Lankford's

I genuinely take no pleasure in writing this. Lankford’s has been a Houston institution since 1937. For decades it was a place you could rely on, nice and simple, honest burgers done right. Unfortunately, that is no longer the experience. This was my third disappointing visit under the current (third-generation) management, and after today, I’m convinced this is not a one-off and I will not be back. I ordered the “Red, White & Blue” burger for $12.25 for the burger alone, fries an additional $4. I tried to order the onion rings but they were out at 11:30am, does that mean they come from frozen and not fresh cut? So anyway, I requested it cooked medium rare, with extra red onions. After a 25-minute wait, what arrived at the table was not just incorrect, it was just careless. The burger was significantly overcooked. Not medium rare. Not medium. Not medium-well. Completely overdone and dry throughout. For a restaurant that cooks burgers all day, every day, consistently missing a basic temperature request suggests either a lack of attention or a lack of standards. The portion and build were nowhere close to what is advertised on their own website. The promotional photo shows a thick, substantial patty with a generous amount of blue cheese and red onions all layered properly. What I received was visibly smaller, thinner, sparsely topped, with a scattering of blue cheese crumbles and hardly any onions despite specifically asking for extra. The difference wasn’t subtle; it felt like a corner-cutting exercise rather than a premium burger. The attached photos speak for themselves. For almost $13, before fries this simply isn’t acceptable. If a restaurant chooses to price itself at that level, the product has to justify it. This did not. Out of curiosity, I searched to see whether the restaurant had sold. Google auto-populated that very question, which suggests I’m not the only one wondering. While ownership technically remains in the family, the rapid expansion into multiple additional locations across the greater Houston area appears to have coincided with a noticeable decline in consistency and quality at the original Midtown location. Growth is commendable but not when it comes at the expense of the very standards that built the name in the first place. After 85+ years of family tradition, it’s disappointing to see a place that once represented Houston pride reduced to something that feels like a brand trading on its history rather than living up to it. Lankford’s used to set a standard. Today, it feels like a shell of what it once was. Look at the photos of this mess that they brought to the table, especially compared to what’s on their website It makes the McDonald’s and Burger King hamburgers advertisement photos seem legitimate! BTW, I didn't eat the Lankford's "burger", I drove a couple miles to Stanton's City Bits and had a wonderful hamburger

a week ago

First time here, 1:30pm on a Sunday. Place and vibes was nice, wait was very long it took 51 minutes for what me and my little had. The Houston burger, brisket pcs were cold and very tough to chew. My daughter’s chicken tenders were very dry and chewy.

a week ago

I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a tasty, satisfying burger in a relaxed and local setting! 🍔 I had the Houston Burger and it was delicious. The patty was juicy and perfectly cooked, the bun was soft, and the toppings were fresh. You can really tell they use quality ingredients and take pride in their food. Regarding the atmosphere it was warm and authentic, with that charming old-school Texan diner vibe that makes the experience even better. The waitress was very friendly and attentive, adding to the welcoming feel of the place ♥️

4 months ago

We just came from Alaska and saw this place online from Social Media post, so we wanted to try it out, was a little disheartening to see a sick guy at the front taking orders, had a red nose and had the sniffles really bad, kept wiping his nose with his hands while pouring drinks and wrapping up and handing out to-go orders so am a little worried about getting sick wouldn’t think food establishments would let sick workers be around guests, so we got the burgers and fried pickles to go, so we can sanitize the bag and wraps when we get home, got the Peach Cobbler dessert specials as well, was concerned about getting a refill due to having to give our drinks back to the guy that was wiping his runny nose with his hands while pouring fountain drinks. We got home washed up and cleaned up the bagged dinners, the fried pickles were great, had a little spice to them so it was very fitting, I ordered the Houston Burger, was a decent burger, had a thick slice of brisket but just a little dried out but a great addition to the burger itself. My wife’s Bacon Cheese burger was a good burger, it was oozing out mustard so definitely a messy one to eat. The desserts were on point! Very flavorful and a perfect portion. Over all a decent place to grab a bite, was empty and only us there around 5-6pm so quiet, but they did have orders going out the door with online pickups! Overall I think our experience wouldn’t be as bad with an employee under the weather and clearing his nose every few mins, hope he gets better and they get coverage so he can rest and get better! ❤️‍🩹

2 weeks ago

Burgers are good here. I had the loaded fries and pickle chips and they were good also. Cool place. Apparently been there since the 30s. Was originally a grocery store. It's in midtown so close to everything.

3 months ago