Located in the historic town, Burger Fresh – Montgomery, has been located across from the Community Center for many years, it being previously associated with Burger Fresh in Conroe, when it was purchased by current owner Tae Lee in 2017, original menu and all. There is a rustic old fashioned feel about the place, no doubt, but customers don’t go there for the aesthetics, because their burgers have been recognized far from the bounds of Montgomery proper. BF – M has been awarded ‘Best Burger’ by Texas Monthly Magazine, a ½ lb Angus Beef creation on a brilliant Jalapeño Sourdough bun, topped with grilled onions, bell peppers, Pepper Jack Cheese, bacon and avocado. The Montgomery shop has also been recognized by KPRC Channel 2 TV News and 104 KRBE Radio.
I had just finished some duties with the welcome signs and decorations for the house and building exteriors for the Montgomery Historical Society’s Christmas Tour of Homes, a tradition dating back almost 70 years, and it’s always lovely to see the homes that participate in the tour come alive and bringing the magic of Christmas back into its yearly life. I had made a promise to myself to review more restaurants in Historic Montgomery, and I have been craving a burger, so I decided to stop at the Burger Fresh in town. In fact, I had completely forgotten that I had already promised one of the fastest snake avoiding Vietnam Veterans that I know and his wife for a pizza outing. But it worked itself out, and I was encouraged to know they were such a cheap date. It also made me wonder, how can a man in his mid-70s eat so little, yet maintain a surprisingly rotund girth? It really does make you go hmm? So it will have to be BF – M next time, so he can at least get some lettuce.
I checked the menu with its TMM proclamation, and asked for the best seller. Lee pointed to The #3 ‘Our Most Popular Burger;’ which I would have figured out soon enough, putting my college degree and military experience to work. I asked for a juicy ⅓ lb patty from their 80/20 blend, with a medium rare to medium medium cook, and they came through. And with their sourdough bun, thanks to the rest time of the burger, the retained juices did not seep into the sourdough bun that much. Check. I appreciated the Pepper Jack Cheese which ups the spice mildly, and tastes savory along with the other suspect ingredients; but you can add additional toppings from avocados, bell peppers, mushrooms, and even change out to a jalapeño sourdough bun. You can also add the very popular bacon, jalapeños for spice, chili, and even an egg for a gourmet feel.
The burger is awesome, but their wild game, Bison Burger, ups the uniqueness thanks to the bison’s clean living which is implored into its meat. I recently tried some Nilgai steaks last week that my nephew had bagged from a company trip to South Texas last month. It is lean, and surprisingly beef-like, with its aroma not being gamey at all. I made a Steak Diane type-sauce with Cognac, shallots, garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcester sauce and heavy cream. The already tender meat can also be ground, and I believe it could be used in a burger. Once my nephew’s Nilgai haul comes home with some ground meat, I think I might take a few patties to Tae, and see what happens. The meat is naturally tender, and is sure to be a hit.
BF – M’s fries, were nice and crisp, and were a perfect accompaniment to The #3, and remained piping hot throughout the meal. Lee uses a foreign iodized salt, which has larger crystals. Check. They also have curly fries, sweet potato fries and tots, and regular seasoned fries, with Cajun seasoning. They are really good, and I found myself reaching for them continually until they were gone, completely missing out on my burger to fry ratio consumption, giving the burger the last word.
Burger Fresh – Montgomery has a solid #3 burger. I liked the seared top bun, a brand of excellence if you will. The weekend crowd is mostly customers from outside Montgomery, while the weekday crowd are usually locals and contractors working in the area, but anytime you have a burger craving, you should take a trip. You won’t be disappointed in the food.