Analysis: The Inevitable Fall of Prince's Hamburgers

I had such high hopes for the reincarnation of the legendary Prince's Hamburgers. Since 1934, Prince's was a favorite in Houston for great burgers. Long before Whataburger was the hometown favorite, Prince's was the Golden Boy of local burgerphiles. But the Prince is dead — yet again. Sadly, it was predictable. 

As I wrote in January 2023: 

"By the time Whataburger started up in 1950, Prince's Hamburgers had already been in business for 14 years and was already legendary. Unlike Whataburger, Prince's is actually named after the man who founded the restaurant." 

Unlike Whataburger, which is thriving today and was acquired by a Chicago firm in 2019, Prince's Hamburgers nearly went extinct. "The last Prince's Hamburgers location in Houston has closed, a victim of Hurricane Harvey's massive flooding," the Houston Chronicle reported in 2018. "The location at 3425 Ella Boulevard was the last location standing."

But Prince's is not down yet. In fact, they seem poised for strong comeback, as you'll see in my video. 

However, flash forward to 2024 and the "last Prince's Hamburgers location" in Houston closed AGAIN on December 31, 2023. The location at the Sharpstown Park Golf Course has permanently shut its doors (6600 Harbor Town Drive). The sad demise of Prince's should come as no surprise to anybody who was watching closely. The phoenix is ashes once again.

Sure, they made a damned good burger, but did so much else wrong that failure was virtually pre-determined. With a bad location, no signage visible from a busy street, poor social media presence, no merchandise, no inside bathroom, a promised grand opening that never happened, and the City of Houston as their landlord, failure was Prince's destiny. Let's go down the list:

Poor Location, Bad Landlord

You might think that a public golf course is a great location for a restaurant. That depends on the golf course, of course. I'll bet a million dollars that the majority of golfers at Sharpstown ate before they arrived, or drove elsewhere to eat after their golf game. Public courses are government owned, and having the City of Houston as your landlord seems a bad idea. It's hard enough to sue your private sector landlord, and you know what they say about fighting City Hall. 

The golf course location had another disadvantage: Lack of visibility. Prince's had a sign at the entrance of the golf course on Harbor Drive, a quiet side street, but it was about 370 feet away from busy Bellaire Boulevard. Virtually invisible, therefore useless. Unless you lived in the immediate neighborhood or were coming to play golf, you might never see that sign. Visibility is extremely important to any retail business, particularly restaurants. Why do you think you never, NEVER see a McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Whataburger or any other burger restaurants on sleepy side streets? Because they want visibility, something the Prince's team with their "20 years of experience" failed to consider. And by the way, that experience is cumulative among the five partners, averaging only four per man — still more than enough to know that's it's all about "location, location, location."

Weather, naturally, would factor in. Golf courses are dependent on reasonable weather to attract customers. So if it's too cold or too wet, Prince's would see a slump in business. While that's also a factor for any restaurant, it's more pronounced when you're nearly invisible to potential customers and have no inside restrooms (see below). 

Weak Social Media

As of February 22, 2024 their website has not changed since before they closed. It's as though they're still open on Harbor Drive. That's a huge discourtesy to people who don't know they're closed. IF they plan to reopen at another location, this won't help build goodwill for future customers. Ironically, they say this on their website: "With 20 years of experience, our team is excited to present their vision to you and all our guests." And they did that — in the restaurant. But when it came to social media, they fell flat and floundered about aimlessly.

Not the real Prince's website

Prince's had a Facebook page and an Instagram Page but only had the Facebook link on their website. They under-utilized both. No promotions, no specials, no merchandise. But most importantly, perhaps, was a lack of a solid establishment of identity. In fact, anybody looking up "Prince's Hamburgers" on the search engines of Google or Facebook could be easily misled by out-of-date or fake Prince's pages.

They closed on January 31, but as of Februay 22 their website still tells people, "We are open! Come see us!" That's misleading. How many people have seen that page, went to the golf course for a burger, only to find that they wasted a trip and are now forever distrustful of Prince's Hamburgers?

No Merchandise

The Prince's Hamburgers partners had an iconic, nostaglic name and image that they inexplicably failed to cash in on. 

The image here would have looked great on a t-shirt or sweatshirt. They could have sold them online and in their store. 

