The burger list

Baytown takes burgers personally. It even has a local contest: in 2016 the Troller and Arnold families ran a Best Burger in Baytown vote, and the result came down to one point.

The list

Rooster's Barbecue Co., 6 W Texas Ave. Won the local Best Burger in Baytown contest in 2016, when seven restaurants went in front of eight judges and Rooster's beat Texas Roadhouse 967 to 966. That was under the previous owners. The place reopened in May 2025 as a barbecue company with new ownership, so the trophy is history, not a review of today's kitchen. The burger is still the first-visit order, the ribeye is the second, and the banana pudding is either. Park on Texas Avenue or in the Town Square lots and walk.

Someburger, 1002 Decker Dr. The oldest name on the list, on Decker since 1955. Quarter-pound burgers, hand-cut fries and a malt, ordered as the Someburger, the double, or the Big Otha Special. Open Monday to Saturday from 9 to 8 and Sunday from 11 to 7, so Sunday is open, just shorter. The lot is tight at lunch and the ice cream machine is a variable, so plan on the burger, not the sundae.

Pipeline Grill, 4601 Garth Rd. The sit-down burger on Garth: gourmet burgers and a classic cheeseburger. Kids eat free on Tuesday and the weeknight happy hour is the move for anyone coming off a shift. Open 11 to 9 every day, with an easy strip lot.

The bar burgers: The Chute on Garth and Hooky Entertainment Baytown on I-10. Built for a beer, not a review. Public listings put burgers on The Chute's menu at 4537 Garth, a live-music room that is open Thursday to Saturday nights, and Hooky's menu lists a cheeseburger at 10550 Interstate 10 Service Road, where the bowling, the games and the bar run from 10 in the morning to midnight every day. Order at the bar and ask about the kitchen before a big group commits, because burger service rests on public listings, not on a visit. For a group night, Hooky is the better bet: it is open every day and the bowling gives the table something to do while the food comes. If the kitchen is attached to entertainment, expect a different pace.

The Ricky's counters. Ricky's finished third in that 2016 contest, 957 points against Rooster's 967, and there are two listings today: Ricky's Thick & Juicy Burgers at 4539 Garth Rd, open Monday to Saturday from 10 to 8, and Ricky's Burgers at 7630 Highway 146, Suite 100, which posts a similar Monday-to-Saturday schedule on its own site. The contest write-up doesn't say which Ricky's the judges visited, so try both and make up your own mind.

The east and north sides. Bases Burgers at 2210 N Alexander Dr is open 10:30 to 9 Monday through Saturday and from 11 on Sunday, the easy answer near the Goose Creek end of town.

The chains, for the record. Five Guys at 5010 Garth Rd is the fast-casual burger option. Whataburger at 1900 Decker Dr is open around the clock, which makes it the late-night answer and the after-the-game answer. You don't need to cross town for a chain you already know.

What to skip

The drive-through row on Garth when you have time for a plate. It does its job at midnight and not much else. Denna's Donuts, which shows up on some burger lists: it is a kolache and donut counter on FM 3180, open 4:30 to noon, and it belongs on the breakfast list instead. And any menu that lists a dozen burgers: the short menus are usually where the care is.

The rules

- Ask before you order somewhere new whether the patty is griddled or grilled. It tells you what kind of crust to expect. - Fries are judged separately and harshly. Onion rings are the tiebreaker. - Rooster's is the local-lore answer to "where should we take them." Someburger is the answer to "where did your grandfather eat." The bars are the answer to "it's Friday." Whataburger is the answer to "it's midnight and I want a plate." - A burger with a fried egg on it is breakfast and belongs on the 4 a.m. map, not here.

Thursday or Friday around six, Rooster's on Texas Avenue, the burger medium, the banana pudding after. If you would rather have the old-school version, Someburger at lunch on Decker, with a malt, before the lot fills.

Before you go

- Rooster's hours are the one to check: public listings disagree, some showing 11 to 9 daily and others Tuesday through Saturday from 11 to 8, and the room closes earlier than a Houston restaurant. - Someburger closes at 8 on weekdays and Saturday and at 7 on Sunday, and the lot is tight from about noon. - The Chute is a bar and live-music venue on Garth with evening hours on its own site; the venue is described as 18 and over, so check before bringing a teenager. - Price: no menu prices were checked for this list. Sit-down places like Rooster's and Pipeline Grill usually run more than the counters and the bar burgers, so look at the menu first. - For a late burger after the show or the game, Whataburger on Decker is open 24 hours and Hooky stays open until midnight. - Food trucks that sell burgers move around, so use the food trucks guide rather than a fixed address.

Questions people ask

Where is the best burger in Baytown? Rooster's on West Texas Avenue won the 2016 Best Burger in Baytown contest under its previous owners; the place has new ownership since May 2025, so check its hours and try it yourself.

Where is the oldest burger place in Baytown? Someburger on Decker Drive, in business since 1955.

Best late-night burger in Baytown? Whataburger on Decker, open 24 hours.

Is there a burger place in Baytown for a group? Hooky Entertainment on I-10 for a bar burger with bowling, Pipeline Grill on Garth for a table.

En español

La lista de hamburguesas

Esta lista sirve mejor como mapa que como concurso: mostrador clásico, restaurante de barbacoa, bar con cerveza, noche familiar o algo tarde en la noche. Elija primero el ambiente y después discuta la carne.

Los lugares

- Rooster's Barbecue Co. (6 W Texas Ave) ganó el concurso local Best Burger in Baytown en 2016 por 967 puntos contra 966 de Texas Roadhouse, con los dueños anteriores. Reabrió en mayo de 2025 con nuevos dueños. Los horarios se contradicen en los listados públicos, así que confírmelos. - Someburger (1002 Decker Dr) está en Decker desde 1955. Abre de lunes a sábado de 9 a 8 y domingos de 11 a 7. El estacionamiento es pequeño a la hora del almuerzo. - Pipeline Grill (4601 Garth Rd) abre todos los días de 11 a 9. Los niños comen gratis los martes y hay happy hour entre semana. - The Chute (4537 Garth Rd) y Hooky Entertainment (10550 I-10 Service Rd) combinan hamburguesa con cerveza o diversión. Hooky abre todos los días de 10 a.m. a medianoche. The Chute es para mayores de 18 años y abre jueves a sábado por la noche. Pregunte por la cocina antes de ir con un grupo grande. - Ricky's quedó en tercer lugar en 2016 (957 puntos). Hay dos locales: Ricky's Thick & Juicy Burgers (4539 Garth Rd, lunes a sábado de 10 a 8) y Ricky's Burgers (7630 Highway 146, Suite 100). - Bases Burgers (2210 N Alexander Dr) abre de 10:30 a 9 de lunes a sábado y desde las 11 el domingo. - Five Guys (5010 Garth Rd) y Whataburger (1900 Decker Dr, abierto las 24 horas) para lo rápido y lo muy tarde.

Qué evitar

Denna's Donuts, en FM 3180, es de kolaches y donas (4:30 a.m. a mediodía), no de hamburguesas.

Antes de ir

No revisamos precios de menú. Los restaurantes con mesa suelen costar más que los mostradores y los bares; mire el menú primero. Los camiones de comida cambian de lugar, así que use la guía de camiones de comida en lugar de una dirección fija.

Sources

- Visit Baytown, Best Burger in Baytown award (2016): https://www.visitbaytown.com/post/troller-arnold-best-burger-in-baytown-award - Someburger Baytown: https://someburger.com/baytown - MOOYAH Texas locations (no Baytown store listed): https://www.mooyah.com/locations/list/tx/