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Burgers

Seasonal Special at JerryBuilt Homegrown Burgers

If children were allowed legal access to cars and could drive themselves to dinner, JerryBuilt Homegrown Burgers would be the most profitable restaurant in town. The combination of cheeseburgers, ice cream, cookies, a wall-length chalkboard ready for doodlin', and a Coke Freestyle Machine pretty much make this place heaven for kids...and young-at-heart adults eager to binge on beef and strawberry-flavored Sprite.

With two locations (West University, The Woodlands), JerryBuilt is easily accessible to families with a fair amount of disposable income, which is why they can charge $9-10 for a single-patty sandwich and include sides such as truffle macaroni and cheese alongside more traditional options like crinkle-cut fries without most people batting an eye.

Is the elevated pricetage worth it? You betcha, as these burgers are far better than Whataburger to say the least. The foodstuffs (grass-fed beef, organic produce, Three Brothers rolls, etc.) are fresh, minimally processed, and locally sourced, which makes even the plain cheeseburger, classic "greasy" fare, taste lighter and maybe even healthful? More reasons why, perhaps, so many parents seem comfortable taking their kids there and even letting them round out dinner with a house-baked chocolate chunk or cow-shaped cookie.

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Wackier and more fun than the satisfying albeit pedestrian options like the regular cheeseburger is whatever the Jerry's (Jerries?) have cooked up as the seasonal special. Currently, that would be the Saint Arnold burger ($10), a juicy lump patty stacked with bacon, lettuce, tomato, ranch dressing, fried jalapenos, guacamole, and cheddar cheese. This burger is loaded nachos meets B.L.T all between two halves of a fluffy white flour roll. As such, it will be messy, spicy, potentially irritating to your gastrointestinal tract, and totally worth it.

For an additional two dollars, you can pair your Saint Arnold's special with a Guinness.

Just kidding. A Saint Arnold's amber ale, of course, the perfect adult beverage to take the edge off the heat and that week when it's your turn to lead the carpool. Almost as soothing and just as chilly is a Blue Bell ice cream shake; go for a schmancier flavor like vanilla blended with Ginger Bull cookies from Three Brothers Bakery.

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Joanna O'Leary