Why they never did is a mystery.

The Grand Opening That Wasn't

As noted above, Prince's landlord was the City of Houston, and it was the City of Houston that, at least initially, killed Prince's plans for a Grand Opening. 

On January 31, 2023 Prince's partner Terry McConn emailed me:

Tom, our city and  media grand opening is February 24th.

On February 13, 2023 I learned the following from Terry and posted it on Facebook:

It was to be Feb. 24, but some City of Houston officials said they can't make that date .... and they ALL want to be there for the media event. The city is their landlord at Sh
arpstown Golf Park, so you get the idea. The event has been pushed back to a still-to-be-determined date.

In other words, city officials couldn't get their act together and coldly dismissed Prince's grand opening. Worse, Prince's partners bent over and took it. No date, it seems, was never determined and the Grand Opening never happened....unless they did it so secretively that I never heard about it. 

No Inside Restrooms

Imagine eating in a restaurant and you need to use the restroom ... but it's raining outside and the only way to get to the toilet is to exit the restaurant and walk about 50 feet outside. That's the situation Prince's had. Is that legal for a restaurant that doesn't have the city as it's landlord? 

Poor Communication

Communication between the five partners was not always coordinated. Communication with local media (including social media influencers) was neglected almost entirely. Communication with the public, via social media and hard advertising, was weak at best. Signage was virtually invisible to the general public. 

Even their goodbye message on Instagram is confusing (watch here), and it's curious that they did not post that on their Facebook page or on their website. In fact, as of February 22, 2024 their most recent post on Facebook was on October 6, 2023.

"Continue to follow," it says, promising an "Exciting next chapter of Prince's Hamburgers 2024." Let's hope it's more exciting than 2023 was.

Will "Hotline Burger 2" EVER Open?

Update, Jan.1, 2024: They're finally open!

Update 8/12/2023: Hotline Burger's new location at 8850 Bellaire Blvd is still not open for business. When I last wrote about this in April, they told me they'd open "in the summer." But now, in mid-August, they still haven't even removed all of the old signage from previous occupant Twistee Treat.  On August 12, Their Google Maps listing says they are "temporarily closed."  

Also see: Still Hope for Hotline Burger 2 in Sharpstown

Here is the original post from 4/11/2023:

Hotline Burger has a new location in Sharpstown on the cusp of Chinatown at 8880 Bellaire Blvd Suite P, Houston (map). That's a block west of Gessner. They're calling it "Hotline Burger 2." Their only other location is at 1585 Hwy 6, Houston.

Photo by Rebecca Wright,
My Table Magazine, 2017

Hotline Burger recently finished refurbishing the building that housed Twistee Treat ice cream palace, complete with a giant "ice cream cone" atop of it. While cute, it seemed out of place, looking  more like something you'd see on a desolate part of Route 66 than along Bellaire Boulevard. That eyesore is gone, giving the newly renovated structure a clean, aerodynamic look.

Hotline Burger's smash burger
photo from Instagram

The Hotline Burger on Highway 6 has indoor seating. It's not a certainy, but it seems very unlikely that Hotline Burger #2 will. The building is just too small. Like the Twistee Treat that was there before, the only "dining area" will probably be the outdoor picnic tables. Drive-thru service should be available, and there is ample parking in the adjacent shopping center's lot.

I'm eagerly anticipating their opening. Reviews from their first store are very good and the food photos look amazing.

There is precious little information about Hotline Burger to be found on the internet. What seems to be written by someone with the company, however, can be found at the Culinary Agents website:

Hotline Burger began in the Summer of 2019 as a nameless pop up serving SoCal style smash burgers at bars and breweries. We took the positive feedback and turned it into a food hall space in Downtown Houston in 2020. Once the pandemic broke out, we were no longer able to sustain our position through the next year and decided to not renew our stand. Fast forward to 2021, we found an opportunity to sign 2 new locations, with HWY 6 being our first brick and mortar. Hotline Burger 2 will be opening in Chinatown (Bellaire Blvd & Gessner Rd) later in 2022. [Emphasis mine]

Pulled Pork Sandwich (and some BBQ history)

Photo by Min An, Pexels

I recently had a great barbecue pulled pork sandwich at The Burger Joint in Houston (see video below). When I told several friends about it, all three Texas natives sneered. "Nah," one said, "ya don't put no barbecue sauce on shredded pork." Another said that only beef or chicken should be barbecued, not pork. 

