Best Burgers in Kemah, TX: 8 Spots Worth the Drive

The best burgers in Kemah, TX are concentrated in a city barely two square miles wide. Tookie’s on Texas Avenue is the hometown anchor — a decades-old joint that earned national press for its patties. Crazy Alan’s, a few doors down, puts alligator meat in the patty itself. Eight picks total, all confirmed open inside the Kemah city limits.

How we define “Kemah” for this guide

Kemah is a small city in Galveston County, roughly bounded by Clear Creek to the north, Galveston Bay to the east, and about 1.9 square miles in total. Nearly every restaurant on this list sits within half a mile of the water. We did not include spots in League City, Bacliff, Clear Lake Shores, or Webster, even when those cities border Kemah closely.

How we chose

Every pick on this list was confirmed currently open via its own official website or official social page as of October 2026. We required each place to have a burger (beef, specialty, or otherwise) as a menu item — not just as a theoretical option. Hours change; check each restaurant’s site before you drive.

The quick list

• Best dedicated burger joint: Tookie’s Hamburgers & More
• Most surprising patty: Crazy Alan’s Swamp Shack (alligator, crawfish, or jalapeno mixed in)
• Best late-night burger: Skallywag Suds N Grub (open until 2 AM daily)
• Best burger with live music: T-Bone Tom’s Meat Market
• Best steakhouse burger: Saltgrass Steak House (Brisket Burger)
• Best on the Boardwalk: Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
• Best 24-hour option: Whataburger on FM 518
• Best neighborhood lunch spot: Hoagie Ranch Emporium

Dedicated burger joints

Tookie’s Hamburgers & More

406 Texas Ave, Kemah · open daily

Tookie’s is the reason Kemah has a burger reputation. The restaurant has been pressing fresh patties on Texas Avenue for decades, and in 2008 its burgers were cited among the best in Texas and the country. Hurricane Ike did real damage to the original building; the rebuilt kitchen is now larger and there’s a full bar and patio, but the core menu hasn’t drifted. They use locally sourced produce and mix the patties fresh daily.

The menu runs from the classic Tookie’s Cheeseburger to a double-meat version, the Squealer Burger, and a turkey burger. Milkshakes are a serious offering here, not an afterthought. The kids’ menu makes it workable for families.

Order: the Tookie’s Cheeseburger on its own first. If you’re going back, try the double-meat.

Hours: typically Sunday–Thursday 11 AM–9 PM, Friday–Saturday 11 AM–10 PM. Confirm at the official site before you go.

Skallywag Suds N Grub

600 6th Street, Kemah · open daily until 2 AM

Skallywag is one block from the Kemah Boardwalk, with free parking, a craft beer list that runs deeper than most bars in the area, and pub grub made from scratch. Regulars talk most about the Wyatt Earp burger — a standout in a category that includes mac and cheese, wings, and tater tots as strong supporting acts.

The appeal here is the combination of late hours (2 AM every day), genuinely good craft beer, and a welcoming atmosphere that works for a solo meal at the bar or a group taking up a table. It’s not a tourist destination; it’s where people who live near Kemah actually go.

Order: the Wyatt Earp burger.

Hours: daily 11 AM–2 AM.

Restaurants with standout burgers

Crazy Alan’s Swamp Shack

310 Texas Ave, Kemah · open daily

Crazy Alan’s is mostly known as a Cajun seafood stop on Texas Avenue, but its burger menu is worth your attention on its own terms. The restaurant doesn’t use a standard beef patty as the only option: the Alligator Burger is a hand-formed patty mixed with tenderized alligator meat. The Mud Bug Burger mixes in crawfish tail meat. The Water Moccasin Burger is a jalapeño-mixed patty for heat seekers.

The regular Swamp Hog Burger mixes smoked bacon directly into the ground beef. These aren’t gimmicks added to a basic menu — they’re house-made patties that lean into the Louisiana Gulf Coast DNA of the kitchen. If you came to Kemah for seafood and someone in your group wants a burger, this is where both of you win.

Order: the Alligator Burger if you want something to talk about — call ahead to confirm it's on the current menu. The Big Daddy double-meat if you want volume.

Hours: typically Monday–Thursday and Sunday 11 AM–9 PM, Friday–Saturday 11 AM–10 PM.

T-Bone Tom’s Meat Market

707 Hwy 146, Kemah · open daily

T-Bone Tom’s started as a meat market in the 1960s and grew into a full BBQ restaurant by 1974. Today it smokes brisket, ribs, and homemade sausage daily over oak, and serves handcut steaks, gumbo, and a burger made from in-house ground beef that is hand-battered and never frozen.

The real reason to come — beyond the food — is live music six nights a week in Tom’s Back Yard, the covered outdoor patio. It’s the kind of place where the burger is a supporting character in a larger night out. Get there early enough to catch the patio before it fills.

Order: the double-meat cheeseburger if you’re here primarily for the burger. Otherwise, the brisket plate is the reason most regulars return.

Hours: inside dining Sun–Thurs 11 AM–10 PM, Fri–Sat 11 AM–11 PM. Tom’s Back Yard stays open an hour later on weekends.

Saltgrass Steak House

215 Kipp Ave, Kemah · open daily, breakfast on weekends

Saltgrass is the sit-down steakhouse on the Kemah Boardwalk, and its Brisket Burger is one of the better burgers on the water. It is topped with slow-braised brisket, cheddar cheese, onions, pickles, and BBQ sauce — a Texas steakhouse take on the smash burger trend. The standard Cheeseburger is a simpler option at a lower price point.

