Alison Cook’s top 100: No. 8 Hubcap Grill

1 of 21 | Share Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Hubcap

8. Hubcap Grill
In a city where burger culture runs deep, Ricky Craig is the high-strung, exacting face of our current hamburger Renaissance. As chef-owner and jack of all trades, he has made his original downtown slot-in-the-wall famous not with costly grades of beef and fancy fixings, but with straightforward ingredients handled with extreme care. His hand-formed, never-frozen chuck patties shed juice beneath their forceful sear. His house-baked buns have an idiosyncratic, focaccia-style spring to them. And beyond the basic treatments, Craig’s more fanciful creations work better than they have any right to, whether it’s a feta-charged Greek Burger, a Muffaletta Burger with frisky “secret sauce,” or the mighty Philly Cheese Steak Burger raining deeply caramelized onions and peppers under an oozy cap of ribeye shards and Swiss cheese. Factor in distinguished hand-cut, twice-fried potatoes and you have destination dining in an improbably small, raffish space with limited hours (11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and it’s cash only). A newer Heights location offers beer, credit-card transactions and plenty of rustic outdoor seating. But so far, the cooking seems more reliable at the landmark downtown mothership.
Cuisine: Hamburgers
Entree price range: $
Where: 1111 Prairie St.
Phone: 713-223-5885
Web: hubcapgrill.com

 

Previous                                    Next

See all 100

Comments

comments