BY MIKE PUCKETT

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BuffBurger is a new premium burger joint located right off I-10 and Wirt Rd. in West Houston. I paid them a visit the other day and I have to tell you that these guys are doing it right.

The first thing I noticed as I walked in was the beautiful, but simple décor and the wonderful aroma only burgers can provide!  The fresh green and white pops off the walls and the re-purposed wood gives BuffBurger that natural rustic look that just shouts “You’re about to get a damn good burger!”

Local, natural and sustainable is more than prominent signage on the wall, it’s a part of the culture here. BuffBurger uses all-natural ingredients supplied by local ranchers, farmers and bakeries. I learned about this first-hand as I dove into my try-it-all style of dining here. All the buns are baked fresh in local bakeries each morning and never kept overnight. You can taste this with every bite.

BuffBurger features a wide variety of Top Texas Craft Beers, and that is music to my ears, don’t ya know! So, I grabbed a couple of Karbach Hopadillos and we moseyed on up to the counter to order. As usual, we picked a bit of everything to find out exactly what BuffBurger was about. We ordered the Noodle Salad and three burgers. For sides, we  ordered Truffle Fries and edamame, a nice alternative to the usual fries and onion rings.

The Noodle Salad with Ahi was unbelievable. The tender Ahi Tuna, grilled to perfection, rested upon a delectable medley of noodles, herbs, pea sprouts, cabbage, tomato, mango, edamame, and green onion, all perfectly seasoned with a distinctive Thai dressing. What a gem! Just take a look at the photography to see exactly what I mean. It blows me away to think you can get this fresh Ahi salad, something you’d normally find in a slow food restaurant, in a fast, convenient, take-out format. I bet they get a lot of business at lunchtime.

The burgers and sides came all at once and, boy, where do I start?  The colors were vibrant, from the bright green edamame and lettuce to the bursting blue cheese and truffle salt-dusted fries. And the aroma was just sublime. What a masterpiece by design!

The savory Truffle Fries were perfectly seasoned with Parmesan, truffle salt, and truffle oil. The lightly-steamed edamame was served in the pods with just a hint of sea salt.  Both are a great choice to go with your entrée.

Now, for the main attraction: the burgers!

The BuffBurger is the house burger and has all the right flavor accents: house pickles, onion, lettuce, tomato and BB Mayo. Delicious!

The Goat Cheese Burger is stepping outside the box a bit, but as you do, you are greeted with a friendly smile of Pure Luck goat cheese, oven-roasted tomatoes, arugula and garlic aioli sauce. I have never experienced a burger quite like this. A premium quality burger that is a delightful surprise to me when I remind myself that I ordered just a few minutes ago.

My favorite was the Blue Cheese Burger. But then, I love all that is blue and this blue cheese burger was nothing short of fabulous! Topped with Point Reyes blue cheese, bacon onion jam, arugula and garlic aioli, this burger comes highly recommended.

And for dessert, (well, I guess you can call it dessert because they rode by our side throughout the meal) we enjoyed chocolate and strawberry shakes. The shakes were out-of-this-world, a heavenly blend of home-made syrups and soft, creamy ice-cream! Who screams for ice-cream? This guy does, and I forbid you from enjoying your first trip to BuffBurger without grabbing a shake! Enjoy!

PHOTOGRAPHY: MIKE PUCKETT