I was mystified by that, dumb Yankee that I am. I've seen all three of those guys eagerly devour pork chops. Hours of research on the internet didn't help me find an answer to why some Texans have such an aversion to barbecued pulled pork. The only hints I could find lead me to believe it's the Texan worship of brisket. "If it ain't brisket," they seem to believe, "it ain't BBQ." Or maybe pulled pork in Texas just isn't made right most of the time. More on that in a moment.

Public domain image

Texas and BBQ are practically synonymous to some, but not all, people. Just as the ancients believed Earth was the center of the universe, many Texans think their state is the center of the BBQ Universe. It's not, although Texas BBQ is wonderful, but there are other great BBQ styles and recipes around the U.S. and, indeed, around the world. 

Since food preferences are subjective, there is no "right" or "wrong." Whatever floats your boat is what's best for you. Nobody can say you're wrong for liking any particular food or flavor. One man's treat is another man's trash, and vice-versa. (Anchovies, anyone?)

Trill Burgers Thrills Houston's Bun B Fans

Trill:  An adjective used in hip-hop culture to describe someone who is considered to be well respected, coming from a combination of the words "true" and "real". ~ Urban Dictionary

Yes, I went to Trill Burgers to experience the now-world-famous smashburgers. Yes, I stood in the amazingly long line. I estimate there were about 80 people waiting to get in on the second day of Houston rapper Bun B's opening of his first permanent location. Yes, my mouth was watering.

Trill Burgers's new home at 3607 S. Shepherd Drive (at Richmond in the Monstrose District) is bright yellow, a beacon shining brightly from an otherwise drab but bustling intersection. And there's a bus stop right in front of the place. Location, location, location is the mantra in the restaurant industry, and Trill Burgers got it right. 

Cowboys & Indians Restaurant: Tex-Indian Fusion Confusion in Houston

Cowboys & Indians, Houston TX

I took my friend Jeff to Cowboys & Indians in Houston, Texas for his birthday recently. We both like Indian food, and of course we're big fans of Mexican and TexMex. 

There is an abundance of Indian, Mexican, and TexMex restaurants in Houston, so we were eager to experience a place that describes itself as "Indian-Tex Fusion & Cocktails" on their Facebook page and as "Indian & Texan Fusion" on their website. The atmosphere is laid back, eclectic and fun, including an attractive outdoor patio. Overall, it was a great experience, but I have a few minor criticisms.

Bun Kabab, We Hardly Knew Ye

Bun Kabab

This little fast food-style restaurant was, probably, doomed from the beginning. Bun Kabab, a halal Pakistani eatery now permanently closed, had a bad location working against it. 

Situated at 6965 Harwin Drive, Houston in Accessory Plaza II (see map), it was virtually invisible from the street. The store opened in early 2021, located just over a quarter mile west of the famous Gandhi District along Hillcroft Avenue. 

Inside Bun Kabab

It was not able to draw people who go to that area seeking the south Asian cuisines the area is known for. Had they been located on or much nearer to Hillcroft, Bun Kabab might still be open.

Although Harwin is a busy street, Bun Kabab had poor signage. It was in Accessory Plaza II, with merchants selling jewels, watches, computers, wholesale of other household goods, retail clothing, footwear and leather articles in specialized stores, and clothing accessories. 

A Last Look At James Coney Island

It was a good run, really. James Coney Island became a Houston institution after humble beginnings as a hot dog stand in 1923 in the city's downtown. "It wasn't until forty years later that a second location opened and by 1988, it was a multi-million dollar brand," Lorretta Ruggiero reported for Houston Press in October 2022. 

But the little local hot dog empire closed its last outpost during the first weekend of last October, and now the empty building near the Galleria awaits the proverbial wrecking ball.

James Coney Island, 5745 Westheimer Road
(more photos below)

The company renamed itself JCI Grill in 2014, Ruggiero wrote. The closing of their hot dog palaces, however, is by no means the end of the company. They have big plans to revamp and rebuild. 

Updated: Crime-Ridden McDonald’s in Downtown Houston Demolished

One of the worst McDonald's I've ever been in is closing – finally.

