This Ain't Tucson: Houston's 'Trill Burgers' is bun-believable

(This college football season, Arizona football beat reporter Justin Spears is trying out popular restaurants in towns the Wildcats are playing in. Up first: Trill Burgers) 

HOUSTON — About a 15-minute drive from from TDECU Stadium, where the Arizona Wildcats fell to the Houston Cougars 31-28 on Saturday, sits one of Houston's most popular restaurants, "Trill Burgers," which is co-founded by Bernard Freeman.

In H-Town, Freeman is more known as legendary rapper "Bun B," who is also one half of the renowned Houston rap tandem UGK (Underground Kingz). Bun B — who was nicknamed "bunny" by his family growing up in Houston — owning a burger joint, it's like it was meant to be.   

Restaurant: Trill Burgers

Food: Burgers

The rundown: Trill Burgers opened its first location on Shepherd Drive near downtown Houston in 2023. Trill Burgers opened its second location 

Since Trill Burgers opened, former Houston Texas star wide receiver Andre Johnson and former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal have made appearances. Houston-made rappers such as Paul Wall, Slim Thug and Willie D of the Geto Boys have also eaten at Trill Burgers to support Bun B.  

In June of 2023, hip-hop artist Drake stopped by the original location.  

"One of my favorite people in the world,” Drake said of Bun B in a video on his Instagram story. “The best burger I’ve ever had, for real.”

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The menu is simple: The "OG Burgers" are smash burgers with two beef patties, caramelized onions, pickles, patented "Trill Sauce" on a potato roll bun — served with a side of fries, because (in Bun B's voice) what's a burger with no fries and what are fries with no burger? The "Triple OG" has three patties, and there's also vegan options for plant-powered folks. 

The order: The OG Burger combo

The final verdict: The atmosphere itself won me over. The seating area has several large yellow picnic tables and UGK murals around the restaurant. Songs like "Pimping All Over the World" by Ludacris and "Many Tears" by Tupac played upon arrival. 

As expected, a Houston-area restaurant founded by Bun B attracts business. The place was packed, but it wasn't overcrowded. It was chaotic, but it wasn't overwhelming. As a rap-loving sportswriter, it was a pleasant way to end a long day of covering the Wildcats. 

Now on to the food.

If you like buttery buns, then you'll love Trill Burgers. The soft bun, gooey cheese and caramelized onions made it super easy to chew — and the best part? Only one napkin was needed. The structure of the burger was strong and it didn't create a mess. The only mess that had to be cleaned was the crumbs from the crispy fries that spilled on the table.

Not sure if I agree with the hyperbolic Drake, but the sample UGK used from Willie Hutch's "I Choose You" for "International Players Anthem" kept playing in my head after each bite. The burger crown — in my opinion — belongs to Ho Dad's in San Diego. In Tucson? Lindy's on 4th. But Trill Burgers is a must-visit food place for anyone in the Houston area. In honor of Houston's area code, Trill Burgers gets a 7.13/10 score. 

For breakfast, the TDECU Stadium press box served breakfast burritos from Rudy's Barbecue. One of the burrito options: brisket and egg. For a sweet treat to end Saturday, a chocolate glazed donut from Shipley Do-Nuts, which was founded in Houston in 1936. Houston is pound-for-pound one of the best food cities in the Big 12.