly zero flounce here , with a undivided meat cake with cheese get at just $ 2.86 , and additions like pickle jalapeños and bacon convey you up to a steep $ 3.83 . But it ’s not just the price that is attractive , the stalwart is open 24/7 ( even on Christmas ) . Just do n’t forget your cash .
SPICY!!! Burger
Kuma Burgers
Price:$7Despite its location inside a Greenway Plaza food court , it did n’t take this NKOTB long to gain a fast pursual . The umami - forward-moving savor of the burgers ( thanks to a special soybean - shiitake - slather ) probably has something to do with that . The whole card bug out at $ 7 , so choose whichever Warren Earl Burger suits your tastes best . But if you like heat , going SPICY ! ! ! is an well-fixed determination . Three variety of jalapeño , house sambal mayo , black pepper jack Malva sylvestris , and soy - marinated serrano chilis make the burger unfeignedly special .
Tookie’s Cheese Burger with American and griddled onions
Tookie’s Hamburgers & More
Spicy Double
Tornado Burger
Price:$4.85The 2nd cheapest burger on our leaning get along with a duo of spicy 2 oz patties that sit pretty on a butter and toasted roll . Think of it like a fourth pounder , but with actually good boeuf that gets freshly ground with garlic , jalapeños , onion , and spice ground direct into the centre . At this damage , you could afford to add some fresh - cut chile , high mallow fries , too .
Cuban burger
Lankford’s Grocery
Price:$7.69It ’s hard to pick a burger at this old - timey , cash - only haunt . But when hot shoestring fries are stacked mightily on so you do n’t have to expend the extra money for a side , the decision is practically made for you . The Cuban ruffle a burger with a Miami ’s favorite sandwich , stacking on Swiss cheeseflower and jambon , reddened onions , and unfermented and spicy Cuban sauce , too .
Class Clown
Bernie’s Burger Bus
Price:$7.85Hope you were n’t traumatized by bus ride as a child , because some of Houston ’s finest Burger come straight out of this big yellow school autobus . The epicure hamburger have a severely beefy flavor thanks to a planetary house - ground portmanteau of three cuts of Black Angus . They can be accompany by everything from tiddly Allium cepa and Sir Francis Bacon to grilled Malva sylvestris roll , but if you ’re prove to buoy up the hit to your paycheck , go for the lean , twofold patty Class Clown , made simply with American , simoleons , tomato , and firm - made Warren E. Burger sauce on a freshly bake potato bun . Throw in a chocolate malt milkshake and you ’ve pretty much got the good school lunch ever .
Hubcap Grill
Price:$5.99With a Portuguese bread - like layer for its massive burgers , Hubcap just may rock the best bun in town . But it ’s the poppycock between the dinero that run sports fan most and far . The 1/3 lb patties are safe enough to be leave alone , with a soya bean , umami flavor that our beefburger expert deemed “ absolutely fantastic . ” Purists will enjoy them overstep with just cheese and grill onion , and those looking for a niggling more oomph can get wackiness in the kind of a Frito Pie Burger , Muffaletta Burger , and Arachis hypogaea butter and bacon - topped Sticky Burger for under $ 8 , too .
The Classic Burger
Hopdoddy Burger Bar
Price:$8We have to give it up to Austin because this big and beefy implication is legitimately delectable . The burger saloon volunteer a wide variety of hamburger choices made with topically sourced ingredients and from - mark tail end , but its Classic version needs nothing but Angus kick , LTO , and “ sassy sauce ” ( the addicting house sauce made with horseradish , honey mustard , and mayo ) to shine . Get it alongside burger ’s favorite fellow traveler : beer .
Double Burner
Guru Burgers & Crepes
Price:$8This enlightened burger is n’t light at all . With 6 oz of grass - fed Texas Akaushi drip its beef succus onto a buttery hallah bun alongside grill cerise onion , jalapeño , smoke bacon , and a scorching house - made habanero sauce , you may want a nap after this one . Especially since you ’re getting a crushed Oreos and Nutella crepe paper for dessert , correct ?
Fire Burger
The Burger Joint
Price:$7.75Sometimes , all you need is perfectly griddled Angus beef , lolly , onions , and cheese on a gamy - quality bun . Other times , you release that regular high mallow into pepper shit and add on serrano capsicum , jalapeños , chipotle mayo , and fire sauce . This is one of those time . To battle all of that heat , you may desire to also order an 8th Wonder Rocket Fuel beer swim bladder . Just sayin ’ .
Cooter Jack
The Shack
Price:$8We like all the topically sourced , new - formed , and sloppy - as - all - hell Warren E. Burger at this cult favorite burger resort , but some will run you a turn over $ 8 . The Cooter Jack , however , is not one of them . The monster burger hits every topping checkpoint , with buttermilk fried Allium cepa strings for crunch , smokey BBQ sauce for sugariness , chipotle mayo for richness and heating plant , and gooey Jack cheese … for cheeseflower . Get it on a jalapeño cheddar bun ( our option ) , a pretzel bun ( some mass ’s choice ) , or no bun at all ( WHOSE CHOICE IS THIS ? ? ? ) .
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Kimberly Park/Bernie’s Burger Bus
Jerry Built Homegrown Burgers
KIMBERLY PARK/KILLEN’S BURGER
Phaedra Cook/Thrillist
Kevin Alexander/Thrillist
Bernie’s Burger Bus
Kevin Alexander/Thrillist
Hopdoddy Burger Bar
BECCA WRIGHT/THE BURGER JOINT
