Bun B's Trill Burgers - former James Coney Island location

[hindesky]

"Dear JCI Customer,

We made the difficult decision to permanently close this location. We are tremendously grateful for your patronage at Shepherd for many years. We are a small, local business and we hope you will continue to support us at our other Houston Area locations. In fact, our 99-year Houston tradition depends on your support. Please know that all employees from the location have been offered employment within the company."

https://houston.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/07-11-22-james-coney-island-jci-grill-shepherd-location-closed-shuttered/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=dlvr.it

[hindesky]

I go to this JCI at least twice a year but whoever remodeled their restaurants didn't do them any favors. They always looked closed due to the window treatments they added. Same thing with the one on the Gulf Frwy at Rustic St. that closed a couple years ago.

[mkultra25]

Hard to believe there will be no more JCIs inside the loop, but I think they kind of lost their way when they rebranded to JCI Grill and tried to move more upscale with new menu items and cross-promotions with local chefs. The majority of customers I see at JCI order the tried-and-true items that made them what they were - the original coney, chili, frito pie, etc.

I haven't been there in quite a while, but my go-to location was the one near 45 and Crosstimbers, so I'm sad to see that one listed as also being for lease. When they have the annual anniversary special with 99-cent coneys, the line is almost out the door there.

[brucesw]

Agreed.  Come to think of it, I don't even remember any of the grill items; I may have never looked at that part of the menu.  They did neither themselves nor the participating chefs any favors with that promotion.  The resulting products in the stores were very poorly executed in my experience the 2 times I went in to try one.  I had to wait for a manager to return from an errand to fix one for me, no one else in the building knew what to do.  Neither did he, it turned out.  He delivered it to the table himself, beaming.  The bun was toasted to a crisp and significantly charred; the sausage was worse.  Several of the items mentioned in the press release were missing.

I hope they don't go away completely but if they do, 100 years ain't too shabby a run in the restaurant biz.

I tell everyone/out-of-towners, stick to the legacy menu.  Many people working there can make those blindfolded.

[wilcal]

Bun B's Trill Burgers to take over JCI location on Shepherd

https://www.chron.com/food/article/bun-b-trill-burgers-restaurant-montrose-17653784.php

[hbg.50]

On 7/12/2022 at 2:22 PM, mkultra25 said:

Hard to believe there will be no more JCIs inside the loop, but I think they kind of lost their way when they rebranded to JCI Grill and tried to move more upscale with new menu items and cross-promotions with local chefs. The majority of customers I see at JCI order the tried-and-true items that made them what they were - the original coney, chili, frito pie, etc.

I haven't been there in quite a while, but my go-to location was the one near 45 and Crosstimbers, so I'm sad to see that one listed as also being for lease. When they have the annual anniversary special with 99-cent coneys, the line is almost out the door there.

It always looks closed but that location on 45 is still operating, and it’s practically “at the loop.”

[mkultra25]

32 minutes ago, steve1363 said:

It always looks closed but that location on 45 is still operating, and it’s practically “at the loop.”

I suspect the only reason it's still operating is that there hasn't been much interest in leasing the building from anyone else.

Per Loopnet it's still available:

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/4200-North-Fwy-Houston-TX/25732684/

[ChannelTwoNews]

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/retail/article/james-coney-island-jci-new-locations-closings-17726476.php

 

"But while drivers may take the large "closed" signs on Westheimer Road and South Shepherd Drive as signs of weakness, JCI President Darrin Straughan says it's all part of a plan. In the past decade, the local chain has changed names, switched up its menu and shifted its strategy toward the suburbs to make sure the century-old Houston institution will be around for several years to come."

[hindesky]

Work has started on Bun B's Trill Burgers.

[hindesky]

Construction company doing the renovations. Looks like an "e" to me but their name is actually "Luria Construction".

http://www.luriaconstruction.com

https://www.instagram.com/luriaconstructioncompany/

[hindesky]

Without the construction trailer in the way.

 

Tried to focus on the inside but the iPhone had other plans.

[hindesky]

 

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2023/05/25/sneak-peek-inside-bun-bs-new-trill-burgers-restaurant-in-sw-houston/

[hindesky]

"Good news to all your burger enthusiasts out there, especially the ones who like their burgers smashed and drizzled with a bit of "trill."

Bun B announced on his Instagram Wednesday that the Trill Burgers brick-and-mortar location will be opening in less than a month. 

That location will be the old James Coney Island building at 3607 S Shepherd Drive, which is right off the Southwest Freeway near Richmond Avenue."

https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/trill-burgers-location-opening/285-426da17a-251f-40cc-a983-65387789640c

[hindesky]

"Celebrities, near and far, are already flocking to Bernard “Bun B” Freeman’s Trill Burgers, one of Houston’s most highly anticipated restaurant openings this year. 

Over the weekend, perhaps the most notable celeb to swing by was Ludacris. Trill Burgers posted the Atlanta-based rapper-actor’s first bite of the smash burger on TikTok and its other social media platforms. A line-up of rappers familiar to many Houstonians included Slim Thug, Lil’ Keke, Willie D of the Geto Boys and Le$. A who’s-who of the sports world attendees included Houston Texans great Andre Johnson, Jerrod Johnson and Daryl Sharpton."

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/food-culture/restaurants-bars/article/trill-burgers-opening-celebrities-ludacris-bun-b-18137584.php 

[hindesky]

"It just might be the most talked-about, frenzy-making, gotta-have-it burger in the country. And starting today the Houston restaurant that’s serving it finally opens.

