Sparkles!!
So it was yet another hungry Sunday…or as I once heard it put, ‘you KNOW I’m EXTRA hungry on Sundays!’. I had forgotten to really sit down and eat the day before, in between the SFA/Sam Houston game fun and the post celebration at Gravitas I had just grabbed a bite here and there.
I wanted to go try Counter Burger (as it’s been raved about by some pals) but I couldn’t get T to get moving. I think he was less hungry and more in pain so I was overruled and it was decided to keep it to a place that forces you to ‘take it to go’.
Now if anyone hasn’t visited Sparkle’s Hamburger Spot, stop what you’re doing and go right now!
I’m kidding but only sort of.
Sparkle’s was introduced to me a while back (before the Burger ‘meat a thon’ idea was even a flash of a neuron) and while it’s not something I can eat every day, it is personally a Burger favorite that I come back to over and over again. That being said, I knew I had to try it specifically for this list and be my most critical self, if only to see if it lives up to my expectations in light of strict rules.
In a strange way, Sparkle’s must have known I was going to judge it, and judge it harshly because on Sunday it put in one of its finest performances.
Sparkle’s Hamburger Spot is a bright blue building across from Brother’s Taco. It’s a few blocks outside of downtown and I’ll admit, it’s not the nicest of areas. That being said, this small building hides a heart of gold.
There is no inside, you can call ahead or walk up and order but the only seating is a few picnic tables on the sidewalk. They offer a interesting variety of food- chicken and waffles, fried fish, breakfast plates but what they are known for (hence the name) are the burgers. A burger basket will run you around 5 bucks and if you’re feeling festive you can even get Kool-Aid to complete your meal.
As it was Sunday and I’d given up all hope of a healthy lunch, I opted for the serious Chili Cheese Burger combo. We called ahead and 20 min later, I was there to pick up my meal. The guy that opened the window was really nice and the food smelled amazing. I had a hard time driving home and not mauling the fries.
Upon opening the containers, we were greeted by a steaming helping of hand cut French fries and some really large burgers wrapped in butcher paper.
First the fries…these aren’t your usual processed fries. Sparkle’s hand cuts their potatoes, and I think if I had tried, I could have put the whole potato that made up my order back together. They’re large cut, so sometimes I’ve found them to be a little tender for my tastes. However, today’s batch was pristine. The outside was a perfect crunch and the inside was nice and tender. They’re greasy, so it’s not something for the faint of heart but oh are they worth it. They lightly dust them with some sort of seasoning salt (a favorite of mine) and to be honest, I didn’t even want ketchup.
And now for the main event…Sparkle’s burgers are handmade and you can definitely tell. These are serious patties folks, tender and juicy almost to the point of falling apart. T got a regular burger and we decided to split both so we could each have some, but not too much of the chili cheese one.
The chili cheese burger is a meat lover’s heaven. Take the delicious patty and then smother it with what appears to be homemade chili sauce and a slice of cheese. The chili has large crumbles of beef in it, so it almost becomes like a second patty. The cheese melts wonderfully between the two layers of meat and it’s usually served with mustard, which I had opted out of. There are no veggies here to confuse your taste buds and I know there’s a bun in there somewhere but it just fades to the background compared to the symphony of beef and cheese.
The regular burger is also heaven, just a simpler version. Served with lettuce, tomato and pickle it’s the same tasty patty but now with the healthful addition of veggies. Sparkle’s does a great job of seasoning its meat, it’s not to salty but there is definitely some good flavor that I can taste over the mayo that T left on when we ordered. I can taste the bun here and it’s light and fluffy but stands up to the heft of the patty. The vegetables are crisp and they don’t scrimp on the amount, it’s not too much lettuce but the right amount, not too many pickles but the perfect amount.
I guess you can tell how this review went, and yes, I was probably more hungry than I’ve been in the past but all things considered I have to say that Sparkle’s is really just that good.
Stars: 4.9 (because I just can’t do 5 stars yet)
1515 Dowling St
Houston, TX 77003
I wanted to go try Counter Burger (as it’s been raved about by some pals) but I couldn’t get T to get moving. I think he was less hungry and more in pain so I was overruled and it was decided to keep it to a place that forces you to ‘take it to go’.
Now if anyone hasn’t visited Sparkle’s Hamburger Spot, stop what you’re doing and go right now!
I’m kidding but only sort of.
Sparkle’s was introduced to me a while back (before the Burger ‘meat a thon’ idea was even a flash of a neuron) and while it’s not something I can eat every day, it is personally a Burger favorite that I come back to over and over again. That being said, I knew I had to try it specifically for this list and be my most critical self, if only to see if it lives up to my expectations in light of strict rules.
In a strange way, Sparkle’s must have known I was going to judge it, and judge it harshly because on Sunday it put in one of its finest performances.
Sparkle’s Hamburger Spot is a bright blue building across from Brother’s Taco. It’s a few blocks outside of downtown and I’ll admit, it’s not the nicest of areas. That being said, this small building hides a heart of gold.
There is no inside, you can call ahead or walk up and order but the only seating is a few picnic tables on the sidewalk. They offer a interesting variety of food- chicken and waffles, fried fish, breakfast plates but what they are known for (hence the name) are the burgers. A burger basket will run you around 5 bucks and if you’re feeling festive you can even get Kool-Aid to complete your meal.
As it was Sunday and I’d given up all hope of a healthy lunch, I opted for the serious Chili Cheese Burger combo. We called ahead and 20 min later, I was there to pick up my meal. The guy that opened the window was really nice and the food smelled amazing. I had a hard time driving home and not mauling the fries.
Upon opening the containers, we were greeted by a steaming helping of hand cut French fries and some really large burgers wrapped in butcher paper.
First the fries…these aren’t your usual processed fries. Sparkle’s hand cuts their potatoes, and I think if I had tried, I could have put the whole potato that made up my order back together. They’re large cut, so sometimes I’ve found them to be a little tender for my tastes. However, today’s batch was pristine. The outside was a perfect crunch and the inside was nice and tender. They’re greasy, so it’s not something for the faint of heart but oh are they worth it. They lightly dust them with some sort of seasoning salt (a favorite of mine) and to be honest, I didn’t even want ketchup.
And now for the main event…Sparkle’s burgers are handmade and you can definitely tell. These are serious patties folks, tender and juicy almost to the point of falling apart. T got a regular burger and we decided to split both so we could each have some, but not too much of the chili cheese one.
The chili cheese burger is a meat lover’s heaven. Take the delicious patty and then smother it with what appears to be homemade chili sauce and a slice of cheese. The chili has large crumbles of beef in it, so it almost becomes like a second patty. The cheese melts wonderfully between the two layers of meat and it’s usually served with mustard, which I had opted out of. There are no veggies here to confuse your taste buds and I know there’s a bun in there somewhere but it just fades to the background compared to the symphony of beef and cheese.
The regular burger is also heaven, just a simpler version. Served with lettuce, tomato and pickle it’s the same tasty patty but now with the healthful addition of veggies. Sparkle’s does a great job of seasoning its meat, it’s not to salty but there is definitely some good flavor that I can taste over the mayo that T left on when we ordered. I can taste the bun here and it’s light and fluffy but stands up to the heft of the patty. The vegetables are crisp and they don’t scrimp on the amount, it’s not too much lettuce but the right amount, not too many pickles but the perfect amount.
I guess you can tell how this review went, and yes, I was probably more hungry than I’ve been in the past but all things considered I have to say that Sparkle’s is really just that good.
Stars: 4.9 (because I just can’t do 5 stars yet)
1515 Dowling St
Houston, TX 77003
