It wasn't enough for the team at Trill Burgers to win Good Morning America's United States of Burgers competition in July 2022. Now the crew has taken home a champion trophy for its new Trill Tenders which it showcased at Tenderfest 2023 in Los Angeles. Billing itself as the World's Largest Chicken Tenders Festival, this year's event was held October 22, 2023.

Houston has gone crazy, some would say bat-shit, over Trill Burgers. The Trill OG, a smashburger with two 44 Farms beef patties, caramelized onions, American cheese, pickles and its signature Trill sauce is served on a potato roll with the crispy patty edges hanging out of the side. Houstonians can't get enough of it.  And its Vegan OG gets just as much love and not just from veg-heads.  A recent drive by its sole location on South Shepherd showed its popularity to still be evident with long lines out the door.
Still, no matter how much Americans love their beef, chicken still rules the roost when it comes to our favorite protein. And even though it's a leaner meat, we Americans don't like it in its pure form. We like it breaded and deep-fried.

Raising Cane's and Chick Fil-A have been part of the fried chicken tender racket for years. Then, Nashville Hot Chicken became the rage and still continues to burn across the country with more concepts opening every day. Houston has welcomed that trend with great enthusiasm and numerous hot chicken joints.
So it makes sense for the team at Trill Burgers to venture into the chicken tender world. Trill Burgers has been a huge success in part because rap artist Bernard Freeman, better known as Bun B, is the face of the brand. With his broad grin and boundless enthusiasm, he invites the public to join in on the fun. He's not the only brains behind the concept, however. Chefs Mike Pham and Fernado Valladares lend their culinary know-how while restaurateur Andy Nguyen and marketing expert Nick Scurfield have the business and PR chops to make it the phenomenon that it is.
We predict that Trill Tenders will be just as successful. For those who want to check it out for themselves, Trill Tenders is holding a pop-up December 3 outside of NRG Stadium before the Houston Texans-Denver Broncos game. It will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at noon. The Trill folks will set up at the Modelo Golden Lion Tailgate, located on the BULLevard near the Amegy Bank gate outside the southeast corner of the stadium.

The first 100 people to arrive at the tailgate will get free tenders. In order to enter the tailgate, attendees must be 21 and over. Outside the tailgate, Trill Tenders will be available for purchase to all ages.

The jumbo tenders have a light batter with Trill Tenders seasoning. The combos include Cajun crinkle-cut fries and dipping sauces.

Let the madness begin.