Trill Burger's, the homegrown smashburger that has enjoyed coast-to-coast pop-up buzz since it's inception in 2021— from being crowned best burger in America last year on “Good Morning America” in New York to captivating the hipsters at the Coachella music festival in California in April — will open to the public today at 11 a.m. at 3607 S. Shepherd."

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/food-culture/restaurants-bars/article/houston-rapper-bun-b-trill-burgers-montrose-18130955.php

[hindesky]

"Despite the Montrose spot being Trill Burgers' first brick-and-mortar, the smash burger business isn’t slated to be there for long. 

According to a release, the smash burger joint will use this space as an “extended pop-up” location for six months, while Bun B and his team search for a permanent home in the area. In the meantime, the restaurant will be open for limited hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily."

https://houston.eater.com/2023/6/7/23746072/bun-b-trill-burgers-smash-burgers-houston-restaurant-openings-montrose

[LBC2HTX]

They will print money if they open somewhere with a lot of foot traffic (for Houston). I think the current location is terrible. 

[editor]

Can someone explain the use of the word "trill" in this context?  Is this a rap music term?

When I see "trill" I think of Star Trek alien worms that burrow inside of other aliens with spots on them:

 

 

I suppose you could make burgers out of trill worms, but I also supposed that's not what this rapper is going for.

[Houston19514]

36 minutes ago, editor said:

Can someone explain the use of the word "trill" in this context?  Is this a rap music term?

 

From a Texas Highways  story about Trill Burgers:

 

I asked Bun what sets his burger apart considering that it’s heavily influenced by “a big trend in California,” according to co-owner Nguyen. “It’s the trillness that sets the burger apart,” Bun says. The word “trill,” coined by Bun and fellow Houston rapper Paul Wall, is slang for being true or real. It might not mean much if you’re not into hip-hop culture, but Houston very much is.

https://texashighways.com/travel-news/cheer-sear-smashed-burgers/

[mkultra25]

5 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

From a Texas Highways  story about Trill Burgers:

 

I asked Bun what sets his burger apart considering that it’s heavily influenced by “a big trend in California,” according to co-owner Nguyen. “It’s the trillness that sets the burger apart,” Bun says. The word “trill,” coined by Bun and fellow Houston rapper Paul Wall, is slang for being true or real. It might not mean much if you’re not into hip-hop culture, but Houston very much is.

https://texashighways.com/travel-news/cheer-sear-smashed-burgers/

Next up: "chopped and screwed". 😎

[mkultra25]

The longtime JCI location on I-45 North just south of Crosstimbers closed several months ago. I noticed dumpsters outside a few weeks ago, but what really caught my attention when driving by this afternoon is that the exterior has been repainted yellow.  Haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else yet, but...second former-JCI location for Trill Burgers imminent?

[IntheKnowHouston]

1 hour ago, mkultra25 said:

The longtime JCI location on I-45 North just south of Crosstimbers closed several months ago. I noticed dumpsters outside a few weeks ago, but what really caught my attention when driving by this afternoon is that the exterior has been repainted yellow.  Haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else yet, but...second former-JCI location for Trill Burgers imminent?

Tostada Regia, a local Mexican restaurant mini-chain, is opening soon at 4200 North Fwy / 4200 I-45 N. It's the former site of James Coney Island.

[Pleak]

The JCI location on I-69 in Stafford (Meadows?) closed a while back.    It is now a CaboBob's burritos.     Can't remember if they repainted it yellow or not.

[editor]

There was a review of this place in the Chronicle this morning.

The verdict from the paper's chief hamburger correspondent was that it's good, but perhaps it's better to wait in line when the weather is cooler.

[hindesky]

Looks like this will be converted in to a gas station when Bun B's lease is up.

[hindesky]

9:00am on a Sunday morning and the parking lot is almost full. Not sure if an event was going on but there was a slab in the drive thru and people taking video and pics of it.

[IntheKnowHouston]

Below is the proposed Albemarle Place Plaza subdivision plat. The plat was posted to the incorrect forum in August.

The Albemarle Place Plaza subdivision plat pertains to 3607 S Shepherd Dr. Previously the site of James Coney Island, 3607 South Shepherd Dr is currently home to Trill Burgers.




https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/49694-alabama-shepherd-square/?do=findComment&comment=686958

On 8/29/2023 at 1:05 PM, hindesky said:

Proposed plat with a different name "Albemarle Place Plaza".

In addition to 3607 S Shepherd Dr, the proposed Albemarle Place Plaza subdivision plat also consists of:
 

• 3615 S Shepherd Dr (specifically Lot 4)
• 2049 Richmond Ave

[hindesky]

https://www.chron.com/food/article/houston-trill-burger-injunction-lawsuit-19484231.php

Bun B and Trill Burgers partners Andy Nguyen and Nick Scurfield gave testimony and endured cross examinations in Harris County District Court last week. Their accusers, sibling restaurateurs Patsy and Benson Vivares, faced the same scrutiny. The recent hearing was set to decide on a temporary injunction, a motion filed by the Vivareses’ lawyers on May 14, according to court documents. 

On May 23, the presiding judge ruled in favor of the Vivareses, granting the injunction against Trill Burgers, its related companies and owners. As a result, the oft-viral smashburger restaurant is still open for business—just with its hands tied behind its back.