Photo: Reddit Houston u/lolunix, via
houstonarchitecture.com

I've been in a lot of creepy, downright frightening Mickey Dees in my life, but none compared in my experience with this one. It was the worst in Houston, and just might have been the worst McDonald's in the nation.

The building was finally demolished on Wednesday, Feb. 8. Nobody will miss it:

“We’ve seen a lot of crazy things go down here," [a local man] said. "Daily drug deals, we’ve seen guys getting beat up, guys getting their money stolen. It’s a really difficult place. This whole area downtown is not the place you want to be." KHOU-11, 2023/02/08 

Yes, I've been there. Once, in June 2013. It's located at 2017 Main Street, Houston, right across from a Greyhound Bus station that's almost as scary. I took three steps in and immediately realized I'd just passed into a post-apocalyptic dystopian nightmare. The huge, armed security guard just inside the front door, a large black man, gave me a look that told me, a 57-year-old white dude, to leave now while you still can. I nodded a thank you and took his advice.

Houston's Legendary Prince's Hamburgers (updated)

Prince's Hamburgers has a long history in Texas, especially in Houston. It is probably the most iconic, most legendary burger restaurant in Space City. And yes, I mean moreso even than the beloved Whataburger.  (Note: Since writing this post, Prince's has closed - probably forever. See Analysis: The Inevitable Fall of Prince's Hamburgers.)

CLICK TO WATCH THE VIDEO

Whataburger is legendary, but not as much as is Prince's. By the time Whataburger started up in 1950, Prince's Hamburgers had already been in business for 14 years and was already legendary. Unlike Whataburger, Prince's is actually named after the man who founded the restaurant. There is no "Mr. Whataburger." 

I recently visited Prince's Hamburgers for the fifth time at the Sharpstown Park Golf Course and had their magnificent Bopper Bacon Cheddar Burger with fries and their famous onion rings. I also had the great pleasure of interviewing co-owner Terry McConn, who gave fascinating insights into Prince's history and future plans. 

According to the Texas State Historial Association (TSHA), George Douglas “Doug” Prince, Jr. started a "small hamburger stand on Lemmon Avenue in Dallas in 1929....Within a year, Prince looked for greater opportunity, and on a visit to Houston in 1934, he decided that city was the best location for his business."

Prince's at Sharpstown Golf Course

Mr. Prince moved to Houston in 1935 and "opened his first-drive in an old Weber’s Root Beer stand at 4509 South Main. The contract said that the Weber name should remain for six months. After that time the 'Prince’s Famous Hamburgers' name was launched in March 1936."

"As carhops became popular across the country," says TSHA, "he staffed each drive-in with attractive carhops dressed in sequined uniforms similar to a band majorette. Prince’s is credited with helping to popularize the position, and in 1941 Prince’s carhop Jeanette Hall was crowned “America’s first Carhop Queen” and was pictured in Life magazine." (And that was nine years before Whataburger existed.)

Unlike Whataburger, which is thriving today and was acquired by a Chicago firm in 2019, Prince's Hamburgers nearly went extinct. "The last Prince's Hamburgers location in Houston has closed, a victim of Hurricane Harvey's massive flooding," the Houston Chronicle reported in 2018. "The location at 3425 Ella Boulevard was the last location standing."

But Prince's is not down yet. In fact, they seem poised for strong comeback, as you'll see in my video. 

Houston's Blade Runner-Themed Chinese Restaurants

A scened from Blade Runner?
Nope. One of The Rice Box restaurants.

"The Rice Box" is a Chinese restaurant in Houston with a futuristic, neon-drenched look that could be straight off the set of the film Blade Runner. I'll admit up front that I haven't eaten there yet. The food gets rave reviews, but that's not why I'm writing this. 

What fascinates me is the look of the Rice Box and their masterful marketing. 

According to Houston Culture Map (Oct 13, 2022), "Houston’s favorite Blade Runner-inspired Chinese takeout bar will soon add a fourth location to its roster. The Rice Box is coming to Rice Village." 

