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Bun B’s Guide To Houston's Best Eats

H-Town's trillest foodie on the best burgers, breakfast and more

Amy McCarthy is a staff writer at Eater.com, focusing on pop culture, policy and labor, and only the weirdest online trends.

Outside of his status as one of the most legendary emcees in hip-hop and one-half of iconic rap duo UGK, Bernard “Bun B” Freeman is decidedly one of Houston’s most successful sons. When he isn’t lecturing at Rice University, recording music, or creating his own coloring books, you can often find Bun B dining in one of Houston’s best restaurants.


"Right now, Houston is the best time of any time any where to have an appetite. If you’ve got a palate, Houston can handle it," he says. "Houston does a better job of doing food from areas outside of Houston specifically because it is one of the most diverse cities in the world."

As a Houston native, Bun B’s list of local favorites runs the gamut from old-school classics to new favorites that have put the city on the national map as a dining destination. Eater Houston sat down with Bun B to map out a guide to dining like you’re the Trill OG. From breakfast and burgers to date night eats, Bun B's got you covered whether you’re balling on a budget or feeling draped up and dripped out.

Best Breakfast: "We like to go to Cue’s Burgers on Post Oak," he says. My wife gets the pork chop breakfast, and I get a breakfast burger. It’s basically just a burger with an egg on it. This is our favorite, but sometimes the line can be a little long. I don’t like saying ‘I’m Bun B, can I cut the line?’ But now it’s literally the place to go eat in Houston. It’s close to my church as well."

Fried Chicken: "Traditionally, we’d obviously go to Frenchy's. Now we have a Bonchon in Katy, so we can go get some good Korean fried chicken there," he says. "Korean fried chicken is something I’ve been getting into, just had some Bonchon out of town, so I’m going to be all over that. I gotta go all the way to Katy to get it, though."

Burgers: "Gotta be the original, the classic Sparkle’s Hamburger Spot," he says. "I do a chili cheese burger with no onions. And the fries, well, really a potato cut into eight pieces. They’re amazing. Very crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Normally I would say the Killen’s burger, but I’ve not had it yet at Killen’s Burgers. I was trying to get it, but the line was too long."

Sheena Abraham/Flickr

Drunk food: "Whataburger, obviously. It’s always open, always available, there’s always one nearby," he says. "I get the chicken tenders and gravy. I need that toast. With the toast and the french fries, you get more bread than a burger, so in your mind you’re soaking up more liquor."

Vietnamese: "Pho Binh. My wife will try the tripe and all that stuff, but I can’t do that. I get the meatballs," he says. "I can’t go too deep into pho. Really, I just want that gravy, that soup, whatever you want to call it."

Something sweet: "Anything at Fluff Bake Bar," he says. "She switches up things and does such good – everything. Initially it was the macarons that I fell in love with from her. My favorite thing is the collaborations, when she’ll partner up with local people. It’s always different and fun, just really different takes on stuff. None of what she does is traditional and that’s the beauty of it. I’ve had everything there."

Fluff Bake Bar's killer macarons Katy Norris/EHOU

Date night: "Sushi is my wife’s favorite, so we just go eat whatever is fresh," he says. "You just sit at the bar at Uchi and pig out."

Best spot to grab a drink: "Typically a lemon drop martini with a sugar on the rim from the bar at Hotel Derek," he says.  "I’m secure in my manhood, I can go there. I typically order a lemon drop and a beer for my wife, and they always put the beer in front of me, and the martini in front of her. My favorite, really, is the bar at Grace’s on Kirby. They automatically know my drink and my wife’s drink."

Where to eat when you're broke: "If I’m trying not to spend a lot of money at all, Waffle Bus is always a great bargain for the money."

Crawfish: "If you’re in Houston, you’ve gotta talk about crawfish," he says. "I’m not a super crawfish guy, but my wife loves it. We’ve tried everything, and BB’s Cafe is a safe bet every day. Gotta have that good quality seasoning, and the wait usually isn’t long."

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