For families or groups that want a full dining room experience with a proper bar, Saltgrass is the most reliably comfortable option on the Boardwalk. Weekend breakfast hours open at 8:30 AM if you want to start the day.

Order: the Brisket Burger.

Hours: Sunday and Saturday 8:30 AM–10 PM (dinner), Monday–Thursday 11 AM–9 PM, Friday 11 AM–10 PM.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

5 Kemah Boardwalk, Kemah · open daily

Bubba Gump is the chain seafood stop on the Kemah Boardwalk — bay views, Forrest Gump memorabilia, and a menu that runs from coconut shrimp to handhelds. The All-American Cheeseburger and the BBQ Cheeseburger are both available with a Beyond Meat patty substitute. It’s not the most serious burger on this list, but the waterfront setting makes it the right call when you’re already on the Boardwalk and someone at the table wants a burger instead of shrimp.

Order: the BBQ Cheeseburger.

Hours: Sunday–Thursday 11 AM–9 PM, Friday–Saturday 11 AM–10 PM.

Whataburger

305 FM 518 Rd, Kemah · open 24 hours

Whataburger is the Texas chain with the A-frame orange-and-white buildings, and the FM 518 location in Kemah is open 24 hours, seven days a week, for both dine-in and drive-thru. The Patty Melt and the Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit are the local favorites, but the double Whataburger with jalapeños is the move if you want to eat at midnight.

This is not an adventurous pick, but it is a true Kemah address, and at 2 AM after a night at Skallywag it is genuinely the right answer.

Order: the Whataburger with cheese, add jalapeños.

Hours: 24 hours, every day.

Hoagie Ranch Emporium

226 Marina Bay Dr, Kemah · limited hours

Hoagie Ranch has been one of Kemah’s local favorites since 1992. The menu is built around oversized sandwiches and comfort food, but they grill burgers too — the Bonanza Burger comes with Swiss and American cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayo, and mustard. Hours are limited: the restaurant opens Tuesday through Saturday for lunch, with Friday dinner service.

This is the right stop when you want something casual and local that isn’t part of the Boardwalk scene. Check their Instagram (@hoagie_ranch_inc) for current hours before you go, as their website was unavailable at the time of this writing.

Order: the Bonanza Burger.

Hours: typically Tuesday–Thursday 11 AM–2:30 PM, Friday 11 AM–8 PM, Saturday 11 AM–2:30 PM. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Save this: Kemah Burger Crawl

Kemah’s small size makes a burger crawl genuinely walkable if you’re near the water. Here’s a sequence that works without backtracking.

1. Start at Tookie’s (406 Texas Ave) for the original: the classic Tookie’s Cheeseburger with a milkshake.
2. Walk two blocks to Crazy Alan’s (310 Texas Ave) and order the Alligator Burger as a split — just to try the patty.
3. Head to Skallywag (600 6th Street) for a craft beer and the Wyatt Earp burger if you still have room, or just the beer.
4. End on the Boardwalk at Bubba Gump or Saltgrass for the bay view and a drink.

None of these restaurants are more than about 10 minutes apart on foot. Drive between Tookie’s and T-Bone Tom’s (on Hwy 146) if you want to add the BBQ stop.

Never drive between stops after drinking. Use a rideshare or a designated driver.

More to do in Kemah

After the burgers, the Kemah Boardwalk has rides, waterfront bars, and views of Galveston Bay. The best bars in Kemah covers the full bar scene, and best brunch in Kemah has the morning options. If you’re making a full day of it, our best restaurants in Clear Lake covers the broader Bay Area. Heading further south? The Galveston day trip guide has the full picture.

For the best burgers elsewhere in the region, see the best burgers in League City, best burgers in Clear Lake, and best burgers in Galveston.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best burger in Kemah, TX?

Tookie’s Hamburgers & More at 406 Texas Ave is Kemah’s most established burger destination, serving fresh-pressed patties since before Hurricane Ike. Their burgers were cited among the best in Texas in 2008.

Is Kemah good for burgers?

Yes. Kemah has at least eight spots that serve burgers within its roughly two-square-mile city limits — from a dedicated hometown burger joint (Tookie’s) to a Cajun shack with alligator patties (Crazy Alan’s) to a 24-hour Whataburger.

Where can I get a late-night burger in Kemah?

Skallywag Suds N Grub at 600 6th Street is open until 2 AM every day and serves scratch-made pub burgers including the Wyatt Earp. Whataburger at 305 FM 518 is open 24 hours.

Does the Kemah Boardwalk have burgers?

Yes. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. (5 Kemah Boardwalk) has an All-American Cheeseburger and a BBQ Cheeseburger, including a Beyond Meat option. Saltgrass Steak House (215 Kipp Ave) serves a Brisket Burger topped with slow-braised brisket.

What makes Crazy Alan’s Swamp Shack burgers different?

Crazy Alan’s at 310 Texas Ave, Kemah mixes non-standard proteins directly into the ground beef patty. The Alligator Burger contains tenderized alligator meat, the Mud Bug Burger contains crawfish tail meat, and the Water Moccasin Burger is mixed with jalapeños.

How far is Kemah from Houston?

Kemah is approximately 30 miles southeast of downtown Houston, typically a 30–45 minute drive depending on traffic on I-45 or Hwy 146.