To help publicize their fourth location, the Rice Box created a mock movie poster. Of course, it also has a Blade Runner feel to it. If you have never seen Blade Runner, watch a short video to get a feel for its aesthetics. Even the Rice Box website has a scifi vibe. Here's how they describe themselves: 

"The Rice Box is a multi-sensational, Chinese/American takeout restaurant where your experience begins the moment you set foot through the door. Walk into our world of glass and neon and you’ve just entered new wave Chinatown. 

Our edgy ambience is part of what makes us unique as a takeout food service. That, and our constant effort to provide outstanding personalized service where everyone remembers your name."

They have very cool Facebook pages here and also here, where you can see more images and even some videos. And of course, they have a killer Instagram page as well. I intend to put on a long trench coat, fire up my flying car and go to a Rice Box location soon.

Houston's Thriving International Food Scene

Yes, it is

I spent half of my adult life in Chicago, where the food is great but the crime is out of control and the winters are harsh. 

I’ve been in Houston now for 10 years and I’ve discovered that this is also a great food town. And except for hurricanes, tropical storms and brutal summers, it’s not bad.

The barbecue here is, of course, is world-class. But there's much more to Houston these days than smoked brisket and boiled crawdads.

At first, I was skeptical about Houston 

In much of Chicago, there are great places to eat for every budget on every other block. Not so in Houston, which is more like Los Angeles -- where i lived for ten years and is another great food town. But like L.A., Houston is very spread out. Chicago is much more compact. So, in most of Houston you need transportation to experience the variety of foods here.

Fortunately, though, there are what I call "restaurant zones" in Houston. China town, for example, on the city's west side, has a tremendous number of restaurants serving east Asian fare -- Chinese, of course, but also a lot of Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese and more.

How NOT To Advertise Your Sushi (or anything else)

Imagine you own a restaurant. You want to advertise (brag about) one of your most popular items. Let's say it's a Japanese restaurant and you're especially proud of your sushi. 

What kind of photo would you feature in that ad? The obvious answer, of course, is a beautiful photo of your sushi. 

But I recently ran across an ad on Facebook for a Houston-area Japanese restaurant that made me scratch my head. It left me wondering what their marketing person was thinking – and if they even know what sushi is over there. The reply to it, and the reply to that reply, are comical.

Worst Shawarma I've Ever Had

A disappointing experience at Shawarma King in Houston! My combo plate of chicken and beef shawarma was dry and flavorless. The fries were unremarkable. The tabouleh was nearly flavorless. (See video below.)

I've had good shawarma hundreds of times around the country, including a few right here in Houston. So when I saw a place that calls itself "Shawarma King," I was willing to assume that they're the royalty of local shawarma. Ooof. 

The worst shawarma I've ever had

From Shawarma King's website: 

"We have perfected our Shawarma with warm fresh pita bread, your choice of chicken, falafel, or beef all rolled up with tahini and sesame-garlic sauce. We also have a selection of delicious kabob dishes all served with salad and hummus."

Nothing they served me was "perfected." Granted, that's a description of the shawarma sandwich, and I had the platter. Even so, every shawarma platter I've ever had included a side of pita bread and tahini sauce. Not at Shawarma King, though. 

Perhaps that cup of flavorless mayonaisse-like substance was supposed to serve as tahini. Tabouleh should have at least a hint of mint. Theirs had none that I could taste. Shawarma King's website claims they have the best shawarma in Houston, but certainly not in my opinion. Maybe they just had a bad day in the kitchen, I don't know.

Amazing Tonkotsu Ramen in Houston

Watch onYouTube

Almost everybody, it seems, has eaten ramen noodles. But if the only ramen you know is the kind you get as a dried brick that you get for less than 30 cents per pack at the grocery store, you really don't know ramen.

Don't get me wrong. I love the cheap "instant" ramen and would continue to eat them even if I had Elon Musk's money. But the real deal is what a good restaurant (or home cook!) makes. And it's anything but instant. It's a lot of work to make it. 

Fortunately, great ramen is becoming more accessible to us in the U.S. More and more Americans are becoming aware that good ramen is more than a brick of dried noodles boiled for three minutes!

Teriyaki Kitchen is a ramen lover's dream. (See my video below.) I had the tonkotsu ramen soup, and the velvety pork broth was incredible. Tonkotsu broth feels creamy, but there is no dairy in it. The "creaminess" comes from the emulsion of fat and water as the bones are cooked on a high boil for hours.