—————————————————— $7 at Yia Yia's Roadster Grill | Eating Our Words | Houston | Houston Press | The Leading Independent News Source in Houston, Texas

Dining Deals

$7 at Yia Yia's Roadster Grill

Where: Yia Yia's Roadster Grill, 5210 Bissonnet, 713-432-1800

What $7 gets you: A fat, sloppy Avocado 'n' Swiss burger ($5.50) with fries or onion rings ($1.25, if paired with a sandwich), or a Philly steak sandwich ($6.95).

Tucked in the confusing tangle that is the Bellaire/Bermuda triangle, this bright-blue establishment may be easily missed, but at your peril. We knew it to be a Greek food place until we chatted with the counterwoman at a paint store across the street, who was adamant about the Roadster being equally known for its burgers. She was a regular there, she said, but had to quit for a time. Upon her next visit, the owner, Nick, asked about her absence. "I had to lay off for awhile," she said. "I developed an allergy to your food." Wait for it: "Every time I ate your burgers, my butt swelled up."

Recommended: Oh, yes! The buns are toasted on the grill; the burgers are huge and juicy, and our Swiss cheese melded to the meat beautifully. The avocado was the best we've tasted in a while -- they don't skimp here, either. One is a meal for two.

There's at least a half-dozen burger variations, none over $6 (The Route 66 with grilled onions for $4.75, or The Texan with chili or chipotle sauce, jalapeños and queso, for $5.75).

One caveat: We detected a faint hint of fried fish while tucking into our fries. Perhaps credit goes to the fried fish or fried shrimp hoagie, also on the menu, which is surprisingly diverse for the Roadster's size.

Bonus points: Call ahead, and pick up your order at the drive-thru.

KEEP THE HOUSTON PRESS FREE... Since we started the Houston Press, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Houston, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls.
Bobette Riner