Franks Country Store on 1179, get the jalapeño bun!!!

texasaggie2015 said:

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My personal opinion:

• Top of the Hill

(large gap)

• Joe's Place
• Margies
• Edge General Store

The last three could go in any order and I wouldn't argue. Can't go wrong with any of the above four but Top of the Hill is by far my favorite. Margie's is in downtown Bryan and probably the easiest to get to.

I'll also add that anyone who says Koppe Bridge just hasn't had any of the above four IMO. Koppe Bridge is solid but nowhere close to these.

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As a public service, I offer my taste-test observations of the four hamburger establishments identified by texasaggie2015. I selected this list because, of the four, I had only been to Margie's previously and not in the mode of tasting burgers for the purpose of comparison. I ordered all my burgers basically the same way (except where noted): all the way, mayo and mustard, no cheese. Taste tests were conducted between December 29, 2021, and January 22, 2022, and comments below are presented in the order of the visits. Some animals were slaughtered in order to conduct these taste tests.

Top of the Hill Greasy Burgers, Benchley
Burger: One of the tastiest burgers I have ever had. Greasy, as advertised. But not sopping in grease. Just delicious. Had the jalapeno burger, but neither the peppers nor the other vegetables dominated the taste of this well-crafted burger.
Fries: Delicious, enhanced with what I took to be Lowry's Seasoned Salt.
Drink: Pour your own fountain drink. Sweet tea and the good pure-cane lemonade for an as-I-like-it Arnold Palmer.
I wish: I had room for another burger. The one I ate was delicious.
Say something nice: Top of the Hill makes a king-of-the-hill burger. Give it a try.


Joe's Place, Wixon Valley
Burger: When a burger is dominated by the taste of lettuce, there is something wrong. Once I worked my way through the rabbit food, the patty was dry and devoid of taste. The bun was overly toasted. And though the patty was dry, strangely, toward the last several bites, the bun became greasy and the rest of the sandwich fell apart.
Fries: Meh.
Drinks: Same set-up as Top of the Hill: fountain drink with the good lemonade that makes for a refreshing Arnold Palmer.
I wish: I had gone to Harvey Washbangers.
Say something nice: I'm tempted to mention the stunning profile of one of the patrons who walked in while I was eating. But instead, I will give props for the cool alligator above the bar.


Edge Country Store, Edge, Texas
Burger: I went with the optional jalapeno bun on this burger. A nice diversion. Vegetables were well-proportioned and tasty. Overall, a good burger experience.
Fries: Sadly, no fries. Just chips. I declined.
Drinks: Standard fountain drink fare with Minute Maid lemonade, not the top-shelf stuff. But decent sweet tea, so a good AP.
I wish: it was about 10 miles closer in to town. I love this kind of off-the-beaten-path, country stop-off. But unless you are already out that way, I wouldn't send you to Edge just for this burger.
Say something nice: Service with a smile and truly a nice venue. Some outside tables that would be just dandy on a warm, sunny day.


Margie's Grill and Bar, downtown Bryan
Burger: Tasty 1/3-pound burger with a patty that spills out on all sides of the bun. It is impressive coming out of its paper wrapper. This is a good if not great burger.
Fries: Crinkle-cut, commercial-grade fries. No complaints.
Drink: Only sweet tea, no lemonade. Good, Sonic-style ice, however.
I wish: I could sit down with a Margie's and a Top of the Hill side-by-side at a neutral site. I think Top of the Hill would win out … but that's what I thought about 'Bama in the national championship game …
Say something nice: It is kind of cool sitting in this downtown Bryan shotgun venue where you are so close to everything you can hear the burgers sizzling on the grill.

Good job, but do it again without the mayo.