Bernie’s Burger Bus has recently opened up a brick and mortar location this summer at 5407 Bellaire Blvd, a mere five minutes away from Bellaire High School. Owner Justin Turner was inspired to create a new innovative burger by making his own homemade condiments from scratch, grinding his own beef and slicing his own potatoes.  In October of 2010, his idea became a reality when he started his own traveling burger bus and named it after his grandfather, Bernie.  The unbelievable success of the burger bus has encouraged him to open up a more permanent location.

The recently opened location comes with a décor and menu that brings customers back to their school days.  A yellow school bus sits in the back of the store contrasting with the black chalkboard walls bringing a nostalgic atmosphere. The color scheme of the restaurants consists of yellow and black, another element that alludes to the school feel.  The menus consists of items that refer to school related terms like the Principal,  Recess, Homeroom,  The Cheerleader, Detention and many more.

When I visited, I ordered the Preschoolers which consist of two miniature burgers including cheddar, ketchup, pickles and burgers. Not really expecting much from this really simple burger, it was actually the best burger I have ever tried. The patty was really flavorful and tender topped with their homemade condiments made it a standout. Bernie’s Burger Bus has actually been consistently voted the best burger in Houston and made it to the top of the Best Food Trucks in the nation.

Senior Lawrence Chen recently stopped by and had lunch at the Bellaire location. Chen describes some of his favorites at Bernie’s Burger Bus while also noting one of the downsides of the restaurant.

“Bernie’s burger bus has the most delicious milkshake in the world,” Chen said. “My favorite is the salted caramel apple pie which has slices of apple at the bottom. Not only that, the salted caramel really balances the sweetness of the apples. I like the lobster roll. It’s a special sandwich that they only sell on Fridays I believe. It has huge chunks of lobster that are delicious. The fries are just as delicious. They are coated in truffle oil. However the price is quite hefty.”

Similarly, senior Kevin Xie shares what he ordered and his positive opinion of his experience at Bernie’s Burger Bus.

“I really like how they theme their menu to be school themed,” Xie said. “The Preschooler was probably one of the cheapest items on the menu. Even though it was really small, it was absolutely delicious.”