82Smash
Score
Score
Smash Score✅ Certified Smash
Houston's #1-ranked smashburger per DiningOut, built with 100% Halal beef, caramelized onions, and the house Smack Sauce. Two locations, consistently 4.7+ stars.
Representative photography. Actual appearance may vary.
Hotline Burger began in Summer 2019 as a nameless pop-up slinging SoCal-style smash burgers at Houston bars and breweries - Philip Kim's side project while running his steamed bun concept Breaking Bao. After a brief stint inside Downtown's Underground Hall food court in 2020, Hotline expanded in 2021 to two permanent locations: Energy Corridor on Highway 6 and Chinatown on Bellaire Boulevard. The menu is deliberately short, the focus entirely on doing one thing right - a 100% Halal smashburger built for repeat visits.
The Hotline Burger is a double smash of 100% Halal beef, pressed until the edges go crispy and lacy, then topped with American cheese, sweet grilled onions, pickles, and the house Smack Sauce - a tangy proprietary sauce that reappears across the menu on fries and the patty melt. The Halal beef sourcing is a genuine differentiator in Houston's smashburger scene. DiningOut Houston called it the #1 smashburger in the city, and Larry Koestler of Best Burgers Near Me wrote it 'almost belongs in its own category of excellence.'
His patty melt is a triumph with browned but soft Texas toast, melty American cheese, and that gorgeously ragged, kind-of-crispy beef.
Built with double patties of 100% Halal beef, pressed on a hot griddle until crisp, locking in a juicy, savory center. Every bite delivers a fantastic balance of crunch, melt, and drip-down-your-hands indulgence.
Phil's take on the smashburger is outstandingly delicious, and almost belongs in its own category of excellence. The beef was seasoned and cooked to beyond perfection.
The smack fries put In-N-Out to shame - perfectly crispy even after the cheese melts over them.
Hotline Burger's Patty Melt features two smashed beef patties, grilled onions, Swiss, pickles, and the house Smack Sauce on Texas toast from a local bakery.
Ranked #7 of the top 30 hamburgers in Houston - two crispy 100% Halal beef patties that are outstandingly delicious.
Burgers are seasoned just right and still a good size for a smashed patty. The Jalapeño Burger is the one to get.
100% Halal and genuinely delicious - a rare combination in the Houston smash scene. Service is fast and the fries arrive hot.